National Fisherman — Winter 2023

Winter 2023 · No. 04 · Volume 104 Incorporating

INFORMED FISHERMEN • PROFITABLE FISHERIES • SUSTAINABLE FISH

A peek at this years Pacific Marine Expo...

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CONTENT

National Fisherman Magazine / Winter 2023 / Vol. 104, No. 04

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MEET THE HIGHLINERS

BOATBUILDING

National Fisherman’s 2023 honorees are: Matt Alward, Curt Brown, Jimmy Hull, MJ Jackson and Maggie Raymond.

Resurrecting a classic 56-foot LeClercq seiner got an Alaska fisherman exactly the boat he was looking for.

Departments

Features

NORTHERN LIGHTS

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9

There’s unprecedented pressure on Alaska’s fishermen and seafood industry.

RECIPES FOR THE BOAT

SEAFOOD SCIENCE

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12

MARKET REPORT

A global study finds hatchery salmon are diluting how wild fish adapt to survive.

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ON THE HOME FRONT

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The Seaworthy Foundation works for the safety of fisherman and their families.

News 10

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EDITOR’S LOG

32 AROUND THE COASTS Alaska crabbers get modest king crab quota; ropeless gear testing off Southeast states; governors warn offshore wind projects ‘at risk of failing.’

PORT PROFILE In Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., the Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative keeps commercial fishing a vibrant part of the Jersey Shore scene.

PME PREVIEW The complete lineup for Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle Nov. 8-10.

Boats & Gear

NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

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GEAR SHIFTS Tech developers are building software tools to trace fish from the boat to the table.

NEW PRODUCTS

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CLASSIFIEDS

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AD INDEX

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CREW SHOTS ON THE COVER The F/V Shemya at the Seattle Fishermen’s Terminal.

Britton Spark photo.

EDITOR’S LOG

HI,

The Winter 2023 edition of National Fisherman carries a complete lineup for what’s in store at Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle Nov. 8-10.

Experts will explain what’s really the state of Alaska’s fisheries and the impact of climate change. We will hear what the future likely holds for salmon, crab, and other stocks that are in flux and opinions on what the proper management response should be to changes in the climate and fish markets.

New technology is always appearing at PME, and this year includes “going green” with the potential of safe, reliable, and affordable next-generation hybrid and electric propulsion solutions.

When covid-19 hit, fishermen who couldn’t sell to wholesalers turned to direct consumer sales. There will be success stories on how many made that shift and continue selling direct to the consumers and through fish farmers markets, driving sales through creative marketing and social media.

The West Coast industry is facing another challenge from the state and federal governments’ push to devel-

KIRK MOORE ASSOCIATE EDITOR KMoore@Divcom.com

op offshore wind energy. That fight is shaping up to be very different by region, with the floating turbine technology envisioned for the deepwater Pacific bringing a completely new set of implications for fishing and navigation compared to the relatively shallow continental shelf projects off the East Coast and looks very different region by region, and even state by state.

Fishing advocates have fought hard to get any concessions for this 400-yearold American industry in the push for renewable power. If fishing communities connect to share strategies, will they have a better chance of getting attention from regulators?

Join us as a panel of experts with frontline experience explores that question.

PUBLISHER: Bob Callahan EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Karpowicz ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kirk Moore BOATS & GEAR EDITOR: Paul Molyneaux CONTENT SPECIALISTS: Carli Stewart, Benjamin Hayden DIGITAL PROJECT MANAGER / ART DIRECTOR: Doug Stewart NORTH PACIFIC BUREAU CHIEF: Charlie Ess FIELD EDITORS: Larry Chowning, Michael Crowley, CORRESPONDENTS: John DeSantis, Maureen Donald, Dayna Harpster, John Lee, Caroline Losneck, Nick Rahaim ADVERTISING COORDINATOR: Wendy Jalbert / wjalbert@divcom.com / Tel. (207) 842-5616 GROUP SALES DIRECTOR: Christine Salmon / csalmon@divcom.com / Tel. (207) 842-5530 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: (800) 842-5603 classifieds@divcom.com SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Phone: 847-504-8874 / Email: nationalfisherman@omeda.com National Fisherman (ISSN 0027-9250), is published quarterly by Diversified Communications. 121 Free St., Portland, ME 04112-7438. Subscription prices: 1 year – U.S. $12.95; 2 years U.S. $22.95.

These rates apply for U.S. subscriptions only. Add $10 for Canada addresses. Outside U.S./Canada add $25 (airmail delivery). All orders must be in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. All other countries, including Canada and Mexico, please add $10 postage per year. For subscription information only, call: 1 (800) 959-5073. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, Maine, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes only to Subscription Service Department, PO Box 176 Lincolnshire, IL 60069. Canada Post International Publications Mail product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 40028984, National Fisherman. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept. or DPGM, 4960-2 Walker Rd., Windsor, ON N9A 6J3. READERS: All editorial correspondence should be mailed to: National Fisherman, Portland, ME 04112-7438.

Producer of Pacific Marine Expo and the International WorkBoat Show Theodore Wirth, President & CEO | Mary Larkin, President, Diversified Communications USA Diversified Communications | 121 Free St., Portland, ME 04112 (207) 842-5500 • Fax (207) 842-5503 • www.divcom.com

© 2023 Diversified Business Communications If you prefer not to receive such mailings, please send a copy of your mailing label to: National Fisherman PO Box 176, Lincolnshire IL 60069. PRINTED IN U.S.A.

NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23

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NORTHERN LIGHTS

Extraordinary Circumstances

BY THE ALASKA SEAFOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

T

he Alaska seafood industry is facing extraordinary market challenges. A convergence of domestic and international circumstances has created hardship for everyone in our industry.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Board of Directors recognizes that these market downturns acutely affect Alaska fishermen; the men and women who mold their lives around our fishing seasons to support their families. We empathize with the economic pain many fishermen are experiencing.

Although Alaska’s fishermen produce more than 60 percent of America’s wild-caught seafood, Alaska seafood competes in a global market. By value, two-thirds of Alaska’s catch is exported. By weight, 80 percent is exported. We’re the 15th largest global seafood exporter (by value) and we harvest less than 10 percent of the global salmon supply.

In short, Alaska seafood is a significant part of the domestic and international seafood markets, but we

are subject to numerous geopolitical, trade inequity, and economic factors beyond our control.

It’s not “just salmon,” “just Alaska pollock,” or “just sablefish” that are experiencing these market pressures.

Many Alaska species are currently experiencing a large supply and demand imbalance. While Alaska experienced a large 2023 pink salmon harvest of almost 200,000 metric tons, it’s important to note that Russia likely harvested over three times what we brought in. The sheer size of the Russian harvest and the significantly lower value of the Russian ruble has allowed Russia to sell pink salmon and salmon roe to our shared customers at very low prices, driving down market value for all salmon species.

Also, the ongoing trade war with China has led to a 50 percent drop in U.S. seafood exports to China, falling from nearly $1 billion in 2017 to roughly $500 million this year. While ASMI is working hard to diversify away from China, and we are seeing progress, the loss of the Chinese commodity market has led to a lack of revenue for processors during a time of high interest rates and large inventories. China’s reprocessing

sector is also providing a vehicle for Russian origin seafood to enter U.S. and European markets by obscuring the country of origin. Consequently, less-expensive Russian origin seafood continues to compete head-to-head with Alaska seafood in virtually all markets.

The strong U.S. dollar directly increases the sale cost of Alaska seafood in traditional markets like Japan and Europe. Moreover, inflation has increased labor, materials, shipping and cold storage costs while fuel costs have doubled over the past 18 months.

Additionally, interest rates have gone up five percentage points since March 2022, harming processors’ ability to secure financing while they hold product in inventory awaiting better pricing, further hurting cash flow.

On the demand side, consumers are feeling the effects of inflation and the high cost of food. Dollars don’t go as far as they used to, especially at the grocery store. People are still going out to eat but spend less on Alaska seafood products when food budgets are tight. Retail prices for Alaska seafood remain high as retailers seek to improve margins and profitability, even as wholesale prices are dropping.

Reduced consumer demand has made retailers cautious when buying seafood. In summary everyone throughout the Alaska seafood supply chain is hurting.

In the midst of this crisis, ASMI has taken immediate action. We moved an additional $1 million to domestic marketing and continued the salmon marketing campaign throughout the summer – a time when, traditionally, little promotion is needed. ASMI increased efforts to secure U.S. Government purchases of Alaska seafood by facilitating sales of more Alaska products into more federal programs.

In the first six months of this year, the government purchased $120 million

PHOTOS Alaska’s 2023 harvest of pink salmon was likely tripled by Russia. NOAA photo.

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worth of Alaska seafood, more than twice the amount sold last year.

ASMI has focused our international marketing efforts on Alaska products most in need. We opened an office in Southeast Asia as well as expanded our presence in Latin America. New international markets take time, but ASMI is building a more diverse and resilient international market future.

Also, the State of Alaska supported ASMI and Alaska’s fishing industry this year with a $5 million appropriation. These funds will help ASMI continue its critical work to keep telling the Alaska seafood story in the U.S. and around the globe.

Industry experts note current market conditions place our industry in an economic squeeze not seen for decades or longer. Many Alaska processors struggle to pay fishermen on time or have quit buying all together. Alaska fishermen don’t know how they will

make boat payments. While “we’re all in this together” isn’t a consolation, it’s a starting place to realize these global economic factors cause significant challenges and hardship for all of us in the Alaska seafood industry.

Recognizing a common need for improvement should bring our industry together to forge a stronger future through strategic actions to increase market demand for Alaska seafood and build better wholesale and ex-vessel value.

fishermen are treated equally under federal agriculture programs.

We all must continue to ensure the highest quality of our seafood throughout the supply chain so that when consumers try it, they come back for more. These are incredibly challenging times, but we know there is reason to believe in the future of Alaska seafood.

While ASMI is a key player in helping our industry through these challenging times, all of us have a role to play.

We can create opportunities from this crisis and take action to ensure the future vitality of our industry. We can gain access to new markets and innovate with new and improved products.

We should all advocate to close the loophole allowing Russian seafood to enter the U.S. market and ensure

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NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23

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SEAFOOD SCIENCE

Global synthesis study reveals hatchery salmon adversely impact wild populations

BY BENJAMIN HAYDEN n a recently published global synthesis consisting of 206 peer-reviewed studies from 1970 through 2021, conclusions emphasize the detrimental effects that hatchery salmon have on wild populations. The research, published by Fisheries Management and Ecology in July 2023, highlights how human efforts to bolster wild salmon numbers through hatchery programs

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have hindered rather than helped their populations.

The authors of the global synthesis study acknowledged the complexity of the issue, stating that their aim was to provide a transparent and updatable synthesis of existing research without delving into the social, political, and legal aspects surrounding hatcheries.

The study focused solely on evaluating

the scientific evidence related to the impacts that hatcheries have on wild populations.

Before delving into the study’s findings, it’s important to understand the distinction between wild and hatchery salmon. Wild salmon are those that live and breed in their natural environments without human interference, evolving over generations to adapt to their surroundings through natural selective pressures. On the other hand, hatchery salmon are artificially bred and raised in controlled environments, with certain selective pressures removed, such as female choice and male-to-male competition. Omitting these pressures allows for unnatural juveniles to survive, later introducing hatchery salmonids to wild populations through largescale releases into the North Pacific.

Researchers found that large releases of hatchery salmonids triggered adverse density-dependent responses in various co-mingling populations of wild salmonids. These responses encompassed reduced survival, growth, fecundity, body size, and abundance of wild salmonids that rely on the same common pool prey resource. The effects were observed across different species and countries, suggesting the wide-ranging nature of the issue.

The study also highlighted the influence of the sourced broodstock (reproductively mature adults in a population that spawn), and the intent behind hatchery programs. Traditional “production” type hatchery programs typically breed only hatchery individuals, often from non-local sources, primarily aiming to provide fisheries. On the other hand, modern “supplementation” programs integrate some wild fish into their broodstock. The researchers

PHOTOS Juvenile salmon fry photographed in a hatchery, showcasing their early life stages in captivity.

Shutterstock image.

Macaulay Salmon Hatchery in Juneau, Alaska, salmon swimming in holding tanks.

Shutterstock image.

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suggested that the effects on wild fish could differ based on these factors and called for further investigation into the varying impacts of different hatchery strategies.

billion hatchery Pacific salmon into the North Pacific Ocean annually. These releases represent a substantial portion of total salmon biomass in the region.

