Under New Quota Auction Plan, Russian Crab Industry Consolidation, Monopolization Will Increase

The Russian crab industry continues to gradually move toward consolidation and monopolization, reflected by the recent changes of rules for the conduction of auctions in the industry, according to recent statements of some leading Russian fishermen and industry analysts.

As part of these plans, a new method for calculating the initial value of lots for crab auctions in Russia has been recently proposed and already sparked criticism from the majority of the industry’s players.

According to German Zverev, president of the All-Russian Association of Fishery Enterprises...

Washington Commission Supports $24.5M Budget Request Increase for WDFW

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved moving forward on a request to the State Legislature to increase Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife funding.

It was the first meeting for two new members, Molly Linville and James R. Anderson, who joined five other commission members to approve the department's request to seek $24.5 million in increased operating funds, plus $26 million in capital funds, during the 2020 state legislative supplemental session, according to a press release.

The department seeks $6.6 million to...

Sergey Darkin Aims to Become Leading Russian Fish Producer in the Years to Come

Sergey Darkin, a well-known Russian fishing tycoon and a former governor of Russia’s Primorsky Territory, plans to make the Nakhodka Base of Active Sea Fisheries (Nakhodkinskaya BAMR) subsidiary the largest fish processor in the Russian Far East within the next several years, according to some sources close to the businessman and some leading Russian analysts in the field of fish business.

As part of these plans, Nakhodkinskaya BAMR has recently launched deep-sea processing of squid, pollock and...

Acoustic Tags Reveal Dungeness Crab Ranges; Research May Inform Management, Offshore Energy Siting

Dungeness crab is Oregon’s leading commercial seafood product, bringing in an estimated $75 million in 2018, yet little is known about how far crabs will venture in search of food.

Oregon State University marine ecologist Sarah Henkel is hoping to change that. Last year, she and a colleague from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration glued acoustic tags onto several legal-sized Dungeness crabs near the mouth of the Columbia River and off of Cape Falcon, then deployed acoustic receivers ...

WPRFMC Responds to News Media Series, Acts on Kona Crab Fishery, Protected Species

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council fired back at a local non-profit news service when the Council met this week in Honolulu.

The online news outlet Civil Beat recently published a lengthy three-part series suggesting members of the Council's Executive Committee engaged in decision-making for self-profit. The non-profit media service says, "Our goal is to challenge our leaders to do better. We are the watchdogs of the public’s trust and we take seriously the mission to...

Trident Seafoods Partners with Food Network Star Nancy Fuller

Food Network star Nancy Fuller is the new brand ambassador for Trident's Louis Kemp brand Crab Delights.

Trident Seafoods announced the partnership with the star of "Farmhouse Rules" on Thursday, revealing that the move is part of their effort to connect "healthy and easy-to-prepare seafood with current food and lifestyle trends." And Fuller is wasting no time in making that connection. Those that visit the Louis Kemp website can find Fuller's 5-minute "Easy Breezy Crab Dip" recipe, or her "Red, White & BBQ Pizza" recipe...

California Opens Rock Crab Fishery in Area Near Eureka

California officials have opened an area of the coastline near Eureka to commercial rock crab fishing that has been closed since late 2016 due to elevated domoic acid levels.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday that, following the recommendation of state health agencies, it will open the rock crab fishery from near Cape Mendocino in Humboldt County (40° 30.00’ N. Lat.) north to the Humboldt Bay entrance at the north jetty (40° 46.15’ N. latitude), including all ocean waters of Humboldt Bay...

VIDEO: Cheddar Bay Biscuits; DFO Closes Fishing Areas; Consumers Sue Canned Tuna Companies

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they discuss the latest on the temporary closing of fishing areas in the Gulf and Quebec regions due to the presence of North Atlantic Right Whales, as well as the suspension of air service to and from Venezuela. Plus, learn more about Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits Sweepstakes in honor of National Biscuit Day! Enter for a chance to win an insulated fanny pack by tweeting @RedLobster what you love most about their Cheddar Bay Biscuits using #CBBSweepstakes...

California Crab Industry May Finally See Disaster Checks from 2015, Mostly at $21,000 or More

California Dungeness and rock crab fishermen and processors will likely see disaster aid checks in June, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced late last week.

After a lengthy review process with industry, the $25 million in federal disaster aid to cover the 2015-2016 seasons was approved and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission could start sending checks as soon as June.. Some of those funds will go to mitigation against future domoic acid/harmful algal bloom events, PSMFC overhead and the commercial ...

USCG to Hold Public Hearing for Mary B II Crab Vessel Capsizing Investigation

The U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled to conduct a formal public hearing beginning May 13 to consider evidence related to the Mary B II marine casualty investigation.

The hearing will focus on the capsizing of the commercial fishing vessel Mary B II, which led to the deaths of three fishermen at the entrance of Yaquina Bay in Newport January 8, 2019. The fishermen included James Lacey, 48, from South Toms River, NJ; Joshua Porter, 50, from Toledo, Ore.; and the boat's skipper, Stephen Biernacki...

