Two US Senators Announce Big Wins for Their States in Six-Bill Appropriations Package

Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) lauded the final passage of H.R. 4366, the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 late last week. The measure combines six of Congress’ 12 funding bills for Fiscal Year (2024) and passed the Senate on Friday evening through a bipartisan vote of 75-22.

"I am glad the Congress finally worked together to pass this critical package of appropriations bills to address a wide range of important issues while also averting a harmful partial government shutdown,” said Shaheen ...

The Winners of the 2024 Alaska Symphony of Seafoods Have Been Announced; Find Out Who Won Here

Congratulations are in order for all those who participated in the 2024 Alaska Symphony of Seafood competition.

Organized by the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF), this annual competition was created in order to highlight commercial-ready, value-added products that are made from Alaska seafood. The event first kicked off in Seattle this past November with a private judging session. But the main event, featuring a reception co-hosted by AFDF and United Fishermen of Alaska, was held in Juneau just last week...

Alaska Politicians Applaud USDA’s Plan to Purchase Nearly $100 Million Worth of Salmon Products

Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, along with Representative Mary Peltola, are applauding the USDA’s latest seafood purchase request through Section 32 and the Commodity Credit Corporation.

As SeafoodNews reported earlier this week, the USDA’s agricultural marketing service issued a new solicitation for CCC fish, or Commodity Credit Corporation.

The latest bid for CCC opened on February 9 and is seeking 173,599.908 cases of 24/7.5 oz canned red salmon; 148,959.804 cases of 24/14.75 oz canned red salmon; 7,600,000 pounds of...

Fire Burns Small Stock Room, Bookkeeping Office at Peter Pan Facility in Sand Point, AK

Yesterday morning a fire broke out at a small facility owned by Peter Pan Seafoods in Sand Point, AK. No one was injured.

The fire started between 7-8 a.m. yesterday morning, according to Edith Mejia, the office manager and a dispatcher for the police department. Sand Point is a small community located on Popof Island approximately 800 miles SW of Anchorage.

“The town smells like burning plastic – it's really bad outside,” Mejia told KUCB Radio in Dillingham. “You can smell it from here, and ...

Alaska Flatfish Producers Form New Marketing Association

The major producers of Alaska flatfish have announced the formation a new non-profit marketing organization, the Wild Alaska Sole Association (WASA), with the goal of increasing the awareness, appreciation, and value of Wild Alaska Sole in domestic and international markets.

The Alaska flatfish fishery is the second largest federally managed fishery in Alaska and the largest flatfish fishery in the world, but until now there has been little effort to date to educate consumers about its great taste, sustainability, and versatility. WASA is committed to changing that...

Salmon Processing Barge Headed to Southeast AK for 2024 Season

An alternative to the ages old way of processing Alaska salmon will arrive in Southeast Alaska this summer to buy pinks and chums directly from fishermen.

Circle Seafoods has secured $36 million to build its first mobile salmon processing barge, in what it claims will be “the first of many barges.”

The company brought together US investors and capital partners, including some with strong ties to Alaska fisheries and communities. The funding is made up of equity, debt, and New Market Tax Credits (NMTC), reported Intrafish.  

Coast Guard Response To Cargo Vessel Fire Near Dutch Harbor Continues Into New Year

The Coast Guard is continuing to respond to a fire that started on board a cargo vessel last Thursday morning near Dutch Harbor, Alaska. 

The 17th Coast Guard District Command Center in Juneau received a report of a fire on board the Genius Star XI at 4:40 am on Thursday, December 28. The fire was reported to be in the cargo hold of the 410-foot vessel carrying lithium-ion batteries. An HC-130 airplane was dispatched to assist the cargo vessel...

Closing Russian Loophole a “Long Overdue Win” for Alaska Fishermen

Groups ranging from the United Fishermen of Alaska to the conservation group Oceana lauded President Biden’s December 22 Executive Order closing a loophole that allowed Russian-caught seafood processed in China or other countries to enter the U.S.

“… President Biden signed an Executive Order expanding the U.S. ban on Russian seafood to include imports of Russian-caught seafood processed in third countries,” wrote Tracy Welch, Executive Director of UFA last week. “The ban applies to salmon, pollock, cod, and crab products harvested in Russian waters or by Russia-flagged vessels, ...

NPFMC Announce 2024 TAC Recommendations For Pollock

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) met last week and issued total allowable catch recommendations for pollock in 2024.

Looking specifically at the Gulf of Alaska, the recommendation for acceptable biological catch (ABC) is 200,489 metric tons. The recommended total allowable catch (TAC) for pollock in 2024 is 195,720 metric tons. This is an increase from 156,578 metric tons in 2023.

As for the Eastern Bering Sea, the advisory panel is proposing a change from 1,300,000 MT to 1,320,000 MT; an increase of 20,000 MT...

