Wednesday, February 1, 2023

International Russia Overtakes The United States In Global Pollock Fillets Market SeafoodNews by Eugene Gerden - February 1, 2023 Russia for the for the first time in history overtook the United States in the production of pollock fillets, as last year local fishermen increased the production by 16.8% to 139,000 tons, according to the data of the Russian Pollock Association (ADM). As ADM President Alexei Buglak said in an interview with the Russian Vedomosti business paper, the volume of pollock fillet production in the United States in 2022 decreased by 1.5% to 138,000 tons, says. Since 2015, the volume of production in Russia has grown from 40,000 tons by 3.5 times, and in the US it has decreased by 21.6% from 176,000 tons, according to a study of ADM. According to Buglak, fillets are the most demanded product in the pollock market. Sergei Sennikov, deputy director of Norebo Management Company also said the use of this product is not limited, unlike, for example, surimi or minced meat. Buglak has also added that it is possible to increase production in Russia due to the modernization and re-equipment of its fishing fleet, Buglak. According to him, if in 2020 there were 30 vessels in the country capable of producing fillets, then by last year their number increased by 40% to 42. Sennikov adds that pollock fillet production is also on the rise due to the construction of coastal processing facilities in Russia. In the meantime, German Zverev, President of the All-Russian Association of Fishermen (VARPE), believes that another reason for the growth in pollock fillet production in Russia was related with a sharp drop of pollock supplies to China. In 2020, Russian fishermen supplied 581,000 tons of pollock to the Chinese market, however after the introduction of anti-COVID measures and the closure of ports, direct deliveries decreased to 188,000 tons in 2021. As a result, Russian companies were forced to change their production strategies, logistics and look for new markets, which led to a decrease in the production of frozen pollock and an increase in the production of fillet and minced meat. Nevertheless, according to the results of 10 months of 2022, exports of Russian pollock to China almost reached the pre-COVID level - 483,300 tons. Russia increased not only production, but also exports of pollock fillet - by 53.9% to 117,000 tons, according to ADM data. According to Zverev, global pollock fillet market is estimated at more than 400,000 tons. Until 2021, the main share of exports accounted to China, which imported frozen fish, processed it into fillets and exported it to other countries. The decrease in the production of frozen pollock by Russian fishermen and their reorientation to fillet has led to a drop in the share of Chinese pollock in the world market. According to ADM, China produced 165,000 tons in 2021. Data for last year is not available at the moment. According to Sennikov, it will be difficult to overtake the leader - China - in terms of production volumes as there are not so many large pollock in the economic zone of Russia, and it is technically impossible to produce fillets from small ones due to equipment limitations. Chinese processors are able to hire highly skilled workers who produce pollock fillets by hand, which ensures a good yield. According to him, it is now impossible to find such a number of fish processors in Russia, especially in the Far East. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1245093/Russia-Overtakes-The-United-States-In-Global-Pollock-Fillets-Market Environment/Science EPA blocks Alaska Pebble Mine in salmon-rich Bristol Bay region Seattle Times by Hal Bernton - January 31, 2023 The Environmental Protection Agency has blocked development of the Pebble Mine project in a corner of the Bristol Bay watershed, a vast and pristine swath of southwest Alaska that sustains the greatest sockeye salmon runs on the planet. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/epa-blocks-alaska-pebble-mine-in-salmon-rich-bristol-bay-region/ Federal Register Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Comment Request; Procedures for the Safe Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery Products A Notice by the Food and Drug Administration on 02/01/2023 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/01/2023-02051/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-for-office-of-management-and-budget-review FYI’s Nomination Period Is Now Open for the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee Nominations are being accepted through March 13, 2023. NOAA Fisheries - January 25, 2023 NOAA Fisheries is seeking nominations to fill vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee. The Committee advises the Secretary of Commerce on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. It researches, evaluates, and provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary and NOAA on agency policies, activities, science, conservation, and regulatory programs critical to the mission and goals of NOAA Fisheries. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/nomination-period-now-open-marine-fisheries-advisory-committee 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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