Many California Crabbers Switching to Chinook Trolling as Salmon Seasons Are Set

From San Francisco to Crescent City, Calif., crab pots were being loaded onto trailers and stacked in port lots for storage as Dungeness crabbers were forced to stop fishing Monday.

But there may be a little light at the end of the tunnel: Many crabbers also fish for salmon, and California salmon trollers will have more than 25 percent additional opportunity this year. 

The Pacific Fishery Management Council announced the final West Coast salmon seasons Monday at its meeting in Rohnert Part, California...

China's Seafood Trade Continues Growth Trend

China's seafood industry set new records last year for trade. Trading volume increase 3.33% to reach 9.544 million tons, while the value increased 14.44% to $37.188 billion USD. To be specific, its export volume contracted by 0.4% to only 4.322 million tons, but the value rose 5.56% to $22.326 billion USD. And the import volume rose by 6.64% to 5.222 million tons, while the value jumped by 30.99% to $14.861 billion USD.

With regard to exports, tilapia is still popular among foreign buyers and they have enjoyed increased...

CDFW, Center for Biological Diversity, PCFFA Agree to Whale Entanglement Settlement

In less than a month, California crabbers will have to pack in their crab pots and end their season, thanks to a settlement agreement filed in federal court Tuesday.

The legal settlement protects whales and sea turtles from entanglement in commercial Dungeness crab gear. The Center for Biological Diversity sued the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in October 2017 after a drastic increase in the number of whale entanglements off the West Coast.

In a joint statement between the Center, CDFW and the...

Russian Seafood Industry Could Bear Huge Losses if Kurils Transferred to Japan

The transfer of the Kuril Islands to Japan, currently discussed by the governments of both Russia and Japan, may cost the Russian seafood industry up to $5 billion USD losses a year and a shortage of salmon in the domestic market, according to recent statements of some independent analysts in the field of fish business and experts of Rosrybolovstvo.

According to analysts, the Kurils could be considered as gates through which all fish, and especially salmon, go to the Russian coast of Kamchatka and Sakhalin.

If they are ...

Russian Crab Auction Winners Could Get Tax Breaks; Historical Quota Owners Would Not

The Russian government plans to provide additional tax incentives to companies that participate in the forthcoming crab quota auctions, according to recent statements of some senior officials of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture.

In accordance to the recent proposal of the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service, the government will suspend a further increase of the existing tax, "for the use of aquatic biological resources," for companies that will receive quotas on the crab catch as a result of the auctions...

Coast Guard Seeks Additional Information in F/V Mary B II Capsizing

The U.S. Coast Guard continues its marine casualty investigation of the fishing vessel Mary B II, which capsized off Newport, Oregon, on Jan. 9, 2019, and resulted in the loss of the three crew members and the vessel.

A public hearing will be held in Newport around mid-spring, the Coast Guard said in a press release Friday.

The Coast Guard also encourages anyone with information pertaining to the loss of the Mary B II provide it to the investigation team by email to...

Kamchatka Salmon, Crab Harvests May be on Downward Swing This Year

The Kamchatka region, one of Russia’s major fish-producing regions, may face a significant decline of crab and salmon harvest this year, due to the reduction of stocks, according to recent statements of representatives of local authorities and experts in the field of fishing.

According to the latest data published by the Kamchatka government, since the beginning of the region's salmon fishing season on June 1, the volume of its catch has declined by almost 30% compared to the same period last year...

Fish Catches, Prices, Sales by AK Region

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

One click takes you to a site that can tell you all everything about fish prices and landings for every Alaska species by region, how much was processed into what products, and what processors bought and sold it for.

It’s called the Commercial Fisheries Statistics and Data page on the Department of Fish and Game website and it extends back to 1984.

For salmon, charts and graphs show historical harvest rankings by the numbers of fish, the poundages and average prices for...

Omega Shipyard Vessel to Join Cooke Uruguay's South American Red Crab Fishery

Omega Protein subsidiary Omega Shipyard recently christened the F/V Southern Star, which is the latest ship to come out of its Moss Point, Mississippi, shipyard. The F/V Southern Star is now headed for Uruguary, where Cooke Uruguay will fish for red crab.

The F/V Southern Star started off in 1979 as a supply vessel for the offshore oil industry. The vessel was purchased by Omega Protein in 2016 with plans to turn it into a menhaden fishing vessel...

VIDEO: Gulf of St. Lawrence Closures; Trident & Nancy Fuller; ASMI's Exec Director; Dead Zone

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they discuss the latest Gulf of St. Lawrence fishing closures; Trident's partnership with Food Network star Nancy Fuller; ASMI's new Executive Director; and the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone.

This week's episode was brought to you by Foreign Trade Data. Reduce uncertainty, minimize risk and uncover opportunities with the only website designed exclusively for the seafood import/ export community.

