WFOA NEWS:
Updated May 8, 2008
2008 Annual Meeting:WFOA held it’s annual meeting and convention again at the Holiday Inn Express in Astoria, Oregon from March 31 to April 2, 2008. This year we had great participation from both vessel owner members and supporting members. Dr. Laurie Raymond from EERC, University of North Dakota gave another informative presentation at the luncheon on the ongoing Selenium research, and Dr. Gary Sakagawa of SWFSC - NOAA gave a presentation on archival tagging research and data.
WFOA would like to thank the Holiday Inn Express Astoria and their staff for the great service again, and Eric Jenkins and the OSU Consumer Seafood Center which put on a great and tasty reception on April 1st. The Silver Salmon Grille catered the luncheon and did an outstanding job.
WFOA wants to thank the following for sponsoring the reception: Bumble Bee Seafoods, Chicken of the Sea International, Interocean Seafoods, Jessie’s Ilwaco Fish Company, Pacific Seafood Group, Star Kist Seafoods, Tri-Marine Fish Company, and Wild Planet Inc. We also thank John Sylvester and Marine Chartering Company for putting on a great wine bar prior to the luncheon. Luncheon sponsors were Bellingham Cold Storage, Englund Marine Supply, Gallagher Transport, GeoEye-Seastar, Port of Astoria, Port of Port Townsend, Wilcox and Flegal Oil Company.
Bob Insinger Award: This award for outstanding service to WFOA was this year given to Kathy Fosmark for her work with WFOA as well as numerous legislative and PFMC activities as a council member.
Officers: WFOA 2008 officers elected were: President -Lewis Hill, Vice President - Karl Johnson, Secretary / Treasurer- Margaret Ringstad.
Public Relations CampaignWFOA has launched its’ public relations campaign promoting the positive attributes of local albacore. The initiative will focus on the positive health, environmental, and local community aspects of the fishery. Our goal is to increase demand of the U.S. consumer, food service, and retail segments for local albacore. The long term goal is a higher ex-vessel value of U.S. west coast albacore and consumer recognition of this product as a brand. Albacore will be promoted in a variety of forms that may include but not limited to; value-added products such as vacuum packed steaks and loins, custom canned products, U.S. caught cannery products, and other innovations. We will also be targeting restaurants, especially sushi bars, and the medical and health segments.
Preliminary work is being done now by Crocmedia America assimilating informational materials together and making contacts with media, chefs, food shows, etc. WFOA will also be working with processors to identify products and availability throughout the year for higher end value-added products as well as custom canned and other forms.
There will soon be another website under WFOA devoted entirely to this venture with the emphasis directed toward the consumer. The URL will be www.PacificAlbacore.com, and it will be promoting, healthy, wild, locally caught albacore by Americans, and sustainabilty. WFOA is also close to producing a corresponding logo that can be used generically by WFOA, fishermen, or processors if they desire.
With the poor outlook for the salmon fishery this season an opportunity has arose to tout albacore as an alternative to salmon in markets and restaurants.
WFOA is not going into the processing, selling, distribution, or retailing, but will be working with those that do that best. A more detailed report will be in the June newsletter as the approach for the upcoming season will be in place by then.
WFOA hired the public relations firm Crocmedia America Ltd.
WFOA has set up a committee of WFOA board members to advise and oversee the project. We also will solicit advice from canner and ex-canner representatives, processors, custom canners, academia, food service personnel and others that may want to contribute. This advisory board may be made more formal as we proceed.
WFOA will remain committed to not going negative on other legal fisheries or gear types. However, we will aggressively promote the attributes of our own U.S. west coast fishery.
CHINA, U.S., JAPAN COOPERATE AGAINST HIGH-SEAS DRIFT NETS NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN The United States Coast Guard, the People's Republic of China Fisheries Law Enforcement Command (FLEC), and Japanese Coast Guard are investigating a fishing vessel suspected of illegal high-seas drift net fishing five hundred miles east of Hokkaido, Japan.Full Story
Fishermen’s Health Care: a potentially helpful bill would be the bipartisan bill introduces by Senators Kennedy, Stevens, Kerry, and Murkowski, S. 2630, which would amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a Federal grant program to provide “increased health care coverage to and access for uninsured and under-insured workers and families in the commercial fishing industry”. This bill should be supported and watched carefully to see that fishermen from throughout the United States will be covered, not just fishermen in states that have state-wide or compulsory health care programs.
