Alaska Fish Factor

Alaska’s salmon harvest for 2021 is projected to be a big one, with total catches producing a haul that could be 61% higher than last year, due mostly to an expected surge of pinks.

Fishery managers are predicting a statewide catch topping 190 million fish compared to 118.3 million in 2020. The breakdown by species includes 46.6 million sockeye salmon (203,000 increase), 3.8 million cohos (1.4 million higher), 15.3 million chums (6.7 million more), 296,000 Chinook (up by 4,000) and 124.2 million pink salmon (a 63.5 million increase).

In its report Run Forecasts and Harvest Projections for 2021 Alaska Salmon Fisheries and Review of the 2020 Season, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game provides breakdowns for all species by region.

Along with the projected 49% increase in pink salmon catches, Bristol Bay will again rule the day with sockeye runs to the region’s nine river systems expected to exceed 51 million fish and a harvest of 36.35 million reds, 13% higher than the 10-year average.

The Southeast Alaska pink salmon harvest of 28 million is predicted to be in the average range. The total all-species take for Southeast is projected at 40.2 million fish.

At Copper River, the sockeye catch is projected at a meager 844,000 fish and 13,000 Chinook.

For Prince William Sound, the total salmon harvest forecast calls for 59.7 million fish, of which nearly 55 million are pinks — double last year’s pink harvest.

Upper Cook Inlet fishermen are projected to take just over 2 million salmon this summer, including 1.64 million sockeyes.

At Lower Cook Inlet, the forecast calls for a harvest of 3.2 million fish, of which 1.8 million are pinks.

Kodiak fishermen are expected to haul in 25.6 million salmon, including 2 million sockeyes and 22.5 million pinks.

At Chignik, a catch of 3.1 million salmon is projected to be mostly pinks.

The south Alaska Peninsula could have an “excellent” haul of pink salmon of nearly 13 million. 

For the Arctic-Yukon Kuskokwim region, managers predict below-average fisheries across the board, including a catch of just over half a million chum salmon.

Grants for old

fishing gear

For more than a decade, derelict fishing nets, lines, pots and other marine debris has generated enough electricity to power over 44,000 homes per year.

That’s thanks to the Fishing for Energy program and its partners, which are now looking to gather more gear at no cost to fishermen or coastal communities through its annual grant program.

Fishing for Energy is an arm of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which works with nearly 60 U.S. fishing communities in 14 states to help dispose of old gear. Through March, the program has provided collection bins at 56 ports and collected more than 4 million pounds of gear normally destined for landfills, or which often ends up as derelict marine debris.

In many cases, the old nets and pots are first sorted at Schnitzer Steel Industries where the metals are recycled into rebar wire rod and other specialty products.

The remaining materials are converted into renewable energy at Covanta Energy-from-Waste facilities across the nation. Annually, Covanta converts nearly 22 million tons of waste from municipalities and businesses into clean, renewable electricity to power one million homes.

Eligible grant applicants have been expanded to include nonprofits, state, local, municipal and tribal government agencies and organizations, educational institutions and ports. Non-federal matches in cash or in-kind services are strongly encouraged but not required.

Priorities this year include $15,000 grants for existing or new ports to install gear collection bins, or $10,000 to host gear collection events.

Other grants averaging from $75,000 to $150,000 will be awarded for Capacity and Logistics Development for long-term fishing gear removal programs.

To date, Fishing for Energy has awarded over $5 million in gear removal grants to more than 55 projects in 17 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Deadline to apply for the

latest round of grants is March 30.

Find links to an Easy

Grants Help Desk at Easygrants@nfwf.org, or contact kaitlin.goldsmith@nfwf.org.

Check out a video at nbcnews.com called Fishing for Energy, ocean debris turned into fuel in Florida.

Covid cash for more

fishing sectors

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021that was recently signed into law includes $4 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase food and agricultural commodities for distribution, including seafood.

A breakdown by Undercurrent News shows that the money, which must be used during Fiscal Year 2021, also can be made available for grants and loans for small or midsized food processors or distributors, seafood processing facilities and processing vessels, farmers markets, producers, or other organizations to respond to COVID-19, including for measures to protect workers against the virus.

The act also will prioritize grants to “small business concerns owned and controlled by women, veterans, or those who are socially and economically disadvantaged.” 

Grants to eligible businesses will not exceed $10 million and also will be limited to $5 million per physical location.

Seafood.com reports that grant funds can be used for expenses incurred as a direct result of, or during, the pandemic, including payroll costs; payments of principal or interest on mortgages; rent payments; utilities; maintenance expenses such as constructing outdoor seating; supplies, including protective equipment and cleaning materials; food and beverage expenses; supplier costs; operational expenses; paid sick leave; and “any other expenses that the Administrator determines to be essential to maintaining the eligible entity.”

The Rescue Plan narrowly passed last week on a 50-49 vote in the U.S. Senate. Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan voted against the bill.

Fish Board pushback

The state Board of Fisheries voted unanimously on March 8 to not double up its meeting cycle to include consideration of rules for two Alaska regions in the same year, and instead extended the work by one year.

The board, which regulates commercial, sport, subsistence and personal-use fisheries in state waters (out to three miles), would normally be wrapping up a roster this month that included 275 proposals for Southeast, Yakutat, Prince William Sound and statewide shellfish. But the ongoing pandemic curtailed those plans.

“Starting in October of 2021 it will do its work session followed by a Prince William Sound meeting in November and December and the Southeast finfish and shellfish meetings in January, and then do its statewide all shellfish meeting in March of 2022,” said board director Glenn Haight.

In October 2022, the board’s work session will be followed by a two-day Pacific cod meeting and then fishery issues for Bristol Bay and Chignik, the Bering Sea, Arctic-Yukon- Kuskokwim and Alaska Peninsula regions.

The idea of doubling up faced pushback from the public and regional advisory committees.