Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Alaska 2024 commercial salmon catch in North Pacific was historically low, NPAFC reports Seafood Source by Erin Spampinato - May 19, 2025 The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC), a regional fishery management organization that oversees international waters in the North Pacific Ocean, has announced that the 2024 salmon catch in the region was the lowest commercial salmon catch since 1988. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/2024-commercial-salmon-catch-is-historically-low-reports-conservation-organization Alaska legislature passes bill allowing commercial fishing insurance co-ops Seafood Source by Nathan Strout - May 20, 2025 Both houses of the Alaska legislature have unanimously passed a bill that would allow commercial fishers to form insurance co-ops, helping them secure more affordable insurance options. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/business-finance/alaska-legislature-passes-bill-allowing-commercial-fishing-insurance-co-ops Fisheries managers announce first openers of 2025 Kuskokwim salmon season KYUK by Evan Erickson - May 19, 2025  A Kuskokwim salmon attempts to free itself from a drift net in 2021.Federal fisheries managers have announced the first five openers of the 2025 Kuskokwim River salmon fishing season. https://www.kyuk.org/hunting-fishing/2025-05-19/fisheries-managers-announce-first-openers-of-2025-kuskokwim-salmon-season National The Retail Rundown: Seafood Leads Memorial Day Retail Ads; Weather Poses Challenges Expana by Courtney Shum - May 21, 2025 Seafood leads retail protein promotions heading into Memorial Day weekend, accounting for 28.7% of total featured protein ad volume. Pork follows at 25.9%, with beef at 21.3% and chicken at 19.3%.Egg feature volume is virtually absent amid sluggish retail demand. Warmer weather is prompting a shift toward fruit and cereal for breakfast, while elevated, though easing, shelf prices continue to dampen consumer interest, according to Expana.Within the seafood category, fresh and frozen fillets represent the largest share of advertised items at nearly 28%. Raw shrimp accounts for 20.5% of seafood ads. Discounted salmon fillets were featured at $10.69 per pound for fresh and $9.34 for frozen, both below year-ago levels. Fresh shrimp averaged $8.12 per pound, down 23 cents from last year.Bacon continues to dominate pork features, accounting for over 40% of total pork ad volume. Fresh bacon averaged $6.04 per pound last week, 45 cents higher than the same week in 2024. Roasts captured 20.7% of pork promotions, followed by ribs at 19.5% and chops at 15.8%.Circana data indicates that pork chops averaged $3.79 per pound, down 4.5% year over year, while back ribs ran at $4.11, up 15 cents. Pork soulder roasts were featured at $2.22 per pound, nearly unchanged from last year and a cost-effective choice for feeding a crowd.In the beef segment, steaks commanded the largest share of retail ads at 40.5%, followed by ground beef at 35.4%. The average steak price was $14.07 per pound, down 21 cents from last year. However, all cuts except tenderloin were priced above year-ago levels. Ground beef, favored for its convenience, averaged $5.02 per pound for 78–84% lean—an increase of nearly 3% compared to last year.Chicken promotions focused largely on breasts, a more budget-conscious alternative for grilling at $4.37 per pound. Value-oriented dark meat are also drawing shopper interest, with thighs averaging $2.66 and legs at $1.58 per pound.Weather Outlook May Dampen Grilling PlansAlthough widespread grilling promotions offer variety of protein options to choose from, unfavorable weather forecasts could put a damper on meat sales this holiday weekend. A slow-moving storm system is expected to disrupt outdoor plans, especially east of the Rockies, according to the National Weather Service.Looking ahead, the transition into summer should boost grilling demand, likely reigniting interest in the meat case in the months ahead.To view the latest week's feature activity, subscribers can access the complete breakdown for the various seafood, meat, and poultry cuts by clicking on the Retail dashboard on the COMTELL homepage. For COMTELL Retail Definitions, click here. