In response to the downturn in the seafood industry, Alaska lawmakers have approved the formation of a specialized task force created to address the challenges currently facing this vital sector. The decision reflects the need to mitigate the economic and social impacts that have reached a crisis point within the…
At approximately 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday May 14th, 2024, watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a call that the 91-foot F/V NORTH AMERICAN had partially sunk alongside a pier just east of the Ballard Bridge. The Seattle Fire Department responded and installed a containment boom around…
Watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound were notified around 6 a.m. that the 48-foot F/V CHIEF JOSEPH, was in distress and taking on water. Aboard the vessel was one individual and a dog. The pair evacuated the vessel using a life raft. Sector watchstanders dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin…
The financial troubles of Peter Pan Seafoods have escalated. The King County Superior Court in Washington state has approved a request from Wells Fargo Bank to place the seafood processor into receivership. Peter Pan’s financial affairs will be overseen by the Los Angeles-based Stapleton Group. The petition filed last week…
On Thursday March 28th, 2024, a fisherman lost his life in a fishing boat accident off Point Reyes, California. The incident was reported at approximately 4:30 p.m. prompting a response from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Helicopter Unit, known as Henry-1. The vessel involved was identified as the F/V WESTERLY,…
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has crafted three options for 2024 ocean salmon fisheries along the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, now open for public assessment. A final verdict on salmon seasons should be reached during the Council’s upcoming meeting scheduled for April 6-11, 2024, in Seattle, WA.…
A federal agency has decided not to proceed with a controversial bottom-trawling experiment that was planned this year for the Northern Bering Sea. Tribal and environmental groups, prepared to take legal action to stop the project, are welcoming the decision. The Northern Bering Sea Effects of Trawling Study (NETS) aims…
On Tuesday February 14th, 2024, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make a significant purchase of Alaska salmon and pollock in support of food and nutrition initiatives. The ASMI stated that the purchase of seafood aims to support people experiencing food…
On Wednesday, February 7th, 2024, a fire broke out at the Peter Pan Seafood facility in Sand Point, Alaska. According to Edith Mejia, who serves as both the office manager and dispatcher for the police department, the fire likely began sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. According to a…
On Wednesday, January 31st, 2024, OBI Seafoods verified that the Larsen Bay facility on Kodiak Island will remain closed for the 2024 salmon season. John Hanrahan, the CEO of OBI Seafoods, stated that operations will cease at the Larsen Bay plant due to the “poor pink salmon forecast” from Alaska’s…