Russian Police Consider New Investigations Against Domestic Crab, Fish Tycoons

The Russian police, together with the national Federal Security Service (FSB), continue investigations over the activities of some of the country’s largest fish and crab producers, according to recent statements of FSB and some independent analysts in the field of fishing.

Following the recent investigations over Russian crab king Oleg Kahn, this time local law enforcement agencies were attracted to Dmitry Dremlyiga, a well-known Russian businessman and a former owner of Dalmoreproduct, which was one of the largest fish producers in...

China Contributes to Clearwater’s Higher Profits in the First Quarter This Year

According to Nova Scotia's Clearwater Seafoods, China has become a market of great significance now and its great seafood demand has created higher profits for the company this year. As its performance report reads, the company’s profit has risen to $20.1 million CAD ($14.9 million USD) during the first quarter from $19.1 million CAD ($14.1 million USD) last year. Meanwhile, its sales to China has jumped to $32.2 million CAD ($23.9 million USD) during the quarter...

Alaska Fishing gearing up as Copper River Opens Next Week

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch…May means even more Alaska fishery openers.

Alaska’s 2019 salmon season will officially open on Thursday, May 16 with a 12 hour opener for sockeyes and king salmon at Copper River. The 500 plus drift fleet is hoping to catch just under 800-thousand reds and 31-thousand king salmon this summer.

Salmon openers in other Alaska fishing regions will quickly follow.

Trollers in Southeast began targeting spring king salmon in various regions starting May 1...

The Winding Glass: If Your Only Tool is Anti-Trust, Everything Looks Like Price Fixing

This week Euclid fish launched a US class action price-fixing suit against the major salmon companies.

Over the past several years, we have seen several major price fixing or anti-trust cases.  The one that has legs is the tuna price-fixing case, in which a conspiracy to control competition and limit discounts was discovered by the Dept. of Justice, and the three companies involved all pled guilty.

Several tuna executives have pled guilty as well, and currently, Chris Lischewski, former CEO of Bumble Bee...

California Considers Sport Crab Fishery for Action Relating to Whale Entanglement

The California Fish and Game Commission is proactively working to avoid further whale entanglements -- and further lawsuits.

On Wednesday the Commission approved the Marine Resources Committee to take up the issue of recreational crab fishing, and possibly other fixed gear fisheries, and its potential to entangle whales. The commercial fleet early on questioned why other fisheries, particularly sport fisheries, were not subject to the same scrutiny as the commercial sector.

The commercial season closed earlier this week, on April 15, as part of a settlement agreement...

The Winding Glass: Markets Don’t Care

This column from SeafoodNews Founder and Publisher John Sackton is a new trial feature that may continue as John retires from active management of SeafoodNews.  

The spring is a time when many seasonal price negotiations get underway in fisheries where harvesters negotiate a fixed price.  This certainly happens in Snow Crab, Cold water Shrimp, and Canadian Cod; and to a lesser extent lobster.

Other seafood producers, such as those farming salmon, shrimp, or landing scallops or groundfish see prices vary from week to week depending on the commodity market demand...

Russia Plans to Force More Domestic Processing of Pollock, Crab by Fiat

The Russian government plans to seriously tighten control for the sales of fish and seafood both in the domestic market and abroad with the aim to ensure additional supplies of domestic catch to local customers, according to recent statements of Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) representatives.

According to Ilya Shestakov, head of Rosrybolovstvo, the government is continuing its work on the design of a new federal law that will set new standards for fish trade in Russia and the...

Federally Managed Fisheries in Hawai'i, U.S. Pacific Islands Face a Mixed Future

The future is both bright and bleak for Hawaiian and U.S. Pacific Islands fisheries -- depending on the fishery.

Federal fishery managers concluded the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council meeting in Honolulu last week after dealing with a mixed bag of good and bad news fisheries in the region.

On the good side, a 2018 stock assessment estimates the Hawai'i Kona crab maximum sustainable yield at 73,069 pounds. While fishermen routinely landed 70,000 pounds in the 1970s, the fishery has reported catch below...

Restaurant Report: Lent Makes Waves in Seafood Offerings

Lent begins March 6th, and with it comes the advent of the seafood promotional season at many QSR and fast casual concepts. In anticipation of the season, many restaurants have either launched new LTOs, revived previous offerings, or rolled out tests for new menu items.

White Castle Brings Back Seafood Crab Cake Slider and Shrimp Nibblers for Lent

White Castle’s Shrimp Nibblers and Seafood Crab Cake Sliders are back for a limited time – and just in time for the kickoff of Lent on March 6.

While Fish Sliders and Fish Nibblers, both made with Wild Alaskan pollock, are a staple menu item for White Castle, the chain only brings back their Shrimp Nibblers and Seafood Crab Cake Sliders once a year. And this year, the Seafood Crab Cake Slider is an option for White Castle’s new 3 for $3 value deal...