Alaska/Pacific Coast
Council takes first step toward rationalizing P-cod fishery Alaska Journal of Commerce by Elizabeth Earl - February 13, 2019 Pacific cod fishermen in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, one of the last remaining unrationalized federal fisheries in Alaska, may finally have to cross that bridge. http://www.alaskajournal.com/2019-02-13/council-takes-first-step-toward-rationalizing-p-cod-fishery#.XGWIM9F7mu4 Part of Bering Sea Pacific cod fishery could move toward quota system KBBI by Aaron Bolton - February 13, 2019 About a year after federal regulators dramatically cut the Pacific Cod quota in the Gulf of Alaska, some fishermen in the Bering Sea say there are too many boats fishing for the declining species. https://www.kbbi.org/post/part-bering-sea-pacific-cod-fishery-could-move-toward-quota-system Environment/Science Kings Swim In A Dangerous Ocean KYUK by Johanna Eurich - February 12, 2019 King salmon have been returning younger and in lower numbers than predicted in much of the state, which has biologists wondering what is happening to kings in the ocean. KYUK’s Johanna Eurich reports on research that seems to indicate that a predator may be involved. http://www.kyuk.org/post/kings-swim-dangerous-ocean Pteropods Provide Look into Ocean Acidification Fishermen's News - February 13, 2019 A scientist with the Southern California Coastal Research Center who studies pteropods – key forage for a variety of fish including juvenile salmon, sole and pollock – says they are being affected by ocean acidification in the Beaufort Sea and Western Gulf of Alaska. http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2019/02/pteropods-provide-look-into-ocean.html Labeling and Marketing Salmon Price Drop May be Aggravated by Late Start of Lent this Year SeafoodNews by John Sackton and Janice Schrieber - February 14, 2019 With Valentine’s Day now upon us, there is usually anticipation in the farmed salmon market of an uptick in demand and activity. This year does not appear to be the case. The farmed salmon market is adjusting lower and has been since the beginning of 2019, more dramatically the past 4 weeks. This year there is an unusually long period between the end of the December Holidays and Lent. In 2019 Lent does not begin until March 6th. That is 20 days after valentine’s day. We have noticed that when salmon prices are in a general decline, the length of time without winter promotional activity may add to the overall downward momentum. This has been true in 3 of the 4 years since 2010 when Lent started in March. As of this week, the Urner Barry salmon index has dropped 6.28 percent since the beginning of the year. The largest drop has been from the whole fish side of the Atlantic salmon complex. 6-7 kg. Norwegian whole fish went from an average of $4.55 in the beginning of January to now an average of $3.43, a 24.6 percent drop. A dip from the European whole fish market does follow an historical trend but currently the market is now 12 percent below the 3-year average. Out of Canada on whole fish, we have seen a similar decline. Downward pricing pressure from readily available European whole fish is apparent. The West Coast 12-14 pound whole fish market has dropped 11.6 percent since the beginning of the year and the Northeast 12-14 pound market has fell 16.7 percent. Similar to the Norwegian whole market, both the Northeast and West Coast whole fish market are sitting well below their 3-year averages. The Chilean fillet market held steady to firm even throughout most of January, but when the calendar turned to February, the market began to adjust lower as well. The percentage change, though, is much smaller, just under 2 percent from the beginning of February. All of this pricing pressure comes with record high imported salmon levels in 2018. Through November, fresh whole fish imports are 4.5 percent higher and fresh fillet imports are 16.0 percent higher than the 2017. All-time record amount of volume. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1132128/Salmon-Price-Drop-May-be-Aggrivated-by-Late-Start-of-Lent-this-Year Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 02/13/2019 NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2019 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 630 in the GOA. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/02/13/2019-02171/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pollock-in-statistical-area-630-in-the-gulf-of FYI’s Verlasso, ASMI promoting seafood around Heart Health Month Seafood Source by Christine Blank - February 12, 2019 Seafood suppliers, retailers, and organizations in the United States are promoting the many health benefits of eating seafood during February, which is National Heart Health Month. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/foodservice-retail/seafood-gets-boost-during-heart-health-month
Ann Owens Pacific Seafood Processors Association Office Manager 1900 W Emerson Place Suite 205, Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: 206.281.1667 E-mail: pspafish@gmail.com; Website: www.pspafish.net Our office days/hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. *Inclusion of a news article, report, or other document in this email does not imply PSPA support or endorsement of the information or opinion expressed in the document.