Repeal of Catfish USDA Authority to Get Senate Vote during Trade Bill Consideration
The USDA catfish inspection will go up against another Senate vote as part of an effort to advance the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. This would be the latest effort to repeal the program that has been criticized nine times by the Government Accountability Office as one of Washington’s most wasteful programs. This is “everything that’s wrong about the food-safety system,” said former FDA food-safety czar David Acheson recently. “It’s food politics. It’s not public health.”
John Sackton and Peggy Parker review a letter from Chris Woodley where he offers his comments on Alaska’s halibut bycatch issue. Woodley is Executive Director of the Groundfish Forum representing the Amendment 80 Fleet.
In other news the Russian government is considering a package of measures to increase of the volume of pollock and herring catch in the Far East. The plan includes not catching the entire Pollock quota in the region for several years.
Meanwhile, Russian fishery officials did say the pollock catch in the Sea of Okhotsk remains relatively good with the stock abundant on the back of two strong years of pollock classes.
Alaska Airlines delivered the first 18,000 pounds of Copper River salmon to the Seattle Tacoma Airport this morning. The airline will operate five more flights today to deliver the Alaskan catch to Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Trident Seafoods and Copper River Seafoods for processing. This year’s Alaskan salmon season is projected to be the second largest haul in history.
Finally, live lobster prices fell sharply this week with Mother’s Day demand past and with new season product from Canada filling up inventories. Still, the market is trending notably higher compared to last year at this time.
Have a great weekend.
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