IN BRIEF - Trollers, state file new appeal in lawsuit to halt SE Alaska salmon fishery
UNITED STATES
Monday, May 29, 2023
Plaintiffs want to end program to provide more salmon to endangered whales
A new appeal has been filed in a fisheries case rooted in the alleged impact of the Southeast Alaska commercial salmon troll fishery on endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW) in Puget Sound.
The Alaska Trollers Association (ATA) on Monday asked the U.S. District Court for Western Washington to deny a plea from the Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) in Seattle to end an already funded prey increase program intended to provide more salmon to the endangered killer whales. The WFC continued litigation to halt the commercial salmon troll fishery, contending that halting that fishery would provide more fish in Puget Sound for then endangered whales.
The WFC argues in its motionthat “any risk of adverse impacts to SRKW from vacatur of the prey increase program has been largely negated by the court’s partial vactur of the incidental take statement (ITS) authorizing the commercial harvest of Chinook salmon-the activities that necessitated the mitigation in the first place.”
ABANCA has renewed its collaboration agreements with the OP ANACEF Professional Fishermen's Organization and the Port and Ría de Marín Fishing Producers' Organization (OPROMAR), reaffirming its commitment to the entire maritime value chain.
The signing ceremony, held in Marín, was attended by José Luis Ramírez (ABANCA), Francisco Freire Lino (OP ANACEF), Claudino González (OPROMAR), and Javier Fraga (ABANCA Mar). The meeting served to map out a joint roadmap to tackle challenges such as rising costs, the lack of generational renewal, and the current geopolitical situation.
Sustainability is the core focus of the agreement. Through ABANCA Mar (a specialized unit active since 2016), the bank offers a tailored product catalog where credit takes center stage. A key highlight is the naval mortgage, designed to upgrade the fleet with more efficient vessels.
These comprehensive solutions—including credit lines, loans, and advanced sustainable subsidy payouts—will benefit 18 freezer trawlers from OP ANACEF and 30 fishing companies from OPROMAR.
According to data compiled by the Miyagi Prefecture Fisheries Co-operative, market values for farmed coho salmon (gin-zake) are currently facing a downward trend. As of May 20, average cumulative prices have dropped by 8%, hitting a low of $5.11 per kilogram (812 Yen).
The recent figures show a clear decline compared to the much higher price ranges recorded during the exact same period in the previous year. Landings are still progressing across key distribution hubs, with the underlying data originating from the combined market locations of Onagawa, Ishinomaki markets, and the Shizugawa operations office.
Industry experts note that all listed unit prices are calculated excluding consumption tax. Despite steady shifting market values, overall aquaculture revenues in Miyagi Prefecture are experiencing pressure due to this ongoing price slump.
At the 33rd annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada, Vladimir Belyaev, Advisor to the Director of the Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), was elected President of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC). This appointment underscores the authority of Russian fisheries science and strengthens the country's role in managing transboundary marine resources.
The NPAFC, comprising five member countries, has established critical objectives for the upcoming term. Key priorities include tracking the migration, abundance, and survival of Pacific salmon. Following below-average catch volumes in 2025, the commission will focus on developing data-driven recommendations to protect vulnerable populations. Additionally, member states will coordinate strict measures to combat illegal fishing across the high seas.
"Conserving salmon stocks cannot tolerate disunity," stated Belyaev. "Sustainability depends on honest cooperation to forecast population dynamics and ensure protection in the convention area."
The measure, approved under the new temporary framework for the Middle East crisis, will cover costs for April and May 2026 and will be open until the end of the year.
The European Commission has approved a French state aid scheme worth €13 million for fishing companies affected by rising fuel prices resulting from the crisis in the Middle East. The decision falls under the temporary state aid mechanism adopted by Brussels on April 29, 2026.
According to information released by the Commission, the French program will cover costs corresponding to April and May 2026 and can be implemented until December 31 of this year.
The project by Itsas Balfegó, a company founded in 2022 by the Catalan firm Balfegó and the research center AZTI, to develop an open-sea aquaculture facility for fattening bluefin tuna in two 50-meter submersible tanks off the coast of Getaria, was officially presented in September 2024, marking the start of its testing phase. This followed a rigorous administrative and scientific evaluation. The initiative involved installing two submersible aquaculture structures 3.69 miles from the port of Getaria (Gipuzkoa), which would be tested during the autumn and winter months before the pilot test for fattening this species began in the summer of 2025. It was already being suggested at the time that if the experience proved positive, they would seek to move to the commercial phase.
Source: iPac.acuicultura | Read the full article here
UNITED STATES
A new appeal has been filed in a fisheries case rooted in the alleged impact of the Southeast Alaska commercial salmon troll fishery on endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW) in Puget Sound.
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JAPAN
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RUSSIAN FEDERATION
FRANCE
The measure, approved under the new temporary framework for the Middle East crisis, will cover costs for April and May 2026 and will be open until the end of the year.
The project by Itsas Balfegó, a company founded in 2022 by the Catalan firm
