Friday, March 13, 2026
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
Alaska
Data shows continued strength for Alaska sockeye salmon market
Improving market dynamics made 2025 a successful season in Bristol Bay.
Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - March 12, 2026
More preliminary data from the 2025 salmon season in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, the world’s largest wild sockeye salmon fishery, continues to point to what will likely be a stronger year than the previous when it comes to prices paid to fishermen.
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DOJ sides again with conservationists to block Pebble Mine
National Fisherman by Margaret Bauman - March 12, 2026
A lengthy Department of Justice (DOJ) brief in defense of a veto on the Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska has opponents of the mine elated and Northern Dynasty Minerals in Vancouver, Canada, promising further legal action.
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National
USDA predicts seafood prices will increase at higher rate in 2026
SeafoodSource by Christine Blank - March 11, 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is predicting seafood prices will rise faster than their historical average in 2026.
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Importers Face Long Wait for Tariff Refunds
SeafoodNews by Ryan Doyle - March 12, 2026
The Trump administration's system to refund the tariff payments is somewhere between 40% and 80% done, per court filings from a customs official.
Reuters noted that US Customs and Border Protection official Brandon Lord said the agency will develop 'CAPE' a system that will accept, process, review and issue refunds.
Importers across industries expecting refunds of roughly $166 billion collected under now-invalidated Trump-era emergency tariffs face a prolonged and uncertain wait. That is according to a government filing that estimated more than 4.4 million hours of manual processing to handle the claims.
After the Supreme Court struck down the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs last month, UW Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told the Court of International Trade that refunding duties from more than 53 million import entries, of which 20.1 million remain unliquidated, presents an unprecedented logistical challenge.
Brandon Lord, executive director for CBP’s trade programs, said in an affidavit that the agency’s current systems “are not well suited to a task of this scale” and that a computer upgrade “ready for use” around mid-April might enable faster bulk refunds by importer rather than by individual import entries.
However, the agency warned that many companies have yet to register electronically to receive refunds, potentially delaying payouts.
The stakes are high. Interest on refundable amounts is accruing at an estimated $650 million per month, adding urgency to the refund process amid increasing financial strain on importers who initially bore these tariff costs. Whether refunds will be issued broadly or require individual lawsuits remains a crucial open question.
Smaller importers are particularly exposed, lacking the legal and administrative resources to navigate the complex refund process, while larger firms may have more capacity but face equally significant delays.
CBP urged importers in early February to register electronically for refunds. Industry experts recommend close consultation with trade lawyers to understand litigation strategies and monitoring court developments closely.
Customs Judge Richard K. Eaton has pressed the administration to act expeditiously, though some procedural delays have been allowed due to the sheer complexity involved. Politically, former President Trump has vocally opposed refunding tariffs, highlighting tension between fiscal and commercial interests.
International
Russia tightens foreign investment rules across seafood sector
The new legislation is expected to boost ongoing privatization in the domestic seafood industry.
Intrafish by Evgeny Vovchenko - March 10, 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law expanding controls over foreign investment in strategic sectors, a move expected to boost the ongoing privatization process in the country's seafood industry.
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Federal Register
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Port of Adak Pier 5 Improvements Project at Adak Island, Alaska
A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 03/12/2026
NMFS has received a request from The Aleut Corporation (TAC) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Port of Adak Pier 5 Improvements Project (hereafter referred to as the Pier 5 Improvements Project), Adak Island, Alaska.
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the City of Kodiak St. Herman Harbor Infrastructure Rebuild Project Kodiak, Alaska
A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 03/13/2026
NMFS has received a request from the City of Kodiak for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to 2 years of construction activities associated with the St. Herman Harbor Infrastructure Rebuild Project (SHHIRP) in Kodiak, Alaska.
FYI’s
US seafood trade group elevates director of public policy
Morgan Bell’s promotion comes after “a decade developing an insight that is tailor made for this work,” according to the National Fisheries Institute's president.
Intrafish by Kyle Stucker -March 12, 2026
National Fisheries Institute (NFI) has named Morgan Bell its new senior director of public policy and international relations, the U.S. seafood trade association announced Thursday.
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