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1306965/The-Retail-Rundown-Seafood-Leads-Memorial-Day-Retail-Ads-Weather-Poses-Challenges International Midway through Trump’s tariff pause, seafood industry leaders hope trade talks bring relief KUCB by Theo Greenly - May 20, 2025  The At-Sea Processors Association represents most of the catcher-processor vessels in the Bering Sea pollock sector, including the Northern Hawk, seen here in Unalaska's Port of Dutch Harbor in February 2025. https://www.kucb.org/industry/2025-05-20/midway-through-trumps-tariff-pause-seafood-industry-leaders-hope-trade-talks-bring-relief Environment/Science New NOAA Research Suggests that Alaskan Salmon Sought Temporary Refuge During Marine Heatwaves Expana by Gina Bachorik - May 21, 2025 The NOAA Alaska Regional Office recently released new research indicating that Pacific salmon in the Gulf of Alaska used the inshore waters of the Icy Strait as a temporary buffer during marine heatwaves.Researchers found that salmon likely gravitated towards the Icy Strait’s cold, low salinity waters, seeking refuge during these marine events, which occurred in 2014-2016 and 2019.According to NOAA, prior studies also found connections between the survival and growth rates of juvenile Pacific salmon to oceanographic conditions and food availability in the marine environment. As part of this research, scientists from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) conducted juvenile salmon trawl surveys aboard the R/V Medeia (see below).Photo Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science CenterRecent marine heatwaves in the Gulf of Alaska have resulted in persistently warm ocean temperatures above normal conditions, contributing to multi-year warming throughout the water column. In correlation to this warming, the condition and abundance of certain key prey species decreased, thus causing ripples throughout the food chain. For example, multiple adult salmon stocks in the Gulf of Alaska declined, prompting U.S. state and federal agencies to issue statewide fishery disaster declarations for multiple fisheries.Mariela Brooks, research chemist at Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Auke Bay Laboratories, spoke of warming trends likely leading to the decline in adult salmon populations in the Gulf of Alaska.“We expected that this might be due to changes to their prey, potentially at the juvenile stage, because we have evidence that changes in diets are related to marine temperature. However, we found that the body condition of juvenile salmon did not show a significant relationship with temperature in the inside waters of Southeast Alaska,” said Brooks.Despite the warmer waters that resulted from heatwave years, the inshore marine waters of Southeast Alaska still remain relatively cooler than offshore waters in the Gulf of Alaska, which Brooks and her fellow scientists believe is due to the area’s unique geography and oceanography.Due to the cooler temperatures, these waters were also able to support a more diverse marine ecosystem, thereby allowing juvenile salmon to switch between food sources, better withstand the effects of the heatwaves, and stay strong enough to migrate into the northeast Pacific Ocean.The findings of this study confirm the value of these inside waters as early marine habitat, says NOAA, thus suggesting that declines in adult salmon returns during marine heatwaves were likely driven by conditions beyond Southeast Alaska.As such, NOAA’s research reflects that survival bottlenecks may emerge after juveniles migrate offshore, especially during marine heatwave events. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1306921/New-NOAA-Research-Suggests-that-Alaskan-Salmon-Sought-Temporary-Refuge-During-Marine-Heatwaves

Labeling and Marketing ASMI responds to trade pressures with focus on domestic growth Seafood Source by Erin Spampinato - May 21, 2025 The Juneau, Alaska-based Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has released its 2024 annual report, highlighting the successes and challenges of a sector under pressure from both the setbacks of recent Alaskan history and the pressures of retaliatory tariffs in response to U.S. President Trump’s trade war. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/asmi-responds-to-trade-pressures-with-focus-on-domestic-growth-an-industry-worth-fighting-for Federal Register Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Bering Sea Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 05/21/2025 NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch (POP) in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2025 total allowable catch of POP specified for the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/05/21/2025-09165/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-pacific-ocean-perch-in-the-bering-sea-subarea-of

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