The Information on the health Care Bill received a number today that you can track through http://thomas.loc.gov/
WFOA encourages members and directors to contact your U.S. representatives office and encourage them to support this legislation.
PERMITS & REQUIREMENTS TO FISH
HSFCA Permits: Some that have applied or reapplied for the HSFCA permits for HMS outside of 200 miles have not heard back for some time on their applications. I have been told that there have been some personnel changes and restructuring at NMFS SW region that is causing delay. If you have applied and have not received yours -- or are planning to apply -- our advice is to make copies of the application and your $50 check before you send it in and keep that with you. These are good for five years.
HMS FMP Permits: All U.S. vessels fishing inside or outside of 200 miles must have in possession one of these. The initial permit applications were mailed out last year by NMFS to all vessels that had landed albacore in 2004. If you did not land an albacore you probably did not receive one! These are free and are good until December 31, 2006 after which new applications will be mailed based on when your birthdate is. Some vessels that landed albacore in 2005 or fished in Canadian waters did not apply for one of these. NMFS has sent a warning letter this time but has indicated further measures for noncompliance in 2006.Permit applications are here:
HMS Permit Application for all waters.
NOAA/NMFS sent requirements out to only the (98) U.S. vessels on the 2006 list. If you did not receive a notice you still need to comply as above and get on the list prior to the 2007 season. Also, NMFS has an error on their letter. In Section #1 , item D, they are requiring a vessel photo! THIS IS A MISTAKE, DISREGARD, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A VESSEL PHOTO UNDER THE TREATY AND NMFS HAS NO AUTHORTY TO ASK.
New Website for Management Bodies: The IATTC has constructed this comprehensive site with links to major HMS management bodies:
IATTC ComprehensiveTuna Management Website
OTHER NEWS:
Selenium /Mercury At the February 9, 2007 AFRF winter meeting Dr. Nick Ralston of the University of North Dakota gave a presentation on the mercury/selenium connection in seafood and how ocean fish in general have high selenium levels compared to fresh water fish. These high levels of selenium bind mercury in seafood rendering it harmless. He reviewed much research that is ongoing and that has been done has far back as 30 years ago that has not surfaced until now. The bottom line from him is that despite mercury being present in seafood have selenium rich sources also within has shown in lab studies in rats that selenium is a mitigating factor. He is requesting funding for another study. He feels once the funding is committed they will be able to perform and publish results with one year. They have also been doing Se research for John Kaneko in Hawaii on 15 marketable species of fish in Hawaii and finding great Se/Hg ratios in most species except maybe the Mako Shark.Such a project would be of great benefit to many other fisheries besides tunas as the list of good ratios includes 17 species of fish out of the top 25 food products consumed.
AFRF Buyers: The following have signed AFRF contracts, and WFOA members selling to others not listed here are responsible to pay the $20/st AFRF fees. In reality if you do sell to a non-AFRF buyer they should pay you $20 more per ton to cover this, otherwise they have a $20 advantage over all that have signed:
Arrowac Fisheries, Bluewater Fisheries, Bornsteins Seafood, Bumble Bee Seafoods, Carvalho Fisheries, Chicken of the Sea International, Driscoll's Wharf, Interocean Fisheries, Island Trollers Inc., Jessie's Ilwaco Fish Company,Ilwaco Landing LLC, Mary-Lu Seafoods, New Day Fisheries, Pacific Seafood Group, Papa George Gourmet Albacore, Pelican Packers Inc., Seafood Producers Co-op, Shamrock Fisheries, Star Kist Seafoods, Starvin Marvin Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, Tri-Marine International, Triatun Inc., Whole Foods Select Fish