IN BRIEF - Alaska trawlers say chum cap 'will shut down the pollock fleet entirely'
UNITED STATES
Monday, March 27, 2023
Trawlers divert bycatch reduction discussions to 'genetic origins' of salmon. Do those going without care where the fish originate?
Seattle-based trawlers claim they are partners in Alaska’s fisheries. But they are unwilling to make any sacrifices to protect Alaska’s fishery resources. They are threatening a lawsuit against a new plan that imposes a floating cap to reduce Bering Sea halibut bycatch based on the abundance of the stock…they opposed a six month emergency moratorium on trawling in the Bristol Bay red king crab savings zone to protect mating/molting crab…the impacts of trawl bycatch are completely omitted from the NPFMC 10-year snow crab rebuilding plan…they refute findings that “mid-water” trawl gear is sometimes on the bottom more than 80% of the time, calling it “unscientific”…trawlers in the Gulf of Alaska oppose the call for more observer coverages of their catches…and now, as the write up below by Intrafish shows, they claim a chum cap will put them out of business.
The motto of the Seattle-based trawlers – who take 80% of the value of ALL groundfish from the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska – should be “conservation is everyone else’s problem.”
The Organization of Fishery Producers of the Port and Ría de Marín (Opromar) will hold its 10th Annual Conference next Tuesday, September 15, in Madrid, dedicated to analyzing the execution of the EMFAF 2021-2027 and the European Union's financial framework for the 2028-2034 period.
The event, framed within its 2026 Production and Marketing Plan, will take place at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and will be opened by the Secretary General of Fisheries, Isabel Artime, and the Managing Director of Opromar, Juan Carlos Martín Fragueiro.
The conference will address Brussels' proposal to integrate the fisheries budget into a broader financial instrument. Against the initial allocation proposed by the Commission of between €2,000 million and €4,000 million, the European Parliament is calling to raise it to €7,300 million, while Spain defends maintaining at least the €6,000 million of the current framework.
Spain, the primary recipient of EMFAF funds with €1,120 million allocated (€1,574 million including public co-financing), has committed 47.5% of its funds (€717 million) and paid out more than €470 million (30.9%). The conference will bring together regional fisheries directors from Galicia, Catalonia, the Basque Country, and the Canary Islands, along with MEPs and industry executives.
The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries of Tanzania has tasked the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) with conducting detailed studies on the impact of El Niño rains on sector production. The measure aims to provide a scientific foundation for government and operational actions to safeguard fishing activities and the livelihoods of dependent communities.
The directive was issued in Mwanza by Deputy Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Ng’wasi Kamani, during an institutional working visit. Kamani stressed that precise scientific data on climate change is essential for strategic planning and value chain protection.
Additionally, the official urged the Fisheries Education and Training Agency (FETA) to upgrade cold storage room infrastructure across its centers in Kagara, Mara, Chato, and Nyegezi. This initiative is designed to support youth under the Building Bright Tomorrow (BBT – Uvuvi) program and other industry stakeholders, allowing for post-harvest catch preservation, mitigating post-harvest losses, and maintaining market quality standards.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources of Oman has signed an agreement with Arab Contractors Company for the construction of a fishing port infrastructure in the Wilayat of Mahout, located within the Al Wusta Governorate. The initiative aims to enhance the development of the fisheries sector and attract new investment to the region.
The agreement was signed by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, Saud Hamoud Al Habsi, and Chairman of Arab Contractors, Ahmed Mustafa Al Assar.
The scope of work encompasses the construction of two breakwaters with a combined length of 3.02 km, land reclamation covering 1.2 million m², and dredging of the port basin across 688,116 m² to reach a depth of up to 4 meters. Supporting infrastructure includes 4.5 km of access roads and parking zones, alongside power, lighting, water, sewage, and firefighting networks.
The facility will feature 650 meters of fixed berths, three floating pontoons totaling 90 meters, a 68-meter boat slipway, a fisheries administration building, a fish market, two ice plants, and vessel repair workshops.
The Oka Shipyard completed the launch of the 'Captain Grishin,' a specialized Ice2-class vessel designed for catching and transporting live seafood species, such as the Kamchatka king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) and the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio).
The vessel, corresponding to Project CCa5712LS, was built for the Russian Crab Group of Companies as part of the state investment quota program.
The vessel pays tribute to Boris Grishin, a prominent Soviet fishing fleet captain. Its design allows it to operate under the harsh climatic conditions of the Far Eastern and Northern basins, operating in the Bering, Okhotsk, Japan, and Barents Seas.
The main technical feature of the 'Captain Grishin' lies in its storage system distributed across a two-tiered hold. The tanks integrate automated monitoring for temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels, ensuring a catch survival rate of at least 98%.
The Japanese group launches a national sustainable seafood campaign after receiving the MSC Japan Award in the retail category for the third consecutive year.
TOKYO — Aeon will promote MSC-certified seafood products from September 11 to 13 across approximately 390 Aeon and Aeon Style stores in five regions of Japan, strengthening the presence of sustainable seafood in large-scale retail.
The campaign includes certified cod roe, mentaiko, capelin with roe, and skipjack tuna tataki. The group was recognized on September 10 with the MSC Japan Award 2026 for recording the highest national volume of consumer sales of MSC-labeled products during fiscal year 2025.
Aeon notes that its Topvalu brand had 41 MSC references across 23 species as of late July, distributed among fresh fish, frozen items, prepared products, and other categories.
Draft rules set technical and environmental requirements for tank systems in reservoirs and lakes
China is consulting on a standard for intensive aquaculture tanks of 25–120 m³ in reservoirs and lakes.
It requires dissolved oxygen of at least 6 mg/L, removal of ≥90% of solids, smart water monitoring and effluent treatment. Comments close September 17.
Species covered by the proposal include largemouth bass and various carp species.
Cook Strait estimate more than doubles, while Pegasus Canyon reaches a record high
Fisheries New Zealand surveys show hoki spawning aggregations rising sharply: 124,000 tonnes in Cook Strait, up from 58,000 tonnes in 2023, plus record indices of 145,000 tonnes in Pegasus Canyon and 38,000 tonnes in Conway Trough.
The data do not represent total stock biomass or automatically imply higher TACs.
Government, researchers and producers assess costs, climate risks and stronger import competition
South Korea gathered 120 aquaculture stakeholders in Yeoju to discuss competitiveness, rising production costs, climate adaptation and a potential CPTPP entry. The minister also visited an eel farm, highlighting needs in automation, energy efficiency, feed and fish health.
New support will cover up to 95% of premiums for vulnerable producers
From October 20, 2026, Vietnam will expand agricultural insurance aid to aquaculture. Subsidies will reach 95% for poor producers, 50% for other individuals and 30% for eligible firms and cooperatives, initially covering black tiger shrimp, whiteleg shrimp and pangasius.
This measure could reduce farms' financial exposure to disease, flooding, salinity, and heatwaves, while also creating opportunities for insurers, environmental data providers, and remote assessment services.
Landings from Norwegian waters support pelagic processing activity
Faroese vessels Finnur Fríði, Tummas T, Birita and Arctic Voyager return with 394 tonnes of mackerel. 215 tonnes will go to Varðin Pelagic in Tvøroyri and 179 tonnes to Pelagos in Fuglafjørður, supporting local processing and export operations.
The landings will activate local capacity for the reception, sorting, processing, and logistics of pelagic products.
The operation will also enable continued activity at Faroese plants and the scheduling of new shipments to international markets.