Maritime Economy

Published on: April 29, 2025

Alaska Senators Advocate for Seafood Worker Visa Exemption

A bipartisan effort led by Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and supported by fellow coastal state senators has introduced new legislation aimed at providing relief to the Alaska seafood processing industry. The proposed “Save Our Seafood Act” seeks to exempt seafood processing companies from the federal cap imposed on the temporary H-2B visa program in order to secure the industry’s workforce and overall stability.

The Alaska seafood sector annually depends on international laborers, primarily from Mexico, the Philippines, and Ukraine. These workers fill essential processing roles during the intense, high-volume commercial fishing seasons. Before turning to the H-2B visa program, companies must demonstrate an inability to recruit enough American workers. Thousands of guest workers are hired each year to meet the demanding labor needs.

However, seafood processing companies compete for H-2B visas alongside various non-agricultural industries, including construction, landscaping, and hospitality. The current congressional cap of 66,000 visas per year, divided into two seasonal allocations, creates uncertainty and potential workforce shortages for the seafood industry.

Published on: April 1, 2025

Securing Maritime Safety through Vessel Maintenance

by Nigel Stacey

Proper maintenance and rebuilding of fishing vessels is critical for ensuring the safety and livelihood of fishermen at sea. Regular inspections, repairs, and upgrades not only extend the life of these vessels but also significantly reduce the risk of accidents and equipment failures, ultimately protecting the crews who rely on them.

This is where Fred Wahl Marine Construction in Reedsport, Oregon steps in. The company has established itself as a leading shipyard, specializing in the construction of high-quality commercial vessels known for their exceptional dependability and durability. This is also where fishing vessels from up and down the West Coast come for repairs and upgrades. Recently, the company has been working on vessels from areas such as Long Beach, California, Newport, Oregon, and Sand Point, Alaska.

From Long Beach, the squid seiner PROVIDER, measuring 59 feet by 24 feet, is getting a major update. Although it had new sponsons installed in 2014 to widen its hull, the original wheelhouse remained. Over time, corrosion developed where the old wheelhouse met the newer deck, requiring the entire wheelhouse to be replaced. Additionally, the PROVIDER is scheduled to receive a new stern tube and improved steering components.

Published on: February 25, 2025

Alaska Governor Dunleavy Proposes Legalizing Finfish Farming

by Nigel Stacey

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has introduced a bill that could mark a significant shift in the state’s approach to aquaculture by legalizing finfish farming in controlled environments. The proposed legislation, House Bill 111 (HB 111), would authorize closed-system finfish farms, ending Alaska’s longstanding ban on the practice.

Currently, Alaska prohibits all finfish farming except for private nonprofit salmon hatcheries, many of which are operated by Indigenous communities to support wild salmon populations. This restriction was enacted in 1990 to safeguard the state’s wild fish stocks from risks such as disease, pollution, and genetic interbreeding with escaped farmed fish.

In a statement accompanying the bill’s introduction, Governor Dunleavy framed the initiative as part of a broader effort to enhance Alaska’s food security. “Alaska can join other regions of the world by raising fish that can be sold and consumed here in Alaska and be available for export,” he said. “This legislation will yield new jobs, economic growth, and a new food source for all Alaskans.”

Published on: February 17, 2025

King Crab Fishery in Southeast Alaska Approved

by Nigel Stacey

In a significant policy shift, the Alaska Board of Fisheries has approved a proposal to permit a limited commercial harvest of red king crabs in Southeast Alaska. This decision, approved during the board’s Southeast and Yakutat Finfish and Shellfish meeting in Ketchikan from January 28 to February 9, 2025, changes previous regulations that required an estimated biomass of legal male red king crabs to exceed 200,000 pounds before opening a commercial fishery. This threshold had resulted in only three commercial red king crab seasons in the region over the past two decades.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and commercial fishers agreed that the 200,000-pound requirement was based on outdated market conditions, which suggested that processors needed this volume to operate profitably. Nels Evens, Executive Director of the Petersburg Vessel Owner’s Association, emphasized that this threshold was not biologically necessary but was established due to past market demands.

The newly approved proposal allows regulators to open a small-scale commercial fishery even when the biomass is below the previous threshold. This change will provide economic opportunities for local crabbers while maintaining sustainable management of the red king crab population. Specific details regarding harvest limits and management will be determined by ADF&G as well as stakeholders.

Published on: January 14, 2025

Washington’s Dungeness Crab Season Opens South of Klipsan Beach

by Nigel Stacey

Washington’s commercial Dungeness crab season is set to begin January 15^th, 2025 for coastal areas from Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula south to Cape Falcon, Oregon, including the Columbia River and Willapa Bay. However, the opening date for the remainder of Washington’s Pacific Coast remains undecided.

The Dungeness crab fishery represents the state’s most lucrative commercial fishery. The 2023-24 season brought in $66.8 million, second only to the record $88.2 million catch during the 2021-22 season.

The annual start of the season is determined collaboratively by fish and wildlife departments in Washington, Oregon, and California as part of a tri-state agreement to manage the West Coast Dungeness crab fishery. Opening dates depend on test fishing results, which assess the condition of the crab population. Detailed results can be found at psmfc.org/crab.

