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Friday, June 12, 2026

  • 14 hours ago
  • 5 min read

Alaska

ASMI Enhances Processing Capacity in Southeast Asia for Alaska’s Seafood Industry

SeafoodNews by Peggy Parker - June 11, 2026

Since 2024, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has been providing the state’s seafood processors with opportunities to use re-processing services in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region.

The program is funded in part by the federal Emerging Markets Program (EMP), a part of the Marketing Access Program in the US Department of Agriculture.  In 2024, ASMI hosted technical training seminars in Southeast Asia to enhance processing capacity by assessing local seafood processors.

After a successful first year of identifying and establishing partners with the capacity to reprocess Alaska Seafood, ASMI compiled the information into five databases of promising partners in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.

That database was distributed to Alaska seafood suppliers as a resource for finding new re-processing partners. This year, the project aimed to provide specialized technical training to local SEA processors to enhance their capacity to handle and reprocess Alaska seafood. EMP has no fixed list of "emerging market" countries, but the legislation authorizing the program defines emerging market as an country that "is taking steps toward a market-oriented economy through the food, agriculture, or rural business sectors of the economy of the country" and "has the potential to provide a viable and significant market for United States commodities or products of United States agricultural commodities."

Guidance on qualified countries is provided each year in the program application announcement.  ASMI’s training program was designed to achieve several critical objectives:

-- Species Introduction: Introduce key Alaska species and their unique attributes.

-- Procurement Strategy: Familiarize participants with harvest seasons and specific procurement considerations for Alaska seafood.

-- Technical Proficiency: Provide hands-on, species-specific instruction to demonstrate proper handling and advanced processing techniques.

-- Efficiency & Quality: Improve yield rates to reduce processing costs and enhance the quality of the final product.

-- Market Standards: Equip facilities to meet the rigorous standards and preferences of diverse international markets.

Ultimately, the program seeks to support Thailand's processing facilities in becoming highly competitive and reliable long-term partners in the global reprocessing and value-added distribution of Alaska seafood. ASMI conducted training in each market with great success. Please reach out to Hannah Schlosstein for the re-processors database and for each of the trip reports.


Two Coast Guard icebreakers to be homeported in Kodiak

KMXT by Katherine Irving - June 11, 2026

Two new Coast Guard icebreakers will be homeported in Kodiak, according to a press release posted by the U.S. Coast Guard on June 11.


National

Executive Proclamation restores commercial fishing in Pacific marine monuments, unlocks economic opportunity

NOAA US Department of Commerce - June 11, 2026

On June 11, 2026, President Trump signed an "Executive Proclamation Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific," opening additional prized fishing grounds to hard-working American fishermen and United States flagged fishing vessels.


International

EU Prepares New Sanctions Targeting Russian Fish Exports Including Cod Ban

SeafoodNews by Eugene Gerden - June 12, 2026

The EU's new sanctions package against Russia may restrict Russian fisheries' exports to Europe, including a complete ban on cod sales, which could lead to serious losses for Russian fishermen.

According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, fisheries have so far been among the sectors not significantly affected by sanctions; this may change soon.

The EU market has been among the most important sales markets for Russian fishermen despite current tensions between the two sides. According to estimates by the Russian Fisheries Union, in 2025, total exports from Russia to the EU amounted to 210,000 tonnes worth $831 million, an increase of 5.5% and 3.8%, respectively, year-on-year.

Total Russian fish exports in 2025 amounted to 2.1 million tonnes worth $6.1 billion. The EU's share of these exports therefore amounted to 10% in volume and 13.6% in value terms.

According to the Fisheries Union, the main category of Russian fish exports to the EU in 2025 was frozen pollock fillets, accounting for 60% of shipments in volume terms and 42.7% in value terms.

Frozen cod and frozen cod fillets combined accounted for 18.1% and 35.6%, respectively. Other significant categories of Russian fish exports to Europe include frozen surimi, with shipments estimated at 11,000 tons last year, and Far Eastern salmon.

Russia's main competitors in the European market for these categories are the United States and Norway.

Until now, there have been no significant restrictions on the supply of Russian fish products to the EU: a standard duty of 13.7% was introduced in 2022.

In the event of new restrictions, EU imports of Russian fish will likely be redirected to China. For Russian fisheries, China's growing role could have negative consequences: given its large share of exports, the country could put pressure on the prices of Russian raw materials. According to the Fisheries Union, China already accounts for 57.1% of Russian fish exports by volume and 55.7% by value.

Among other possible options for increased supplies of Russian fish could be the markets of Japan and South Korea.


Japan's 2025 Frozen Sockeye Imports up 37% from Russia, Plummets 69% from the US

SeafoodNews by Tom Asakawa - June 12, 2026

Japan imports wild sockeye salmon, mainly caught in the summer from Russia and the United States, and uses it as a raw material for salted salmon.

According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, Japan's 2025 imports of frozen sockeye salmon increased by 17% year-on-year (YOY) to 18,602 tons, with an average price of 1,150 yen/kg ($7.16/kg), up 14%.

While the increase in imports from Russia, the main source, drove the overall increase, imports from the United States were the lowest since 2002, Minato Shimbun reported.

Russian imports in 2025 increased by 37% YOY to 17,537 tons. This was higher than the import volume from 2021 to 2023 (around 15,000 tons) and approached the 2020 import volume.

In 2025, Russian sockeye salmon accounted for over 90% of all frozen sockeye salmon imported into Japan.

The All-Russian Institute of Marine Fisheries (BNILO) announced that the 2025 catch of sockeye salmon off the Far Eastern coast increased by about 20% compared to the previous year.

The average price of Russian sockeye salmon imported into Japan in 2025 was 1,135 yen/kg ($7.07/kg), a 13% increase from the previous year. This is the highest price since 2002, and the price increase shows no signs of slowing down.

US imports in 2025 were down 69% from the previous year to just 977 tons. However, catches in Bristol Bay, Alaska, a major production area, were strong in 2025. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) had projected a 2025 catch of 36.4 million sockeye salmon in the bay, but the actual catch was 41.27 million, significantly exceeding the forecast.


Pacific Seafood Processors Association

4039 21st Ave. W, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98199

Phone: 206.281.1667

Our office days/hours are Monday-Friday

8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

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