Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Alaska Halibut season underway with higher catch limits than last year KMXT by Kirsten Dobroth - March 8, 2022 Alaska’s halibut season opened Sunday, Mar. 6. Doug Duncan is a fisheries management specialist with NOAA fisheries. He said that after several years of decline, this year’s catch limit is up by over 5.7% from last year. https://kmxt.org/2022/03/halibut-season-underway-with-higher-catch-limits-than-last-year/ Northern Lights: Moving beyond 2020 National Fisherman by Sam Friedman, Guest Author - March 7, 2022 In the first weeks of 2022, it is not yet clear how big of an asterisk to put on the year 2020. This question complicated the preparation of the most recent edition of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s long-running economic analysis series on the economic value of Alaska’s seafood industry. https://www.nationalfisherman.com/alaska/northern-lights-moving-beyond-2020 Alaska Governor Calls on State Agencies, Residents to Cut Ties With Russia Urner Barry by Ryan Doyle - March 9, 2022 Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy directed state agencies to divest from Russia and called on Alaska residents to cut ties with the nation in response to its invasion of Ukraine. Much of Dunleavy’s call focused on the energy sector, where at a news conference he called on the Biden administration to “prioritize domestic energy production by reversing obstructive policy decisions on key projects. “The world must do everything possible to pressure Putin to end his war against Ukraine, and Alaska has a role to play. This means State agencies and State-owned corporations divesting from Russian assets, businesses, local governments, and university relationships ending, and Alaskans, as well, I’m asking you to end all business relationships with Russia,” said Governor Dunleavy. “We must do our part to bring pressure upon Putin to help end this war as quickly as possible.” Dunleavy was joined at the conference by Alaska Revenue Commissioner Lucinda Mahoney. “Considering the geopolitical tragedies launched by Russia in Ukraine, it is critical for the State of Alaska to divest of interests and investments in Russia,” Mahoney said. On March 8, the Biden Administration did ban the import of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas, and coal to the United States". The sanction against Russia is a result of "widespread bipartisan support that will further deprive President Putin of the economic resources he uses to continue his needless war of choice". Urner Barry’s Courtney Shum explored what the oil ban would mean for U.S. consumers amid record-high surges in gas prices, with the national average climbing to $4.25. “Biden warned Americans that they should expect even higher gas prices as Russia's invasion of Ukraine persists, explaining “[s]ince Putin began his military buildup on Ukrainian borders, just since then, the price of the gas at the pump in America went up 75 cents. And with this action, it’s going to go up further.” Meanwhile, inflation is already eroding other areas of household budgets. Some investors are anticipating tomorrow's Bureau of Labor Statistics data to show an annual CPI figure of around 8%,” Shum wrote. Some in the seafood industry have cut ties with Russia following its invasion including BioMar Group’s announcement earlier this week. The company shut down all trade activities with Russia involving the sales of finished products and the sourcing of raw materials. Canada-based Icewater Seafoods made a move to cancel imports of Russian seafood and Royal Greenland, the largest supplier of coldwater shrimp and Greenland halibut will stop trading with Russia. “Like others around the world, we are following the invasion of Ukraine with deep concern and sadness,” said Icewater Seafoods CEO Alberto Wareham. “We are simultaneously heartbroken for Ukrainians and inspired by their courage. We are committed to doing our part to offer them unwavering support.” https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1220610/Alaska-Governor-Calls-on-State-Agencies-Residents-to-Cut-Ties-With-Russia National Major US restaurant chains cease buying Russian seafood Seafood Source by Christine Blank - March 8, 2022 Several major U.S. seafood restaurant chains have ceased buying seafood from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, an act of aggression that has had significant ripple-effects across the global seafood industry. