Russian Crab Company Reaches 57% of 2021 Quota in First Six Months

The Russian Crab Company shared performance results for the first half of 2021 and the company said it has reached 57% of its 2021 crab quota.

During the first six months, the Company harvested 7.4 thousand tons of crab. According to a release, it has the right to harvest 12.86 thousand tons of crab for the entire year.

The company said it has strengthened its presence in the live and cooked and frozen products markets. Sales volume jumped 35% compared to the same period of last year...

Vietnam COVID-19 Spike Hits Seafood Processors, Causes Problems at Ports 

Vietnam is the latest country to enact emergency restrictions following a new spike in COVID-19 cases. 

Vietnam has been reporting over 4,000 new cases daily since July 15. On July 18 the number of new reported cases reached a whopping 4,853. Now, all provinces in the Mekong Delta region are applying “Directive 16” of the Vietnam government to tackle the rising cases of COVID. Directive 16 mandates the closures of non-essential businesses and restaurants. According to the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam...

NFI Red Crab Council Renew Contract to Keep China Red Crab FIP Intact

The National Fisheries Institute’s Red Crab Council and partners, Ocean Outcomes (O2) and Tao Ran, have renewed their annual contract to keep a Red Crab Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) on track.

“For a number of years the Red Crab fishery has faced adversity from things like the pandemic, the market and tariffs,” said Newport International President Anjan Tharakan, the NFI Red Crab Council Chair. “But none of the companies we partner with, and certainly not O2 nor Tao Ran...

Russia Considers Auctioning 50% of Remaining Crab Quotas     

The Russian federal budget may receive about RUB 200 billion (US$2.6 billion) from the sales of crab quotas and other seafood on the auctions, which are planned for the next several years, according to recent statements made by Ilya Shestakov, head of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) and some local media reports.   

As part of the auctions, 50% of the overall quotas for crab catch in Russia will be put up for sale. The overall value of these quotas is estimated at RUB 140 billion...

ANALYSIS: The Climb Continues for King Crab, Snow Crab Prices

There continues to be no relief in sight for rising King Crab pricing as all sizing remains at all-time highs. Even with imports 45.8% higher through May 2021 as compared to the same time last year, the market remains tight, and demand is active and continues to fall short of buyers’ full-needs.

May 2021 is the first-month imports have dipped below the 3-year average in 5 months; year-to-date imports are still higher, but this month is trending below...

Alaska Fishing Updates for July 2021

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – 

July brings lots of fishing updates from Southeast Alaska to the Bering Sea.

The biggest fish story so far is at Bristol Bay where hauls of sockeye salmon neared two million fish on each of two days last week. The Bay’s red salmon catch so far is at nearly 12 million fish.

We’ll update more Alaska salmon catches tomorrow. 

In other fisheries: Catches for Dungeness crabbers in Southeast were going slow so far for 163 boats, but prices of $4.20 a pound are more than...

Russia May Face Decline of Crab Catch This Year  

Russia may face a shortage of some crab species this year due to the recent ban on the catch of blue and king crab in the Sea of Japan.  

Several days ago, the Russian Ministry of Agriculture officially imposed a ban on the catch of both crab species in the Primorye subarea until the end of 2022. The main reason for this was a significant intensification of poaching activities in the region, which posed a threat to the existing crab stocks... 

Alaska Dungeness Crab Fetching Higher Prices

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch –

Prices for all crab continue to soar and that bodes well for Dungeness crab fisheries at Southeast Alaska and Kodiak, areas that last year saw big catches.

Kodiak’s fishery opened on May 1 and so far 68,358 pounds have been landed by just eight boats, compared to 29 last year. The Kodiak price this season was reported at $2.75 a pound for the crab that weigh just over two pounds on average. That compares to...

Alaska Fishing Updates For June 2021

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – There’s lots of fishing going on besides salmon.

Salmon fisheries are opening nearly every day across Alaska and as always, lots of other fishing are gearing up or ongoing.

Southeast Alaska’s Dungeness fishery opens June 15 and crabbers are hoping for another good season. Combined catches for last year’s summer and fall fisheries totaled nearly 6.7 million pounds, more than double the 10 year average, and just shy of the record 7.3 million pounds taken in 2002...

Russian Crab Group Delivers First Shipment to Spain, EU

The Russian Crab Group of Companies completed its first crab delivery to the EU.

Its first batch of frozen King Crab sections for a seafood distributor, 02 Arctic Crab, hit Spain. In all, the total volume of delivery will be 32 tons.

“We work with raw materials directly from their origins, with products processed on board to guarantee the best freshness and quality. Russian Crab brand products are of high quality, good infill and excellent taste”, — said Javier Villar Van Reybroeck, commercial director of 02 Arctic Crab...

