California Changing Domoic Acid Protocols for Upcoming Crab Season 

A special hearing held this week in California brought together the state's fishery managers to discuss how they should change domoic acid protocols for the upcoming 2016-17 Dungeness crab season. The hearing was hosted by Representative Mike McGuire who is the Chairman of the state's Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture and included members from California's Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Dungeness Crab Task Force. Several options discussed improvements the state's handling of domoic acid testing and possible fishery closures. Options included allowing areas to open with evisceration orders in place, instead of keeping an area closed completely. Streamlining tests and starting testing earlier in October were also discussed. A more unified public outreach campaign about educating the consumers about the closures was also proposed. Meanwhile, the panel heard from Dr. Raphael Kudela, Lynn Professor of Ocean Health at the University of California Santa Cruz, who said the chance of a domoic acid outbreak similar to last year is lower because of changes to water temperatures.

Deadlines have passed for proposals to the 2017 Upper Cook Inlet finfish meeting of the Alaska Board of Fisheries. More than a dozen proposals look to modify or entirely repeal the Kenai River Late Run King Salmon Management Plan and the Kenai River Late-Run Sockeye Salmon Management Plan. Commercial fishermen largely resent the August sockeye rules and have been restricted by them to some degree in each of the last three years since they were adopted in 2014.

In India, a $1 million investment will be made to set a shrimp storage and broodstock producing facility in the major shrimp producing state of Andhra Pradesh. The center will be located in the Viskhapatnam district and is expected to be completed in about a year. MPEDA and its research unit, the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture will provide necessary technical support for the facility.

Meanwhile, salmon fishing restrictions in BC's Prince Rupert are creating a lot of tension between the region's commercial fishermen and enforcement officials with the DFO. Fishermen are frustrated with what they say are constantly changing regulations over restrictive fishing methods and species of fish, particularly sockeye salmon and other salmon species, as well as allowing different user groups to have a chance at the fish down the coast. Specifically, members of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union took exception when DFO officials seizing non-retention sockeye and chum and charging fishermen for possessing some of the fish, some of which had been used as food fish for First Nations communities when fishermen discovered that the salmon had been dead in their bycatch.

Finally, Mississippi is considering multiple sites for off-bottom oyster cultivation as part of a goal of to produce one million sacks a year by 2025. The boom in oyster harvests and value has been driven by high value oysters produced from farms and leased bottom, most of which is off-bottom culture. A recent analysis showed that for the Gulf, High value off bottom culture was estimated at 3 percent, while in the Mid-Atlantic it is 18 percent, and in New England, it is 61 percent of the total harvest.

California Changing Domoic Acid Protocols for Upcoming Crab Season

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by Susan Chambers - August 11, 2016 

Anticipating potential harmful algal blooms that could produce domoic acid in Dungeness and rock crab fisheries, state leaders and lawmakers are changing management and outreach efforts to avoid a repeat of the disastrous 2015-16 season. Commercial and recreational seasons were delayed or closed last year due to high levels of the toxin.

Industry and state officials identified problems with last year's season and potential solutions before the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture in Sacramento on Wednesday...

California's Dungeness Crab Landings and Sales Down Sharply After Lengthy Delay 

California's commercial Dungeness crab landings and sales are down sharply because of the extended delay to this past fishing season for high levels of domoic acid. Gross sales for the season for the crab fleet topped $33 million, about 45 percent of the 5-year average, according to state Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture. Bodega Bay, of the nine key commercial ports for Dungeness landings, reported a 37 percent drop in the haul to 1.8 million pounds, according to early calculations. “Something is better than nothing, but we are not out of the woods,” said McGuire, who will convene a special hearing Wednesday in Sacramento to review the season, the push for federal relief and the outlook for next season. California's Dungeness fishery was supposed to open last November but was ultimately delayed until February because of high levels of domoic acid in the crabs.

A federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld a previous ruling that supported the 2011 implementation of the federal catch share management scheme for Pacific Whiting. “We cannot substitute our judgment for the agency’s,” said Judge Sandra Ikuta said in the 3-0 ruling. A Washington state vessel owner and processors challenged the catch share implementation in court, arguing that the selection of past years was arbitrary and violated a law requiring federal officials to take into account “present participation in the fishery” and “dependence on the fishery” when setting limits.

In other news, Norway’s seafood export values were up 15 percent in July and are up 24 percent for the year compared to 2015 figures. Higher salmon prices have helped boost Norwegian returns. Norway’s earnings are up 25 percent from its salmon sales, with per kilogram prices up 50 percent this year. ”July proved to be a good summer month for Norwegian seafood exports. Exports of salmon and trout totalled NOK 5.1 billion ($600 million), an increase of 28 percent from July last year. The higher salmon prices were the result of strong demand coupled with lower volumes," said the Norwegian Seafood Council’s Jan Ståle Lauritzen

Meanwhile, Canada's Transportation Safety Board said a fatal fishing accident that left three people dead off Newfoundland says the crew was using a boat that was not intended for crab fishing. The vessel was reported overdue from a fishing trip in Placentia Bay on June 16, 2015, and the bodies of the three crew members were found the next day. A report concluded that modifications to the vessels combined with the weight of the crew members, bait, ice, and the catch onboard would have significantly reduced the distance between the water and the deck, making it more susceptible to taking on water.

Finally, domestic shrimp processor Paul Piazza & Son hired industry veteran John W. Appelbaum to the company’s sourcing and sales team. Prior to joining Paul Piazza, Appelbaum previously worked for Illinois-based Worldwide Shrimp Company. “John is a tremendous addition and we are pleased to have him as part of our team. His expertise further strengthens our position as an industry leader in the sourcing and processing of Wild Caught Domestic Shrimp for Foodservice and Retail customers across the United States,” said Kristen Baumer, President of Paul Piazza & Son.

Pacific Seafood Hopes to Ship More Live Crab to China Using Cathay Pacific's Direct Flight from PDX

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS By Susan Chambers - July 20, 2016 

Cathay Pacific Airways and the Port of Portland are expanding their freight services to Hong Kong in November - and that could open new markets for West Coast seafood. Two flights per week from Portland, OR are currently scheduled pending government approval.

The new Portland service would operate as part of a Hong Kong - Anchorage - Los Angeles - Portland - Anchorage - Hong Kong route every Thursday and Saturday...

Oregon Albacore Commission Secures State and MSC Funding to Provide Local Seafood to Students

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] June 22, 2016

The Oregon Albacore Commission secured a Farm to School Grant from the Oregon Department of Education with additional help from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to support a boat-to-school culinary program for students.

The program will educate students in Oregon’s Seaside School District about the state’s sustainable seafood and fisheries. The program also aims to increase awareness of the health benefits of locally sourced wild seafood.

Students will also be taught about five of the state’s major fisheries, starting with salmon in October...

Seafood.com News Summary Thursday, June 9, 2016

Today's Main Story: McDonald's Orders Audit of Hoki Supply Chain in Response to Misleading New Zealand Catch Report  

McDonald's ordered an immediate audit of its New Zealand hoki supply chain after a report this week estimated New Zealand's fishery catch was nearly 3 times more than reported. In a statement, McDonald's said it sources fish only from MSC certified sustainable fisheries, including in New Zealand. Earlier this week John Sackton wrote that the New Zealand catch report was misleading since it covered the period prior to country's quota management system, and also a period when much of the region's fisheries were dominated by foreign fleets, who are notorious for misreporting. 

Health Canada announced the approval of Aquabounty’s GMO salmon as the first genetically modified animal allowed for sale as a food product in Canada. Aquabounty’s CEO Ron Stotish said that it would take about a year to bring product to market. Health Canada said they would not require any labeling on GMO salmon. John Sackton writes of the fundamental argument over genetically modified salmon and how the market for salmon in Canada is about to get much more complicated.

Meanwhile, Alaska lawmakers will now have a special session for their second try at passing a budget and deficit-reduction legislation after the four-month regular session failed to reach an agreement. If a deal cannot be reached the government will be forced to shutdown in six weeks.