Among the studies cataloged in the synthesis, only a meager three percent found hatchery programs to be beneficial for wild fish. Eight percent regarded hatchery practices as benign, causing no damage to wild runs, and 13 percent concluded that hatchery operations had only “minimally adverse” effects on wild fish. An overwhelming 70 percent of studies pointed towards the negative impact that hatchery salmon have on their wild counterparts.

While the study acknowledged that there is no definitive proof linking hatchery salmon to declines in wild populations, the weight of evidence strongly suggests their negative influence. With the adverse effects spanning species, countries, and decades of research, the issue requires urgent attention. Striking a balance between hatchery programs and the preservation of wild populations is crucial to ensure the sustainability of salmon ecosystems worldwide.

In Alaska, concerns have arisen regarding industrial-scale hatchery operations and their potential to replace wild fish in the ocean due to their high survival rates. The synthesis study highlighted extensive research focused on the consequences of releasing approximately 4.5

Fisheries Management and Ecology is an aquatic biology journal that brings together studies and reviews of fishery management and ecology from across the world. This global synthesis study was led by fisheries scientist John McMillan, current Science Director for

Trout Unlimited’s (TU) Wild Steelhead Initiative. Additional contributors were Nick Chambers (University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences), Greg Ruggerone (National Resources Consultants), Jack Stanford (Flathead Lake Biological Station), Brian Morrison (Brian Morrison Consulting), Louis Bernatchez (Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes), and Helen Nevel (TU).

BENJAMIN HAYDEN Ben Hayden is a Maine resident who grew up in the shipyards of northern Massachusetts. His passion for storytelling came about on a freelance film that highlighted sustainable businesses, farmers, and fishermen while sailing up the coast of Maine.

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NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23

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ON THE HOMEFRONT

Working to prevent death aboard with The Seaworthy Foundation

BY MEGAN WALDREP The worst happened. Tammy Roberts got a call from a fellow fisherman’s wife that a boat out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, had gone down, and men were missing. After pacing the Coast Guard headquarters for hours without an answer, she waited days for her fear to be realized: Her husband, Mike Roberts, and crewman, Jonathan Andrew Saraiva, were trapped aboard the sunken vessel.

“My friend pretty much told me that the boat sank. I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ I couldn’t even grasp it at this point. She said the boat’s name, then said, ‘Tammy, it sank,’” Tammy recalled.

“Honestly, at that point, I knew. I don’t know how, but I just knew. My first response to her was, ‘He can’t swim.

And he was working on deck. I know he’s gone.’”

There’s speculation that the sinking may have been caused by recent additions to the vessel that were not tested for stability. ls.

As Partners of Commercial Fishermen, many of us think about the risk each time our fisherman leaves, but often, we don’t discuss it because it’s too hard to bear.

Roberts lost her fisherman at sea six years ago, and on a recent Partners of Commercial Fisherman podcast, she shared her experience of that day, how she processes grief and finds support, and the incredible work she’s doing with a non-profit she co-launched called the Seaworthy Foundation.

The Seaworthy Foundation (a.k.a. Seaworthy: The Michael Roberts/Jonathan Saraiva Foundation for Fishing Safety,

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Inc.) was created as an homage to their loved ones to benefit the greater good.

Tammy Roberts, Phil Saraiva, Jon’s father, and their attorney, Mike Flynn (of the firm Flynn, Wirkus, Young), put the organization’s mission in the name: Seaworthy’s goal is “to educate and work with regulators, elected officials, vessel owners, and captains to improve the lives of commercial fishermen through safety and workplace improvements.”

This non-profit charitable organization focuses on boat safety and opioid addiction (i.e., getting Narcan aboard vessels), schooling elected officials on the fishing industry to enforce safety improvements, and encouraging regulatory agencies to detect, investigate, and remedy safety deficiencies on vessels.

“One of the first things that we are trying to go after is to get the Coast Guard to get Congress to regulate the commercial fishing industry in terms of safety,” Flynn said. “So we’re trying to get the Coast Guard to take the mandatory minimum stability requirement regulations that apply to inspected vessels and apply them to uninspected vessels.”

Flynn recommends utilizing the free survival training program by Fishing Partnership Support Services as another preventative measure that fishermen can take advantage of. The program covers many safety measures, including MAYDAY calls, plugging leaks, swimming in survival suits,

NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

on-vessel safety drills, first aid, CPR, and more.

“I’ll be honest with you. It’s still a roller coaster for me,” Roberts said.

“I have good days. I have not-so-good days around the time of the day that the boat sank, and it gets to be pretty hard for me.” Roberts shared that her son, also a fisherman, has a baby on the way. “The first day I heard about that, I was so excited,” Roberts said.

“The next day, I lay in bed and cried all day because that was another piece of wonderful news that I couldn’t share with Mike.”

Today, Roberts said she handles her emotions, as she’s done for years, but now feels the “fog” is lifting. “I feel like I’m stronger, but I have my setbacks,” Roberts said. “I work hard on myself. I work hard in my counseling.

I have a great support system. I have wonderful friends. I’ve met great people along the way. I have great people in my life. I really do.”

Click here for an incredible and emotional interview that puts into perspective the love of a fisherman’s wife and the resilience that comes from the ultimate sacrifice.

To learn more, visit https://seaworthyfoundation.org/, contact Tammy at @tmroberts428 on Instagram, or email Mike Flynn at mflynn@flynnwirkus.com.

MEGAN WALDREP Is a writer based in Ojai, California, and Wilmington, N.C. Her husband, Chris Dabney, is a second-generation California spiny lobsterman and Bristol Bay fisherman, which gives Megan plenty to dish about on her lifestyle blog for partners of commercial fishermen at meganwaldrep.com.

Fallow her @megan.waldrep

RECIPES FOR THE BOAT MUSHROOM, SALMON, AND WILD RICE SOUP

BY LADONNA GUNDERSEN

H

ey there, fellow fishermen!

Have you ever cooked fish in a parchment pack before?

To make Halibut in Parchment, start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Take a sheet of parchment paper and place a halibut fillet in the center.

As the weather starts to cool down, there’s nothing like a cozy bowl of soup to warm you up. And let me tell you, this Mushroom, Salmon, and Wild Rice Soup is the perfect comfort food for those chilly days out on the water.

Loaded with tender chunks of salmon, hearty wild rice, and savory mushrooms, every spoonful bursts with flavor and texture.

Plus, it’s super easy to make and can be adapted to whatever you have in your pantry - swap the wild rice for brown rice and the salmon for shredded chicken, and you’ve got a whole new dish.

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 medium onion, sliced

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

1 cup cooked wild rice

1 cup assorted mushrooms such as,

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

button, cremini, and chanterelle

1 cup half-and-half

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 (14-to 15-ounce) can salmon

Now, let’s talk about wild rice. It can be a bit tricky to cook, but if you follow these simple steps, you’ll get that perfect, earthy flavor that pairs so well with the salmon and mushrooms.

First, cook the rice the night before to save time. Then, combine 1/2 cup of wild rice with one cup of water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a low simmer for 45 minutes. Easy, right? This soup also reheats beautifully and can be doubled for make-ahead meals. Trust me, you and your crew will be licking the bowl clean with this one.

In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté the bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Add the onion, celery, and mushrooms and sauté until soft. Stir in the flour, mustard, and rosemary. Stir in wild rice and broth and bring slowly to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.

Add the bacon, half-and-half, salmon, and juice. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until hot. Ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve right away.

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AROUND THE COAST Alaska

Crabbers get 2 million pound quota for Bristol Bay red king crab

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laska fishermen will get a brief respite from crab closures, with a modest threemonth opening for Bristol Bay red king crab, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said Friday.

SOUTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL OPENS DOOR TO ‘ROPELESS’ FISH TRAP GEAR

Bering Sea crabbers get their shot at Bristol Bay red king crab from Oct. 15 to Jan. 15 under a quota of 2.150 million pounds, 1.95 million pounds of which has been allocated to IFQ holders with the remaining 215,000 pounds reserved for Community Development Quota (CDQ) shares. The Oct. 6 announcement had been predicated upon earlier trawl surveys which indicated a harvestable surplus of crab.

PHOTO

“Based on preliminary review of 2023 NMFS trawl survey and stock assessment results, ADF&G has determined that the estimate abundance of mature size Bristol Bay red king crab exceeds minimum population thresholds established in the state regulatory strategy,” says Ethan Nichols, area management biologist with ADF&G in Dutch Harbor.

“It’s nice that we get to put gear in the water and go fishing again,” said Oystein Lone, captain and owner of the F/V Confidence and F/V Pacific Mariner. “It’s a needed lifeline for us to keep our businesses afloat. It also keeps our crew making a wage to support their families.”

The Bering Sea tanner crab population survey also warranted a fishery opening with a quota of 2.8 million pounds. The season opens on Oct. 15 and closes on March 31.

However the reopening “also highlights the impacts of the previous two years of closures,” said Gabriel Prout, a third-generation Alaska fisherman aboard the F/V Silver Spray.

Trawl surveys for red king crab in the Pribilof and St. Matthew districts, meanwhile, were not as optimistic, and the 2023-2024 season for those stocks will remain closed.

“The size of the fleet participating will be smaller due to financial constraints. The impacts the fleet and the stock continue to face highlights the need for state and federal managers to implement better management strategies to help protect the health of the crab population and those that rely on it,” said Sprout.

The news was equally dismal for opilios. An analysis of trawl survey data revealed that the abundance was too low to open the fishery, and it will remain closed for the 2023-2024 season.

The disappearance of billions of opies continues to drive environmental studies on causes focused on rising water temperatures.

The decision means “the Bristol Bay red king crab stock is back to levels that allow for a small, sustainable harvest at 2.15 million pounds, just below the amount when it was last open in 2020 at 2.6 million pounds,” the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers Association said in a statement issued Friday.”

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NEWS BITES

Bering Sea red king crab. NOAA photo.

Jamie Goen, executive director of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, said captains and crews are intently focused on the future.

“They are tracking closely the science around the health of crab stocks and want to help crab continue to rebound. We’re adding extra measures this season during our directed pot fishery for crab to reduce our interactions with crab. We’re increasing communication with the fleet on best handling practices, clean fishing areas, and opportunities to share gear.”

NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

Developing on-demand or ‘ropeless’ fish trap gear could allow more fishermen to keep working in the black sea bass fishery from the Carolinas to Florida, even with seasonal closures to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales from gear entanglement. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has begun moving toward making pop-up fish pot gear allowable at all times, after three years of testing under an experimental fishery permit from the council.

REMEMBERING FRANK J. O’HARA Francis J. O’Hara Sr., president of the O’Hara Corporation, passed away on August 3, 2023 at his home in Camden, Maine, at the age of 91, peacefully surrounded by his family. If there is a name that’s synonymous with Maine’s fishing industry, it’s Frank O’Hara.

n READ MORE ON OUR WEBSITE NATIONALFISHERMAN.COM

Mid-Atlantic

Governors warn Biden offshore wind projects ‘increasingly at risk of failing’

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overnors of six Northeast states are asking the Biden administration to boost federal tax credits for offshore wind developers, give their states a share of revenue from offshore energy leases and hasten permitting for the projects.

In a Sept. 13 letter, the governors of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Maryland urgently called for more federal support for their states’ windagreements with developers. Echoing statements from Ørsted and other wind companies seeking to revise agreements, the governors wrote that “inflationary pressures, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the lingering supply chain disruptions resulting from the covid-19 pandemic have created extraordinary

economic challenges that threaten to reverse these offshore wind gains.”

“Instead of continued price declines, offshore wind faces cost increases in orders of magnitude that threaten States’ ability to make purchasing decisions,” the letter states. “These pressures are affecting not only procurements of new offshore wind but, critically, previously procured projects already in the pipeline.

“Absent intervention, these near-term projects are increasingly at risk of failing. Without federal action, offshore wind deployment in the U.S. is at serious risk of stalling because States’ ratepayers may be unable to absorb these significant new costs alone.”

The letter comes after months of warnings from offshore wind companies that pricing previously negotiated with state energy planners is no longer viable in the face of economic pressures.

In New Jersey, Ørsted’s escalating costs for its Ocean Wind 1 project led state Democratic legislators allied with Gov. Phil Murphy to expand the company’s share of federal renewable energy tax credits, over protests from Republican lawmakers and project critics. In turn, Atlantic Shores project developers called for a consistent, “industry-wide” solution.

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PHOTOS Snow crab coming on board the F/V Arctic Lady.

Opilio counts remain at historic lows.

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers / Corey Arnold photos.

