The agency representing 75 percent of U.S. retail food store sales has sided with the Environmental Protection Agency in its ongoing assessment of Bristol Bay waters.

Erik Lieberman, regulatory counsel for the Food Marketing Institute wrote a letter to EPA’s Region 10 administrator encouraging the agency to complete its 404(c) report, scheduled to be released in April.

The letter was dated March 1 and can be found at bit.ly/OBB-FMI-letter). Earthworks released the letter in a press release Monday.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association National Marine Fisheries Service held a series of public informational meetings in Seattle and Southeast Alaska to discuss capacity reduction of the Southeast Alaska purse seine salmon fishery.

A capacity reduction plan has been approved to determine the industry’s willingness to repay a fishing capacity reduction loan to purchase the permits identified in the reduction plan.

Marine Fisheries held meetings in Seattle, Petersburg, Ketchikan and Sitka to discuss reduction with purse seiners from March 5 to 7.

The Taku River Task Force released its draft report for public comment Saturday morning. Though the effort was generally regarded as worthwhile, many public comments pointed out places the task force could hone its draft report.

“It’s all about the river,” Paula Terrel, fisherman and organizer for Rivers Without Borders said. The purpose of the Taku River Task Force “is to focus on habitat protection,” she said.

“Community involvement isn't something I really have think about nor do I believe my coworkers think about it either,” said Bruce Abel, the owner of Don Abel Building Supplies. “It’s just part of who we are.”

That giving personal trait was recognized Feb. 9 at the 108th annual Western Building Materials Association convention banquet. Abel accepted the annual award on behalf of his company. The recognition was for “outstanding building materials dealer for Washington, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska,” according to an event release.