Surging Demand for Lobster Meat Changing Canadian Processing Patterns  Surging foodservice demand for lobster meat is changing lobster processing patterns, both in Canada and the US. According to data from the PEI government, the province's spring season was characterized by a slower pace of landings and a higher raw material cost. This combination supported processors' move to pack lobster meat. Processors say US demand for lobster remains strong and they are moving meat as fast they can produce it. Lobster meat imports to the US have been the highest in years, with each month of 2016 exceeding the volume of any of the past four years. At the same time, lobster meat prices continue to trend at record highs. The population of non-native, giant red king crab populations in the Barents Sea has spread much faster than anticipated over the last two decades. WWF Norway says the crab’s population has increased six-fold and is at least 12 million crabs in the Barents Sea alone. The crab is now reported to have reached the Lofoten Islands, about a third of the way down the Norwegian coast, having migrated some 400 miles since the early 1990s. Scientific predictions about just how far south it will reach in Europe vary widely. Some say just south of the Arctic Circle, others predict it will reach the British east coast and still others believe as far as Spain and Portugal. In other news, President Obama announced the creation of the largest protected area on the planet by expanding a national marine monument off the coast of Hawaii to encompass 582,578 square miles of land and sea. The move more than quadruples the size of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument that was established a decade ago. Obama has now used his executive authority under the Antiquities Act to protect more than 548 million acres of federal land and water, more than double what any of his predecessors have done. Meanwhile, Orca Bay Seafoods plans to relocate its headquarters from Renton, Washinton to a new facility in Federal Way after construction is completed. Orca Bay hired Preferred Freezers to build a a 314,424-square-foot warehousing, distribution and processing center in the town. Orca Bay also announced a new online store that will allow the company to sell its portfolio of frozen seafood products directly to consumers in the US. Finally, downsizing at Brazil's Fishing and Aquiculture Ministry is giving exporters trouble with clearing their shipments into the EU market. Brazilian lobster shipments cannot be offloaded due to the absence of capture certificates, a document demanded by the European bloc. Staff shortages at Brazil's Fishing and Aquiculture Ministry are now extending the time its takes to obtain a capture certification to over 30 days when they were previously issued within two or three days. Have a great weekend.