Thanks to those of you who shared your thoughts and input on the IFQ fisheries! Here are some responses: 

"Well, the halibut fishing is getting tougher finding the correct size fish with the price drop in the over 80 class. Yet another "poor" plan by the fish buyers. Started in Sitka and shows no likelihood of not going around. Meanwhile showing no drop in the price of the product that was sold in the major supermarkets. Fishing in 3A/2C produced the quota share, but was "go further set more gear" in order to do it. One bright spot was Hoonah Cold Storage, the folks there still treat the fisherman with respect instead of "well we really don’t want your fish, but we’ll do you a favor and buy them" attitude." - Bob Montgomery 

"Last year the areas I consider my best fishing were quite poor and I was concerned. This year they are significantly better, not as good as I'd hope for but really solid fishing. Seeing more young small fish than in the past so that's encouraging. Also, drastic differences between individual fish in gonad size/maturity ie a 40lb male with nuts the size of my thumbnail (I thought it had none at first) vs a 30lb female with medium dinner plate ovaries." - Anonymous

Folks also replied with appreciation for the information in this newsletter. While I'd love to take credit, this is really just an aggregator of other people's journalism and information from fishermen and other industry professionals. So, I'd like to pass on the "thank you" to every journalist covering Alaska fisheries and to everyone that takes the time to share their thoughts with us. If you haven't, please reply to this email and letting us know what you're seeing!

Despite scratchy fishing, halibut landings are on par with last year. The statewide halibut TAC is 67% harvested, with 2C at 77%, 3A at 76%, 3B at 69%, 4A at 44%, 4B at 26%, and 4C/D at 30%. The statewide sablefish TAC is 47% landed, with AI still at 3%, BS at 26%, CG at 61%, SE at 64%, WG at 53% and WY at 77%. 

The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council will meet September 30-October 8 in Anchorage. The comment period opens on the 9th with a deadline for written comments of September 27 at 12pm AKT. This meeting will cover BSAI crab specs, groundfish harvest specs, and pelagic trawl gear definition, among other things. 

What Else?

The Gulf of Alaska pollock trawl fishery has been shut down following the catch of 2,000 Chinook salmon by two trawlers over the weekend. Although many of the salmon likely came from hatcheries along the west coast and the Chinook cap of 18,000 salmon likely hasn't actually been hit, trawlers stood down even before the feds made the official call. There's so more to this story than I can fit in a paragraph, read on here.

ADFG Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang's recent op-ed highlights his commitment to working with the trawl industry as they find ways to reduce bottom contact in the pelagic trawl fisheries.

Despite an earlier letter signed by nearly 100 fishermen stating they would never fish for him again, Roger May won the bid for Peter Pan's assets and, surprise, people aren't happy about it. Over half a dozen Alaska companies filed objections to his bid, and a new Change.org petition requesting the judge overseeing the receivership deny May's bid and instead award the assets to Silver Bay Seafoods (whose 2nd place bid was $257,000 below May's) has garnered over 250 signatures in four days. Even May's former business partners in the Peter Pan venture are contesting his bid. A hearing is scheduled for October 3. 

The feds have allocated another $39.5 million in disaster relief funds for the 2023-2024 Bering Sea snow crab fishery. This follows nearly $200 million allocated for crab disasters from 2021-2023, none of which has actually hit bank accounts yet.

Representative Peltola's office announced $277 million in disaster relief funds will [finally] be disbursed to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission for Alaska fisheries between 2018-2023 (including the crab funds mentioned above) after a delay caused by new accounting software. I'm sure we'll see that money sometime in the next 90-100 years.

Congress can't seem to agree on how much money to give NOAA. Instead of hashing out the numbers, Congress is pursuing a short-term spending bill to fund the government through December 20, leaving NOAA in a bit of a lurch. It's hard to plan surveys and what not if you don't know how much money you have to spend. (Republicans want to cut their budget by 22%, while the Democrats are pushing to fully fund the agency.)

American Seafoods CEO Einar Gustafsson is accusing Russia of bypassing the ban on Russian seafood and selling Russian pollock in America, ostensibly as coming from Alaska.

An interested op-ed last week suggested the state should revisit its ban on finfish farming and consider farming Arctic char, sheefish, rainbow trout, and perhaps tilapia. 

The New York Times did an in-depth expose on the issues facing the commercial fishing industry, going back decades and covering everything from inflation and markets to the role of the USDA and processor woes. It's a good read.

The nonprofit Eat on the Wild Side is using federal Saltonstall-Kennedy grant funds to promote sablefish in the hopes of increasing domestic demand. Love this, 10/10, no notes.

200 attendees from across the US, Europe and Asia convened in Ketchikan for SeagracultureUS, a summit on seaweed farming.

Japan's sockeye green roe imports are half of what they were last year, and twice as expensive.

UFA is celebrating its 50th birthday in Anchorage on October 25. Click here info on attending or sponsoring.

In Japan, people are eating less seafood. Like, a lot less. In 2023, the per capita consumption of 22kg was nearly half what it was in 2001. In turn, Japan is relying more heavily on seafood export.

Here's an interesting letter from Janet Coit, head of NMFS, to NPFMC Chair Angel Drobnica, courtesy of Deckboss. It's fine, everything's fine. We don't really need high quality sampling or certainty in our stock assessments anyway. Nothing to see here.

ASMI's annual commercial fishing photo contest is open for submissions.

This week's Alaska Fisheries Report: Federal relief funds, Alaska's only crayfish derby, and Davis Hovey, and a conversation with Nat Herz on Roger May's successful bid for Peter Pan assets.

Last week's Bering Sea Barometer: "As autumn sets in, your host Captain Pete Neaton and the crew are feeling full moon effects and weather woes on the fishing grounds; we'll hear a new segment called "Mechanics Minute"; and finally, Captain Pete discusses the controversial outcome of the sealed bid auction on Peter Pan’s headquarters and assets in King Cove."