In other news, the last sliver of waters closed to Dungeness crabbing in California are finally open. Commercial fishermen will be able to set their gear on Monday, May 23, and start harvesting crab on May 26 in Northern waters that were still closed to fishing because of high levels of domoic acid. This opening means the entire state is now open for commercial crabbing. 

Finally, Chilean salmon producers with operations on Chiloe island have regained access to their processing facilities now that a near two-week-long strike by the artisanal sector has ended. Some processing has already gotten underway. Optimistic reports say fish could be available as early as Monday, but given a national holiday on Saturday, it’s more likely that production will return to pre-strike levels by the end of next week.

Have a great weekend.

Today's Main Story: Greenpeace Attacks Ray Hilborn as 'Overfishing Denier' as He Receives Major Int. Science Prize  

Greenpeace attacked the Univeristy of Washington's Professor Ray Hilborn by questioning the funding he has received to study global fisheries stability.  Hilborn is a world renown fishery researcher whose 40-year-career has contributed to the worldwide understanding that when fisheries quotas and habitat protections are enforced, stocks recover and can be fished sustainably. The attack comes just two weeks before Hilborn will accept the International Fisheries Science Prize at the World Fisheries Congress for his contributions to fisheries research. John Sackton writes how Hilborn's work "is anathema to Greenpeace, whose fisheries activism depends on maintaining a continuous atmosphere of crisis." Our story includes Hilborn's entire response to Greenpeace's attack.

Declines in both farmed and wild salmon are likely to contribute to stronger market prices this summer. Alaska's wild salmon season is forecast to be 40 percent because of an off-year for the pink run. Meanwhile, farmed salmon supplies are expected to fall short in 2016 after an algae bloom in southern Chile killed millions of fish this past February. 

California's Fish and Game Commission say the state's commercial Dungeness crab fishery could be threatened by more toxic algae blooms for years to come. The Commission based the claim on reports projecting Pacific waters to warm and ocean acidification to intensify. “Estimates of future carbon dioxide levels, based on business-as-usual emission scenarios, indicate that by the end of this century the surface waters of the ocean could be nearly 150 percent more acidic, resulting in an [acid level] that the oceans haven’t experienced for more than 20 million years," said one report from NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

In other news, Oregon's pink shrimp industry stand down lasted less than a week. The industry hoped the West Coast shrimp fleet -- including those from both Washington and California -- would hold together and cease fishing until the pinheads grew larger. However, the stand down ended after half a dozen vessels from Washington state commenced fishing in Oregon's waters earlier this week. 

Finally, attendance at the Seafood Expo Global in Brussels was probably down about 15 percent this year after the terrorist attacks in the city caused a number of exhibitors and attendees to revise their plans. However, those that went generally had a high priority or strong reason for going, and for some exhibitors, that meant the quality of business done was much better than expected. "We were pleasantly surprised. We had many, many customers in our booth, and commitments for advance purchases," said  Tom Sunderland, VP of Ocean Beauty. "We were very happy we made the decision to go ahead with our plans for the show."

California to Finally Open Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishing in Most Northern Waters

California Fish and Game Commission, working with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the California Department of Public Health on Monday recommended opening the areas but that consumers should not eat the crab ...

One North Coast "Hot Crab" Pushes California's Fishery Officials to Reconsider Opening Protocols

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Susan Chambers - April 29, 2016

If anyone has a right to be crabby about the Dungeness crab season in California, it's the fishermen and processors in Northern California.

Persistent levels of domoic acid in the crab in California delayed the Dungeness and rock crab along the whole coast and have allowed limited, incremental openings of sport and commercial fisheries in certain areas...

Today's Main Story: Iceland's HB Grandi Pulls Out of Brussels Show Over Security Concerns 

Major Icelandic groundfish catcher and processing company HB Grandi will not attend the Seafood Expo Global event in Brussels this year because of security concerns in the city. A group of 27 of the company's employees were scheduled to attend the trade show planned for April 26-28. However, Brussels has been in a state of high terror alert since the March 22 terror attacks in the city's airport and metro station that killed at least 30 people and injured hundreds more. "After careful consideration, HB Grandi management feels it is not justifiable to send employees to Brussels, as is it unclear whether their safety can be sufficiently secured following the recent terrorist actions in the city," the company said in a statement.