CDFW Announces Crab Season Closure Due to Whales

The California crab season will close June 1 now that whales have moved into waters shared by the marine mammals and crabbers.

Recent survey data indicate an increase in humpback whales returning from their winter breeding grounds to California fishing grounds, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a press release. CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham assessed the entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment and Management Program and announced the closure of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery statewide beginning at noon on June 1.

“It has been a very difficult...

NOAA Launches New Tool to Reduce West Coast Whale Entanglement Risk

By combining the latest ocean condition data and marine life on the west coast NOAA Fisheries scientists have created a new tool that aims to reduce the entanglement risk of whales on the west coast.

“Resource managers and stakeholders can refer to the page for the latest information like prey abundance or sea surface temperatures before considering a season delay or other management options,” said Jarrod Santora a research biologist at the NOAA Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center who helped develop the new system, told NOAA...

Alaska Fishing Update For May 2021

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch –

Managers are set to announce any day when the famous Copper River fishery near Cordova will open for sockeyes and kings, signaling the official  start of Alaska’s 2021 salmon season. 

Alaska’s biggest herring fishery at Togiak kicked off on May 3 with two buyers and about a dozen boats on the grounds. They have a roughly 85 million pound quota, the largest since 1993. (42,639 tons).

Herring fishing continued around Kodiak for a nearly 16 million pound catch, the largest ever...

PODCAST: Snow Crab Update; Foley's Fish Acquisition; New Hires at Peter Pan, Cousins Maine Lobster

Join SeafoodNews Podcast hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they talk about the latest snow crab news. Plus, find out what's going on in the crab meat market; get the scoop on the acquisition of Foley's Fish; and learn about the newest executive appointments at Sysco, Cousins Maine Lobster and Peter Pan Seafood.

This episode is brought to you by Urner Barry Consulting. Urner Barry Consulting provides tailored solutions to identify growth opportunities within the fast-paced protein commodity sectors...

VIDEO: Snow Crab Closures; BlueNalu Seafood in Asia; Q1 Shrimp Landings; Surf’N Turf Sandwich

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they talk about the first grid closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence less than a month into the snow crab season. Plus, learn about BlueNalu's MOU with Thai Union and Mitsubishi Corporation; Gulf of Mexico Q1 shrimp landings; and the mouthwatering new Surf'N Turf Sandwich at Nathan's Famous and SlapFish's flagship locations. 

This episode of the SeafoodNews Weekly Video is brought to you by Urner Barry Consulting...

First Gulf of St. Lawrence Grid Closure Announced Less Than A Month After Start of Snow Crab Season 

The snow crab season in the Gulf of St. Lawrence kicked off earlier this month and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans already announced the first grid closure related to North Atlantic right whales. 

“Spotted: North Atlantic #RightWhales are officially back in Canadian waters,” the official DFO Twitter tweeted Monday. “Our 2021 fisheries measures are now in place to help protect these whales for the duration of their stay in Canada.”

Beginning...

AK Crab Shells Make Yarns and Fibers Bio-Friendly

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Alaska crab shells make fibers bio-friendly.

Most people are unaware that our carpets, clothing, car seats, mattresses, even mop heads – are coated with metals, like copper and aluminum, and chemicals. The yarns and fabrics are routinely dosed with fire retardants, anti-odors and other things for our protection.

To the rescue: Crab shells from Alaska.

All-natural Tidal-Tex treatments are being applied instead of metals and chemicals at Leigh Fibers in South Carolina, one of the...

ANALYSIS: Crab Meat Continues its Climb

The current pasteurized crab meat market for both blue and red swimming crabs remains under upward pricing pressure and the market saw adjustments higher throughout this past week. These increases in the quotations are at all-time high prices, and this market has seen continual steep inclines since the beginning of 2021. The market has raced higher, especially on blue swimming crab meat. Presently the market is in one of the higher, if not the highest, demand period of the year. During the summer season...

VIDEO: King Crab Prices Up; EO Promotes Competition; Atlantic Sapphire Mortality; And More

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they break down the biggest stories of the week, including rising king crab pricing; the new Executive Order promoting competition in the American economy; Atlantic Sapphire's recent mortality incident; and WWF-Hong Kong encouraging diners to avoid Boston lobsters.

This episode of the SeafoodNews Weekly Video is brought to you by the latest issue of Urner Barry’s Reporter magazine! The Summer 2021 issue is out now and jam packed with with great insight from...

King and Snow Crab Demand in 2021 is Inelastic!

Instead of emerging poorer following the coronavirus pandemic, many Americans came out ahead.  According to the Federal Reserve $13.5 trillion was added in wealth last year which was the largest increase in three decades. While the scope of the pandemic was unprecedented, so was the governmental response of borrowing, lending, and spending trillions of dollars to support business and individuals.

