Russian Crab Market Facing Change in Wake of Absentee Arrest of Oleg Kahn

The Russian crab market is on the verge of a new repartition after an absentee arrest of Oleg Kahn, a well-known Russian crab tycoon, announced by official representatives of the Russian Investigative Committee, the country’s major investigative body.

The arrest was the result of criminal investigations initiated against Kahn by Russian law enforcement agencies, which forced the businessman to leave Russia last year.

The absentee arrest of Kahn, according to some Russian producers and analysts in the field of fish business, could be ...

Capt. Neill’s Seafood, Owner Sentenced for Selling Falsely Labeled Crab Meat 

North Carolina-based Capt. Neill’s Seafood Inc. and its owner, Phillip R. Carawan were sentenced for falsely labeling foreign crabmeat as domestic.

Capt. Neill’s was sentenced to a period of five years’ probation and will be forced to pay a $500,000 fine. Carawan will head to prison for 12 months and one day, followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay a $250,000 fine for his actions in falsely labeling millions of dollars’ worth of crab meat...

Whale Entanglement Risk Low in Central California; Dungeness Season to Open Dec. 15

At least some Dungeness crab will be available for the Christmas and New Year's holidays in California this year. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday the Central California season will proceed as planned in mid-December.

CDFW Director Charlton Bonham on Nov. 22 announced a delay to Dec. 15 for the area south of the Mendocino/Sonoma county line, including San Francisco, citing an independent aerial survey showing humpback whales in the area. The decision was made despite a California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear...

Imported Seafood Flooding China's Expanding Market Ahead of Chinese New Year

With Chinese New Year around the corner, local distributors are occupied with buying large quantities of seafood to satisfy enthusiastic consumers, who prefer these healthy options in holiday feasts. According to Shun, one buyer attending a Qingdao fisheries expo, seafood has become an everyday dish for many Chinese households.

Statistics show that Chinese aquatic output has skyrocketed by 144 times to 64.58 million tons in 2018 compared with that of 1949. But the country is still increasing imports to meet domestic demand, which not only impresses...

Food Export Northeast Trade Mission: Spreads US Lobster in Dubai, Introduces Jonah Crab in Spain

As the Northeast fishing industry deals with effects of tariffs imposed on China and climate change that may shift species as they look for colder waters, Food Export USA-Northeast led a trade mission to Dubai and Spain.

In Dubai, Food Export aimed to open the door for American lobster in what is a lucrative export market. Meanwhile, Jonah crab was introduced to a new market in Spain. The mission's aim was to help combat pressures and help the industry diversify through new export...

More Chinese Turning to Online Platforms for Seafood Purchases

E-commerce platforms are playing an increasingly important role in China’s seafood sales. As available statistics show, the country’s online seafood sales reached 27.126 billion yuan ($3.8 billion USD) in 2018, which accounts for 1/3 of its total sales of fresh food. And during the first half of 2019, sales has jumped by 22.9% compared with the same period last year, to 17 billion yuan ($2.4 billion USD).

Shrimps, crabs and fish are the top three seafood items regarding sales value last year, while shellfish has outrun others ...

Ugly Crab Campaign Aims to Expand Markets, Reduce Waste

People shop with their eyes and when it comes to crab, shells that are discolored or scarred or covered with barnacles can be a turn off. 

In the Bering Sea fisheries, ugly shells can comprise up to 30 percent of a catch at certain times of year and crab molting cycles.  While the crabs are every bit as tasty as prettier product, they fetch lower prices for fishermen.

“The industry has traditionally called them Number 2 crab or dirty crab, a lot of times these are older crab or might have..."

VIDEO: Ocean Can Provide More Food; NOAA Pick Withdraws; Dungeness Season Delayed; Crab Analysis

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video hosts Lorin Castiglione and Ryan Doyle as they discuss how the ocean can provide up to six times more food than it does currently; Trump's pick to lead NOAA withdrawal from consideration; Central California Dungeness crab season delay until mid-December and a snow crab market analysis. 

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LISTEN: US Attempts Lobster Mini-Deal With EU; Salmon Price-Fixing and Seafood at the Dinner Table

Join SeafoodNews Podcast hosts Lorin Castiglione and Ryan Doyle as they discuss USTR Robert Lighthizer's attempt to get a mini-deal done with the European Union that would have lifted tariffs on US lobster for exports to the EU; the DOJ's investigation of Atlantic salmon price-fixing as major producers received subpoenas; the Dungeness crab season delay and tips to get seafood on the dinner table every week.

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VIDEO: Chilean Salmon in US; Harbor Seafood Wins Award; Right Whales Act; WC Dungeness Season Delay

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video hosts Lorin Castiglione and Ryan Doyle as they discuss Chilean salmon reaching the US market despite firms struggling with logistics as protests and strikes continue throughout the country; Harbor Seafood won US Foods' Center-of-the-plate Award; a Senate Committee's passing of the SAVE Right Whales Act and the primary west coast Dungeness crab season delay.

