Alaska/Pacific Coast
Sustainable Fisheries in Alaska NOAA Fisheries - May 11, 2019 Alaska produces about 60 percent of seafood harvested domestically in the United States. That’s about 6 billion pounds annually, valued at nearly $2 billion. Alaska is also home to the nation’s largest fishery by volume: pollock. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/sustainable-fisheries/sustainable-fisheries-alaska Alaska Fisheries Report KMXT by Maggie Wall - May 10, 2019 The Togiak herring fishery was a record breaker. We have a report as well as a round-up of May fisheries. The deadline is extended for public comment on the Pebble Mine draft environmental review http://kmxt.org/2019/05/alaska-fisheries-report-may-10-2019/ Politics H.R. 2467 would restrict aquaculture operations Cordova Times - May 11, 2019 Legislation introduced in Congress by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, would keep commercial finfish aquaculture operations out of the federal exclusive economic zone unless specifically authorized by Congress. https://thecordovatimes.com/2019/05/11/h-r-2467-would-restrict-aquaculture-operations/ Dunleavy responds to Alaska legislators push for protection from British Columbia mines KSTK by June Leffler - May 10, 2019 Gov. Mike Dunleavy has pledged to engage with British Columbia to protect Alaska’s natural resources and environment. That’s in response to lawmakers’ concern over potential threats from transboundary mining. https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/05/10/dunleavy-responds-to-alaska-legislators-push-for-protection-from-british-columbia-mines/ International New China Tariffs Don’t Include Additional Taxes on Seafood Exports SeafoodNews.com by John Sackton - May 13, 2019 [News Analysis] The $60 billion in retaliatory tariffs announced by China this morning against US products don’t include seafood products, except for a single smoked salmon item. The reason is that the $60 billion figure mostly raises tariffs to 25% on goods that had previously been part of the trade war tariffs, but at which China had only imposed a 15% or lower tariff. The move to raise the tariff from 15% to 25% mirrors the US action against Chinese products. Most US seafood products exported to China are either subject to a 25% tariff already, like lobsters and squid, or are exempt due to rules about reprocessing, which apply to pollock and salmon that is re-exported back to the US. However, the escalation in the trade war has negative risks for the seafood industry beyond tariffs. Many analysts suggest that the Chinese have other ways to retaliating against the US economy such as boycotting US products, ceasing to buy agricultural products, or slowing or denying regulatory approvals. When Chinese tensions flared with Japan several years ago, nationalists urged a boycott of Japanese products, and there was vandalism against Japanese factories and restaurants. This was one of the reasons Japanese seafood manufacturers moved many operations out of China. Prior to the current US initiated trade war, Alaska was well on the way to establishing a premium brand among Chinese consumers. All the required elements were in place: a clean and spectacular environment, products in high demand, good transportation and logistics, all were contributing to spectacular growth of Alaska seafood products. The trade tensions between the US and China threaten to kill this prospect regardless of whether there are specific tariffs in place or not. If the Chinese authorities decide to unleash nationalist consumer anger against the US, it will tarnish for years the ability of US exporters to operate in that market. Over and over it has been shown that China is rapidly becoming the largest and most important international market for seafood. The US industry faces a permanent loss of value should it be excluded en mass from China due to trade tensions. A second big risk to the US seafood industry is the potential that the hit to everyday consumer items from China from socks to washing machines will eventually disrupt consumer confidence. Both the retail and foodservice sectors have been benefiting from the strong consumer sentiment this past year, which has led to increased sales of seafood and has helped to maintain prices or keep demand strong in the face of price increases. At this point, prices for many seafood items are in retreat, from lobster to shrimp and crab to salmon. A full blown trade war would likely accelerate these price declines, as the entire value chain gets more cautious about taking risks, whether that be in holding inventory, spending on advertising items, or expanding sales to new areas. From a glass half full view, the strong profitability of much of the industry in 2018 has left a cushion for some hard times. From a glass half empty view, the trade war comes just as other pressures on the overall industry are mounting as customers react to a period of high prices on certain items. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1141173/New-China-Tariffs-Dont-Include-Additional-Taxes-on-Seafood-Exports Labeling and Marketing 3MMI - Will There Be A Fraser River Sockeye Fishery This Year? TradexFoods - May 13, 2019 Pre-season salmon discussions are buzzing through the market, with expectations for concrete harvest projections next month for Canadian fisheries. DFO released pre-season estimates forecasting 4.8 million Sockeye Salmon, and 5 million Pink Salmon. DFO officials advised that although the 2019 forecast is low, there is a... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6N7bU0jzcg FYI’s Trident Introduces 10g Protein Noodles at the National Restaurant Show Publisher, SeafoodNews by John Sackton - May 10, 2019 Trident Seafoods is aggressively expanding the reach of its new 10g Protein Noodle product made from Alaska pollock. They plan to feature the noodles at the National Restaurant Association Show May 18-21. Sales have mostly been through the retail channel in partnership with Costco, but at the Boston Seafood Show, Trident also showed foodservice packaging. The 10g Protein Noodles are a protein-rich and gluten-free noodle made with wild Alaska Pollock. They are a versatile, flavor-neutral alternative to high-carb pastas. “Today’s consumers are interested now more than ever in alternative ways to incorporate clean protein into their diets,” says John Salle, Trident’s SVP of Marketing and Innovation. Two of the hottest trends in the restaurant industry are alternative proteins and sustainable seafood. Now you can have them both and discover a new way to get hooked on protein.”’ Our noodle checks all the right boxes: they’re gluten-free, higher in protein, lower in carbs and low-calorie. And since it’s fully cooked, it’s super convenient and highly versatile. It’s also flavor-neutral, which means it pairs well with your favorite sauce no matter what the cuisine. Plus, the texture has a nice bite, and holds up extremely well in hot applications- even in soups and stir-fry.” The noodles are getting a lot of attention because it is rare for a new seafood product to break outside of the 'seafood' category. Although the benefits of the product clearly come from Alaska pollock, the marketing focus is on alternative proteins and health. If successful, it is products like these that have the potential to boost seafood consumption outside of its traditional boundaries. “The spirit of innovation is in our DNA and this is yet another example of our willingness to take bold steps,” commented Joe Bundrant, Trident’s CEO. “Our mission is to make fish the food of the future – and we certainly think our new noodle is an all-natural convenient way for consumers whether dining at home or away from home to incorporate more fish into their diet. And it just happens to be made with the perfect, most sustainable protein on the planet – Wild Alaska Pollock.” https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1141036/Trident-Introduces-10g-Protein-Noodles-at-the-National-Restaurant-Show Fishing vessel drill conductor training to be held in Dillingham Bristol Bay Times - May 10, 2019 The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association will offer two fishing vessel drill conductor classes in Dillingham on June 1 and 9, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both classes will be held at the UAF Bristol Bay Campus, 527 Seward Street. These classes are free to commercial fishermen, thanks to support from the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and AMSEA members. Interested fishermen may register a?www.amsea.or?or cal?(907) 747-3287. http://www.thebristolbaytimes.com/article/1919fishing_vessel_drill_conductor_training_to_be
Ann Owens Pacific Seafood Processors Association Office Manager 1900 W Emerson Place Suite 205, Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: 206.281.1667 E-mail: admin@pspafish.net; 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.