Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Alaska USACE plans over $6.2M for Alaska projects Cordova Times - June 6, 2022 Newly released work plans for fiscal 2022 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allocate over $6.2 million for water related projects in Alaska. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2022/06/06/usace-plans-over-6-2m-for-alaska-projects/ International Russia Expects Low Salmon Catch This Year SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - June 6, 2022 Russia officially begins salmon fishing season in the Far East with Kamchatka expected to account for up to 50% of the planned overall catch. For the current year the recommended volume of salmon catch in Russia is 322,000 tons, of which 150,000 tonnes will be produced in the Kamchatka Territory. That, however, will be the lowest level of projected catch for the region in the last five years, especially when compared with the record 2018, when the catch exceeded 440,000 tons of salmon. As Andrey Tabolin, head of the fisheries department of the Magadan Region, said in an interview with the Russian Rossyiskay Gazeta business paper, the main commercial specimen of salmon in Russia is pink salmon. However the approach of this fish this year will be approximately three times less compared to last year. According to fishermen, the new fishing season will be difficult for them, and not only because of relatively small expected catches and the closure of many traditional catch zones, but also due to new rules of veterinary and sanitary examination of fish and fish products, which came into force in Russia on March 1, 2022. In the meantime, according to some Russian analysts and scientists in the field of fisheries, there is a clear trend of the reduction of Russian salmon stocks, which may pose a threat of a shortage of salmon in Russia in due course. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1227321/Russia-Expects-Low-Salmon-Catch-This-Year April Pollock Surimi Production Keeps Slowing Down in Hokkaido SeafoodNews.com by Tom Asakawa - June 6, 2022 The April production of land-based surimi from Hokkaido announced by the National Surimi Manufacturers Association dropped sharply in Alaska pollock surimi. The January-April cumulative total was almost the same as the previous year. Suisan Keizai Shimbun reported that the strong performance until February was utterly overshadowed, and the growth rate of Atka mackerel slowed down. Production in April was 514 tons for Alaska pollock surimi, down 19.3% from the same month of the previous year and decreased by 20% for the second consecutive month. Atka mackerel surimi continued to maintain good production at 101 tons. Still, the production volume in the same month of the previous year was 93 tons, so the rate of increase, which was nearly four times the previous month, shrank to 8.6%. The total production volume, including some other surimi, was only 721 tons, which was the most significant decrease this year, down 17.8% from the same month of the previous year. As a result, the cumulative total from January to April canceled the strong performance in the first half and increased by only 0.2% to 3171 tons. Since the slowdown in production became noticeable, Association members' shipments also slowed down, with a total of 806 tons in April, down 13.6% from the same month of the previous year, a decrease of more than 10% following March. Cumulative shipments were 3930 tons, still up 6.2% year-on-year, supported by a significant increase from January to February, but the rate of increase has shrunk rapidly. Inventory still low In addition, the inventory volume, which has been at a record low recently, was 791 tons as a whole at the end of April, which is 5.0% higher than the same period of the previous year, of which Alaska pollock surimi was 445 tons, a decrease of 4.3%. On the contrary, Atka mackerel surimi was 192 tons, increasing 21.5%. Surimi inventory decreased significantly since last year due to a decline in production, and pollock surimi at the end of March was 594 tons, only one-sixth or less compared to the same period two years ago, which was close to 3,000 tons. On the other hand, the inventory of Atka mackerel surimi at 184 tons became relatively stable due to the improvement in production volume. It has been about 50% higher than two years ago when the low level continued. March imports up in cod species surimi According to the customs clearance statistics, the March import status announced at the same time as the association's report was as follows. - Surimi of cod species: 8513 tons, January-March production 14,698 tons, 65.4% increase from a year ago, - Itoyori surimi: 2022 tons, January-March production 6333 tons, 8.8% increase, - Barracuda and sea bream fish meat: 113 tons, January-March production 382 tons, 69.8% increase, - Other fish meat: 8060 tons, January-March production 27,673 tons, 2.5% increase, - Alaska pollock frozen fillet: 1137 tons, January-March production 2323 tons, 48.6% increase. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1227301/April-Pollock-Surimi-Production-Keeps-Slowing-Down-in-Hokkaido FYI’s Glenn Merrill Leaves NMFS for Fisheries Job in Private Sector SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - June 5, 2022 On June 3, Glenn Merrill, the Alaska Region Assistant Regional Administrator for Fisheries, “separated from Federal service” to join a fishing company based in Seattle. Merrill oversaw the Alaska Region’s Sustainable Fisheries Division, representing NOAA Fisheries and the federal government in many issues before the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council in the last two decades. He also served as the lead U.S. commissioner at the International Pacific Halibut Commission and on other international fisheries management bodies. A graduate of the University of Puget Sound with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and of the University of Washington with a Master’s of Marine Affairs, Merrill was initially hired as a resource analyst for the Aleutians East Borough, a research associate with the National Research Council, and as a fishery observer on U.S. vessels in various groundfish fisheries prior to working full time at the Alaska regional office. “During his time in the Alaska Region, Glenn played an integral role in developing innovative fishery management programs. Glenn and his experience in Alaska fishery management will be greatly missed,” the agency wrote in its report to the Council this week. Until the Sustainable Fisheries Associate Regional Administrator (SF ARA) position is filled, several of branch supervisors — Alicia M. Miller, Jennifer Mondragon, Josh Keaton, and Mary Furuness — will work together as a team to take on the different components of the SF ARA duties, according to the agency’s report. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1227370/Glenn-Merrill-Leaves-NMFS-for-Fisheries-Job-in-Private-Sector Pacific Seafood Processors Association 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. 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