Saving Seafood

Opinion

Federal legislation would provide necessary funding to protect Alaska salmon, other wildlife

February 22, 2024 — Unlike their relatives in the Lower 48, the five types of Alaska salmon (king, chum, pink, sockeye and silver) are not officially endangered. However, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski told the Legislature in her annual address that kings are edging closer and the Yukon and Kuskokwim chum run declines are concerning. To keep our salmon off the endangered species list we must take action. Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) will provide important funding for Alaska’s wildlife action plan.

Under ice in lakes and creeks, salmon hatchlings will emerge soon. The egg sac the alevin emerges from will still be a bulge on the tiny fish’s belly and will nourish its growth in its first few weeks. Staying close to the rocky creek bottom, the hatchling grows into its fry phase as the ice melts. Plentiful plankton and larvae in the water provide the nutrients needed to grow rapidly. Submerged logs and rocks offer shelter from predators including fish, bald eagles and migratory birds. Pink and chum heed the primal signal to enter the ocean almost right away. Kings reside in freshwater for about a year before migrating. Sockeye and silver stay in freshwater longest, a couple years, before smolting and departing on their epic migration.

Read the full article at the Alaska Beacon

Commentary: Aquaculture won’t replace fishing but can strengthen US seafood economy

February 7, 2024 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report last month confirming what any fisherman could tell you: The ocean is warmer than ever. About the only thing hotter, at least in fishing circles, is the debate on what to do about it. While many regional fishery management councils are taking steps to adapt and protect both fish stocks and our livelihoods, it’s time for more action. It’s time we lay the groundwork for a science-based, sustainable offshore aquaculture industry in our country to complement wild-capture fishing.

Aquaculture will never replace fishing. If it could, we wouldn’t support it. We’ve been involved in various aspects of the fishing industry for years, and we know fishing is a way of life. We also think a sustainable aquaculture industry that works with, not against, U.S. fishermen could help keep it that way for generations to come.

Right now, warming waters are shrinking or shifting fish stocks in every region of the country. Black sea bass are moving from the Mid-Atlantic to New England while lobster are scuttling north into Canadian waters. Humboldt squid have moved from California all the way to Alaska. And last summer, masses of dead fish washed up on Texas beaches as Gulf waters boiled.

Read the full article at Post and Courier 

Op-ed: Why fishing-dependent peoples need a place in global climate talks

February 3, 2024 — Hannah Heimbuch is a fisheries policy and communications consultant for Ocean Strategies and a commercial salmon fisherman from Alaska. Pak Mustain is a blue crab harvester from Indonesia. Both work with the Walton Family Foundation to support sustainable seafood production and resilient fishing communities.

We traveled from coastlines a world apart and crossed different oceans to get there, but as fishermen, we found ourselves part of a shared story at COP28: seafood and fishing communities need to play a larger role in the United Nations Climate Conference.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

The Road Not Taken

February 1, 2024 — The following was released by Slade Gorton & Company:

While attending the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Market Conference last week in Orlando, I was reminded, as I always am when our industry convenes, of the many opportunities we have to work together for the common good. Seafood is the most nutritious, versatile, and sustainable protein on the planet. It is how we will feed the world, and in so doing, nourish our bodies, our communities, and the environment.

The global seafood industry certainly has its challenges, including climate change and the impact of geopolitical tensions on supply chains, as well as combatting food waste and ensuring the welfare of all who help bring this incredible product to market, to name a few. At the same time, we are uniquely well positioned to help meet the evolving needs of consumers. Seafood is not only one of the healthiest and most sustainable foods, it is fun, exciting, delicious, and cool. It supports the livelihoods of 60 million people worldwide and appeals to nearly every demographic, regardless of age, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. It is celebrated across cultures and belief systems and represents a truly unifying force in an increasingly divided world.

Yet we stand at a significant crossroads. These last few months in the U.S. seafood industry have not been our proudest as we’ve wrestled with various internal tensions, borne from what has been an extraordinarily challenging few years for all. It seems that our polarized world and a pervasive cancel culture have found their way into our own realm. While not surprising in some respects given the highly diverse nature of our industry and its broad group of stakeholders, it has been both highly disappointing and utterly disheartening.

I have spent my entire career in this incredible industry. And while there have been challenges along the way, far more often, it has been rewarding, exciting and fun. I have had the great privilege to work side by side with my family and with a team of talented and dedicated men and women. I’ve also had the chance to work across the supply chain with so many interesting, passionate, and quite frankly, resilient people, from customers and suppliers to competitors and industry experts. I consider many to be my friends. Together we have tackled a number of important issues and continue to work collaboratively on many fronts to help move our The Keasbury-Gordon Photograph Archive industry along the continuum between global starvation and environmental degradation. Or, said in a more hopeful way, between human wellness and environmental stewardship. The results of our efforts are often far from perfect and there is much work still to be done.