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Japanese Snow Crab Season Opens, Auction Fetches ¥5 Million ($45,800) For One Crab

Japanese snow crab season opened on November 6 with an all-time record-setting price for the best crab sold at auctions. The top bid price reached ¥5 million per animal in Hyogo Prefecture at the season’s first auction, Suisan Keizai Shinbun reported. The fishing season is open through March 20 next year for male crabs and the end of this year for female crabs.

Crab is immensely popular in Japan, especially in winter. The best snow crabs brought to the season’s first day...

West Coast Crab Meat Recovery Results Show Consistent Range from CA to WA

The first round of coastwide meat recovery results are in from all three West Coast states, with crab from Brookings, Ore., showing the highest recovery percentage, at 22.3 percent.

The areas bound by the Tri-State agreement, northern California, Oregon and Washington, all had boats on the water in October or early November to gather samples for meat recovery and domoic acid testing. Washington was the only state to take advantage of early-season testing.

The results showed a range between...

Kodiak Tanner Crab is a go for 2020

It’s a go for Kodiak’s Tanner crab fishery, albeit a small one.

The mid-January fishery will have a combined 400,000 pounds catch limit in two areas, the minimum to open a fishery. Crabbers will tap on the tail end of a big Tanner year class from 2013.

“The east side's going to have a 300,000 pound GHL and the southeast is going to have 100,000 pounds. And particularly on the east side, this definitely is fishing on the same crab that they've been fishing for the last two seasons..."

Several Issues Affecting West Coast Dungeness Crab Seasons

California Department of fish and Wildlife Director Charlton Bonham will formally decide today whether to delay the Central California Dungeness season by about a week. Washington crab have insufficient meat recovery -- even for this early in the year -- and Oregon is just getting its meat recovery and domoic acid testing going.

CDFW announced Friday the proposed delay south of the Mendocino/Sonoma county line from the traditional Nov. 15 season opening in San Francisco and surrounding areas until Nov. 23 due to potential risk of whale entanglements. Bonham said he would take public comment until ...

Russian Banks Eye Expansion in Domestic Crab Business 

Russian leading financial institutions and banks are interested in the expansion of domestic crab business by purchasing stakes in some of the country’s leading local producers, according to recent statements of producers and industry analysts.

For example, Sberbank, Russia’s largest state-owned bank, has recently acquired the 5% stake in the Sakhalin-based Ostrovnoy-Krab, the Russian crab producer from its major shareholder DV Fisherman, one of the largest fishing groups, based in the Far East.  

According to some local analysts, the banks...

Russian King Crab Seizes a Greater Market Share in China

King crabs have become a rock star in the Chinese seafood market, and recent years have shown a dramatic increase in the country’s import, according to media reports. Available data show that its imports have skyrocketed from 1,500 tons in 2015 to around 10,000 tons in 2018. And this year the number is expected to reach 13,000 tons.

Among all exporters, Russia, China's neighbor, has risen to prominence. For example, statistics show Shanghai’s import from Russia has ballooned by 950% this year compared with ...

Forbes' Second Ranking Lists Russian Seafood Companies According to Revenue

Russian Forbes recently compiled a new ranking of Russia’s top 10 largest fish producers and processors in a move to estimate the current level of investment attractiveness of the Russian seafood sector.

This is the second ranking prepared by Forbes in the last two years. However, unlike the first one, which was primarily based on the amount of quotas provided to the companies by the state, the current ranking used company-generated revenue as a main factor of the company’s presence in the top 10 list...

Alaska's Halibut, Sablefish, Crab Values for Cost Recovery

Fewer Alaska fishermen are going after halibut and sablefish, based on the declining number of bills being sent out to those holding quota shares of the catch.

Eighteen hundred invoices went out to fishermen this month, down 30 from last year, and down from nearly 2,000 in 2015. 

The bills, paid since the year 2000, are a fee for fisheries monitoring and enforcement based on dock prices and averaged across the state. This year the fee was 3% and yielded $4.5 million in recovery costs...

Deep Water Crab Market Steady as Snow Crab Demand Grows

With the rising demand for many of the frozen crab items including both king crab and snow crab, the deep water crab market sits steady to full steady with minimal fishing taking place at this time.

Seafood consultant Les Hodges, who releases a report on Russian crab fishing monthly, said there are currently 3 vessels fishing for Angulatus and 5 on Japonicus deep water crab.

Hodges said that the effort on Angulatus typically begins in the East Sakhalin in the spring, about the time producers are wrapping up their Japonicus quota...

West Coast Dungeness Crab Meat Quality Improving, Still Low in Som

Washington, Oregon and California released the second round of Dungeness meat quality testing results this week and the results are mixed.

In Washington, one of the two areas sampled was above the 23 precent threshold. The Westport area came in at 23.8 percent, but the Long Beach Area was only 21.8 percent, up from 20.4 percent in early November.

Oregon's test results showed improvement from early November, when all eight areas were below the thresholds. Still, only half of the areas -- Garibaldi, Newport North, Coos Bay North and ...

