Coast Guard gushes over 'big beautiful bill'

"This historic investment marks a new era for the Coast Guard," the acting commandant, Adm. Kevin Lunday, says in this press release.

USCG District 17 is now the Arctic District

The U.S. Coast Guard is changing from numerical to geographical names for its operational districts.

So, for example, District 17, which covers Alaska, will now be the Arctic District.

For more details including a national map, see this press release.

A 'big beautiful' tax break for processors

The "big beautiful bill," which cleared Congress today, includes a tasty tax provision for Alaska seafood processors.

Section 70305 of the bill allows processors to deduct the cost of meals served to workers on vessels and in processing plants.

It's a tax break the processors have been chasing for years, as evidenced by this congressional press release from 2021.

Blotter

We track fisheries enforcement news on our sister blog The Brig. Catch it daily!

Bristol Bay heats up

As of this moment, the commercial catch in Bristol Bay, scene of the state's flagship salmon fishery, exceeds 12 million sockeye.

The last two days each saw a catch of about 2.4 million fish. The bay's Nushagak District, over by Dillingham, is the hot spot with a catch of nearly 7 million thus far.

The fishery typically peaks around the Fourth of July.

The state has forecast a potential season catch of nearly 35 million sockeye.

You can track the fishery's progress here.

Drobnica, Kimball to continue on council

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the reappointment of Angel Drobnica and Nicole Kimball to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Drobnica and Kimball were Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy's choices for the seats.

Cook Inlet notes

Here are a couple of items concerning salmon management in the Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone.

• Anchorage federal Judge Sharon Gleason has dismissed a driftnetter lawsuit challenging the 2024 federal takeover of salmon fisheries in the EEZ. Here's the judge's 32-page decision and order.

• Eugenio Piñeiro-Soler, head of the National Marine Fisheries Service, is chiding the North Pacific Fishery Management Council for advising it doesn't intend to recommend catch limits for the 2026 Cook Inlet EEZ salmon fishery.