Alaska Fish and Game officials have closed the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery for the remainder of the season. The commercial harvest totaled about 10,000 tons. There were 4,700 tons left to be harvested before Fish and Game shut down the fishery on Monday afternoon. ADF&G biologist Dave Gordon said smaller, younger fish were starting to show up. "The quality of the fish was becoming an increasing concern," he said.

In other news Russia held its first auction for Barents Sea snow crab quotas operated by its Federal Anti-Monopoly Service. The auction generated a record $100 million in quota sales for Russia's federal fisheries service. Over 70 companies and organizations bid on the quotas but the winners were not announced.

Meanwhile, Dungeness crab fishermen in Northern California got their season underway after agreeing to a $2.90 per pound dock price for their catch. This officially ends a four-month delay to the commercial fishery that was stalled for high levels of toxic domoic acid in the crabs.

Finally, Newfoundland's inshore and offshore shrimp fishing fleets are arguing over the economic importance of their operations the region. Ottawa's federal government suspended the controversial "last in, first out" policy in Area 6 this week and a full impact analysis of the fisheries is now underway. Results of the study are expected sometime in April.

Dungeness Crab Prices Skyrocketing in China as Weather Slows BC Fishery

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [mt.sohu] Translated by Amy Zhong  March 24, 2016

California Announces March 25 Start Date to Commercial Dungeness Fishing, Ending Four Month Delay

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Susan Chambers - March 21, 2016

At long last, Dungeness crab pots sitting on some California docks since November will hit the water soon -- more than four months after the season on the central California Coast should have opened.

Levels of domoic acid in crab caused delays of most recreational and commercial crab fishing along the West Coast, to varying degrees. Oregon and Washington commercial fishermen started in January, but the levels of domoic acid in California crab remained high for most of the winter...

Alaska Seafood Processors and Harvesters Face 20-30% Higher Business, Landings Taxes This Year 

Alaskan legislators-- by request of the Governor-- introduced a bill that would increase the state's fisheries business tax and the landing tax by 20-30 percent. The current rate for the business tax ranges from 1 percent for developing shore-based processing operations to 5 percent for developed floating processors. The new tax under House Bill 251 would keep the lowest rate at 1 percent, but raise developed fisheries across the board. Shore-based operations that currently pay a 3 percent rate would go to 4 percent; salmon canneries business tax would increase from 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent, and floaters would go from 5 percent to 6 percent. A hearing on the bill will be held on February 18, which is expected to draw many of the state's processor and fishermen’s groups.

John Sackton writes of some Gulf seafood groups have gone off the rails by allowing their names to be used by Food and Water Watch in a suit against NOAA's permitting plan for aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico.

In other news the majority of California Dungeness crabbers and processors on Tuesday agreed that a coastwide opening in California would be best, despite a recent report showing domoic acid levels in crab south of Point Reyes are low enough to open the season. Industry representatives said allowing a coastwide opening would give consumers more confidence in the quality of the crab, eliminate crowding in small sub-areas and conform to established management lines.

Meanwhile, ShopRite supermarkets said consumer feedback is what drove its decision to add a premium shrimp product to its line of branded seafood offerings. The grocer launched the shrimp line earlier this month; the product is preservative and antibiotic-free, and is also four-star BAP rated by the Global Aquaculture Alliance.

Finally, we print another article on the recent study showing the beneficial effects of fish consumption in preventing Alzheimer’s. Often diet and health writers claim contaminants in fish, such as mercury, negate health benefits. The authors of this study say conclusively that isn’t true based on actual autopsies, which is why we feel it needs wider exposure.

California Dungeness Finally Beginning to Open after 3 Month Delay

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Susan Chambers - February 12, 2016

After missing the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holidays and losing out on some Super Bowl seafood sales, fishermen and processors in San Francisco may finally see local Dungeness in stores and restaurants.

