IFQ transfer denial

The National Marine Fisheries Service is denying a COVID-related request for another season of halibut and sablefish IFQ transfer relief.

Here's the letter.

Millions for processors

The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week announced $50 million in COVID-related grants to seafood processors.

Of this sum, nearly $30.7 million has been allocated to Alaska. Here's the rundown by state.

The Alaska congressional delegation is really happy about the funding.

Continuing COVID relief

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has passed a motion requesting emergency regulations to "allow the temporary transfer of catcher vessel halibut and sablefish IFQ for all individual quota share holders for the 2022 fishing season."

Fish board postpones Ketchikan meeting

Here's the announcement.

Sitka outbreak

The City and Borough of Sitka this week reported a COVID-19 outbreak at Sitka Sound Seafoods.

Local officials did not specify the number of positive cases.

But this state COVID-19 summary cites 12 new nonresident cases with "purpose seafood" in Sitka.

Sitka Sound Seafoods is a unit of North Pacific Seafoods.

A boost for ASMI

Gov. Mike Dunleavy today announced $3 million for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

"The grant is intended to mitigate unanticipated COVID-19 costs including response to the pandemic and meeting COVID-19 safety precautions," the governor's office said in a press release.

The amount is well short of ASMI's request for $20 million.

ASMI fishes for funding

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute last month put in this letter to the governor requesting $20 million to "mitigate past and ongoing economic harm to the Alaska seafood sector in markets that were depressed, lost and permanently altered due to the global pandemic."

Deckboss is trying to ascertain what came of this request.

COVID outbreak reported on factory trawler

Details in this city of Unalaska news release.

More COVID dollars coming

Looks like Alaska is in line for another $40 million in federal fisheries assistance related to the coronavirus pandemic. Details here.

Juneau watch

The House Labor and Commerce Committee is planning a hearing tomorrow on seafood industry safety.

The hearing is expected to focus, at least in part, on a proposed but ultimately canceled $450,000 fine against Copper River Seafoods.

Bristol Bay's price discontent

After last season ended, Bristol Bay salmon fishermen grumbled over the 70 cents per pound the major processors paid for sockeye. It was a huge drop from the $1.35 paid the prior season.

The reason for the price drop would seem evident and understandable: COVID-19 and the anxiety it created in the markets.

Nevertheless, Bristol Bay fishermen remain angry over last year's fish price.

Many hope the processors will come through with supplemental payments for the 2020 catch.

This week, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, which represents drift gillnetters, posted a white paper examining last year’s disappointing sockeye price and options for what the fleet could do about it. Here's a summary of the paper.

Getting closer on CARES Act payments

The state has received federal approval for its CARES Act fisheries assistance spending plan. Important details here.

Akutan restarts

Trident Seafoods says it has resumed operations at its Akutan processing plant after a monthlong COVID-19 outbreak forced a pause.

Unalaska at risk

The city of Unalaska is reporting dozens of new, industry-related cases of COVID-19, and is warning the situation is quite serious.

"The community is most definitely at a high local risk factor for COVID-19, in fact, more serious than at any time since the start of the pandemic," the city said in a news release today.

Unalaska, of course, serves as the hub of the Bering Sea fishing industry.

North Pacific Council approves IFQ transfers

Here's the motion as passed.

OBI Seafoods reports one COVID case at Petersburg

Details in this press release.

Help urged for seafood processors

"Federal support to help seafood processors weather the pandemic is urgently needed — without it, our nation's entire seafood industry may falter," says this congressional letter to the Biden administration.

COVID hits another big trawler

The city of Unalaska today reports:

An outbreak has been identified on the F/T Araho with 20 positive cases onboard from their crew of 40. Coordination of care and plans for the vessel are being developed.

Trident's Akutan oubreak balloons

Trident Seafoods now reports that 266 workers at its Akutan processing plant have tested positive for COVID-19, making this one of the largest U.S. seafood industry outbreaks to date.

Also, Trident is reporting five confirmed cases aboard its factory trawler Island Enterprise.

Trident updates its Akutan situation

Click here.