Here are a few slightly dated news nuggets Deckboss wasn't able to post promptly:
• Sitka-based processor Silver Bay Seafoods is planning to build a new freezer plant for squid in Ventura, California. It's a $22 million project set to open in late spring 2015, a company executive says.
• The National Marine Fisheries Service has published this notice of a proposed amendment to allow the rebuilding, replacement or retirement of American Fisheries Act vessels. This is the Bering Sea pollock fleet.
• China has lifted its ban on shellfish imports including geoduck clams from Alaska and the West Coast. Here's a statement federal officials released a few days ago.
• Gov. Sean Parnell has renominated Dorothy Childers, Gerry Merrigan and Caryn Rea to the North Pacific Research Board. Click here for background on the nominees and the board.
• Jerry McCune of Cordova, president of United Fishermen of Alaska, is running as a Democrat for state representative, District 32.
• We now have some indication of how that $21 million in federal salmon disaster relief will be divvied up. About $9.7 million will go to the Yukon-Kuskokwim region, and $11.1 million will go to Cook Inlet, NMFS says. Still no word on how much will go directly to fishermen.
UFA has re-elected McCune as president. Is that good great for UFA? It now has a president that was arguably less than effective last year, used up his political chits at a Fish Board meeting in Anchorage that did not concern the vast majority of our membership, is now running for political office, and is a fisherman from Cordova. Our Exec Director also published news that UFA now has a new Veep. Chip is a great addition. He gets along with the Dept staff and the BOF members. Something the outgoing veep, Shadura was not able to do. UFA has been an effective organization in the past and is a good thing for industry. Hopefully it can start focusing on its membership's needs and keep out of the political fights where it seem always to be on the wrong side. When is the last time you can remember that it got something positive done for its membership.
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