Monday, August 10, 2026
- Aug 10
- 4 min read
Alaska
Pink salmon show up late in Southeast Alaska
KCAW by Angela Denning, CoastAlaska - August 7, 2026
Pink salmon are finally showing up in Southeast Alaska, and that’s good news for the commercial fishing industry.
International
3MMI - China Seafood Market Update | Groundfish Diverges. Salmon Tightens.
Tradex Foods - August 10, 2026
China's seafood processing markets continue to split, with Pacific cod holding at historically high prices while Atlantic cod and haddock soften amid weaker demand.
EU Drops Russian Fish Sanctions, Leaving Cod and Pollock Trade Wide Open
SeafoodNews by Eugene Gerden - August 6, 2026
Russia's cod and pollock exporters will face no new European barriers after EU member states killed a proposed ban on Russian fish imports that had been included in the bloc's 21st sanctions package.
EU ambassadors removed the fisheries provisions from the package ahead of its adoption on July 23, with Germany, Poland, and Portugal among the countries that objected most forcefully to restrictions.
The European Commission had proposed a complete ban on cod imports and phased restrictions on other species — which would have marked the first time the EU directly targeted Russia's whitefish sector — but supply-chain concerns ultimately proved decisive. Germany, which produces the bulk of the EU's fish sticks and depends heavily on Russian-origin frozen cod and pollock blocks for processing, was particularly exposed.
The EU imported nearly €740 million worth of Russian fish and seafood in 2025, and industry groups in several member states had warned that restrictions could threaten processing jobs and raise consumer prices significantly, given the cost differential between Russian and alternative-origin whitefish.
The outcome leaves the EU market fully open to Russian cod, pollock, and other whitefish, with no new trade barriers on the horizon. For Russian exporters, who were facing uncertainty for much of the spring and summer as the sanctions proposal advanced through Brussels, the result amounts to a green light to maintain and potentially expand current trade flows into Europe. Russia has been ramping up catch quotas in 2026 across several key species, positioning the country to push additional volume into willing markets, as Expana has reported.
For the EU whitefish processing sector, the defeat of the proposed ban provides near-term supply certainty — but the episode has also highlighted the bloc's structural dependency on Russian raw material and the political difficulty of addressing it.
Environment/Science
New tool could predict ocean acidity in Bering Sea
KMXT by Katherine Irving - August 7, 2026
Crab populations in the Bering Sea are struggling. And researchers say climate change is a big cause.
Labeling and Marketing
ASMI Hosts Seattle–Sitka Tour to Immerse Foodservice Leaders in Alaska Seafood Supply Chain
SeafoodNews by Natasha Estremera - August 10, 2026
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) hosted culinary and marketing professionals on a familiarization trip through Seattle, WA, and Sitka, AK, July 12–17. The visit offered participants a first look at the full seafood value chain and aimed to deepen understanding of the industry and the Alaskan seafood market.
“The familiarity trip is the experience of a lifetime. I’ve always been a believer of ‘you have to see it to really understand it,’” one participant said. “The Alaska seafood story really takes this to another level. It made sense of commercial fishing in a way I could only have imagined.”
The group included representatives from major foodservice brands such as Panera Bread, Taco John’s and Captain D’s.
In Seattle, the itinerary focused on processing, quality assurance, food safety and distribution. Participants also explored the Seattle Aquarium and Pike Place Market, the city’s original farmers market and a hub for locally sourced, artisan and specialty foods.
In Sitka, the group toured processing plants, visited the Sitka Sound Science Center to learn about hatcheries and science-based fisheries management, and spent a day on the water, experiencing Alaska’s marine environment and harvest sector firsthand.
“A big takeaway for me was gaining a true understanding of ‘Wild Caught’ and how towns such as Sitka thrive on this part of the industry,” another participant noted. “It also clarified the message Panera Bread can support—important to our consumers.”
Throughout the trip, hosted meals showcased the diversity and versatility of Alaska seafood while creating opportunities to learn from fishermen, processors, scientists and industry leaders.
In Memoriam
Obituary: Carl Lee RosierJuneau Independent - August 7, 2026
Carl Lee Rosier, 89, passed away peacefully on March 16, 2026, surrounded by his family in Portland, Oregon.
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