The California Department of Public Health and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment have determined Dungeness crab in Central California no longer poses a health risk from domoic acid. 

Sport and commercial fisheries have have been closed since early November 2015. In consultation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the state on Thursday opened the recreational crab fishery south of Point Reyes in Marin County. 

Commercial Dungeness fisheries statewide remain closed, but that is likely to change....

California Officials, Experts to Discuss Domoic Acid Contingency Plan for 2016-17 Dungeness Season

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] August 8, 2016

California Senator Mike McGuire, chairman of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, will convene a special hearing on August 10 at the State Capitol to receive a progress report on the 2015-16 crab season, the federal disaster declaration, ocean conditions and Domoic acid levels along with new potential rules and guidelines which are responding to this year’s disastrous season.

The hearing – Progress Reports on 2015-16 Crab Season and Domoic Acid – will feature testimony from fisheries experts, marine scientists, along with state agency representatives and fishermen...

Pacific Seafood Hopes to Ship More Live Crab to China Using Cathay Pacific's Direct Flight from PDX 

Pacific Seafoods hopes it can take advantage of new direct flights from Portland to China. Starting this November Cathay Pacific Airways will add two flights per week from Portland to China. The new Portland service would operate as part of a Hong Kong - Anchorage - Los Angeles - Portland - Anchorage - Hong Kong route every Thursday and Saturday. Cathay Pacific's newest and biggest freighter, a Boeing 747-8F, will make the route. Pacific, which already ships live Dungeness crab to Chinese markets via SeaTac, said the direct route from Portland should help the company expand its market share in China. "We realize that the service is currently slated for Hong Kong. We also have sales there," Pacific Seafood Group International Section Manager Larz Malony said in a letter to the Port of Portland Monday. "We hope that we will be able to take advantage of this new service and its success will also allow expansion into some Chinese airports."

North Carolina's commercial blue catfish producers say the USDA's Catfish Inspection program is running up production costs and threatening the viability of the fishery. The state's top producer, Murray L. Nixon Fishery said the USDA's new processing requirements essentially require the operator to build a new plant to meet compliance. The company said added costs to the industry could cripple local market interest in blue catfish, which could see commercial interest in the fish cease altogether.

In other news, Canada's sockeye catch estimates from the Skeena River predict a total return of 1.4 million fish for 2016. The figure is down from a projection of almost 3 million fish on June 30. So far, fishery scientists have not come up with an explanation for the lower-than-expected run.

Meanwhile, Maruha North America Group's subsidiary Seacon America added a line of pasteurized, all-natural blue crab meat from Mexico. Seacon will sell the Callinectes product sourced from the Sea of Cortez under THE CRAB brand. "Seacon’s THE CRAB is the same high-quality crab chefs from the Mid-Atlantic, the Carolinas, Texas, New Orleans and other Gulf States have always sought for their dishes," said Sherri Chambers, Foodservice Division Manager for Seacon.

Finally, Ireland's Ocean Harvest Technology wants to break into the US pig market by selling antibiotic-free feed produced from seaweed. The company, which has already successfully trialed the seaweed feed on Canadian pigs, wants to capitalize on the US swine industry's move away from antibiotics in its production process.

2016 Council Appointments Announced by Secretary of Commerce

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] By Peggy Parker - June 28, 2016

New and returning members to the eight regional fishery management councils were made yesterday, signaling business as usual in some areas and changes that may affect major policies in others.

New and reappointed council members begin their three-year terms on August 11.

At the North Pacific Council, Theresa Peterson from Kodiak and Michael “Buck” Laukitis from Homer will fill two of six obligatory Alaska state seats made vacant by Duncan Fields and David Long.  This does not signal a change in policy but may prevent triggering recusals in critical future votes.

In the Mid-Atlantic Council, the biggest upset was that Jeff Kaelin of Lunds Fisheries, who has been active on both the Mid-Atlantic Council and New England Council committees, was not reappointed. That at-large seat went to fellow-New Jersey resident Peter B. Hughes...