GAPP Board Commits Additional Resources to Support Demand-Building Efforts for Wild Alaska Pollock 

Additional resources will be put towards building demand for Wild Alaska Pollock around the world, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced today. At its annual Board and Membership meetings on December 1, the GAPP members voted to increase dues in order to support additional demand-building work, including the incredibly successful GAPP Partnership Program, as well as to support challenges facing the industry long-term.

“Now is not the time to take our foot off the accelerator, and the Board recognizes that we...

Senator Murkowski Addresses Alaska Lawmakers With Candor and Optimism

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski’s signature probity was on display in her annual address to the Alaska State Legislature last week. Her remarks acknowledged the challenges, including political divisions, at play in the state and across the country, but highlighted the importance of solutions focused on issues, not party affiliation.

“As the elections approach, there’s going to be pressure to show whether you’re with the Republicans or with the Democrats, with probably very little in between,” she said. “So let’s show the country that sure we’ve got our differences...

Extensive Support for Labor, Fisheries, Infrastructure in Murkowski Bill

Alaska’s senior Senator Lisa Murkowski introduced the Working Waterfronts Bill yesterday which will provide extensive support for coastal communities. Spanning the challenges of coastal communities across the nation, the bill addresses economies, climate resiliency, and energy capabilities in more than a dozen provisions.

The bill will support efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change on coastal communities and strengthen federal conservation research projects.

A similar bill, HR 6641, called the Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act, was introduced in the U.S. House on December 7, 2023 by Rep. Chellie Pingree...

Keyport Steps Up For Crab Harvesters After Peter Pan Closes King Cove Facility For The Season

Earlier this month Peter Pan Seafood confirmed that they would be closed for the winter fisheries of cod, whitefish and crab. But Keyport is throwing a lifeline to crab harvesters.

The processor and supplier announced this week that it will take over the crab quota that was “left stranded” by Peter Pan. 

“We are eager to assist the fishermen and appreciate Peter Pan’s cooperation in allowing us to assume management of the processing quota for the remainder of the season,” said Keyport CEO Mark Pedersen...

The Winding Glass: Alaskan Fisheries Have Hit the Wall; Can They Fly Again? 

These are dark times in Alaska and not just because of the short days in January. 2023 saw an unprecedented collapse for Alaska salmon and pollock after a roaring demand in 2022. These two fisheries are the lynchpin of seafood value in Alaska and their collapse has hurt production of other species as well. 

The fallout has included retrenchment by processors like Trident and Peter Pan. Trident is putting one-third of their Alaskan plants up for sale, cutting back operations, and postponing for at least...

New Year, New Economic Landscape for Alaska’s Fishing and Processing Industry

Besides the weather, the most talked-about subject for those in the seafood industry, from Alaska’s coastal communities to Seattle boardrooms, is how to adjust to the rapidly-changing economic environment in Alaska’s seafood industry.

The most recent tremor in the landscape was Peter Pan Seafood’s announcement to close their King Cove plant for the duration of the ‘A’ season, which opens January 20 for pollock. Extending to April, the ‘A’ season is when the majority of the 1.3 million metric tons of Bering Sea pollock and much of  ...

Japan: Alaskan Cod Prices Fall to JPY800 from JPY900 a Year Ago

The wholesale price of frozen Pacific cod from Alaska with a core size of 9/10 count (longline caught and frozen in 18/19 kg blocks) decreased after reaching the 900 yen/kg ($6.34/kg) range in the latter half of last year. It has since fallen to 800 yen/kg ($5.64/kg) as of mid-December this year, reported Minato Shimbun. "Consumers in Japan, as well as those in the U.S., seem weary of high prices," said a trading company source.

The price was around...

New NOAA Report Details Killer Whale Entanglement Cases in Alaska 

Last week NOAA Fisheries released a new report titled, “Killer Whale Entanglements in Alaska: Summary Report 1991-2022.” The 50-page document dives into the details behind the 37 reported killer whale entanglements that took place in Alaska over the span of three decades. 

Upon analyzing the data, NOAA found that trawl and longline gear were associated with most reported incidents. Trawl gear was found in 20 entanglement cases. Of those trawl net entanglements, 13 were from commercial flatfish trawls and seven were from commercial...

Senators Markey, Sullivan Introduce FISH Wellness Act

Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts and Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska are working together to address occupational safety and health risks facing commercial fishermen. 

Late last week Markey and Sullivan introduced the Fishing Industry Safety, Health and Wellness Improvement (FISH Wellness) Act, a piece of bipartisan legislation to build upon the success of the Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Research and Training Program. 

Commercial fishing is considered one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S., with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reporting that in...

Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Hawaii’s Mazie Hirohono Urge U.S. Senate to Ratify Oceans Treaty

Even though the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was signed by the U.S. on July 29, 1994, the U.S. Senate has refused to ratify the treaty, despite urging from environmental, scientific, labor, and industry organizations. Now two senators from the nation’s youngest states are urging their colleagues to ratify the law amid higher stakes brought by conflict and climate change. 

Last week Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) were joined by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) to ...