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MARKET REPORT

Alaska Crab

“MORE CRAB!” Industry faces crisis of declining stocks and warming waters.

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BY CHARLIE ESS

n good times, the call resounded through various operations in processing lines when crab killers weren’t keeping up with the gillers, or when the cookers needed more split and gilled sections to fill baskets going into the hot water.

Those crab processing lines that cranked out millions of pounds of red king, tanner, bairdi, opilio and Dungeness crab have fallen nearly silent as Alaska’s crab stocks slip into doldrums like the industry hasn’t known in a half century. From Homer to Kodiak, St. Paul to Dutch Harbor, production during the 1970s and through the 1990s set benchmarks that will go unchal-

lenged in the lives of many who have been involved in just about any facet of crabbing.

Following the Americanization of fisheries and creation of the U.S. exclusive economic zone with its 200-mile limit in 1976, annual red king crab harvests skyrocketed from just a few million pounds to a high of 185.3 million pounds in 1980.

Those huge numbers were attributed in part to foreign joint venture operations as the fishery evolved, but since then U.S. fishermen’s landings have averaged around 21 million pounds. Revenues for the king crab fishery during 1980 hit $174 million, but rising ex-vessel prices bolstered annual revenues as volume declined. Since 1981, revenues have averaged around $85 million.

Red king crab production went into a precipitous decline in the past decade, however, as harvests have slipped from around 16 million pounds in 2013.

Opilio harvests peaked in the early 1990s with a high of 325.2 million pounds with a value of $165 million in 1991. In 2022, the fleet landed around 5.5 million pounds.

This year made history with closures to major crab fisheries in the Bering Sea, along with the Southeast Alaska red and blue king crab fisheries, which will remain closed for commercial harvests in the 2023-2024 season following dismal population surveys.

The recent plight of the crab has spawned a

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MARKET REPORT remains at historic lows. It is likely it will take several more years until small crab in the population reach industry preferred size,” says Nichols.

In Southeast, the outlook holds promise of a tanner crab fishery next year. Abundance surveys this year revealed a nine percent increase in legal-sized crab and a twenty percent increase in crab, that if all goes well, will molt, then recruit into the fishery with the legal 7-inch carapace in time for 2024.

flurry of theories as to the disappearance of billions upon billions of crab.

Though most in the industry and in management agree that a culmination of factors have aligned in the demise of king and opilio crab populations, most can be associated with warming waters.

Crab fisheries scientists recently released the “Draft Environmental Assessment for Proposed Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs.” The document focuses on sea surface temperature increases since 1854 with an abrupt rise since 2010.

In its conclusion, the paper proposes that “borealization,” a term describing the shift from an arctic ecosystem to a subarctic regime, holds consequences to cold water species such as opilio crab. Two more independent studies correlate sea surface temperatures with opilio crab mortality rates since 2018. Future studies will dig deeper into how increased temperatures in sea water may have spiked the metabolism in the Bering Sea opilio population, putting the population in starvation mode.

Other angles worthy of exploration have been that the warmer regime contributed to a disease that wiped

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PHOTO Loading pots on the F/V Summer Bay in Dutch Harbor. Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers/ Bri Dwyer photo.

out the crab or that their search for colder waters may have put them in the same regions occupied by a key predator, Pacific cod. In the meantime, red king and opilio stocks are expected to remain bleak for the next several years, if not longer.

“Based on preliminary review of the 2023 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) trawl survey and stock assessments results, ADF&G (Alaska Division of Fish and Game) has determined estimated abundance of mature size Bristol Bay red king crab exceeds minimum population thresholds established in the state regulatory harvest strategy,” says Ethan Nichols, area management biologist with ADF&G in Dutch. Harbor. Nichols expected his department to make a formal announcement on the possibility of a fishery in early October.

Meanwhile, trawl surveys point to a pessimistic outlook for opilios. “The 2023 NMFS survey trawl abundance for mature males and industry preferred males (4-inch crab) decreased from 2022, while survey abundance for small males increased modestly.

The Bering Sea snow crab population

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As for Alaska’s Dungeness crab fisheries, Southeast crabbers in the 2023-2024 season put in poundage on par with the previous year, but a drop in ex-vessel prices made for less earnings in the fleet.

“It started off okay and slowly tapered off as the season went on,” says Luke Williams, a crab and salmon fisherman from Haines. “The price was way lower, but the fuel price was the same as last year so we made way less money.”

Marine diesel prices at fuel docks around Alaska have hovered around $5 per gallon in recent months.

The harvest for the 2023-2024 Dungeness season tallied up to 2.85 million pounds at average ex-vessel prices of $2.13 per pound for revenues of $5.5 million. Last year’s dockside offers of $2.69 per pound nudged revenues to $5.4 million with landings of 2 million pounds.

Harvests in the past several years pale in comparison to the 2020-2021 season when ex-vessel prices of $4.21 per pound drove revenues to $15.7 million with a harvest of just 3.7 million pounds. The harvest at Kodiak, meanwhile, totaled around 1.5 million pounds. Alaska’s dockside prices for Dungeness have been held in check by West Coast harvest volumes, which hit the markets slightly earlier.

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2023 Highliners

MATT ALWARD

CURT BROWN

JIMMY HULL

MICHAEL ‘MJ’ JACKSON

MATT ALWARD

Togiak, which led him to a winter job in 1995 repairing nets at Just Knots, under master net builder Dan Moran.

Twelve years later, in 2007, Moran turned the business over to Alward.

Alaska

“I’ll never forget it,” Alward recalled of his old boss. “He told me, ‘When we come into work tomorrow you’re the boss, I’ll be working for you.’”

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In 2004, Alward bought an old wooden seine boat for $5,000 that he ran in the Lower Cook Inlet, seining salmon with two of his three kids on the back deck.

Four years later, he upgraded and purchased a 53’ fiberglass seiner, the F/V Challenger, the same boat that he runs today with his son still on board.

In the spring of 1994, Alward found a job fishing for herring in Kodiak and

What differentiates Matt Alward from most, leading to his nomination as a 2023 National Fisherman Highliner, is his commitment to advocating for

BY BENJAMIN HAYDEN

t the age of 18, Matt Alward left his hometown of Berkeley, Calif., and hit the road heading north until there was no more road to drive on. At the end of that road was the fishing town was Homer, Alaska, and he’s been there ever since.

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MAGGIE RAYMOND American fisheries.

“If there’s a fishing committee, Matt will get signed up for it and he’ll be on the board almost immediately,” said one of his American Fisheries Advisory Committee (AFAC) colleagues.

The AFAC oversees the competitive grant program through the Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) Act of 1954, a program established to provide financial support for the promotion and development of US seafood. The act originally included the AFAC, but the committee was dissolved in the mid-1970s, and over the past 25 years there had been a conscious effort to reinstate the AFAC to govern the S-K grant program.

In a brief sit-down with Alward, one quickly realizes that he’s involved in just about everything. If airline miles could talk, they’d paint a picture of the sacrifices he’s made to improve fisheries

and he wants them to improve.

It’s estimated that he spends roughly $30,000 of his own money advocating for the fishing industry, annually, which he summarizes as “having a problem saying ‘no’.”

His efforts are best summarized in his quote for a UFA campaign, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu, and that couldn’t be more true in the fishery politics world.”

management and the overall growth of domestic fishing communities.

To get a glimpse into his involvement, Alward’s fall travel plans were telling.

“I just got back from fishing last week. I got home on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I got a call asking if I could get to Anchorage on Thursday to meet with the undersecretary of the Dept. of Commerce for Economic Affairs.

So, I jumped on a plane and flew to Anchorage. Then I flew here, to Portland, Maine, for the AFDF meeting. I fly to Homer on Sunday before flying to Anchorage on Monday for a North Pacific Research Board (NPRB) meeting.”

Alward continued listing board meeting after committee meeting until the dates hit the middle of November.

He’s currently the vice chair for NPRB, which is a federal board that provides grants for research in the North Pacific region. He continued, “after NPRB, I head to Portland, Oregon to visit my oldest daughter and then on to Seattle for a Coast Guard commercial fishing vessel safety advisory committee meeting, which falls under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA)”, another committee where he serves as the vice chair.

His next stops are to a wedding in Montana with his wife, youngest

PHOTO Matt Alward and son Quinn, who has fished with his dad since age 6, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ak. Photo courtesy of Matt Alward.

Matt Alward is a deserving nominee for the 2023 Pacific Marine Expo’s Highliner of the Year. His contributions to the fishing community and relentless advocacy for sustainable practices continue to shape the future of America’s fishing industry.

CURT BROWN

daughter, and son, then back to Sitka to work on some nets, followed by a trip to Washington, D.C. for the Seafood Harvesters of America annual meeting.

From there, he plans to fly home for a few days before attending the United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA) fall meeting, where he serves as active president.

Maine

BY CARLI STEWART

Not included in his itinerary are his involvement in several additional advocacy groups. Matt serves as a board member for both the North Pacific Fisheries Association and the Alaska Fishery Development Foundation, helping to direct initiatives and grant proposals for fishery development in the region. After realizing there were no advocacy groups for seiners in Kodiak, he also helped create the Kodiak Seiners Association, where he currently acts as the group’s treasurer. “You could probably just list all of the committees and you’ll hit your word count,” he joked with a reporter.

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Yet Alward abstains from talking much about himself, in fact, he’d probably prefer that all the advocacy groups he’s a part of be bulleted. He talks fervently, though, when discussing the initiatives of all the councils and committees that he’s involved with. He believes in them,

The ocean provides a new world of curiosity for all, a phenomenon that sparked his career path. Before purchasing his first boat and pursuing a master’s degrees in marine biology and marine policy at the University of Maine, Brown had the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of

urt Brown’s love for fishing began in his father’s wooden skiff in Peabbles Cove, Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He and his father would haul 10 to 15 traps after work and school days, which began his fascination with the different species of fish and sea urchins that were caught alongside the lobsters and crabs.

“There’s nothing more magical as an eight-year-old seeing lobster traps come up from the bottom of the ocean for the first time,” Brown said.

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HIGHLINER AWARDS commercial lobstering through his high school mentor, Tim Holden. “My heroes growing up were the guys with the big boats fishing up and down Casco Bay. I had two real passions- lobstering and marine biology.”

In 2015, Brown joined the Ready Seafood team to hit the ground running, looking at the early stages of the lobster lifecycle in collaboration with the University of Maine. The project was funded through the Maine Sea Grant for two years, but Brown and Ready Seafood decided the results were too interesting to let the project end.

They found a new depth and understanding of where young lobsters could survive and took on funding for the project. Ready Seafood became the first private company to fund public lobster research, gaining help from some of their suppliers and buyers.

Through these projects and working with third-party sustainability organizations, Brown has taught others about all aspects of the lobster industry, “it is probably one of the most rewarding things – the ability to be a lobsterman and share the research and experience with our customers around the world. It’s something that I take a lot of pride in.”

When people think about the state of Maine, they think of lobster. When you look at the coastal communities from Kittery to Cutler, it is the one economic, cultural, and social driver in this state.

“It’s everything from boats out on the water, dealers, wholesalers, trucking companies, restaurants, to shops. It’s truly our whole economy.” Brown said.

Brown is the current co-chair of the SEA Maine, a network of companies, organizations, and individuals dedicated to the growth of the marine economy in Maine.

PHOTO Curt Brown was intoduced to lobstering at age 8 with his father near Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Photo courtesy of Curt Brown.

The mission of SEA Maine is to ensure that the Maine seafood, fishing, and aquaculture industries and the natural and innovative ecosystems they depend on are healthy and benefit the community.

In addition, Brown has been working tirelessly on policy and sustainability initiatives to preserve this way of life for his children and future generations.

“Facing the North Atlantic right whale issue, specifically over the last five years, motivated me to keep going. And, of

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course, having my two kids, Finn (8) and Clara (6), who will get up with me at 4:30 in the morning and head out lobstering, keeps me going.”

In April 2023, Brown traveled to Washington, DC, to testify on behalf of Maine’s lobster industry, opposing a bill that would have put the future of Maine’s lobster fishery in jeopardy.

He shared the long history of conservation efforts he has faced as a fisherman within this tight-knit community.

Brown spent his last $100 in his senior year of high school to buy whale-safe gear to ensure he could go lobstering that upcoming summer.

“The take-home message of my testimony today is that this method has worked, and if there are two numbers you remember, remember zero and zero,” Brown said. “There have been zero documented entanglements of a right whale in Maine lobster gear since 2004, and there have been zero documented mortalities associated with Maine lobster gear ever.”