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/foodservice-retail/major-us-restaurants-chains-cease-buying-russian-seafood GAPP Launching First-Ever National Sustained Marketing Program Urner Barry by Amanda Buckle - March 9, 2022 With Lent kicking off last week, it feels like pollock is everywhere you look. It’s the go-to fish at nearly every QSR. But the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) want pollock front and center beyond the Lenten season. And they’re launching their first-ever national marketing campaign to make that a reality. GAPP announced this week that the Board of Directors have approved an “ambitious” strategic plan and budget to launch a national sustained marketing program that will highlight the wild caught, sustainability and nutritional attributes of wild Alaska pollock to U.S. consumers. “I’m inspired by the confidence the Wild Alaska Pollock industry leaders that comprise our Board have in the organization and the passion they show in continuing to advance the fishery by building demand for our fish,” said GAPP CEO Craig Morris. “During our Board meeting there was robust discussion and debate about the initiatives and levels of investment and that demonstrates a Board who are engaged and committed to ensuring the organization continues to deliver a high return on investment to the entire industry.” The Board approved to devote over $1.5 million into the global Partnership Program, which is dedicated to spurring investment in innovation to put more wild Alaska pollock in front of more consumers. Funding will also go towards the “always on” national marketing campaign, which will focus on the wild-caught aspect of wild Alaska pollock, as well as its sustainability story and its nutrition proposition. The national marketing campaign will utilize social media influencers, as well as traditional media outlets and other methods to drive awareness and familiarity of wild Alaska pollock. “WIth our first-ever national year-long marketing program, we’re excited to focus not only on the periods of high consumption - like Lent - but also on the periods where seafood and wild Alaska pollock are not top of mind for consumers,” continued Morris. “This GAPP campaign is meant to constantly re-introduce the consumer to the most sustainable, nutritious, wild-caught whitefish on the planet.” https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1220565/GAPP-Launching-First-Ever-National-Sustained-Marketing-Program International Russian Fisheries Head: Fish Sector Stay Afloat Despite Unprecedented Sanctions SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - March 9, 2022 The current situation in the Russian fish sector remains generally stable without any serious logistics interruptions and bankruptcies of major players, despite the ongoing military conflict and unprecedented sanctions, imposed on the country. This has been recently confirmed by Ilya Shestakov, head of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo). Shestakov noted that at the beginning of March, the volume of production by the Russian fleet reached 770,000 tonnes. The biggest hopes are associated with the Sea of Okhotsk fishing season, where pollock catch increased by 16% compared to last year - up to 464,000 tons. Moreover, capelin fishing in the Barents Sea has been resumed after a three-year pause, while its current dynamics remain positive. In January, 2022 Russian fish and seafood exports increased by 65% in value terms (to US$295 million), partly due to an increase in sales of highly processed products, most analysts expect a drop in March and through spring due to sanctions against Russia. In the meantime, in contrast to other sectors of the Russian economy, cooperation with foreign partners in the fish sector is still ongoing. For example, Norway has recently said it has no plans to close access to the economic zone for Russian fishing vessels, as such a measure may have negative consequences for the cod catch. This has been recently said by the Norwegian Fisheries Minister Bjornar Skjaran could have serious consequences for the cod fishery and will lead to serious losses of the Norwegian side. From its side, the Russian government will consider ways to support the domestic fish sector, which should help to avoid massive bankruptcies in the industry. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1220596/Russian-Fisheries-Head-Fish-Sector-Stay-Afloat-Despite-Unprecedented-Sanctions Opinion OPINION: Rep. Vance and HB52 support Alaska’s fishermen and local economies Anchorage Daily News by Rod Van Saun - March 8, 2022 I know I’m not the first person to bring up the Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery. There’s been quite a bit of discussion about the hatchery, and Kachemak Bay State Park, in the months since Rep. Sarah Vance first sponsored House Bill 52. If passed, HB52 would allow for the continued operation of the Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery and its compatibility with the functions of Kachemak Bay State Park. The hatchery would be allowed to continue operating, as it has for decades, and continue providing a valuable resource to Alaskans throughout the region. However, if HB52 fails, the ripple effects will negatively affect fisheries, tourism, food security and economic opportunity throughout Alaska. Drawing a line between the two outcomes and clarifying the real impacts tied to each outcome is important. It’s time that the harvesters of this region get the facts about this important end goal that Rep. Vance is so diligently working toward. https://www.adn.com/opinions/2022/03/07/rep-vance-and-hb52-support-alaskas-fishermen-and-local-economies/ 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.