Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Alaska As Copper River salmon season opens, Alaska gears up for big runs in 2022 Seafood Source by Cliff White - May 17, 2022 The salmon-fishing season in the U.S. state of Alaska officially began Monday, 16 May, with the opening of the Copper River fishery. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/as-copper-river-salmon-season-opens-alaska-gears-up-for-big-runs-in-2022 International Russian Fish Sector to Face With Shortage of Trawlers for its Needs in Years to Come SeafoodNews.com by Eugene Gerden - May 17, 2022 Russian fisherman will face a shortage of trawlers for their needs as unprecedented sanctions imposed on the country significantly complicate the construction of the majority of ships for local fish producers both in the local and foreign shipyards. As the current situation in the Russian economics and its fish sector continues to deteriorate, the country’s government has extended the construction period for fish trawlers for two years, as part of the existing investment quota program. According to recent statements made by an official spokesman of the Russian shipbuilding monopoly United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), the imposed sanctions have led to the suspension of supplies of foreign equipment, which is an acute need for the building of trawlers at domestic shipyards, while shipbuilders currently have to spend time for redesigning ships, as well as manufacturing and installing new equipment. In accordance with initial state plans, overall 105 fish vessels, including 41 crab catchers, were supposed to be built at Russian shipyards by 2025, with the overall cost of RUB 250 billion (US$4 billion). Building of the majority of these ships and their launch will be seriously delayed and with the high possibility never implemented. As of February 2022, only eight ships had been built, with another 33 being in various stages of readiness. At the same time, the construction of other ships as part of the program had not yet begun. The extension of the ship construction period will allow investors to avoid the risks of termination of quota agreements and continue the work that has already been started. In the meantime, representatives of Russian fisherman believe that the extension of shipbuilding deadlines is a necessary and timely measure, which will be beneficial both for shipyards and fisherman. President of the Russian Association of Fish Producers German Zverev in an interview with the Russian Vedomosti business paper said that total debt burden on the industry’s enterprises in the Russian fish sector already exceeded 450 billion rubles. More than half of them are accounted for by enterprises that build fishing vessels. Other analysts also believe that the extension of construction period will not allow to stabilize the situation in the industry and to complete building of these ships in time. One of the ways out of this deadlock could be at least a partial switch on domestic parts and technologies, as well as the supplies from Asia. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1225903/Russian-Fish-Sector-to-Face-With-Shortage-of-Trawlers-for-its-Needs-in-Years-to-Come Federal Register North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 05/18/2022 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Enforcement Committee will hold a webconference. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/18/2022-10596/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 05/18/2022 The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Fishery Monitoring Advisory Committee (FMAC) will meet June 1, 2022. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/18/2022-10595/north-pacific-fishery-management-council-public-meeting 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.