“It has always been about the future of our state, and personally, for my family, it’s the look in my kids’ eyes when they are out on the water that makes me fight for this industry. It motivates me to keep mending the gap between science and fishing.”

Brown refrains from taking credit for his countless hours advocating for Maine lobstering; however, his efforts have not gone unnoticed in the community.

“He is a stalwart advocate for the industry, a talented marine scientist and educator, and has spent so much of the last several years traveling around the country educating people about Maine’s 100-plus years of commitment to sustaining the lobster resource and marine environment,” said Annie Tselikis, executive director of the Maine Lobster Dealers’ Association, .Brown says this way of life has shaped him: “It was never an option in my mind growing up in this industry to lose

what we have. What we have here is so special and so rare.”

JIMMY HULL

Hull’s dad bought him his first john boat when he was in fourth grade, which he used to explore the waterways in and around northeast Florida’s Ponce Inlet. He got his first job as a mate on a fishing boat at 15 and obtained his U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license when he was 18.

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my father supported my decision to be a commercial fisherman. It’s what I want to do.”

BY SUE COCKING

aptain Jimmy Hull lives, eats and breathes fish — his words.

In his 47 years as a commercial fisherman in Ormond Beach, Fla., he has been involved in just about every facet of the industry: harvesting fish and crabs; owning and operating wholesale and retail markets and a restaurant; advising federal and state fisheries managers on policies and regulations; and advocating on behalf of his peers.

At 68, this 2023 National Fisherman Highliner Award winner says there is nothing he would rather do in his life.

“I am pretty happy, pretty blessed to have everything work out for me,” Hull says. “I’ve been lucky to have the employees I’ve had and I’m lucky

He learned a lot working with professional charter boat and commercial captains and eventually bought his own fishing boat — a 42-footer — when he was 20. He fished up and down the southeast Atlantic coast in his twenties before marrying his wife Denise and deciding he needed to be home more.

Hull bought a small fish market in Ormond Beach that had been closed, learned the wholesale and retail business from top to bottom, and made the store successful. It grew from a store to a takeout kitchen and today Hull Seafood Market and Restaurant is an extremely popular retail shop and full-service restaurant with 125 employees and four commercial boats supplying product. Both the U.S. Senate and the Florida Governor’s office have honored Hull’s Seafood as an outstanding small business for creating jobs in the community.

Throughout his career, Hull has been deeply involved in trying to inform the science and management of South Atlantic fisheries. Recruited more than 15 years ago to join the Southeastern Fisheries Association by now-retired executive director Bob Jones, Hull has served as chairman and now is a board member of that influential, Tallahassee, Fla.-based trade organization.

Jones says Hull took the initiative to work closely with state fisheries

PHOTO Jimmy Hull started fishing professionally at age 15.

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Hull.

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HIGHLINER AWARDS scientists, escorting them on blue crab trapping trips so they could learn the ins and outs of that important Florida fishery.

“He provided them access to the resource anytime they wanted to go,” Jones said of his colleague. “It showed us that you could have the scientists and commercial fishermen working cooperatively. He is a consummate fisherman, and at the same time, a conservationist.”

He served ten years on the South

Atlantic Fisheries Management Council’s snapper/grouper advisory panel, chairing the panel for four years. He worked on NOAA Fisheries’ bottlenose dolphin take reduction team and its Highly Migratory Species panel for the shark fishery.

Hull says he and his commercial colleagues have succeeded in “moving the needle” on some issues, but “the science has been much tougher to influence.

They don’t have the data to inform the complex models they are using.”

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PHOTO “I am pretty happy, pretty blessed to have everything work out for me,” Hull says.

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Hull.

Hull doesn’t like the direction that fisheries management is heading. As an example, he cites red snapper, which has “taken over the bottom” in the South Atlantic, yet the commercial sector’s allocation is shrinking.

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“The private recreational sector has the political power and muscle — meaning money — to control allocation,” Hull said. “I’m talking about every species.

At the council level, we don’t have fair representation. It is heavily weightedwith (Coastal Conservation Association) members. We have lost allocation to the private recreational sector. We don’t know what they catch, how they catch them, or where they catch them. They are totally unaccountable. No restrictions on participation.”

Hull is also very concerned about the loss of working waterfronts in Florida, which are being bought up in droves by eager developers and turned into recreational boat barns and condos. If the marina where he keeps his boats were sold, he said he doesn’t know where he would relocate them.

And he says participation in the commercial fishery is waning: as veteran

fishers age out, the next generation is not taking over their jobs.

“We continue to try to keep what we have and not lose anymore,” he said.

“It’s a fight to get commercial fishing represented on the councils.”

Hull is glad to see Laurilee Thompson serving her third year as a member of the South Atlantic council. The longtime commercial fisher, restaurant operator, and tourism leader from Titusville, Fla., has worked with Hull for years on industry issues. Thompson calls Hull’s Highliner Award a “well-deserved” honor.

“He’s probably the best chair the snapper/grouper advisory panel ever had,” Thompson said. “When I got on the council, he gave me the real rundown.

I call him before every council meeting now to get his perspective on the amendments we’re working on. He has probably the most successful seafood

restaurant in his county. He sells local seafood, which is how it should be.”

MICHAEL ‘MJ’ JACKSON Alaska

BY CHARLIE ESS

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hile most would agree that the commercial fishing life isn’t easy, and most of us look for ways to make it easier, Alaska fisherman and 2023 National Fisherman Highliner Award winner Michael “MJ” Jackson goes out of his way looking for challenges. The same risk-taking

psyche that drives this life-long mountain climber’s insatiable love for grasping iffy fingerholds in crumbly rock can’t help but manifest itself at the helm of his Bristol Bay gillnetter, and in his six years of leadership at the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

Chat with MJ Jackson, 62, for a few minutes and you will hear a homespun motto that has served him from the spires of the Tetons to the back decks and bridges of five gillnetters throughout his 37-year career in the Bristol Bay: “Never unsafe but always uncomfortable,” a phrase coined during his years of plying the waters of the bay with his teenaged sons at his side.

Jackson attributes his “bring it” affinity for adversity to his early years of climbing.

He donned a harness and roped up for his first climb when he was 14. He reached.

He fell. He learned. Like others in the climbing community, Jackson quickly moved on to more challenging routes in

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HIGHLINER AWARDS the Cascades, Yosemite and Joshua Tree.

“It was just a time when there was opportunity and there weren’t any limits,” he says of his those years. “Nobody knew what was appropriate or inappropriate. We just went out and tried things.”

“At that stage, climbing was more important than fishing,” he says. “Fishing was a tool.”

In time, commercial fishing would morph from the financial solution that supported his climbing habit to providing an income for his wife and three kids. A stint working on longliners and seiners in the Gulf of Alaska and as an engineer aboard catcher processors out of Dutch Harbor eventually led to his career fishing Bristol Bay salmon.

“I discovered longlining in the Gulf of Alaska out of Seward, seining in Southeast and Prince William Sound and then Bristol Bay,” Jackson says. “You’d think I’d have been there a little longer, but I got there late. I always thought Bristol Bay made way too much money and didn’t work hard enough, and that didn’t make any sense to me.”

Early challenges for Jackson included paying off huge debts incurred with his entry into the Bristol Bay fishery. Permits were running north of $150,000. Jackson financed his boat and permit package with an interest rate of 14 percent on his loan.

“My payments were something like $70,000. And the first year I bought in, I

think we struck (for higher ex-vessel prices). I think that helped me become a better fisherman, not having it easy out of the gate. It forced me to make good decisions or bad decisions, and learn from those.”

As the years rolled on, not only did Jackson tackle financial challenges in his own operation, but he helped two sons, Mark and Willis, gain entry into the fishery with their own boats and permits at the respective ages of 20 and 18. In another mountaineering twist, the sons have been named after deceased climbers. Mark, 29, was named after MJ’s older brother, lost in a climbing accident on Mt. Rainier when he was just 17. Willis, 26, is named after Willi Unsoeld, a climber in the party that first ascended Mount Everest’s West Ridge and also met an untimely end in an avalanche on Mt. Rainier. A third son, Henry Logan,

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PHOTO Jackson in the wheelhouse of the F/V Kelly J is a familiar sight to Bristol Bay fishermen.

Photo courtesy of MJ Jackson.

16, has been named after another climbing friend lost to a falling rock.

Though none of the three sons inherited his zeal for climbing beyond mountain biking and backcountry skiing, the Jackson genes kick in when it’s time to set the nets in the Bay’s silty waters. Jackson relishes the summers when his boys were teens on his boat and they agreed to take risks - risks that loaded the fish hold and deck of the Kelley J with fresh sockeyes.

“It was always an adventure,” Jackson says.

“We would go out, and we wouldn’t know what we were going to catch. I’d look at

them. They’d look at me, and we trusted each other. We pushed the boundaries.”

It was during one of the many memorable work days aboard their boat that they coined the phrase. “Never unsafe; always uncomfortable.”

Given Jackson’s propensity toward dicey propositions, by land or by sea, it probably comes as no surprise that he jumped into self-marketing when ex-vessel prices plummeted during high-volume harvest years in the Bay. He started small, 500 pounds here and there, with sales among friends, but in the past 16 years he’s grown the venture to a full-time gig during the months when he’s not on the water.

“I’ve got some wholesale accounts and a lot of residential friends,” he says of his clientele. “Doing it this long has made it as much a social function as an economic function. Acquaintances become friends.

It’s been a really good experience.”

A growing interest in selling his catch as frozen fillet portions instead of the predominant volume of headed and gutted fish cranked out of the processing plants would eventually lead to a six-year commitment as president of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

Like mountaineering, his new role came with its own set of mentors and heroes, among them 2013 National Fisherman highliner Robert Heyano.

“I’ve just had amazing opportunities to meet people that challenge me on levels that I wouldn’t have been able to do without meeting them, and then that opens doors for me,” he says.

Though his chapter with BBRSDA came to a close at the end of his second term on Sept.15, Jackson isn’t done giving back to an industry that has fulfilled his every wish for tackling complicated problems. As issues arise in the management and politics of fisheries, chances are good that Jackson will show up as a player.

“That’s the way I want to live my life, as a collaborator, trying to figure out solutions with people, not against people,” he says.

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HIGHLINER AWARDS “It’s taking a long time to get to that point, but that’s where I’m at. That’s where I want to be. And I want to stay there.”

MAGGIE RAYMOND Maine

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BY KIRK MOORE

aggie Raymond’s fishing career spans the trajectory of New England groundfish – from the good times of the 1980s, to helping fishermen and managers navigate brutal conflicts and challenges as the fleet moved to days-at-sea management and organizing into sectors.

The former executive director of the Associated Fisheries of Maine, Raymond, 70, of South Berwick, Maine, became essential to the industry and New England Fishery Management Council’s efforts to stabilize fishing communities during a traumatic era.

“Maggie helped people navigate these tumultuous changes and served as an invaluable conduit to explain the science and management implications to fishermen. She was a fierce advocate for industry interests.” said council chairman Eric Reid when Raymond was presented with the council’s 2022 Janice M. Plante Award for Excellence.

While working with the New England council over a quarter-century, Raymond also has been a longtime board member of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. As a member of the Maine Fishermen’s Wives Association, she was active in effort to promote consumers’ awareness of seafood

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values and Maine’s fisheries.

Raymond started in fishing in 1985. She co-owned the 80-foot dragger Olympia fishing out of Boston, back in the days of open access when new investment had poured into the fleet after the establishment of the 200-mile exclusive economic zone and first iteration of the new federal Magnuson fisheries law in 1976.

“Boston vessels were serviced primarily by businesses from New Bedford, which made scheduling those services more time consuming and expensive,” Raymond recalled. Meanwhile in the 1980s, “with the rise of the Portland Fish Exchange, Portland was a vibrant fishing community with a transparent marketplace and plenty of shoreside support businesses.”

That made for a decision to move to Portland.

But after a few years, “it was hard to justify to our crew why we were throwing

PHOTO Raymond was recognized in 2022 for her work on groundfish by NewEngland Fishery Management Council chair Eric Reid, right, and director Tom Nies. NEFMC photo.

away $100,000 of lobster every year” to comply with Maine bycatch rules, Raymond quipped. “So, back to Boston.”

Around the same time Northeast groundfish restrictions were increasing, and other Maine offshore vessel operators were migrating to Massachusetts ports to avoid Maine’s sales tax on fuel and be able to land their lobster. “The lobster bycatch issue remains a deterrent today to vessels returning to Maine,” Raymond noted.