However, one thing I know for sure is this: We will only have an impact if we continue to tackle even the most intractable issues together. By focusing solely on what divides us, that which unites us slowly gets starved. And we cannot let that happen. I am reminded of the old Cherokee parable about which wolf gets fed. We must let it be the wrong one.

I do believe that we are not so far down what has sadly become a well-traveled road of optimizing for self-interest that we cannot double back. To not do so would be a travesty in the face of so much promising potential. We simply must consider a greater goal than only that which helps us, our sector, our individual organizations, or our stance on a particular issue. When we don’t, as has happened recently, we have all missed an extraordinary opportunity to do good in the world. And that is what has been most heartbreaking.

It is incumbent on all of us to find common ground, no matter how far apart our positions may be or how narrow a sliver of alignment may seem. The zero-sum game fails every time in the long run. Every single time. And that mentality will certainly not enable us to have the impact we desire and to do what the world is counting on us to do. Far easier said than done, I know. I share all of this not as an admonition, but as a reflection on where we are, and the fork in the road we all face. As leaders in the industry, we must stay in the game, seek first to understand, and then be understood. We will not always agree, and sometimes not at all, and we will not always get all that we need or want. However, we have a far greater chance of having a positive impact on people, our world, and our planet if we tough it out together. Failure to do so cannot be an option.

So, regardless of where you are in the value chain, or what side of any issue you may be on, it is my sincere hope that going forward, we may all consider a less divisive approach to working through these complex challenges so that we can collectively ensure that affordable and sustainable seafood is accessible to all, and that we remain a positive and unifying force for good.  As Robert Frost so poignantly scripted,  ” Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference”

Kim Gorton

 

On the Russian front

January 26, 2024 — Dealing with Russian fisheries as the war in Ukraine drags on, on Jan. 16, Trident Seafoods announced its decision to terminate its longstanding relationship with the National Fisheries Institute (NFI). While acknowledging their history with NFI, Trident stated in its press release that it had reached a crossroads with NFI on two issues: Trident accused NFI of a lack of neutrality and transparency and mentioned it could not support NFI advocating for the presence of Russian seafood in the US market.

“NFI’s decision to advocate for the continued presence of Russian-harvested seafood in the U.S. market runs counter to national and international efforts to restrict Russia’s ability to prosecute its war against Ukraine, ignores the broad and bipartisan support in Congress for the Administration’s actions, favors keeping U.S. consumers in the dark about their seafood choices, and supports importers of Russian-harvested seafood processed in China over a fair and competitive business climate and the long-term health of the U.S. seafood supply chain,” says the Trident press release.

As Trident takes a bold stand on allowing Russian fish into the U.S., Russian politicians and bloggers are advocating a takeover of Alaska. On Jan. 19, the Russian news agency Tass reported that Vladimir Putin had signed a decree that “will allocate funds for an effort to find, register and ensure legal protection of Russia’s property abroad, including property of the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire.”

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Now is the time to create a robust aquaculture industry to ensure food security and support our economy

January 18, 2024 — America’s seafood industry has long been a vital contributor to our economy, with the seafood supply chain supporting more than 1.8 million jobs nationwide, but you may be surprised to learn that the U.S. currently imports far more seafood than it produces. This Congress, our colleagues have the power to change that by joining with us to support the expansion of offshore aquaculture.

Here in the U.S., the farming of fish and other aquatic species, also known as aquaculture, is a thriving industry in many states — including our home states of Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, and Mississippi and is being done in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner. Offshore aquaculture has an important role to play in the open ocean for producing sustainable protein that supplements our wild-capture fisheries and strengthens our working waterfronts and coastal economies.

With nearly half of all seafood consumed globally coming from fish farms, marine aquaculture produces many of the seafood that we eat and enjoy, including shellfish like oysters, clams, and mussels, as well as fish such as salmon, black sea bass and yellowtail, as well as seaweeds. But the lack of a clear and efficient permitting process for offshore aquaculture here in the U.S. has hindered the full potential of an American industry because it deters investment in offshore waters. Many investors simply take their capital overseas — bringing the jobs and revenue it produces with them, which is why we have joined together to propose a legislative solution to correct his problem and position the U.S. as a leader in sustainable seafood production.

