Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Alaska Alaska snow crab harvest slashed by nearly 90% after population crash in a warming Bering Sea Seattle Times by Hal Bernton - October 8, 2021 Officials have announced a massive reduction in the catch of snow and king crab. Researchers said survival rates appeared to have plummeted during a period... https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/alaska-snow-crab-harvest-slashed-by-nearly-90-after-population-crash-in-a-warming-bering-sea/ *Requires Subscription Pink salmon, groundfish harvests boost city’s economy Koplin: Visitor industry recovered remarkably over last year Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - October 8, 2021 Cordova’s economy has vastly improved over the past year, the pandemic notwithstanding, thanks in large part to a strong pink salmon and groundfish season in Prince William Sound and strong canned salmon prices, Mayor Clay Koplin said. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2021/10/08/pink-salmon-groundfish-harvests-boost-citys-economy/ BOF issues reminder on upcoming work session Cordova Times - October 11, 2021 Alaska Board of Fisheries officials have issued a reminder that their work session on Oct. 20-21 in Anchorage will be via Zoom only, to protect everyone engaged in the meeting from infection from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2021/10/11/bof-issues-reminder-on-upcoming-work-session/ West Coast Oceana Analysis Assesses Impacts of California Oil Spill; Commercial Fishing At-Risk Urner Barry by Ryan Doyle - October 8, 2021 The conservation group Oceana released a new analysis that identifies some of the most endangered and vulnerable species at risk from the recent California oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach. Oceana mapped locations of ecologically diverse and economically valuable ocean resources most susceptible to oil contamination in its analysis. “Toxic oil spills don’t discriminate in polluting ocean ecosystems. From the seafloor to the ocean’s surface, the waters off Southern California contain some of the most endangered species and fragile habitats on the West Coast,” said Geoff Shester, California campaign director and senior scientist at Oceana. “While the extent of the damage to oiled habitats and wildlife, and the economic implications of closed fisheries are still unfolding, we hope that this analysis will help inform response efforts and that it will be considered when ensuring the responsible party is held fully liable for damages that could have been prevented. Wildlife and coastal economies cannot continue to be jeopardized by dangerous offshore drilling. It’s past time to permanently protect our coast from offshore drilling.” Commercial fisheries sat at the top of the list of at-risk resources near the oil spill area. According to Oceana, the value of commercial fishing landings in the Los Angeles and San Diego fishing ports totaled $27.2 million. However, the full value of the commercial fishing industry is several times larger when accounting for employment, processing, and seafood products. Key fisheries including market squid, tunas, swordfish, spiny lobster, spot prawn, and red sea urchin. Among other at-risk resources include whale feeding areas and migration routes, recreational fisheries and rock reefs and kelp forests. “We need the federal government to stop selling off our oceans for offshore drilling and Congress can make sure that happen in the Build Back Better Act, which is currently being negotiated,” said Diane Hoskins, campaign director at Oceana. “We know that oil is toxic. We know we shouldn’t eat it, breathe it, or swim in it. But for marine wildlife, that’s not an option when oil spills occur. This disaster is in part due to decisions made more than 30 years ago. It’s time to permanently protect our oceans from any more offshore oil and gas leasing.” https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1209827/Oceana-Analysis-Assesses-Impacts-of-California-Oil-Spill-Commercial-Fishing-At-Risk International US Pollock Surimi Price Reaches Record-Breaking High in Japan SeafoodNews.com by Tom Asakawa - October 11, 2021 The market price of frozen surimi from Alaska pollock produced in the United States, the primary raw material for Japanese surimi products, such as kamaboko and chikuwa, is soaring to a record level. Prices as of early October to small-lot users are approximately 60 to 80 yen higher than a year ago, from 660 yen/kg ($5.87/kg) for SA grade and 585 yen/kg ($5.21/kg) for FA grade. In addition to the continued sluggish production of surimi worldwide, sales of surimi products for commercial use have increased in Japan and overseas due to the expansion of nesting due to the new coronavirus pandemic, and demand for surimi is growing worldwide, reported Minato Shimbun. It seems that the additional cost addressing the pandemic for surimi producers and the rise in international freight rates also put pressure on the price. "There are not enough carriers and containers to bring frozen surimi to Japan. There is also a shortage of workers to handle cargo," said a surimi importer. This year's surimi market price rose in both A season and B season, but "the surimi price varies depending on the volume of transactions and sales conditions. The price increase is not uniform for each surimi producer," according to the importer. A domestic surimi products manufacturer said, "Efforts to reduce costs through own efforts (such as securing alternative raw materials and changing product standards) have already reached the limits. We are urged to raise the product prices to maintain the quality of surimi products." This year's Pollock surimi imports totaled 53,073 tons from January to August, up 10% from the same period of the previous year. This year's landing of Alaska pollack was higher than the last year when it was sluggish, and as of September 25, the production of surimi was 187,769 tons, which is 19% higher. However, this year's surimi production is not at an abundant level compared to the stable output for several years until two years ago. It has not yet been able to cover the decline in surimi production in other production areas. Due to the strong sense of tight supply and demand, the stock of frozen surimi in Japan is small, and as of the end of July, it decreased by 13% from the same month of the previous year. Of these, the inventory of frozen Alaska pollock was at a substantially low level, down 18%. Inventories of other frozen surimi have also decreased by 8%. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1209905/US-Pollock-Surimi-Price-Reaches-Record-Breaking-High-in-Japan Environment/Science Understanding how a crab's complex life cycle will respond to climate change Phys.org by University of Connecticut - October 8, 2021 For many marine animals, like the Dungeness crab, seasonality and timing are components of complex life cycles, where disruptions can have serious implications for the population. Understanding how climate change will impact each life stage is no small undertaking when considering all variables and moving parts in a changing environment. Despite these challenges, this information is vital for sustainable fishery management and to inform new conservation strategies. https://phys.org/news/2021-10-crab-complex-life-climate.html Labeling and Marketing 3MMI - INFLATION and The Seafood Industry TradexFoods - October 11, 2021 Inflation has been on the rise since the tail-end of 2020, largely due to the economy reopening - which resulted in higher consumer demand, and supply chain constraints. Although economists cannot forecast with certainty how much higher inflation will rise or how long it will persist - we can pinpoint some causes, to pick up as clues. In this episode, our intentions are not to sound like economists, but rather, we wanted to break down SOME of the economics, to help understand how this relates to the seafood industry that we are all in together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmDQqDQcfaQ 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. 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.