With fish stocks and catches declining, in August 1991 the National Marine Fisheries Service signed a consent agreement to settle a lawsuit brought by the Conservation Law Foundation over the agency’s alleged failure to halt overfishing (see “A last stand for New England groundfishermen?” National Fisherman, March 1992).

Under intense pressure, the New England Fishery Management Council faced a court-ordered deadline to sharply reduce fishing mortality, with plans for reducing days at sea and ultimately the size of the New England fleet.

In January 1994 the tough plan was finalized to reduce fishing mortality by 50 percent over five to seven years, and emergency rules closed large areas of Georges Bank to stave off biologists’ warnings of a cod collapse.

Fishermen all along the coast organized to figure out their future. Raymond began working with the Associated Fisheries of Maine in 1995, beginning what would be a 25-year effort to help bridge the gap between fishermen and scientists through her knowledge of the Northeast fishing industry in all its complexity.

During those years Raymond served on the New England council’s groundfish advisory panel, including the chairman’s seat, as more management changes

bombarded the fishery – some 20-plus framework actions between 1997 and 2003. In 2004 the initial sector program was started with Amendment 13 to the groundfish management plan.

“The work of fisheries managers is to develop management restrictions that meet the biological objectives with the minimum negative impact on the industry,” said Raymond. The boat owners of Associated Fisheries of Maine, “in spite of repeated need to develop new restrictions, were always willing to roll up their sleeves and offer important guidance to managers to achieve those dueling objectives,” she said. “Those fishing boat owners trusted me to be their voice in that process, and I am forever grateful for that trust.”

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CONNECTED Experience the largest and longest running commercial fishing and commercial marine tradeshow on the West Coast.

Source new products, catch up with old friends, and stay up-to-date on the latest industry news.

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ACDI/VOCA ACI Boats ACS - Advanced Manufacturing Solutions AdvanTec Marine AgWest Farm Credit AJR Marine Windows Inc Alaska Chadux Network Alaska Communications System - ACS Alaska Department of Fish and Game Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Alaska Commercial Fishermen’s Fund Alaska Division of Investments Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation Alaska Marine Safety Education Assn Alaska Net & Supply Alaska Sea Grant College Program Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Aleutian Airways Aleutians East Borough Alexander Gow Fire Equipment Company Alfa Marine and Protein Alpha Diving Inc. Alpha Welding and Boat Repair Inc. AMECO American Vulkan Corp Anchor Hatches Aquakob Systems Inc. AquaTraction Puget Sound ARG Industrial Argents Express ARMOR Industries, LLC, DBA ARMOR Marine and Precision Weld Boats Asano Global Co., Ltd. Ballard Industrial Ballard Industrial Baltic Diving Solutions Bay Ship & Yacht Co. Bay Weld Boats Beckwith & Kuffel Bekina Boots BlastOne Blue Ocean Gear Blue Skies Drones Boat Lift Boats & Harbors Boatswain’s Locker Inc. Boatswain’s Locker Inc. Bomar/Pompanette LLC Bornstein Seafoods Inc. Bostrom Company, H.O. BPLAST Bristol Bay Borough Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association Bristol Bay Fishermen’s Association British Columbia Trade and Invest

Britmar Marine Ltd Brix Marine Cali-optics Importer Carmody Company, Inc. Cascade Engine Center LLC Cascade Engine Center LLC Cascade Engine Center LLC Cascade Machinery & Electric Castoldi USA Inc. Castor Marine Catalyst Marine Engineering, LLC Caterpillar Inc Central Welding Supply CFAB - AK Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank Cheyenne Scale Company Christie & Grey Inc City of Kodiak Ports & Harbors Clatsop Community College/ MERTS Campus Coastal Fluid Power Coastwise Corporation Columbia Industrial Products CIP Marine Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay ComNav Marine Ltd Continental Western Corporation Cooley Equipment Sales, Inc. Cordova Port & Harbor Crowley CRX Gas Engines Cummins Inc. Curtin Maritime Dakota Lithium Batteries Datrex Inc Deckhand Electronic Logbook Deepchill Solutions Inc. DEIF Dellner Bubenzer Delta Western, LLC Desert Air Alaska Dexter-Russell Inc DISTRIBUTION EUGENE GAGNON INC - JACKFIELD DNV Dock Street Brokers Dole Refrigerating Co Dong Yang Rope Mfg Co Ltd Driveline Service of Portland Inc Dryshod Waterproof Footwear DSV Air & Sea Inc Duramax Marine LLC E&E Foods ElectricalHub.com Elliott Bay Design Group Eltorque AS Endura Paint Enviro-Tech Diving Inc Everts Air Cargo Exail Farwest Steel Corp Fireboy - United Safety Fish Expo Seattle

Fish Expo Seattle Fisheries Supply Company Fishermen’s News Fishery Friendly Climate Action Fitec International Flexahopper Plastics LTD FLIR FPT Industrial Fraser Marine Products Freedman Seating Company Fronius USA LLC Frontier Precision Unmanned FT - TEC USA Corp.

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KSC Seattle Kumho Fishing Tackle Co KVH Industries, Inc. Leitor Inc LFS Marine Supplies Libra-Plast AS LifeMed Alaska Linde Gas & Equipment Inc. Little Hoquiam Shipyard LKK Llebroc Industries Logan Clutch Corporation Lopolight Louisiana Association for the Blind Lunde Marine Electronics Inc Lynden Inc MacGregor USA Inc. Machine Support Technologies, Inc. Mackay Marine U.S. West Coast & Pacific NW/Alaska & Olex North America Marco Products / Smith Berger Marine, Inc.

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Northline Seafoods Northwest Pump Notus Electronics Ltd OEG Offshore Inc Olympic Propeller Omnisense Systems USA Oregon Fishermen’s Cable Committee PACFAB Pacific Boat Brokers Inc Pacific Fishermen Shipyard & Electric Pacific Fishing Magazine Pacific Marine Center Pacific Marine Equipment LLC Pacific Net & Twine Ltd Pacific Power Group Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission Pacific West Refrigeration Panel Components & Systems Penser North America Peoples Bank Performance Contracting Inc Petro Marine Services PFI Marine Electric Philadelphia Gear, Power Systems

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PORT PROFILE

JERSEY STRONG 0 In Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., the Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative keeps commercial fishing alongside Jersey Shore resorts — 70 years and counting.

BY ROBERT E. GOURLEY, JR.

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NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

E

stablished on July 1, 1953, the Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative, Inc. of Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., has been the home port of generations of New Jersey commercial fishermen.

The cooperative dock and packing house – or “the Co-op” as it is customarily referred to, is located near the entrance to the Manasquan Inlet.

The Manasquan Inlet sits between the Jersey Shore towns of Manasquan and Point Pleasant Beach. The inlet is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and a major thoroughfare of maritime transportation. Point Pleasant Beach together with the nearby town of Brielle, are home to a fleet of commercial and recreational fishing vessels.

Retired commercial fisherman and author Jim Lovgren explained that the Co-op was originally established by twelve members, all of whom were commercial fishermen. The goal in forming the Co-op was to provide members with dock space, easy access to fuel and the packing out of fish for sale to various markets.

When the Co-op started, “the main species that the Co-op dealt with, was whiting for thirty years,” said Lovgren, a 2006 National Fisherman Highliner. Since whiting have all but vanished over the last 25 years, black sea bass, summer flounder, scallops and porgies are some of the most targeted species by Co-op vessels. All of the current Co-op members now are involved with operating draggers.

During the 1960s, Co-op membership peaked at sixty fishermen, but currently consists of thirteen members. This reduction in membership is due in part to an increase in vessel size and limited dock space. The Co-op is one of only two New Jersey fishing cooperatives; the Belford Seafood Cooperative about 40 miles north lies on Sandy Hook Bay, the southern end of the New York-New Jersey Harbor complex.

Each member of the Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative is a share owner – and every member has a say in how the Co-op operates. Regardless of the number of shares that an individual member may own, every member has only one vote. Co-op membership is available to commercial fishing vessel owners as well as non-vessel owneßrs such as commercial fishing captains and mates.

The Co-op profits come from the packing out of fish and the sale of fuel. Commercial fishermen who are non-members may be permitted to use Co-op facilities but must seek prior approval from Co-op management. The Co-op produces on average $15 million in business annually.

PHOTOS Trawlers tied up side to side at the Fishermen’s Dock Cooperative on Channel Drive in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. The Co-op counts 13 members and ships seafood daily to nearby metro markets. Robert E. Gourley, Jr. photos.

NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23 29

PORT PROFILE Brick Wenzel is a commercial fisherman who holds the position of fisheries liaison at the Co-op. It’s a job that keeps Wenzel involved in political, governmental affairs and news media related matters pertaining to the Coop, as well as to commercial fishing in general. He works closely with other organizations including the New Jersey Farm Bureau on legislation that benefits commercial fishermen. Wenzel is also executive director for the nonprofit America’s Gleaned Seafood, which provides low-cost, high quality seafood to community food banks.

Different fish species bring their own prices and the Mid-Atlantic fisheries have changed over the years, Wenzel explained. Commercial fishermen sailing out of the Co-op have adapted to fishery management changes for the most part, and “our fleet of vessels have a large enough variety of permits that if one fishery is affected, we can always switch over to another,” he said.

When fish come onboard a dragger, they are sorted, separated and packed between layers of ice and held in the hold of the boat until it reaches port.

The boats operating out of the Co-op can be be working at sea for up to three days, so having the fish properly iced is critical to preserving the harvested catch.

As the catch is unloaded from the boat, a bucket hooked to a hoist and boom are used to bring the fish on land and into a saltwater washdown tank. The saltwater used in the tank is pumped in from the water near the Co-op and is used to clean the fish of any ice as well as any predatory species like starfish and other debris both natural and manmade.

After the washdown process, the fish make their way up a slotted metallic belt that drains water off the fish and separates them so as to prevent any pileups. At this point, the fish slide down a metal chute and onto another conveyor

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belt where they are sized and placed in baskets by Co-op employees.

The baskets are then brought over to a large scale where they are weighed.

From this point, appropriately sized boxes are selected for the packing out process.

The size of the fish brought into the Coop will determine the size of the boxes utilized. The Co-op is able to pack fish in boxes ranging in weights from sixty pounds to two thousand pounds.

When packaging fish such as porgies, ice is added to the bottom of a heavy duty sixty-pound sized cardboard box and the fish are then added. To keep all of the seafood cold, another layer of ice is then added on top of the fish prior to sealing the box.

The time of year determines how much ice is added. During summer months, more ice is added to boxes to account for the melting time which is typically slower in winter months. After each box is sealed, they are then placed on

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pallets and additional boxes stacked up until the pallet is completely packed.

These pallets are then readied for pickup and delivery to their destination.

Due to the perishable nature of seafood the Co-op supplies to fresh markets, the whole operation of unloading fish from the hold of a commercial vessel to the packaging process has a clear and effective efficiency to it.

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Seagulls help to clean up discarded fish as they patrol the dock next to the Coop warehouse waiting for the moment to be rewarded with a piece of discarded fish. The birds have become so used to humans that when approached, they seem hardly intimidated and certainly appear to be well-fed, judging from their large size.

Despite the continued demand for seafood in their region and nationwide, Co-op members like American commercial fishermen have many concerns.

A lot of those center on the United States federal government.

“The government has been doing such a good job destroying the fishing industry that there’s nobody left to defend it,” said Lovgren. He warns that between government regulations on commercial fishing, imported seafood and the emerging U.S. offshore wind energy industry, the American fishing industry is in decline.

“There’s hardly enough fishermen left to pay the advocates that we need,” Lovgren added.

Fisherman’s Dock Cooperative, Inc. is an integral part of the seafood industry in New Jersey and across the country.

The Co-op has kept New Jerseyans employed for generations and provided critical access to the Mid-Atlantic Ocean’s fishing grounds.

The Co-op is currently economically stable, but political oversight and the continued push for offshore wind generation systems continues to threaten the commercial fishing industry in New Jersey and nationally.

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PACIFIC MARINE EXPO

A PEEK AT THE 2023

PACIFIC MARINE EXPO November 8 – 10, 2023 • Lumen Field Event Center • Seattle

Wednesday Beyond buzzwords for sustainability in shipyard and port operations Nov. 8 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM PST > Main Stage The sustainability shift is happening now, and every maritime industry sector will need to meet new standards.

