First 22,000 Lbs of Copper River Salmon Lands in 
Seattle; 77,000 More Lbs. Expected Today
The first 22,000 pounds of Copper River salmon was delivered to the Seattle-Tacoma airport on Friday morning as part of the industry’s annual start to the summer fishing season. The fish was delivered by Alaska Airlines on a Boeing 737 dubbed the “Salmon 30 Salmon.” It was just the first delivery with four more flights scheduled today that will bring an additional 77,000 pounds of Copper River salmon from Anchorage to Sea-Tac. The 2017 Copper River commercial harvest projections for sockeye and coho salmon are 889,000 fish and 207,000 fish respectively. The chinook run is forecast to be 29,000 fish, which would be the smallest run since 1985.
The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Implementation Act, or CETA, cleared its final hurdle in the Parliament of Canada on Tuesday. When approved, tariff rates on Canadian live lobster shipments to the EU market will drop from 8 percent to zero overnight. Maine's lobster industry is concerned that they will not be able to compete with Canadian shippers in the EU market since their live shipments will continue to carry an 8 percent tariff.
The Vietnamese government passed a decree that requires pangasius producers and exporters to meet four key provisions to legally ship fish to overseas markets. According to the decree, producers must have proper documentation to trace their pangasius back to the farming sites and processing facilities. Additionally, the fish must be produced to specific food safety standards and have state-approved certificates as evidence. The rules go into effect this July.
In other news, Alaska Governor Bill Walker ordered a special session of the Alaska state legislature after lawmakers were unable to reach a budget deal this week. Walker, in a brief interview in his office after signing his special session proclamation, said he was "actually encouraged" by the passage in the House and Senate of deficit-reduction bills, even if the two chambers hadn't yet agreed on a single version. "So far as I can tell, everybody is still talking," he said.
Finally, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council has told salmon producer Tassal to clean up its farmings sites in Macquarie Harbour, on Tasmania's west coast or it will not be recertified. A report by auditors for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has found Tassal has failed to comply with 19 requirements for certification at two sites. The major findings relate to a lack of compliance with Marine Farming Licence conditions, listing ecosystem function, community engagement and legal compliance as areas of failure.
Have a great weekend.
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