Whale Entanglements Rise; NGOs Urge Crabbers to Act

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS - by Susan Chambers - June 10, 2016

Nearly 40 reports of whales entangled in fishing gear have been recorded off the West Coast in 2016 — including at least 20 whales that are estimated to still be entangled — putting this year on pace to break the record for the third straight year, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. Although some whales are able to escape from fishing gear, often with the help of California Whale Rescue teams, those that continue to drag fishing gear can die slow, painful deaths.

In response to the latest figures, the Center for Biological Diversity today called on Dungeness crab fishermen to heed last month’s voluntary advisory and remove more fishing lines from Monterey Bay and other entanglement hot spots where whales, including endangered humpback and blue whales, are now feeding – despite a united effort by the California crab fleet to remove much of their gear already. The Center also urged regulators to take swift action to address the problem. In addition to whales, one critically endangered leatherback sea turtle was reported entangled, and ultimately disentangled, in the Monterey area in April.

“This has become a crisis. We recognize that crabbers don’t want to harm whales ...

Oregon's Dungeness Crab Catch Up 70% from Last Season to 14 Million Lbs; Average Prices Also Higher

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by Susan Chambers - May 23, 2016

Oregon Dungeness crab landings for the 2015-16 season have surpassed those of the previous season, despite a month-long season delay due to domoic acid levels. Total values of crab increased as well.

Crabbers delivered the first loads of Dungeness in January, with average ex-vessel prices ranging between $3.06 and $3.43 per pound that month. Those prices steadily increased as the volume slowed in late February and March...

Last Portion of California's Northern Dungeness Crab Fishery Opens for Commercial Harvesting

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by Susan Chamber - May 20, 2016

The last sliver of area closed to Dungeness crabbing in California is finally open.

Commercial fishermen will be able to set their gear on Monday, May 23, and start harvesting crab on May 26 in the area between the west end of the Humboldt Bay north jetty at Eureka and the boundary line at Reading Rock State Marine Conservation Area, north of Eureka, in northern California...

News Summary May 3, 2016 

Today's Main Story: Dr. Ray Hilborn Launches Global Collaborative to Address Shortcomings in Forage Fish Science

Today's news opens reporting that Dr. Ray Hilborn, a marine biologist and fisheries scientist at the University of Washington, launched a new initiative aimed at addressing key issues surrounding forage fish science and the impacts of forage fishing on predator species. Dr. Hilborn's Forage Fish Project is one of several scientific efforts occurring in the next few months to expand the existing body of scientific research on forage fish.

In other news, commercial Dungeness crab season will finally open on California's North Coast on May 12. California Fish and Game Commission, working with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the California Department of Public Health on Monday recommended opening the areas but that consumers should not eat the crab viscera.

The Fishin' Company confirmed that its first shipment of four-star Best Aquaculture Practices 

Today's Main Story: St. James Smokehouse's Salmon Supplier MKG Provisions Fined and Put on Probation for False Labeling 

A story we published on Friday, April 29 from the BBC News by Douglas Fraser about UpRiver Aquaculture admitting to a Lacey Act Violation for false labeling said that the company supplied salmon to St. James Smokehouse. However, according to a press release issued by UpRiver’s General Manager Cheryl Lipson, the company does not supply salmon to St. James Smokehouse.  Rather the company, which also does business as MKG Provisions, said it processed the salmon that it received from St. James. The packaging MKG used was also provided by St. James. “MKG’s customer [St. James Smokehouse] provided MKG with both the salmon as well as the pre-printed packaging, and the salmon was marketed and sold under the customer’s label, not MKG’s or UpRiver’s,” MKG said in a press release.

NMFS's annual Status of the Stocks fishery report continued to show the positive effects of US Fishery Management under Magnuson. However, Peggy Parker writes of one glaring error in this year's report about the overfishing status of Eastern Pacific Swordfish.  There appears to be confusion on whether that fishery should be under the jurisdiction of the U.S. at all, even though references are in documents of the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

In other news, Chinese seafood export and import figures posted their worst declines in 20 years in 2015. According to our story, high inputs costs and over production combined with a decline in global and domestic seafood demand to hurt the sector's revenues and volumes.