What does that mean for the commercial fishing industry? Understanding these new regulations can be confusing and overwhelming, but there are ways to approach integration that won’t cause unnecessary disruption. Ports will develop infrastructure and operational practices that promote clean and resilient operations. Commercial fishing vessels can be retrofitted with new technologies, and new, more efficient vessels will be built to run on the available and foreseen fuel supplies. Similarly, shipyards are embracing sustainable principles in the construction and retrofitting of vessels. Each sector will need to understand issues related to…

• Upcoming mandates driving clean

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• • •

and resilient operations, Innovative battery, hybrid, solar, and efficiency options, Why sustainability also means fiscal responsibility, Where to begin and next steps.

In this session, you’ll hear from environmental certification experts and shipyard, ship owner, and port stakeholders to provide insights to these questions, beyond buzzwords that dominate headlines. They’ll talk through the path they’re on when it comes to meeting and exceeding new green standards that will help outline how others can make the transition toward environmental excellence.

DOCKSIDE CHAT:

Money for Fishing: Selling Direct, Grant Applications and More Nov. 8, 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM PST > NF Wheelhouse Booth #150 Over the past few years, fishermen have had to change so many different things about how they do business, but these

NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

changes have shed light on opportunities that always existed and have been newly created.

When the pandemic hit, fishermen were not able to sell their catch to wholesalers, which compelled some to begin selling direct to the consumer.

What did it look like to make this shift to sell direct to consumer and/or at a fish farmer’s market? Meanwhile, grants like the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant have been around for decades, helps fishing communities optimize economic benefits. What does it mean to apply for and receive this type of funding? These questions and more will answered along with issues related to…

• The biggest challenges and opportunities related to selling directly to restaurants • How have some fishermen been able to drive interest through their marketing or social efforts • What sort of grants are specifically available to fishermen • How much of a process is it to apply for grants, and how likely applicants are to receive funding

Fishermen who attend this session will gain insights related to what it means for them to do and stay in business as markets, industries, and entire sectors shift and evolve. Attendees will learn how direct marketing can take your business to the next level.

Commercial Fishing Vessels Go Electric Nov. 8, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM PST > Main Stage While “going green” and many other sustainability initiatives might just sound like another cost put on fishermen, the requirements and mandates associated with them cannot be ignored.

If safe, reliable, and affordable next-generation propulsion solutions are going to be developed, fishermen need to be at the helm, and early adopters need support. In the short term, electrification will demonstrate the fishing industry’s leadership and commitments to sustainability. In the long term, you’ll be saving money and operating more efficiently overall.

However, there’s a lot of work to do to get there. In this session, a panel of leading voices in the fishing industry will discuss: • Where to begin with making your operations more sustainable • Whether to retrofit or build new • how to find fuel-efficient solutions for your vessel now • The role of shoreside infrastructure in electrification • What sort of specific long-term benefits can be enabled for your business in the long run • Weighing the cost of going hybrid • how to finance electrification projects • Policy issues that must be addressed to enable cost-effective electrification Listen in as a panel of naval architects and stakeholders from various areas of the commercial fishing industry outline how the effort to “go green” can result in operational efficiencies that ensure the long-term viability of individual businesses and the fishing industry as a whole.

DOCKSIDE CHAT:

SPECIAL EVENT

Planning Your Next Large Purchase that Needs Financing Nov. 8 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM PST > NF Wheelhouse Booth #150 You are ready to make your next large purchase. Perhaps it is fishing quota, a permit, a new vessel purchase, or a large shipyard project. Before you start spending money you should consult with your banker beforehand.

• How much can I afford and what loan amount can I qualify for?

Your banker can assist with cash flow planning for the loan amount you are requesting.

• What are closing deadlines? Discussing timelines with your banker before signing a purchase and sale agreement can avoid surprises on loan processing times.

• Do you need to consult your maritime attorney or broker for structure of quota holdings? Will the quota be held under your name or a business name? Perhaps a change in business entity documents is needed.

• What are insurance requirements?

Your banker can work with your insurance agent to determine any necessary changes to coverage levels to meet loan requirements.

• In this session you will have the chance to discuss financing topics and questions with an experienced maritime commercial banker.

Fishing for the Future: Innovations Progressing the Industry

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Introducing Coastal Challenge, the revamped Fisherman of The Year Contest!

Sponsored by Port of Seattle

Prepare to test your seaworthiness, skills, and knowledge across various skill-set trials for cash prizes.

Key Details:

You can win only one of the three skill sets, advancing you to the final round and earning you a cash prize.

Compete in three different skill sets: knot tying, net mending, rope splicing.

All finalists will don survival suits, and the quickest to put one on wins.

Fastest is the winner.

Nov. 8, 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM PST > Main Stage Technology developments for commercial fishing operations are not keeping pace with the expansion of technological capabilities or the needs of the fishing industry. Utilizing new technology can save money, save time, and increase safety. In this session, hear from fishermen who have implemented new technology on their vessels as well as some of the companies creating the

Nov. 8, 1:30PM - 2:30PM Nov. 9, 1:30PM - 2:30PM Nov. 10, 12:30PM - 1:30PM Fisherman’s Arena

DON’T FORGET HAPPY HOUR FREE BEER!

*Last hour of the expo all three days!

NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23 33

PACIFIC MARINE EXPO latest products.

• Hear perspectives on the needs and barriers for technology development and funding in commercial fisheries • Identify successful technologies and the benefits of them to the fishing industry • Identify opportunities to build long-term capacity for technology development • Hear perspectives from technology developers on ways to communicate needs or suggested modifications

Highliner Ceremony Nov. 8, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM PST > Main Stage Join us as we honor the 2023 National Fisherman Highliners! An NF Highliner is a career commercial fisherman who is also known for giving back to the industry, locally, nationally or globally. It is no easy task, and as such it deserves recognition. Hear their stories

and why they’ve been selected as one of the well-deserving industry leaders holding this Highliner title. Happy Hour will open immediately following the ceremony.

DOCKSIDE CHAT:

Partners of Commercial Fisherman Parlor Nov. 8, 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM PST > NF Wheelhouse Booth #150 With a mission to connect as many partners of commercial fishermen around each coast through a supportive community to make this way of life feel less lonely. Join Megan and come together to share stories, tips, and tricks to survive your fishing partner’s busy season.

Thursday Alaska fisheries: Separating fact from fiction

Nov. 9, 10:30 AM - 11:15 PM PST > Main Stage Commercially important fish stocks have been known to wax and wane over the years, and that has happened in a big way in recent years with the cancellation of Alaska’s snow and king crab seasons and other marine ecosystem changes. Sensational headlines have declared that such developments signal the imminent demise of Alaska fisheries, but there have been success stories as well. While climate-driven changes in the marine and freshwater environment have caused chinook and chum stocks to decline in the Yukon River, Bristol Bay fishermen harvested a record number 57 million sockeye in 2022. Other species, such as sablefish have also shown signs of significant increases during recent climate variability.

Given all of this info, what’s the accurate state of the rest of Alaska’s fisheries? What is the future for the stocks

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that are in flux? What’s the proper management response to changes in the climate and fish markets? Hear the answers to these questions as well as an exploration of topics like: • How climate change has impacted Alaska’s marine ecosystems that affect fisheries • The potential for predicting impacts of changing climate for certain species and areas • The impact of extreme events on stocks that were already in decline and some, like snow crab, that had recent increases in recruitment

Mental Health for Commercial Fishermen: Strategies for Addressing Stress on the Water

A panel of experts from NOAA Fisheries will talk through all of these issues to provide insights into what these facts and perceptions mean for potential changes to Alaska fishery regulations, what sustainable fisheries management looks like in the short term as well as how all of it should impact long-term planning for commercial fishermen.

Today though, fishermen also face the uncertainty of climate change on fisheries, pandemics, inflation, rising political tensions, and fish management decisions. It can prove difficult to face all these challenges while being isolated in high-stress environments with limited access to physical or mental health resources.

Nov. 9, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM PST > Main Stage Stress has always been a factor in the commercial fishing industry with fishermen facing unique stressors that are not always present in other industries.

These stressors can include finances, finding competent crew, weather, boat problems, lack of sleep, chronic pain, or trauma.

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How are fishermen dealing with all of these issues on a day-to-day basis?

What does it mean to identify these distinct stressors, to acknowledge a traumatic event, or to recognize the signs of a crisis on your boat? What are some of the tools that fishermen can utilize to help navigate these challenges? A panel of experts will explore and answer these questions while also providing insights when it comes to: • Stress management methods while on the water and back on shore.

• Identifying symptoms of stress overload and when you should reach out for help.

• Providing resources that are available for short and long-term stress factors, substance abuse, immediate crisis, etc.

Generations of fishermen have indirectly dealt with mental health challenges, but a new generation wants and needs to see these issues explored in a much more direct manner. Join the conver-

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PACIFIC MARINE EXPO sation to help get fishermen of all eras on the path of positive mental health & wellness while also learning about specific tools and methods that can alleviate and address stressors.

Check out the exclusive National Fishermen article here to learn more about the key strategies commercial fishermen can use to help address their mental health.

DOCKSIDE CHAT:

Women in Commercial Fishing Spotlight Nov. 9, 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM PST > NF Wheelhouse Booth #150 Join Julie Kuchepatov, Founder of Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) and Megan Waldrep, Founder of Partners of Commercial Fishermen, as they spotlight women in the commercial fishing industry and their achievements that have shifted and leveled the playing field.

During this interactive session, we will understand where women play leading

roles in fisheries, why their contributions are seldom recognized, and brainstorm ways we can uplift and amplify women’s achievements in the sector.

Seafood and Gender Equality’s mission is that gender and sustainability go hand-in-hand. SAGE uplifts, amplifies, and integrates diverse voices in the global seafood sector to build a more resilient industry.

SAGE envisions an inclusive seafood industry that embraces gender equality and empowers women, leading to an abundant supply of environmentally and socially responsible seafood for future generations

Offshore Wind: Can Better Regional Understanding Today Enable Change Tomorrow?

Nov. 9, 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM PST > Main Stage Offshore wind advocates and commer-

cial fishermen continue to do battle over how ocean resources can best be utilized, but that fight looks very different region by region, and even state by state. Offshore wind leasing is further along in New York than it is in California, so does that mean lessons learned from the east coast can be applied to the west coast? If these sorts of connections are made across fishing communities, does this larger group have a better chance of getting attention from state and even federal regulators? A panel of experts will explore these answers while also detailing: • An overview of offshore wind developments by region • A breakout of distinctions and overlaps between states • What matters most to everyone • The stakeholders at various levels that you need to know Join the conversation as a panel of commercial fishing advocates detail the people, realities and challenges that de-

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fine how offshore wind developments are impacting specific areas of the country while also making connections between them all. These connections will fuel further conversations to help you understand where things are today and what it means for you to be part of a conversation and solution for tomorrow.

fisheries, foster community growth, and preserve marine resources for generations to come.

Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety in Alaska

Join the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) and McKinley Research for a marketing update on the Alaska seafood industry. Learn about where Alaska’s catch is going, the value at home and abroad, and how global economic forces create challenges and opportunities for Alaska seafood.

Nov. 9, 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM PST > Main Stage The U.S. Coast Guard will discuss Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety in Alaska as well as issues and trends affecting the fishing. vessel safety program.

DOCKSIDE CHAT:

The Buoying of the Fleet: Engaging the Next Generation of Commercial Fishermen Nov. 9, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM PST > NF Wheelhouse Booth #150 The current generation of fishermen, with their deep knowledge and decades of experience, is aging out of the industry. Join us to explore the challenges presented by the ‘greying of the fleet’ and the need to attract young talent in North America’s small-scale fisheries.

We’ll discuss barriers to entry, such as regulations and finances, share insights on education, mentorship, and sustainability, and engage the audience in a crowd sourcing exercise for solutions.

Our goal is to create a practical solutions sheet for distribution to support organizations. Together, we aim to secure a sustainable future for small-scale

Alaska Seafood Market Updates and Opportunities Nov. 9, 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM PST > Main Stage

AFDF Presents Start Up Accelerator & Symphony of Seafood Nov. 9, 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM PST > Main Stage Since 1994, the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) has hosted and organized the Alaska Symphony of Seafood, an annual competition for commercial-ready, value‐added products made with Alaska Seafood. The Symphony is an exciting platform that encourages companies to invest in product development, helps them promote those new products and competitively positions Alaska Seafood in national and global markets. Product development is critically important to the entire Alaska seafood industry and the fishing communities that depend on it. Innovative new products position the industry to remain competitive and relevant to consumers. COVID-19 demonstrated

how important it is to respond to shifting consumer demands.

For companies considering development of a new product, the panel will also walk through the considerations and steps required and offer resources to help support product development efforts.