Read the full article at The Hill

Op-Ed: Preserving our heritage and livelihood – A shrimper’s stand against unjust regulations

January 18, 2024 — I’ve been a shrimper for over 45 years. It’s more than just a job; it’s a legacy that’s been passed down through generations in my family. Since I was 15, I’ve been working in the waters of Plaquemines Parish, my workplace, my passion, and my source of livelihood. Today, as I continue to bring the finest Gulf shrimp to your tables, I find myself fighting not only for my job but for the very soul of Louisiana’s shrimping heritage.

The recent rule by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) mandating the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on skimmer trawl vessels longer than 40 feet is a real threat to our community. This rule, though it may seem well-intentioned, is an example of overreach and disregard for our industry’s reality. That’s why, under my leadership, the Louisiana Shrimp Association is taking a stand by suing against this unfair regulation on the same day the Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the power of faraway bureaucrats in the Loper Bright case.

Our challenge isn’t about denying environmental stewardship; we shrimpers understand the importance of preserving marine life more than anyone else. Our problem lies in the NMFS’s lack of consideration for the real-world reasons and impact of this rule. Studies show that there is minimal interaction between sea turtles and shrimpers in the waters where we mostly operate, and our waters aren’t primary nesting sites for these creatures. However, the NMFS chose to ignore this evidence and push through a rule that could devastate our industry.

Read the full article at The Center Square

Bureaucrats threatened to sink my fishing business. Supreme Court can keep others afloat.

January 17, 2024 — I’ve spent eight years fighting the federal government to protect my livelihood. I’ve even filed a lawsuit in federal court. Now, the Supreme Court is set to hear a case like mine on Wednesday, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo.

The stakes are much higher than just protecting fishermen like me. This is a chance to restore representative democracy, real accountability and the constitutional system that protects every American’s liberty.

This case is about family-owned herring fishing companies in New Jersey. They’ve been forced by unelected federal bureaucrats to pay for monitors who ride on their boats and look out for illegal fishing activities. Following the law is a good thing, but the government should pay for its own monitors. Federal law never required the fishermen to cover this cost, and they can’t afford the $700 to $900 daily fee. It’s going to run them out of business.

Read the full article at USA Today

Will 2024 be all about offshore wind?

January 17, 2024 — Will 2024 prove as monumental a year for the offshore wind industry as last year? Reading the respective press releases and news stories brought to mind the opening line of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That describes the East Coast offshore wind industry today.

The best of times. Avangrid Inc., a member of the Iberdrola Group, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners CI II fund are jointly developing Vineyard Wind 1, an 806-megawatt project located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. According to a Jan. 3 press release, the first turbine undergoing commissioning sent five megawatts of power to the New England grid at 11:52 PM the night before. Is it still sending power? Our inquiry to Avangrid has not been answered, but the press release talked about further testing being needed. Sounds like it isn’t sending power.

The press release claims this power is the first to come from a commercial-scale U.S. offshore wind project. However, Ørsted and partner Eversource claimed they sent the first power from their South Fork Wind farm off Long Island to the New York grid in early December. Funny, we haven’t heard anything more from them. But how could Avangrid have missed that announcement? Maybe there is a back story we don’t know yet.

Read the full article at WorkBoat

Commentary: Offshore wind in Gulf of Maine a bad idea

January 11, 2024 — My name is Rick Beal, and I’ve been in the fishing industry and interacting with nature since the 1960s. I’ve seen firsthand many of nature’s wonders. I have stood in awe while watching the northern lights, witnessed the viciousness of a shark feeding frenzy and the humanism of a mother whale towards her calf. I have also seen how we humans affect nature both positively and negatively and believe that environmentalism is a cause we should all embrace. In fact, being the dominant species, we have an obligation to do so. Reducing dependency on fossil fuels is very important to this cause, but offshore wind is not the answer, it will do more harm than good.

Because of its currents and topography, the Gulf of Maine has a unique and very fragile ecosystem. Small changes can have huge effects. By the 1970s, because of exploitation by foreign countries and our domestic fleets’ unregulated practices, the Gulf of Maine’s ecosystem was on the brink of collapse. Today, due to hard work of both regulators and industry, it has been brought back from that near disaster to the healthy and sustainable levels of today.

However, today, we have a new crisis on the horizon: offshore wind. With its hundreds of man-made structures both above and below the surface and the changes they will bring to the ecosystem, the decades of work will be destroyed. I have read many articles, looked behind them to see who wrote or funded them, and the research quoted in them. I came away thinking of something I once read, “Words and numbers can be manipulated by their users and made to do their users bidding.” On the issue of offshore wind, manipulation, be it pro or con, is rampant.

Read the full article at the Gloucester Daily Times