A plum for CDQ program in Trump's megabill?

The "big beautiful bill" now under debate in Congress appears to include certain tax benefits for Alaska's community development quota program.

The Alaska Beacon news website, in a story posted Saturday, linked to the latest version of the huge bill.

The CDQ provisions can be found in Section 70428, pages 468-70.

We'll certainly endeavor to learn more about what this is and exactly who would benefit.

Financial adviser discusses OBI recapitalization

Here's the write-up from Zachary Scott & Co.

This deal initially was announced back in March.

Would you eat this?

No bones, no scales, no problem: The first lab-grown salmon sold in the U.S.

Three rescued from Bristol Bay boat in distress

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ugashik fishing district

Type: Search and rescue

On June 28 at 2:54 p.m., the Alaska Wildlife Troopers received a report of an overturned or swamped fishing vessel, the Happy Hooker, in the shallows off the beach in the Ugashik fishing district, outside King Salmon, near Pilot Point, with three commercial fishermen in survival suits stuck on the listing boat. The patrol vessel Audrey Ann was in the district due to the ongoing commercial fishery and responded. Troopers were able to rescue all three, under very challenging wind and surf conditions, from the Audrey Ann's skiff. All three survivors declined medical attention.

PSPA adds an Oregon heavyweight

The Pacific Seafood Processors Association today announced it has taken on a major new member — Pacific Seafood Group, based in Clackamas, Oregon.

Juneau-based PSPA, based in Juneau, is "a nonprofit trade association representing seafood processing companies in the policy, regulatory and legislative arenas since 1914," its website says. Its corporate members include many of the top processors operating in Alaska including Silver Bay Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, UniSea, and units of Canfisco and Maruha Nichiro.

Pacific Seafood has a considerable processing presence in Alaska, including Seward and Wrangell. Last year, it completed a big expansion in the state, acquiring Trident's Kodiak processing operations.

Burned car carrier sinks off Aleutians

Here's an Associated Press news story.

Salmon notes

Here's a quick update as the Alaska salmon season continues to unfold.

• The statewide commercial catch now exceeds 2.8 million salmon, including 1.4 million sockeye and 1.2 million chums. These totals are small — we won't see really big numbers until the Bristol Bay sockeye fishery and the pink salmon fisheries kick in later in the summer. The state has forecast a total haul of 214.6 million salmon for this season.

• The first opener of the Southeast Alaska summer troll season will begin July 1 targeting about 36,500 treaty Chinook salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today. That's way down from last year's initial quota of 64,700 Chinook.

Oscar Dyson overhaul

NOAA has awarded a $95.4 million contract to a Seward shipyard for major upgrades to the fisheries survey vessel Oscar Dyson.

King Cove's plight

With the collapse last year of Peter Pan Seafood, the remote Alaska Peninsula community of King Cove now faces another salmon season without its mainstay processing plant.

The town is meeting the "nightmare" situation with a blend of anger, determination and hope, King Cove Mayor Warren Wilson writes here.

A big boost for Cook Inlet EEZ sockeye

The National Marine Fisheries Service has published a total allowable catch of 800,126 sockeye for this year's Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone salmon fishery.

That's well above last year's TAC of 492,100 sockeye.

This will be the second season fishing in the EEZ will operate under federal management, not state.

Efforts continue to salvage burned car carrier

The fire-damaged cargo ship Morning Midas, laden with electric and other vehicles, remains disabled in the North Pacific, with a difficult mission still ongoing to salvage the vessel.

The U.S. Coast Guard posted this update Monday on X:

Yesterday, tug Garth Foss took over the tow of the Morning Midas (350 mi SW Adak) & is controlling vessel's movement, awaiting arrival of long-range towing vessel in about a week. No signs of smoke, flames, flooding, or pollution.

Tug Gretchen Dunlap previously responded to the scene.

Photos of the Morning Midas show the vessel scorched pretty much from bow to stern.

The fire was first reported on June 3 aboard the 600-foot ship.

Here's a news account on the gCaptain website.

Salmon notes

Here are observations from the young salmon season so far.

• Action is picking up across Alaska, with anticipation building for the big Bristol Bay fishery. The statewide harvest just clicked over 1 million salmon, with most coming from the Prince William Sound region including the Copper River. You can track the catch on the Blue Sheet.

• Speaking of the Copper River, the sockeye catch stands at about 274,000 fish, which lags the 20-year average for this date of 595,000. Measures to conserve the weak Chinook run have constrained the sockeye fishery. But fishermen are still getting openers, with the Copper River District opening today for a 12-hour driftnet fishing period.

Beware the bolts

We're not sure if lightning is ever a concern for Alaska fishermen, but we'll note that June 22-28 is National Lightning Safety Awareness Week.

Have you ever encountered lightning while fishing in Alaska waters? If so, please tell us about it in the comments section!

The governor's fish vetoes

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy yesterday signed the new state budget, but vetoed some significant spending.

A couple of fish-related items were affected.

First, Dunleavy chopped a $10 million appropriation for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute to $5 million.

He also nixed $800,000 for completion of the South Peninsula king salmon genetics study.

Are you a writer?

Here's a great opportunity to get published!

Silver Bay's plans

Petersburg radio station KFSK has an interesting interview with Cora Campbell, CEO of fast-growing processor Silver Bay Seafoods.

Council starved for cash?

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council says it will hold its October meeting by webinar, rather than in person in Anchorage, due to funding uncertainty.

Update on the ship fire south of Adak

Here's a press release from the U.S. Coast Guard on the response to the car carrier Morning Midas abandoned, ablaze and adrift in the North Pacific.

Salmon snapshots

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has released the 2025 outlook for all five species of commercially harvested salmon — sockeye, pink, chum, coho and Chinook.

Circle Seafoods barge set to sail for Southeast

Circle Seafoods, of Aberdeen, Washington, issued this statement today regarding its newly built processing platform:

Circle I, the first floating salmon processor, freezer and transportation barge of Circle Seafoods, is scheduled to sail from Aberdeen to Metlakatla, Alaska in time to support the peak of the Southeast Alaska Salmon season.

The barge will buy and freeze salmon in Metlakatla during the 2025 season. After salmon is frozen, it is held in the barge’s cold storage area at ultra low temperatures or shipped out of Alaska in ultra low temperature containers.

The sailing of Circle I is a massive milestone in our journey to shape the future of wild seafood. A huge thank you goes out to our construction and production teams, industry partners, and the communities of Aberdeen and Metlakatla for their contributions in getting us to this point.

For more on the company's planned operations this season at Metlakatla, check out this press release.

Washington watch

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, says she secured a pledge from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to "convene a meeting with Alaska seafood stakeholders on trade issues with Russia and ways the administration can help bolster the industry."

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, and colleagues have introduced legislation to reauthorize the Young Fishermen's Development Act.

Coast Guard news

Here are some interesting items from the U.S. Coast Guard.

• The Coast Guard responded to a ship fire about 300 miles south of Adak. All 22 crewmembers safely abandoned the 600-foot vessel laden with thousands of vehicles including some EVs.

• The new cutter Storis departed on her maiden voyage.

• To help boost recruiting, the Coast Guard is giving youth the chance to take "orientation flights" aboard its aircraft. "Exposure to Coast Guard Air Operations is sure to inspire and energize potential recruits by offering a rare opportunity to fly alongside our nation's top aviators, flight mechanics, and rescue swimmers," said a Coast Guard bulletin sent today.