Join our panel of seafood industry experts to learn more about: • The Symphony Initiative, 20232024 Symphony events, and the 1st place winners • BBRSDA’s brand, Wild Taste, Amazing Place, and collaboration with Bristol Bay fishermen • How previous winners and entrants have leveraged the Symphony platform and continue to see increased sales and market exposure of their new products • How product development increases the ex-vessel value of the seafood resource • How to take an idea for a new product and turn it into a commercial-ready product AFDF will announce the 2023-2024 1st Place Winners of the Alaska Symphony of Seafood here at the stage!

DOCKSIDE CHAT:

Partners of Commercial Fisherman Parlor Nov. 9, 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM PST > NF Wheelhouse Booth #150 With a mission to connect as many partners of commercial fishermen around each coast through a supportive community to make this way of life feel less lonely. Join Megan and come together to share stories, tips, and tricks to survive your fishing partner’s busy season.

Friday Fisher Poets Nov. 10, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM PST > Main Stage The tradition that began decades ago in Astoria, Ore., continues here in Seattle.

Listen in as the renowned FisherPoets entertain you with colorful music and stories.

NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23

37

BOATBUILDING

A SEINER REBORN

Homer, Alaska native William Roth knows what he wants in a boat and how to build it.

BY PAUL MOLYNEAUX

B

orn and raised in Homer, Alaska, William Roth bought his first seiner, a 40-footer called the Sea Chantey, at age 17. “Actually, it was in my father’s name because I was too young,” says Roth. “I fished that for a few years, but I was looking for something bigger.” Roth hoped to find a boat that had sunk and could be bought relatively cheap from an insurance company.

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NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

“In April 2021 I heard about one in Sitka, the Sitkinak. It was just what I was looking for. I called my insurance pool and asked if that boat was in it, and it was.” Roth made a deal for the vessel, a 56-foot LeClercq seiner, and headed down to Sitka, to see what he had to work with. “I saw it before we did the paperwork, but I knew I wanted it,” he says.

“What had happened was the boom vang broke and the boat rolled into a set of roe herring.” Roth and some family members arrived a few days after the boat was refloated and hauled. “It was full of herring, the cabin, everywhere, and eggs stuck all over the walls. Luckily it was still cold out and it wasn’t too bad, but it was getting raunchy.”

Roth and his crew got the boat cleaned out, but at the time everyone was getting ready to go fishing and he couldn’t find anyone to tow the boat to Homer. “So, we left it there and went home and went fishing for the season,” he says. “Then in November my cousin, Dave Welch, was able to bring his 75-foot tender down, and we hooked onto it and towed it across the Gulf of Alaska.” Three days and $20,000 dollars’ worth of fuel later, Roth and the friends and family he’d engaged to help arrived in Homer, where they had the boat hauled at Northern Enterprises Boat Yard.

“It took us a month to gut it,” says Roth.

“I took off the pilot house, the deck, everything forward of the fish holds was just bare hull. Then we started to work on it in January 2022. Jerry Garcia, of Jerry’s Custom Fiberglass helped me with the fiberglass. I made up the panels from Canacore or NidaCore, and fiberglassed them with 24-15 chop woven, then a layer of chop. Jerry cut it and laid it up.

The bow is solid fiberglass through 3/4inch. We raised it three feet and whale backed it.”

The higher bow and whaleback gave Roth a fo’c’sle with ample space for four bunks for his crew. “And there’s a full-size bed in the pilot house, because my wife and daughter like to come sometimes.”

But the new pilothouse and fiberglass work started slow, so Roth used the time to scour the internet for parts and material, buying everything he could before inflation drove prices higher. “I bought everything I could, crazy stuff, like 20 pounds of hot glue sticks we needed to put things together. I was online for hours.”

Meanwhile, Roth’s brother-in-law Christopher Clucas rebuilt the engine, a 600-hp, 6140 Lugger, with a Twin Disc 5114 gear at 2.54:1. “It was running when it went over so it was ruined. But he totally gutted it and put in everything new, and we put it back in before we put the pilot house on,” Roth says, noting that the 3-inch diameter shaft Nibral 34x32 4-blade propeller was undamaged in the sinking and left in place.

The Sea Chanty has two fish holds, one forward and one aft. Together they hold 65,000 pounds of fish, chilled with a refrigerated seawater – RSW – system. The original RSW was trashed in the accident and Roth replaced it entirely.

“It had a 15-ton system. I took that out and put in a 20-ton IMS system and replaced the 15kW genset with a brand new 30kW Northern Lights genset.

That powers the RSW system and charges the batteries.” Roth notes that he went strong on batteries. “I’ve got 8 L-16 batteries, a 110 inverter for the cabin, and 1200 watts of solar panels on the roof. We used to be good for almost three days, but since we got Starlink it’s like a day and a day and half.”

Roth can’t say enough good things about Starlink. “It’s changed the way we work, we can check the price, the weather, it saves lives. Everyone’s got it.” Roth adds that he bought a Starlink RV unit before the company turned on service in his area. “It was a leap of faith. I just got it and put it on the boat.”

PHOTOS Back on the fishing grounds for its first full season in 2023, the Sea Chanty has proven itself, landing over 700,000 pounds of salmon.

William Roth bought the Sitkinak after it sank near Sitka. The boat was full of rotting herring and roe, but he cleaned it up and his cousin Dave Welch towed the refloated seiner back to Homer.

William Roth bought his first boat at age 17, at age 24 he bought a sunken seiner and turned it into the Sea Chanty, doing the design work himself with pencil and paper. Riptide Marine Survey photos.

NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23 39

BOATBUILDING

Besides Starlink, Roth’s electronics include four VHFs - an Icom ICM605, two digital Icom F5061s, and a Standard Horizon GX2400. Roth has mostly Garmin electronics, including the Garmin GPSMAP 1243xsv - a marine chartplotter with SideVü, ClearVü, and traditional CHIRP sonar with Worldwide Marine Basemap and

12-color video touch screen; a Garmin GPSMAP 743xsv chartplotter with color video touch screen; a Garmin Fantom 18 dome radar (48 nautical mile); and Garmin navigation software installed on a custom desktop computer with a Dell 24” touchscreen monitor.

“I’ve been doing marine electrical work

since 2018,” says Roth. “The wiring on the Sea Chanty had to be completely replaced, there was water running out of all the wires.” What Roth did this time, however, was hire an electrician whom he supervised so that he could focus on other parts of the job.

“There were three worlds on the boat,”

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says Roth. “The mechanical, the fiberglass, and the welding.” With the fiberglass and mechanical under control, Roth hired Homer Steel Fabrication to do the welding. “Most of the welding was aluminum, but there was some pipe fitting for the RSW. We used the rigging from the original boat, the mast, boom, and everything. We put it back pretty much just the way it was.”

Roth brought his seine block from his old boat. “The old owner kept his, so I brought mine. It’s a Marco 29-inch with a gripper wheel. I use all kinds of materials in my nets. My brother builds them and to be honest, I don’t know exactly what kind of web he uses.”

He brought his seine skiff too. “It’s old.

It’s 20 feet. It’s got a Hill tractor jet and a 200-horse Isuzu that I don’t even know the model. It works, never had a problem with it.”

Coming from a big family, and with five older sisters and an older brother,

PHOTOS Wiliam Roth, left, gutted the forward half of the 56-foot seiner, and with help from John Barnard and Jerry Garcia, center and left, raised the bow another 3 feet.

Christopher Clucas, right, tore the Sea Chaty’s 600-hp Lugger down to the block and put in new everything. With help from two vital contributors to the project, Devlan Pittman and John Barnard, left and center, he gets the engine back on its bed.

William Roth’s wife, Kaytlen, and mother Jenny working on the Sea Chanty. Roth sometimes had as many as 12 people working on the boat. “Mostly family and friends,” he says. Riptide Marine Survey photos.

Roth relied heavily on the clan. “I have 23 nieces and nephews,” says Roth. “We build the boat in 8 months, Amish style. At one point I had twelve people working on the it, but my nephew Jed was my main helper - he’s 21.” Roth also relied heavily on Christopher Clucas, John Barnard, and Devlan Pittman, as well as many others to whom he offers his sincere appreciation.

When it comes time to go fishing, Roth’s crew is also family and friends.

“I usually take four or five. This season my niece wanted to go, so she comes as

the fifth. It’s good to get her out on the water,” Roth says, noting that he likes young crew so he can train them the way he wants.

After rebuilding the boat from stem to stern, Roth needed to get it surveyed for financing. “I wondered why I was paying someone to survey a boat that I already knew everything about, so I started my own survey company, Riptide Marine Surveys.” Like a lot of fishermen, when he’s not working on his boat, Roth is thinking about boats, drawing boats, and now, making money in the off-season surveying boats.

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41

GEAR SHIFTS

GEAR SHIFTS

The Fish Trackers

Software companies are making it possible to trace seafood from harvest to final sale.

O

n Jan. 1, 2023 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a rule on seafood traceability “requiring these entities [in the seafood supply chain] to maintain records containing information on critical tracking events in the supply chain for these designated foods, such as initially packing, shipping, receiving, and transforming these foods.” Seafood dealers and processors have until Jan. 20, 2026 to comply with the new rule, and tech developers around

42

BY PAUL MOLYNEAUX the world are working to develop the software and apps that will track almost all seafood from the boat to the table.

tracking systems for oyster farmers, and is now expanding into other seafood supply chains.

An important part of traceability will be the cost. “Traceability needs to be a byproduct of improved efficiency, rather than a tax on the industry” says Chip Terry, president of BlueTrace, a Mainebased software developer that started off creating

Terry expresses concern that the new FDA rule will be harder for small-scale operations to comply with than for large, vertically-integrated seafood companies. “What we’re looking at are ‘key data events’, KDEs, and ‘critical tracking events’, CTEs. We identify data such as the date and

PHOTO The Maine-based company BlueTrace, started out developing tags for the oyster, clam, and mussel industries, and is now looking to provide its services to other fisheries that will need to conform to new FDA rules. BlueTrace photo.

NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

time of landing, location, weights, vessel, and create a unique traceability lot code that follows that product through the CTEs.” The CTEs largely represent the consolidation and transfer of various lots of seafood. “Oysters and other mollusks are exempt, since they are covered by the National Shellfish Sanitation Commission rules which resemble the new FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) rules,” says Terry. “For various reasons, scallop adductor muscles, and catfish, are also excluded. Lobsters, crabs,

PHOTO BlueTrace’s thermally printed tags are tied to a database via a QR code, allowing anyone along the supply chain to access relevant information, and making operations more efficient. BlueTrace photo.

squid, shrimp, fish and other seafood all fall under the new rule. A lot of the tracking is currently done by writing the information down on a clipboard.

The challenge is that you have so many boats and locations, it’s hard to scale that up. When you put all that information into an app, it can be accessed by a company’s accounting department, shipping department, or shared with business partners and regulators. An easy-to-use system increases efficiency and creates the digital record that the FDA requires.”

The BlueTrace app creates a QR code for each lot of seafood, down to a few pounds of fish, and prints out a label that follows the product through the supply chain. “We have mobile printers, and with everyone these days carrying a super-computer in their pocket we will be able to speed up the supply chain.

Fish can be sold before it’s landed.” Terry notes that BlueTrace can also use product traceability for predictive analysis and quality control. “If we know a shipment is going from the processor to the

buyer and the trip takes 4 hours, but the app shows it took 18 hours, we can suggest the buyer take a good look at it.”

on food safety, much of seafood traceability amounts to a story, which can often be used as a marketing tool.

While the FDA is focused

“The seafood industry

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NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23 43

GEAR SHIFTS should be the industry telling the best stories,” says Terry, noting that seafood that comes with a story can often garner a price premium. “Unfortunately, 90 percent of those stories get lost in the supply chain,” he says. “But we want to figure out how to capture those with our app.”

PHOTO According to Chip Terry, founder of BlueTrace, markets like Fulton Street in New York City are moving so much seafood so fast they don’t have time for cumbersome systems. BlueTrace photo.

With dozens of developers diving into what promises to be a growth market over the next few years, BlueTrace and a number of other companies are working together to standardize how they communicate. “These systems all need to be able to talk to each other,” says Terry.

“Some of us are working together informally to standardize the data we collect.”

Another company that has been helping the fishing industry improve efficiency since 2004 is the Dublin, Ireland-based Emydex - which has recently been purchased by the seafood processing equipment manufacturer, Baader Global SE. According to Emydex’s North Amer-

ican business development representative, Terry McCorriston, the company also promotes the idea that traceability is a byproduct of improved efficiency.

