Bristol Bay Sockeye Prices Said to be Low Near 2001 Levels
Reliable sources have pegged advance base prices for Bristol Bay sockeyes in the $0.40 to $0.60 cent range, levels not seen since 2001 reports Laine Welch. So far no official prices have been announced but with the catch now at 33 million reds, many are hinting that the market is down $0.65 cents from pre-season prices. Last year’s average per pound price for Bristol Bay sockeye was $1.33 per pound.
In other news there is mounting evidence that US scallop supplies will remain tight for the rest of year. Domestic scallop landings are off sharply from preseason estimates with imports also down from a year ago. Historical data suggests the US scallop harvest is likely to remain short. Urner Barry prices for dry domestic scallops ticked up for the first time in weeks out of these supply concerns.
Meanwhile, the US State Department will release the 2015 version of its Trafficking in Persons Report next Monday. Some Thai officials are optimistic the US will upgrade Thailand’s status after last year’s report downgraded the country to the lowest Tier 3 ranking for numerous labor issues reported across Thailand’s seafood industry. Thailand has since stepped up its efforts to eliminate human trafficking and other labor issues across the sector.
Finally, Oceana has announced its "One Name for One Fish" campaign that wants the US to mandate the use of species-specific names on all seafood products sold to consumers. This would eliminate the FDA’s current practice of just requiring the acceptable market name.
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