Meanwhile, one Dungeness crab from California's North Coast tested positive for high levels of domoic acid, further delaying the start to commercial fishing activity in the region. The single positive "hot crab" now has the state's fishery managers questioning if anything can be done to expedite opening the fishery, rather than having to wait weeks for another round of tests.

Finally, the Togiak herring season that started April 17, the earliest opening in history, landed a cumulative total of 10,480 metric tons as of yesterday. That is just over 50 percent of the total purse seine allocation of 20,148 metric tons in 12 days.

Have a great weekend.

Today's Main Story: Coalition of Thai Seafood Companies Agree to Use Electronic Catch Reporting System 

The Thai Fishery Producers Coalition (TFPC) and several of Thailand's regulatory agencies and NGOs signed a letter of cooperation to require fishermen to use an electronic marine catch documentation system. The system will also control the trade of aquatic products and aquaculture development including sanitation. The system is intended to help accurately trace the sources of Thailand's seafood according to the Fisheries Act. The TFPC includes the Thai Frozen Food Association and Thai Shrimp Association along with several other of the country's major commercial fishing and fishmeal groups. The commitment is a direct response from Thailand's fishing industry and regulatory officials to combat IUU issues in their sector.

California officials are testing Dungeness crabs from North Coast waters for domoic acid levels with hopes to open commercial fishing in the region by the first week of May. If the crabs don’t show high levels of the neurotoxin, the season could start as soon as May 5, according to Department of Fish and Wildlife senior environmental scientist Pete Kalvass.

In other news, the rift between Washington state and tribal fishery officials in Puget Sound continues and now threatens all salmon fishing activity in the region. A third attempt to set the salmon fishing seasons in Puget Sound failed, which means a complete fishery closure is possible starting May 1. Both the state and tribes will now pursue federal permits through NMFS, which are needed to conduct any salt- and fresh-water fisheries in Puget Sound.

Finally, Alaska's state fishery managers put the Copper River salmon fleet on notice that the season is likely going to open on May 16. The harvest this year calls for 1.6 million sockeyes, 21,000 kings and 201,000 coho. The Copper River Prince William Sound Marketing Association is also coordinating the season's first fish deliveries to Seattle with Alaska Airlines. The tradition sees the first Copper River salmon delivered straight to chefs waiting at the Seattle-Tacoma airport.

Slow Start to Cold Water Shrimp Fishing as Price Disputes Erupt in Oregon, and Quebec

A West Coast coldwater pink shrimp season that should have started April 1 has been held up by price negotiations between fishermen and processors.  In Quebec, shrimp fishing also is being held up due to price issues between harvesters and processors.

In Oregon, price negotiations between the two have been traditionally overseen by the state, much as the Dungeness crab price talks ...

Today's Main Story: Alaska Industry Divided on Attending Brussels Show; Some Major Companies and Organization Pull Out

The Alaskan Seafood Industry is divided on whether to attend the European Seafood Expo in Brussels, following the devastating terrorist attack, and the ongoing threats in the city. Some major companies have pulled out while others have polled their employees, and feel it’s important to go in a difficult sales year for Alaska. In any event, everyone is making safety their top priority, but individual companies are coming up with different answers regarding their participation. 

Dungeness crab prices in the Chinese market are up sharply with live shipments from the British Columbia fishery down. Normally at this time of year, live demand from China sets the market price in Canada and the West Coast, because landing volumes are low. 

In other news a worker died in an ammonia leak Wednesday night at a Stavis Seafoods warehouse where chemical fumes were so strong that Boston Fire Department hazmat crews initially could not reach him, officials said. “We were devastated to learn that one of our warehouse employees has died as a result of the ammonia leak at a Stavis Seafoods warehouse,” said Stavis Seafoods’ CEO Richard Stavis. “We are thankful that four employees who were in the building at the time were able to quickly and safely evacuate. ” 

Finally, we wanted to update our article on the MSC recognition of the Newfoundland Cod Fishery. It is a remarkable achievement that took six years of work. The objection over the science used for determining a stock reference point was disallowed, once new data was submitted by the certifier. MSC certification is about the management process, not whether a stock quota is increasing or decreasing in a given year. 