While the those with higher income jobs did the best, people who had less in their pockets also came out ahead.  JP Morgan chase reported this past week that...

Market Trends to Watch Ahead of Independence Day

Urner Barry is the leading provider of protein market news and information in the food industry. Through daily canvasses of the trade and an unrivaled historical database, our analysts are uniquely positioned to report on the underlying conditions and significant disruptors to the market. In this Market Briefing, Urner Barry reporters outline the latest action in the commodity protein markets, highlighting seasonal factors, disruptors, and current supply and demand fundamentals.

Access the latest UB Market Briefing HERE.  

State Shutdown Threatens Alaska Salmon, Crab Fisheries

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Impacts to Alaska’s fisheries from a looming July 1 state shutdown. 

Pink slips have gone out to 15,000 state workers as a state shutdown looms on July 1. The impasse stems from lawmakers and Governor Dunleavy not agreeing on a budget. A sticking point is the amount of Alaskans’ annual Permanent Fund Dividend check, or PFD.  

The potential showdown has Alaska fishery managers in a holding pattern -

“Our instructions at this point are to just maintain operations...

24 Million Pounds of Snow Crab Arrives in April and Disappears!

The current U.S. economic recovery is unlike any in recent history, powered by consumers who have saved trillions of dollars during the pandemic. The ending of the pandemic with vaccine levels increasing is unleashing pent-up consumer demand from the pre-shutdown economy. 

According to U.S. Commerce Department data, spending at stores, restaurants, and online shopping portals increased in March 2021 to $620 billion and stayed at that level through April. These levels are $100 billion larger than the same period in 2019 when...

ANALYSIS: Snow Crab Market Sees Pace of Price Slow; Demand Remains Active 

For the first time in four weeks, the Newfoundland and Gulf snow crab market did not adjust higher. All sizes held full steady across both locations. However, higher offers are still noted heading into the long weekend in the U.S. for Memorial Day.  

Overall supplies out of Canada remain tight when coupled with a still active demand for crab in the U.S. marketplace. Market participants report that both foodservice and retail have had active buyers throughout the season...

ANALYSIS: Spread Between King and Snow Crab Highest Ever 

Both the Russian red king crab and Canadian snow crab markets are achieving all-time highs. 20-24 red king crab are 64 percent higher than the 3-year average, and 5-8s out of the Gulf are 69 percent higher than the 3-year average.  

However, the high price levels are not the only area seeing all-time highs. The spread between king crab and snow crab is also at all-time highs. The spread in 2021 is currently 22 percent higher than the same time last year in 2020...

Gulf of St. Lawrence Announces More Grid Closures With 85% Snow Crab Quota Caught

Last week SeafoodNews reported on closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence due to the presence of North Atlantic right whales. At the time 76% of the snow crab quota in the Gulf had been caught. Now, there’s additional grid closures due to whale sightings, with 85% of the quota caught.

As of May 9, the Department of Fisheries temporarily closed GX55 and permanently closed GY55 following a repeat detection of the endangered whales. On May 13 an additional nine grids will be temporarily closed...

Gulf of St. Lawrence Snow Crab Quota 76% Caught Amid New Grid Closures 

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has confirmed additional grid closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence due to the presence of North Atlantic right whales. However, the news comes at a point when 76% of the snow crab quota in the Gulf has been caught.

According to the latest announcement, the following grids will be closed beginning at 5 p.m. on May 8: GW52, GW53, GW54, GX52, GX53, GX54, HB55, and HB56. In addition, a portion of the following grids will...

Whales' Presence Means California Crabbers Restricted to Shallow Water

The whales are migrating back into California waters and that means Dungeness crab fishermen will have to move.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife completed the most recent marine life entanglement risk assessment under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program. Recent survey data indicate humpback whales have begun to return from their winter breeding grounds to northern California fishing grounds. Humpback and blue whales also have been sighted further offshore in central California but primarily outside the fishing grounds.

As a result, CDFW Director ...

Blue Star Foods Files for Listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market

Blue crab meat firm Blue Star Foods has formally applied to list its common shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market ("NASDAQ").

The company expects to satisfy all the listing requirements but said there is no assurance that it will be approved for the listing.

“We believe listing our common stock on the NASDAQ will improve liquidity, increase our corporate visibility in the financial markets, and create shareholder value,” said John Keeler, Chairman and CEO of Blue Star. “We believe that listing on the NASDAQ...

ANALYSIS: Ramadan Brings New Supply Constraints to Crab Meat Market

The crab meat market continues to soar, but further supply constraints are on the horizon.

Currently the country of Indonesia is celebrating Ramadan, which began on April 12 and concludes May 12. On May 11, the Muslim community will celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which is also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast.” This festival, which is typically celebrated for 1-3 days, ends the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting during the Ramadan observance. 

When it comes to crab meat production...