Published on: December 17, 2024

Peter Pan Seafood Pays $750,000 EPA Fine Settlement

by Nigel Stacey

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that PSF, Inc., formerly known as Peter Pan Seafood, has paid a $750,000 penalty for violating state and federal Clean Water Act permit requirements. These violations relate to seafood processing waste discharge limits designed to protect the marine environment.

The violations occurred at two seafood processing facilities located in Valdez and King Cove, Alaska. At the Valdez facility, PSF and Peter Pan Seafood discharged seafood waste beyond the permitted one-acre “zone of deposit”—an area where seafood processors are allowed to accumulate waste under specific conditions. Instead, a significantly larger seafood waste pile formed on the seafloor, impacting the local marine ecosystem. The Valdez facility is now owned and operated by Silver Bay Seafoods.

At the King Cove facility, PSF and Peter Pan Seafood discharged waste from a broken outfall system and at an incorrect depth, among other permit violations. These issues highlight the importance of maintaining infrastructure and adhering to established environmental regulations.

Published on: December 3, 2024

Alaska Salmon Fishery 2024 Reports Sharp Declines in Catch and Value

by Joseph Stacey

Alaska’s commercial salmon fishery experienced significant setbacks in 2024, with double-digit declines in both catch numbers and market value. According to preliminary figures released by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), just over 101 million salmon were harvested across the state. This represents a 56% decrease compared to the more than 232 million salmon caught in 2023, marking one of the most dramatic year-over-year declines in recent history.

The decline in harvest volumes has been accompanied by a sharp drop in the fishery’s overall value. Fishermen collectively earned $304 million in 2024, down nearly 24% from the $398 million recorded in 2023. These figures underscore the economic challenges faced by Alaska’s fishing communities, many of which are heavily reliant on the health of the state’s salmon industry.

“Market conditions significantly impacted the pricing of salmon statewide and, consequently, the value of the harvest,” ADF&G noted in its summary.

Published on: November 26, 2024

King Cove’s Fishing Legacy and Future

by Nigel Stacey

The Pacific Marine Expo has been held in Seattle for more than 50 years, and the 2024 Expo (which ran from November 20^th to the 22^nd at Lumen Field Event Center) did not disappoint. One of the featured sessions focused on King Cove, Alaska, and the history surrounding this beautiful place.

The story of King Cove, one of southwest Alaska’s oldest and most vital fishing hubs, is as compelling as the waters the fleet has sailed for over a century. Through vivid photographs, detailed charts, and insightful graphs, the presentation celebrated this community while addressing the challenges threatening its future.

But this isn’t just about honoring the past—it’s about tackling a harsh new reality. King Cove finds itself at a crossroads, facing a series of economic and industry shifts that have left the town anxious. The presentation explored key factors disrupting the community, including:

Published on: November 5, 2024

Balancing Economics and Environmental Sustainability after Pollock Trawling Bycatch Incident

by Joseph Stacey

The recent bycatch incident involving the Alaskan pollock trawl fishery has cast a spotlight on the challenges of balancing economic survival for fishermen and coastal communities with environmental sustainability. Following a significant bycatch of Chinook salmon, the pollock fishing season was closed early, leading to economic hardships that have prompted debate across the fishing industry, conservation groups, and policymakers.

The Alaska pollock fishery is one of the largest and most closely monitored in the world, providing about half of the whitefish consumed in the United States and a critical source of income for Alaskan communities. However, the recent bycatch incident involved the unintended capture of more than 20,000 Chinook salmon, which caused regulatory caps on bycatch and the early closure of the pollock season.

Sustainability is at the forefront of fishery management, and preventing bycatch is essential to preserving salmon populations and maintaining the ecosystem. Fisheries science has increasingly focused on minimizing bycatch through better technology and regulatory oversight. However, as this incident shows, the consequences of this closure have a ripple effect on the economics of the fishing industry.

Published on: August 27, 2024

Commercial Fishing and Expanded Functionality for Vessels

by Joseph Stacey

Commercial fishing is currently facing a range of challenges that include overfishing, climate change, illegal fishing that is depleting stocks, regulatory changes, and economic changes that include higher fuel prices, equipment costs, and labor costs. In response, commercial fishermen are increasingly pivoting to adapt. Fishermen are also investing in advanced technology and collaborative efforts to enhance resource management and ensure the long-term viability of their operations amid growing pressures on seafood resources.

One way fishers are successfully pivoting is by outfitting their vessels to expand functionality. John Schumacher founded Distinctive Finishes, a business located in Haines, Alaska, as a response to the growing need for versatile fishing equipment. It became clear to John and others that relying solely on salmon and crab fishing was no longer financially sustainable for many fishermen.

Distinctive Finishes is nearing completion on the overhaul of the F/V DAB CHICK, a 53-year-old 34-foot crabber and gillnetter. Once the project is finished, the F/V DAB CHICK will be equipped for longlining, trolling, gillnetting, and crabbing. This opens many more fishing options for the vessel owner.