F/V America's Finest, Largest Catcher Processor 
Built in US in 30 Years, May Need Jones Act Waiver
Fishermen's Finest Inc. and the Dakota Creek Shipyard in Anacortes, WA, have run into a Jones Act issue with the construction of F/V America's Finest, which is the largest catcher processor to be constructed in the US in nearly 30 years. The issue involves some very complex rules under the Jones Act for what constitutes American built vessels. At issue here is the amount of foreign steel that was used to fabricate the vessel. If the vessel cannot get a Congressional waiver from the Jones Act requirement, it cannot be used in a US fishery. For Fishermen's Finest, they would have to sell the vessel to a foreign buyer at a deep discount which would bankrupt the company and deal a serious economic blow to Washinton state's economy and the US fishing industry. "It seems to us that granting a waiver is the correct and only suitable choice, and we expect that view will also be widely shared in the West Coast fishing industry and the Amendment 80 fleet, once the full details are known," writes John Sackton.
Ecuadorian farmed shrimp production in 2017 is at record high levels and the country’s sales to the Asian market account for more than half of its output. Ecuador prefers to produce a Head-on shrimp that the Asian market--specifically China--prefers. At the same time, Chinese shrimp production in recent years has not been able to keep up with spikes in demand. This year, China is forecast to be a net shrimp importer in 2017. The US and EU market share for Ecuadorian shrimp continues to decline as Ecuador's sales to these markets have been flat.
In other news, with nearly half the total chinook pre-season harvest taken in the Copper River's first 12-hour opener, the pressure is building for in-season management to ensure the harvest won't exceed 4,000 Chinook, as prescribed in the management plan writes Peggy Parker. This year's Chinook return to the Copper River is the lowest since 1985. The problem for the in-season ADF&G managers is that even when fishermen are not targeting chinooks with large-mesh nets, they will catch a few with sockeye gear during the first four weeks of the season.
Meanwhile, we run an opinion piece from the Environmental Defense Council that calls for the creation of a Groundfish Monitoring Fund in response to the Carlos Rafael case. " One of the major causes of the New England cod crisis, and a key enabler of Rafael’s crimes, is inadequate monitoring of the groundfish fleet," said Matt Tinning and Johanna Thomas of the EDF. "In other places, like the U.S. Pacific and British Columbia, successful groundfish monitoring programs have helped resuscitate stocks and put fishermen on a level playing field."
Finally, Alaska salmon managers are hoping for the best and planning for the worst as state lawmakers extend into a third special session to try to agree on a state budget. Layoff notices will start going out June 1 if legislators cannot agree on a budget during the third special session. "It's similar to what happened last year. Pink slips go out on June 1 and then we have to start getting people out because they cannot be on salary effective July 1," said Scott Kelley, director of the commercial fisheries division at Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Juneau.
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