Red King Crab Wraps, Outlook Grim for Future Fisheries

It’s a wrap for the red king crab fishery at Bristol Bay with a fleet of 54 boats taking the 3.8 million pound catch quota in little over one month.

That’s the lowest catch since 2005 and it could be the last one for the foreseeable future.

Fishing was scratchy with an average catch of 15.6 crabs per pot, down five from the past two years and the lowest catch rate in 14 years. 

The red king crab were hefty, averaging 7.14 pounds, the biggest weight in the history of the...

LISTEN: Bumble Bee Bankruptcy; Trump’s NOAA Pick Withdraws; Snow Crab Analysis and More 

Join SeafoodNews Podcast hosts Lorin Castiglione and Ryan Doyle as they discuss Bumble Bee Foods filing for bankruptcy and selling its assets to Taiwan-based FCF Fishery Company; Trump’s NOAA pick withdrawing from consideration; Bernadette Jordan new head of DFO; Central California Dungeness crab season delay; snow crab analysis and more! 

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Central California Season Delayed Again; Whales Spotted in Sanctuary

The bad news: The San Francisco and Bodega Bay Thanksgiving crab feast won't happen this year. Crabbers and processors will have to wait until Dec. 15, at least, before bringing crab to the market. The good news: it appears domoic acid won't create another delay.

Based on updated information and in response to concerns from the commercial Dungeness crab fleet, including written requests from Port Associations to further delay the Central California or "San Francisco" season, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham said Wednesday...

Russian Government Plans to Allocate Additional Support to Domestic Crab Producers This Year 

The Russian government plans to allocate additional RUB 10-15 billion (USD$150-200 million) for support of domestic crab producers who are building ships for their needs at Russian shipyards in the Far East, according to recent statements, made by some senior officials of the Russian Rosrybolovstvo and industry analysts.

As ​​Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev has recently said, the building of such ships in the Russian Far East at present remains very expensive for domestic fishermen, compared to the building of similar...

Primary West Coast Dungeness Season Delayed Until Mid-December at the Earliest

This year's warm water blob off the West Coast is dissipating -- or at least shrinking and moving offshore -- and helping out this year's Dungeness crab season. Most areas from Washington to California show relatively low domoic acid levels.

However, meat recovery rates have not been helping the fishery. Fishery managers from all three states talked this week and decided to delay the primary season from northern California to Washington until at least Dec. 16. Crab quality testing from all three states in early November showed...

LISTEN: Chilean Salmon Production Ramps Up; Dungeness Crab Season Delay and More

Join SeafoodNews Podcast hosts Lorin Castiglione and Ryan Doyle as they discuss salmon production beginning to pick up pace in Chile; Dungeness crab season delayed by a week; Billy Joel's donation to industry associations; salmon appears on Oprah's Favorite Things List and Lorin breaks down her trip to New Bedford, Massachusetts!

This episode is brought to you by COMTELL, which will be receiving a complete redesign in 2020. Subscribers who utilize COMTELL to track market quotations, analyze trends and stay on top of key industry news...

CDFW Director Shortens California Crab Season Delay by One Day, to Nov. 22

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton Bonham on Tuesday confirmed a Dungeness crab season delay -- but only until Nov. 22, not Nov. 23, as originally proposed. The delay should help protect humpback and blue whales from potential gear entanglement, the agency said.

The Central California season that usually opens Nov. 15 south of the Mendocino/Sonoma County line typically heralds a holiday season that many San Francisco-area count on for their Thanksgiving dinners and that fishermen see as a good paycheck before Christmas. It also signals...

LISTEN: GAPP's First Annual Meeting; OCEAN Research Act; King Crab Market Analysis and More!

Join SeafoodNews Podcast hosts Lorin Castiglione and Ryan Doyle as they discuss the first annual meeting of the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers; the OCEAN Research Act; the ASMFC finding Virginia's menhaden fishery out of compliance; a look at the king crab market and Amazon's new offer for free grocery delivery!

This episode is brought to you by COMTELL, which will be receiving a complete redesign in 2020. Subscribers who utilize COMTELL to track market quotations, analyze trends and stay on top of key industry news...

Study: European Shore Crab Disease Poses Threat to Shellfish Stocks

Shore crabs carry parasites that pose a major threat to shellfish stocks, according to a new study by Swansea University researchers. The scientists used several different detection methods, including taking DNA from seawater, to build up the first comprehensive picture of the problem.

The common European shore crab is native to the UK, Ireland and the northeast Atlantic. It shares this habitat with lots of species that are commercially very important, such as the edible crab and langoustines, according to ...

Large Players Purchase Majority of Quota During Russian Crab Auctions

More than RUB 142 billion (US$2.22 billion) were allocated to the Russian federal budget as a result of recently completed crab auctions in the country, according to recent statements of producers, which participated in the auctions, and some Russian media reports.

As a result of the auctions 35 out of 41 lots, (which were initially put up for sale), were distributed, while each lot provides quotas for crab catch for the 15-year period. The companies will start crab catch under new quotas from 2020...