I’m overdue for a good ole fashioned article roundup. This one focuses on my Fishermen’s News magazine pieces from the last few months.
State of Pacific Northwest Fisheries, 2024 [February Issue]
Washington pink and chum salmon market price collapse. Albacore tuna woes. Whale line entanglement laws and lighted squid ship bans. A new marine protected area and black cod allocations up in Oregon. Trying to summarize the state of the Pacific Northwest’s fisheries within a magazine article is kind of like trying to summarize the state of the nation. Factors and data swirl like a storm. Did you know the war in Ukraine triggered American salmon prices to collapse? Well, it seems it has.
I gave it a go. Here is the introduction:
“With 2023 behind us and a new year underway, we thought it was a good time to draw upon state, private sector and federal sources for a bird’s eye view of last year and what’s likely in store for 2024 in Pacific Northwest commercial fisheries.
For many in the salmon and albacore tuna fisheries, 2023 was a brutal year. Why? The big pain points appear to be off the water versus fish stock issues. Global markets have been shaken with the price of fish dropping and costs, like fuel, rising sharply.
A few new regulations came into effect, like the banning of lighted squid boats in Oregon and anti-whale entanglement regulations for crabbers.
But the news isn’t all bad. The Dungeness crab harvest is down a bit, but red rock crab seemed relatively stable in most areas. Oregon bottomfish grounds that have been closed since the early 2000s are opening with bullish black cod developments. There’s also a new intertidal cockle fishery in Tillamook Bay that some of you clammers might want to check out.
As always, we soldier on. This piece is published in the spirit of providing useful, accurate information, but by no means should be regarded as fishing advice. For your next move into whatever fishing season you’re targeting, you ought to listen to your gut, lean on experience and say a prayer. If you see albacore tuna fishermen, buy them a drink…”
I remember my relatively brief time as a local albacore tuna fisherman in 2014, the year “The Blob” of warm water wrecked the season for the fleet. Getting skunked out there totally sucks. Hug a tunaman if you can.
Here is the link to the article.
West Coast Companies Compete at Seafood Expo North America [March Issue]
Seafood contests aren’t just for fun, they are also ways for seafood companies both large and small to strut their new offerings to the global marketplace. There was a national seafood smackdown in Boston recently and our region’s contestants battled through qualifying rounds. There are chips made from Alaskan sea cucumbers, blackcod pate that innovatively reduces wasted fish 5% by using the back meat, salmon breakfast sausage patties, and more, more, more.
The industry is going through it these days. If any of these treats catch your fancy, every purchase helps. Full article and list here.
A Safer World for Commercial Fishermen [April Issue]
This article isn’t particularly creative, but hopefully it’s a helpful resource for those looking out for the latest techy gear for crew safety. The star of the show was the ACR ResQLink 400 personal locator beacon. Basically, all the things are combining into smaller and better units that are becoming standard, often integrated into PDFs.
An example of a benefit of these new units is that those in the water can actually get feedback that someone on the other side received their signal. Not to shabby. Noise cancelling headphones to spare the ears and app-based capabilities also make an appearance.
The State of Spill Response: On-Scene Perspectives [May Issue]
Most probably do not know that in my past life as an oceanographer in Florida, I was mostly in the oil spill science/response field. My undergraduate thesis was about the BP/Deepwater Horizon spill that used data I collected aboard the R/V Weatherbird II at the Gulf of Mexico area of effect. Perhaps I shall write of these days and findings sometime. Do not expect an uplifting yarn.
Anyway, I got to write about the topic of spill response in this article. One of the brow raising bits of information from one of my sources could be a newsbreaking scoop. See, the international governing body of maritime regulations is the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Prompted by carbon emission reduction goals, the IMO instituted new environmental standards for maritime fuels in 2020. These IMO 2020 compliant fuels will, if the IMO has its way, be used by every ship out there.
Unfortunately, my source in the oil spill response profession reports that these new fuels “turn into a grease” when spilled. Current technologies struggle to remove these spills from the water. Fortunately, America has been spared these IMO 2020 fuel spills thus far. But this issue probably needs to be reconciled lest one regulation aimed to help the environment exposes the environment to risk in a new way.
The cherry on top for me was that a source invoked the “We’re all three degrees removed from Kevin Bacon” law of association—and it survived the editor’s pen. Hallelujah.
The full article is not available online yet, but is in print. If these topics interest you, consider subscribing to Fishermen’s News. Subscribing supports journalism, maritime voices, and keeps you in the know with this stuff. Try dropping pertinent facts about the pollock fishery or the technical specs of a newly launched working vessel at a fancy wine and cheese party with tastemakers. Your associates will be so very impressed.
Norris Reads: 1776 by David McCullough
Ya know what? I needed a dose of some rousing American history. I’m relenting to one of the many books my dad threw at me on my way out the door to read. This is a mainstay for American history buffs so I might as well join the club. Just getting started.
Consider buying my book, Salmon in the Seine: Alaskan Memories of Life, Death, & Everything In-Between! Available wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Powell’s City of Books, and Third Place Books. If you’re in Canada, I recommend this source. It’s won eight notable independent/small press book awards, so hey, it can’t be that bad, amirite?