We will be closed tomorrow March 25 in observance of the Easter holiday. We’ll be back to our normal publishing schedule on Monday March 28. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend.

Today's Main Story: Blue Harvest Fisheries Expands Scallop Fleet to New Bedford with Purchase of Harbor Blue Seafoods 

Blue Harvest Fisheries acquired the assets to Massachusetts-based Harbor Blue Seafoods, which includes the company's seven scallop vessels and related facilities. Blue Harvest's operation now includes 15 scallop vessels and accompanying shoreside operations in Newport News, Virginia and New Bedford, Massachusetts. "Blue Harvest is now clearly positioned as an industry leader in terms of access to the highly valuable Atlantic sea scallop resource" said Jeff Davis, President and CEO of Blue Harvest.

California's Dungeness crab fishery will finally commence this weekend, ending a four-month delay to the fishery because of high levels of toxic domoic acid in the crabs. The state's fishermen will be able to pre-soak their traps this Friday March 25; fishing will open a day later on Saturday. "We thank the affected communities for their patience and fortitude as we have worked with our partners at [California Department of Public Health] and [Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment] to open a portion of the commercial fishery along a traditional management boundary as recommended by the industry," said Charlton H. Bonham, Director of California's Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In other news the ADF&G wants to close a tax loop hole on fish harvested by factory trawlers operating off Alaska's cost. The loop hole undervalued price estimates for yellowfin sole and other types of fish, which has reduced the overall tax rate paid by factory trawlers for their harvests. The plan also wants to retroactively apply the lost tax revenue to last year's catch. Much of the fish is harvested by the Amendment 80 fleet. "The law says you're supposed to be charging them what the value is. We haven't been doing that," said ADF&G Commissioner Cotten said in a phone interview Friday. "They've enjoyed the undervaluation for years, and so we want to correct that."

Meanwhile, Susan Chambers writes of the "disaster tow" committed by the West Coast trawler The Seeker that will keep it from fishing in 2016. The trawler captured 47,000 pounds of canary rockfish in November 2015. The species was listed as overfished at the time, even though an assessment of the fishery found it to be rebuilt. "The Seeker's misfortune is an extreme example of the [West Coast catch share] program's failure, particularly for those fishing in the non-whiting sector," writes Chambers.

Finally, we run several reactions to Sweden's proposal to label live lobster from North America an invasive species and ban its import to the market. Canadian representatives said they are prepared to fight any type of ban. The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) asked Swedish representatives to consider the widespread fallout if the ban were enacted. "Europeans releasing live lobsters into the sea, after arrival from North America, is a local law enforcement issue and perhaps not part of an international commerce dispute that could cripple mutually beneficial trade in lobsters," said the NFI President John Connelly. 

News Summary March 4, 2016 

Today's Main Story: Maine Lobstermen Set Record for Value with $495M Haul in 2015

We open the news today reporting that Maine lobstermen have set a record for value with $495M haul in 2015. The volume was down, but the value was up, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. The estimated cumulative gross income for the statewide lobster fishing fleet increased from $458 million in 2014 to $495 million last year – a jump of $37 million. It is the sixth year in a row that the estimated dockside value of Maine’s annual ...

California Crabbers Seek Coast-Wide Dungeness Opening instead of Area by Area

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS  by Susan Chambers  February 17, 2016

The majority of California Dungeness crabbers and processors on Tuesday agreed to that a coastwide opening in California would be best, despite a recent report showing domoic acid levels in crab south of Point Reyes are low enough to open the season.

The executive committee of the Dungeness Crab Task Force met by conference call to discuss a potential season opening, federal disaster assistance and other issues.

The state announced last week that recreational crabbing could take place south of Pt. Reyes...