The Halibut fishing season finished Nov 15th after starting in March. Homer Alaska is once again America’s number one halibut port with more than 12 million pounds crossing its docks this season, with Kodiak coming in second. The total catch this year was 42 million pounds.
More demand this year from the retail sector as more and more folks are opting to eat halibut at home instead of in expensive restaurants.
Salmon
Alaskan fishermen delivered 162 million wild salmon this year, this is the 11th biggest catch since Alaska got its Statehood, worth an estimated $370 million.
The Ambassador for Oceans and Fisheries stated recently that the United States needs to research the Arctic area in particular the Chukchi and Becufort sea’s so it can be determined how best to manage future human activities in the area.
This was discussed at the Arctic Fisheries Symposium. In August of this year the US Secretary of Commence Gary Locke put a plan in place to ban fishing in the region until more is known about it. Especially the focus of developing a sustainable fishing program with all the countries surrounding the arctic region.
Commercial fisherman, conservation organizations and indigenous people will all have a say in the coming months as the area is being studied.
An Alaskan Marine Scientist from the University of Fairbanks states that Alaskan waters are turning acidic from absorbing greenhouse gases, faster than tropical waters. This has the potential to threaten Alaska’s 4.6 billion dollar fishing industry. Mr. Jeremy Mathis is quoted in the Anchorage Daily News as saying “Ecosystems in Alaska are going to take a hit from ocean acidification”
Some of the effects of global warming include melting glaciers and coastal erosion, both of which Alaskan is experiencing. Ocean acidification is closely linked to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The ocean plays a very important role in absorbing carbon dioxide in fact it absorbs 22 million tonnes from human activities on a daily basis.
Last spring scientists collected water from the gulf of Alaska and the Bering and Chukchi sea’s and discovered that it was more acidic than usual.
Marine creatures use calcium carbonate to built their skeletons. But when levels of carbon dioxide are high, it gets dissolved as carbonic acid and decreases calcium carbonate. This is a worry as crabs and other organisms need calcium carbonate for their shells. However so far they have been able to adapt to the acidity.
Another factor is the fact that Alaskan waters are shallow and mix less with deeper oceans this in turn increases acidity. It is well known that this year fewer salmon have returned home to spawn, while it is not clear if it is related to the acidity of the ocean, the ecosystems are stressed.
The university plans to study the effects of increased acidity on pollock so we understand more.
Since March 22, 2009, Alaskan volcano Mt. Redoubt has erupted multiple times, sending ash and steam as high as 45,000 feet into the air. Ashfall has been reported as far away as Anchorage, about 100 miles to the northeast, and has resulted in a great deal of frustration for Alaskan communities, as air travel has been restricted and most flights have been canceled. While initially there were hopes that the volcanic activity would be minor, all signs indicate now that this round of eruptions may follow a similar schedule as the 1989 event, which ended up lasting for around 4 months.
It is too early to tell what this might mean in the long run for local fishing industries, but scientists are speculating that there may be similar issues as arose in the eruption twenty years ago.
Fishing runs in the Cook Inlet area are expected to sustain the greatest impact, simply due to their proximity to the volcano. The Drift River is the primary drainage for the volcano, and suffered the brunt of the damage in 1989. The health and disruption of the river may or may not have any direct effect on the Cook Inlet salmon, however. Biologists have a number of factors to watch out for. Debris flows may disturb riverbeds and spawning grounds, thus cutting down on salmon populations in the area. Ashfall and other disruptions in the environment may reduce insect populations, as well, which could also lead to a drop in runs. Lava and mud flow carving out new land formations could further upset the spawning cycle and result in drops in salmon counts for the region. More directly, salmon may be killed by drastic changes in water temperature due to boiling volcanic runoff.
Depending on the direction of the winds and the final extent of the eruptions and ashfall, the Kenai peninsula may also be affected by Mt. Redoubt. Fishing fleets, suppliers, and consumers are advised to keep an eye on the ongoing volcanic activity, and to stay updated on the availability of wild seafood from the region.
Seattle’s Fisherman’s Terminal has long been both an active center of seafood trade and a symbol of the industry for many in the Pacific Northwest. Recently, members of the local fleet were asked to lend a hand in keeping the historic site in better condition.
Family, friends, and fellow fishermen gathered on Sunday for the 81st annual “Blessing of the Fleet,” a tradition established by the late Rev. O. L. Haavik of the Ballard First Lutheran Church. Nearly 100 people congregated at the Fisherman’s Terminal in Seattle, including a number of elected public officials, sharing stories and hopes for the safety of their numbers and loved ones. As popularized by the Discovery Channel television hit, “The Deadliest Catch,” commercial fishing continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in the world, with some industries suffering nearly 100% injury rates to crewmembers, and higher mortality rates than nearly any other profession.
Many of those gathered at the Terminal know this all too well: the Seattle-based Alaska Ranger went down last year, taking five of its crew with it. There are few professional fishermen or women who haven’t lost close friends, family, or crewmates to the elements. These statistics are made doubly grim by the economic hit the industry is taking from the recession. So-called “luxury” seafoods, like halibut and some kinds of crab, are in less demand, and so may bring lower prices for those who risk their lives to catch them.
Still, many continue to be optimistic, and enjoy the sense of camaraderie that participation in the industry brings. And many are optimistic for them, like Reverend Tom Tocher, who led the ceremony on Sunday. “Say to the waves, ‘Peace. Be still,” he prayed for those in attendance. “You hold the hearts of people in the hollow of your hand.”
The benediction was bestowed upon Seattle fisherman Kurt Hansen’s vessel, the F/V Middleton, on behalf of the entire Pacific fleet.
Recently, the Greenpeace organization has released a ranking of many nationwide grocery and supermarket outlets, commenting that the commonly sold farmed Atlantic salmon, as well as shrimp, pollock, cod and tuna are all considered to be “red listed.”
Red listing is the Greenpeace term for hazardous, or unacceptable scores on their ranking structure. While we in the industry have known for a long time that Atlantic salmon, especially the farmed variety has been widely sold to consumers through supermarkets regardless of the health issues it causes, the public is just beginning to become aware of the true dangers of this fish. High mercury content, as well as water pollution and poor maintenance of the facilities where these fish are raised can lead to serious side-effects if the product is consumed. We don’t even recommend this for a pet!
Recently we’ve even changed our supply of Alaskan Tuna so that our products remain completely acceptable on even the toughest standards.
Read the full article about Greenpeace and their thoughts on the changing status of the seafood industry here.
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