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.