“We’ve always said that,” says McCorriston. “Why not collect all the other

information along with the traceability?

One of our clients is the largest fish processor on the west coast of Canada, and one of the things we track for them is yield. When you can see what you’re getting in terms of fillets and trim, you can make adjustments. Maybe you need to do some more training or what have you. In an industry where 70 percent of your cost is the raw material, a one to two percent increase in yield can add up to a lot of money.”

McCorriston notes that Emydex software can also track yield in a more general way. “We can get the landing weight, and the case weight in the warehouse,” he says. “And we can tell you what boat caught those fish, where, when, and what

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type of gear was used.”

In Ireland, traceability has long been an issue. “What we did for a company there, Clogherhead Co-op, was put stand-alone systems aboard twelve prawn trawlers. They could print out labels onboard with all the data, such as tow numbers, GPS coordinates, and fishing gear used, and produce traceability labels. When the boat arrives in port, all that data gets uploaded, and in many cases, the prawns are already sold.”

The technology available may also leave QR codes and paper labels behind, McCorriston points out. “We’re working on using RFID [radio frequency identification] chips,” he says. “So, you put a chip

on a pallet and when that pallet rolls through a warehouse door a scanner picks up all the associated data and directs the pallet to wherever it needs to go.” McCorriston notes that this type of active RFID chip is not yet cost effective. “A paper tag is a fraction of a cent,

the chips, I don’t know how much they cost, but a lot more than that, which is why we’re talking about putting them on pallets, not individual cases.”

RFID chips could resolve a number of issues in the seafood supply chain, according to some in the industry. The

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NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23 45

GEAR SHIFTS chips could be used to track individual fish or lobsters through a supply chain where products from many boats gets mixed together, such as Maine lobster or Bristol Bay salmon. They could also be used to secure payment, triggering release of money held in escrow upon receipt of the product. The problem at present is cost, according to producers.

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of fish or lobsters could add an untenable cost in a business where profits are made and lost on the turn of a nickel, and so far, they cannot be scanned through water or ice.

A quick search of the internet reveals pages of companies and entrepreneurs globally that have identified this need in the seafood industry, and are working on developing low-cost, often reusable, RFID chips to track seafood. It’s likely only a matter of time.

For the industry, time is of the essence.

Both BlueTrace’s Chip Terry and McCorriston of Emydex believe the industry is not really taking the new

FDA traceability rule as seriously as they could. “Three years might seem like a lot of time,” says McCorriston. “But these systems take time to develop and set up.

If they wait, they may find we’re already booked setting up systems for other fisheries.”

Another aspect of moving forward with plenty of time is to adequately vet software developers and make sure they are a good fit. Chip Terry points out that seafood distributor Samuels & Son in Philadelphia is suing the New York-based Infor for fraud and breach of contract over alleged failures in the cloud-based business management system that Infor supplied.

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RFID, radio frequency identification chips which can be scanned at critical points along the supply chain are already beginning to replace conventional tags like these at the Portland Fish Exchange.

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Phone: 541-336-5593 - Fax: 541-336-5156 - 1-800-923-3625 508 Butler Bridge Road, Toledo, OR 97391

Parts - Sales - Service Power solutions since 1974

SUPPORTING DEALERS THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND

432 Warren Ave, Portland, ME 04103 Phone: (207) 797-5188 Fax: (207) 797-5953 1 Southern Industrial Drive, Cranston, RI 02921 Phone: (401) 942-0062 Fax: (401) 942-0064 90 Bay State Road, Wakefield, MA 01880 Phone: (781) 246-1810 Fax: (781) 246-5321

www.powerprodsys.com

NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23

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CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR / SERVICES BEST BRONZE PROPELLER Sick of pitted and pink props after one session?

Ours hold the pitch longer and recondition more times than the brand name props you have been buying and reconditioning every year for the few years they last. Built to your specs not taken off the shelf and repitched or cutdown.

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TWIN DISC & ZF MARINE TRANSMISSIONS CATERPILLAR & CUMMINS ENGINES & PARTS. New and rebuilt, Biggest selection of used ENG & Gear parts in the world. Worldwide shipping. Best pricing.

Call Steve Marine Engine & Gear (617) 448-0812 twindiscgears@aol.com

FRESH LOBSTER BAIT FOR SALE $$ BY THE TOTE, BARREL OR VAT $$ CALL ERIC 774-217-0501 SOUTH SHORE, MASS

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NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

New Bedford, MA

◼

(508) 993-9446

Get more exposure place your ad online

You can place a classified advertisement on NationalFisherman.com Place your ad, correct or cancel by calling 207-842-5616

Online, Print & Classified Advertising Contact 207-842-5616

MARINE GEAR / OPPORTUNITIES MEDICAL M E D I C A L SUPPORT S U P P O R T FROM F R O M CALL C A L L TO T O CURE CURE

R

907-751-4339 24/7 Emergency Medical Number Remote Consultations Advance Support Integrated Clinical Network Patient Care and Personal Assistance Medical Plan for Maximum Cure www.AlaskaMaritimePhysicians.com

HALIBUT AVAILABLE TO FISH 2024 4B around 17,000 lbs + rollover from 2023 4D around 39,000 lbs + rollover from 2023

Call or Text:

360-301-5947

851 Coho Way, Suite 200 Bellingham, WA 98225

Commercial Fishing Gear Safety Supples Ropes & Bouys

Raingear Outdoor Clothing Books, Charts & More!

We stock a complete inventory of commercial fishing gear for all the major fisheries, as well as safety gear and supplies for processing.

Experienced in shipping anywhere in the world, we're proud to say,

"We're there when you need us!"

info@lfsinc.com

I

800-426-8860

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Go2marine.com

NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23 53

MARINE GEAR / SERVICES CATCH A DOORMAT THIS SEASON These lifelike, beautifully detailed coarse bristled mats will catch any-one’s eye on home/business doorstep, dock or cockpit. Ideal for fisherman, boaters gift.

Fluke (brown, black) Small (30”) $25.00 Large (43”) $42.00 Stripers (38” grey, black) $33.00 Red snappers (43” red, black) $34.00 Largemouth Bass (43” green, black) $35.00 Scallop (24” brown, black) $34.00 Blue Claw Crab (blue, orange, black) $42.00 Send check or MO to: A. Mc-Donald, 629 Main St. Greenport, NY. 11944 - MC or Visa accepted Add $8.00 S&H to all orders - $15.95 Gulf/West Coast AK, HI Retailers welcome.

EMAIL: mcdonaldsputer@aol.com (631) 377-3040

DEPENDABLE 12 VOLT ELECTRIC TRAP HAULERS

ELECTRA-DYNE CO.

quick

POWERFUL

RUGGED QUIET and in stock

P.O. BOX 1344, PLYMOUTH, MA 02362 508-746-3270 Fax: 508-747-4017

W W W. E L E C T R A - D Y N E . C O M

54

NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

Get more exposure place your ad online You can place a classified advertisement on NationalFisherman.com

Online, Print & Classified Advertising Contact 207-842-5616

AD INDEX

Marine Hydraulic Engineering Co Inc ..................................... 31

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute ...................................CV3

Marine Jet Power AB .................................................................CV2

Bekina Boots ....................................................................................23

Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine America, Inc............. 9

Biro Manufacturing Company, Inc. .........................................35

Naust Marine USA Inc................................................................... 37

Blue Ocean Gear ............................................................................ 45

Northrim Bank ................................................................................ 44

Bostrom, H.O. Co Inc ...................................................................... 31

North River Boats .......................................................................... 40

Coast Guard Foundation .............................................................47

Pacific Marine Expo ............................................................... 26+27

Dryshod Waterproof Footwear ............................................... 46

Platypus Marine ...........................................................Front Cover

Duramax Marine LLC..................................................................... 41

Port of Port Townsend ................................................................ 43

Eartec ................................................................................................... 11

Port of Toledo ................................................................................. 46

Electric Fishing Reel Systems, Inc...........................................36

Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op........................................ 30

FPT Industrial ......................................................................................1

PYI Inc .................................................................................................... 5

Furuno USA ....................................................................................CV4

R.E. Thomas ........................................................................................ 11

Guy Cotten Inc ................................................................................ 30

RESOLVE Marine Group ............................................................... 34

Highmark Marine Fabrication....................................................24

R W Fernstrum & Company ......................................................... 5

Imtra Corp .........................................................................................25

The Mary Conlin Company Inc ................................................. 30

International Marine Industries Inc........................................35

Transfluid LLC .....................................................................................7

International WorkBoat Show ................................................. 49

Wrangell Ports & Harbors ...........................................................22

KEMEL USA Inc ................................................................................. 18

XTRATUF ...............................................................................................15

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code October 1, 2023

Alaska Air Cargo ..............................................................................21

NATIONAL FISHERMAN is published monthly by Diversified Communications, 121 Free Street, PO Box 7438, Portland, ME 04112.

PUBLISHER: Bob Callahan, Diversified Communications, PO Box 7438, Portland, ME 04112 OWNER: Diversified Holding Co., 121 Free Street, Portland, ME 04101. Annual Subscriptions for National Fisherman: USA: $24.95 Canada: $34.95 All other countries: surface $49.95 INDIVIDUAL SHAREHOLDER OWNING OR HOLDING 1% OR MORE OF TOTAL AMOUNT OF DIVERSIFIED HOLDING CO. STOCK, AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2023: Josephine H. Detmer

Daniel W. Hildreth

Thomas W. Hildreth

Zareen Taj Mirza

Malcolm B. Hildreth

Anita Sundaram

121 Free Street Portland, Maine 04101 121 Free Street Portland, Maine 04101

121 Free Street Portland, Maine 04101 121 Free Street Portland, Maine 04101

121 Free Street Portland, Maine 04101 121 Free Street Portland, Maine 04101

Extent and Nature of Circulation:

Avg # Copies of Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months

Actual # Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

16,209

15,721

388

432

Total # copies printed: Paid/Requested Circulation thru dealers, etc. (not mailed): Paid/Requested Mail

10,148

9,961

Total paid/requested circulation:

10,536

10,393

Free distribution by mail:

4,864

4,823

Free distribution outside mail (show):

0

0

Total free distribution:

5,314

5,023

Total distribution:

15,850

15,416

Copies not distributed (office/overs/spoilage):

359

305

TOTAL:

16,209

15,721

% paid/requested circulation:

65.0%

66.11%

Paid electronic copies:

5,824

6,247

Total paid print & Paid electronic copies:

16,360

16,640

Total print distribution & Paid electronic copies:

22,033

21,968

Percent paid (Print & Paid electronic copies):

74.25%

75.75%

NA T I O NA L F I S HE R M A N M A G A ZI NE · W I NT E R 20 23 55

CREWSHOTS

1

Send us your Crew Shots to Nationalfisherman.com/ submit-crew-shots **Don’t forget to include IDs from left to right, the boat name, fishing location, gear type and fishery.

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4

5

1

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5 PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, AK

KODIAK, AK

BAR HARBOR, ME

MONTAUK, NY

GULF OF ALASKA

Nicole Waters and David Lowe, the setnet crew from Uganik Bay, Kodiak, Alaska, enjoy a playful break from bailing out the skiff by fashioning buckets into hats — and display their salmon catch.

James Worster, Larry Traxler, and Maddie Tibbetts proudly display their bountiful catch after a successful lobster trip of Bar Harbor, Maine.

Bubba Jones and his father enjoying a day of fishing aboard the F/V Amanda Joy departing from Montauk, N.Y.

Grant Elvenghem, Lyle Ashouwak, Anthony Abell, and Pat Matrokin achieved an incredible feat while fishing for Dungeness in Alaska. They hauled in a remarkable 130,000 pounds in just 9 days aboard the F/V Insatiable.

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NATIONAL FISHER M A N M A GA Z I N E · WI N T ER 2 0 2 3

Fishing crew on the F/V Centurion Fischer Spurkland, Patrick Miller, Meredith Cooke, Savanna Summers, and Amelia Motz with a boatload of pink salmon.

Alaska’s wild seafood and the people who harvest, process, prepare and serve it are a source of pride for all Alaskans. Leading sustainability practices and a thriving seafood industry support business sectors and communities across the state.

From families, communities and businesses, to our uniquely Alaskan way of life - seafood sustains Alaska.

SEAFOODSUSTAINSALASKA.COM

Booth 4218

When You’re Serious

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Display target speed and course in seconds with Fast Target Tracking™

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New Risk Visualizer™ identifies potential collision areas

Easily track other vessels with True Echo Trails

Find birds feeding on baitfish, revealing predatory fish

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