Indian Shrimp Farmers Predict 10-20% Dip in Production, Lower Exports from Disease in Andhra Pradesh
Indian shrimp producers operating in Andhra Pradesh now expect production to fall anywhere between 10 and 20 percent by the end of the year. Disease issues stemming from low rainfall amounts have stunted shrimp growth and cranked up mortality rates in the ponds. Lower production is likely to result in a drop in shipments to overseas markets according to exporters. However, US inventories remain well supplied at the moment so little upwards price movement is expected in the market for now.
The NPFMC will decide if the Bering Sea Canyons should be designated as a protected marine environment during their meeting this week. Peggy Parker reports on the reactions from some industry participants that have now had to time to digest the findings from NOAA’s extensive drop-cam survey on the region.
Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources issued water rights favoring the salmon industry to just one of three Cook Inlet streams. The Department hasn’t made a decision on two other streams that have been targeted for a mining project by PacRim. The Chuitna Citizen’s Coalition was disappointed with the DNR’s decision. “One of the reasons it is so disappointing that we didn’t get the other two water reservations is because those water reservations are the headwaters of the stream and the spawning habitat for salmon,” said Valerie Brown, an attorney with the Trustees for Alaska.” So DNR basically reserved the lower portion, allowed us to have a water reservation in the lower portion of the stream and failed to protect the headwaters of the stream. And they are very important for salmon. ”
In other news US Rep. Frank Guinta of New Hampshire has proposed a law that would force NOAA to either fully fund at-sea monitors for the New England groundfishing fleet or terminate the program altogether. “It’s economically challenging that an agency with a several-billion dollar budget is demanding fishermen pay its operating costs,” Guinta said.
Finally, the House Committee on Natural Resources wants to see the Obama Administration's plan to designate marine national monuments. The request for the information was prompted out of suspicion that NGOs may have colluded to get the Interior Department to commit to the designations without getting input from regional representatives.
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