Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Alaska Board of Fisheries seat remains vacant more than one month after governor’s deadline to appoint KSTK by Sage Smiley - March 14, 2022 The Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting on Southeast regulatory changes is in full swing in Anchorage, but there’s still a vacancy on the board, 40 days after the governor was supposed to appoint a successor. https://www.kstk.org/2022/03/14/board-of-fisheries-seat-remains-vacant-more-than-one-month-after-governors-deadline-to-appoint/ National Press Release: Sullivan Welcomes Senate Passage of American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act Sullivan.senate.gov - March 11, 2022 WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, today welcomed the Senate’s passage of S. 497, the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced to create an industry-led Advisory Committee to assist in the administration of fisheries marketing, research, and development grants. The bill was cosponsored by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-welcomes-senate-passage-of-american-fisheries-advisory-committee-act International Implementation dates released for US ban on Russian seafood Seafood Source by Steve Bittenbender - March 14, 2022 U.S. President Joe Biden’s order from Friday, 11 March, 2022, banning Russian seafood imports from entering U.S. ports will give U.S. businesses some time to accept previously made orders, according to guidance issued by the Treasury Department. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/implementation-dates-released-for-us-ban-on-russian-seafood Seafood industry powers through the pandemic with ingenuity, flexibility Seafood Source by Christine Blank - March 14, 2022 The COVID-19 pandemic period has been riddled with loss and upheaval, yet the industry has remained resilient, with many seafood suppliers successfully pivoting their business strategies to target retail and e-commerce channels in the face of sudden and severe foodservice constrictions. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/foodservice-retail/seafood-industry-powers-through-the-pandemic-with-ingenuity-flexibility China Putting Additional Pressure on Russian Fishermen With New Wave of Seaport Closures SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - March 16, 2022 Amid the ongoing military conflict between Ukraine and Russia and unprecedented sanctions, imposed on the latter, China is putting additional pressure on Russian fishermen with a new wave of closures of its seaports for the supplies of fish from Russia. The action came only 1.5 months after the final opening of Chinese seaports for Russian fish imports after months-long restrictions caused by the pandemic. According to the Russian Kommersant business paper, so far, fishermen have already received a notification about the suspension of shipments in one of the major ports of China - Dalian - due to coronavirus restrictions. Difficulties with supplies have already been observed in Qingdao. An official spokesman of the Russian Rosrybolvstvo clarified that the same problems are observed with fish supplies from other countries and could be mainly explained by a new COVID-19 outbreak in China. The restrictions on the supply of Russian fish to China were for the first time introduced by the Chinese authorities at the end of 2020 due to traces of coronavirus detected on packaging. All last year deliveries were carried out by refrigerated containers through the South Korean port of Busan. In January 2022, the Russian Pollock Association estimated the losses of Russian fishermen as a result of Chinese restrictions at US$400 million. According to the Russian Federal Customs Service, of the total US$5.85 billion fish exports from Russia, almost 50% accounted for South Korea, and 18% for China. On January 17 of the current year, the ports of Dalian and Qingdao opened to receive fish from Russia. According to analysts, after the closure of China last year, part of the supplies were redirected to the EU countries and the United States. That is currently impossible for Russian fishermen at present. Analysts also believe by closing the ports, China may try to reduce the price for Russian fish, primarily pollock. The current situation is threatened with a shortage of refrigeration capacities in the Russian Far East, as it was last year. In 2021, their workload during peak periods exceeded 90%. In the meantime, many of leading Russian fish producers and processors are taking measures for the reduction of their dependence on China, switching to other markets. That also takes place through the renewal of their range. As for alternative markets, part of the plans of Russian fishermen is to increase supplies to other Asian countries this year. Particular hopes are also put on the region of Northern Africa. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1221163/China-Putting-Additional-Pressure-on-Russian-Fishermen-With-New-Wave-of-Seaport-Closures 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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