Chinese Importers Bank on Upcoming Festivals to Boost Lobster Prices

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [FishFirst] translated by Amy Zhong - September 17, 2018

Recently the Boston lobster market in China has been damaged with excessive supply when the demand fails to catch up, said one Boston lobster importer in Shanghai. Boston lobster prices are in decline, especially the small ones. Though the demand is greater for the large ones, it is difficult to source any, importers say. The price contraction of live seafood such as Boston lobsters and box crab has begun after the Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day) on August 17 ...

Chinese Demand for Russian King Crab Reshaping Crab Market

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Eugene Gerden - September 17, 2018

Exports of Russian king crab to China have skyrocketed during the first seven months of the this year, due to the ever-growing Chinese demand and the launch of new delivery routes, according to Russian Rosrybolovstvo and senior officials from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture.

Kamchatka crab exports to China during the period of January-July grew by 5.6 times, compared to the same period of last year. The total value of these exports is up to ...

NMFS, ENGOs Agree to Deadlines for Humpback Whale Habitat Designations off West Coast

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - August 28, 2018

The Center for Biological Diversity, Turtle Island Restoration Network and Wishtoyo Foundation reached a settlement with the National Marine Fisheries Service last week to protect humpback whale habitat in the Pacific Ocean. the Center said the whales face threats from fisheries, ship strikes and oil spills.

The agreement, filed in federal district court in San Francisco, requires the National Marine Fisheries Service to follow the Endangered Species Act’s requirement to designate critical habitat ...

California Crab Disaster Relief Plan Slowly Moves Forward

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - August 22, 2018

Dungeness and rock crab fishermen and processors are eagerly awaiting California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission decisions on $28 million of disaster funding.

CDFW submitted a proposed plan to the Commission on July 20, after taking input from industry during a July 18 webinar. The proposed plan includes:

• 10 percent for mitigation: This part of the fund would be used for competitive research grants and to expand the capabilities and infrastructure for monitoring and testing for harmful algal blooms. Some of this could include ...

Mining Operations Threaten Fishing Operations at Russian West Kamchatka Region

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Eugene Gerden - August 17, 2018

Major Russian Kamchatka-region fish harvests may drop this year thanks to investment in another natural resource: mining.

Global mining companies have announced plans to start the production of minerals close to the West Kamchatka shelf as well as peripheral areas of the Peninsula.

For example, Indian energy holding company Tata Power -- India's largest integrated power company, according to its website -- has recently completed its plans to build a new port on the Sea of Okhotsk on the western coast of Kamchatka. The company's ...

Pacific Seafood Opens New, State-of-the-Art Plant in Warrenton, Oregon

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - August 15, 2018

Five years of planning and hard work and Pacific Seafood returns to Warrenton, Ore., with a brand new seafood processing facility on the banks of the Skipanon River.

Pacific Seafood CEO Frank Dulcich, along with state Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, and Warrenton Mayor Henry Balensifer, officially re-opened Pacific Seafood's new Warrenton plant during a ceremony celebrating the vibrant coastal fishing community Tuesday.

The original processing facility and dock, built in 1941 and acquired by Pacific Seafood in 1983, burned down in ...

Taste Test: What Do The New Lay’s Lobster Roll and Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice Chips Taste Like?

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - August 3, 2018

Last month Lay’s announced that they were rolling out eight new chip flavors as part of their “Tastes of America” program. When SeafoodNews learned that two of those chip flavors were seafood-inspired, we knew that we had to get our hands on them.

Lay’s sent SeafoodNews bags of the New England Lobster Roll and Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice chips to try and we were instantly hooked. But do they taste like the real deal?

Russian Ex-senator Alexander Verkhovsky Becomes Second Largest Fishery Quota Holder

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Eugene Gerden - July 11, 2018

The largest deal since 2013 was officially closed on the Russian fish market Tuesday. The Sakhalin Island company, a Russian fish producer owned by ex-senator Alexander Verkhovsky, acquired the Preobrazhensky Base of Trawl Fleet (PBTF), one of Russia’s largest fish producers, from the family of Sakhalin governors Oleg Kozhemyaka.

The deal, which is estimated at US $430 million, made Verkhovsky the second largest holder of fishing quotas in Russia after the Norebo Group (Karat), which ...

Russian Fishery Company Sets Plan to Build New Crab Vessels in Russia to Utilize Quota

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - July 9, 2018

Russian Fish Company announced that it will be building new crab vessels in Russia to utilize crab quotas.  

The project is being done by its operating company PrimCrab, which is signing an agreement with Nautic Rus, a ship design company, to design and build new crab vessels within Russia.

"Vessels that we plan to build will meet all modern requirements, both in the field of technical equipment, and in terms of safety and environmental performance, - PrimCrab CEO Alexander Kirichenko commented.

The company plans to build up to 10 crabbers...

Data Shows Increase in Vietnam Border Trade and Likely Uptick in Smuggling

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Chinaeel] translated by Amy Zhong - July 6, 2018

Statistics from Vietnam show the country has imported seafood worth more than $163 million USD in May, which is an increase of 29 percent from that of April and an increase of 60 percent compared with the same period last year. This means the import value is close to $698 million USD within the first five months this year, which is an increase of 33 percent compared with the same period last year ...

Russian Crab Producers Cancel New Vessel Contracts Ahead of Potential Quota Changes

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Eugene Gerden - July 3, 2018

Russian leading crab producers have started to cancel contracts with domestic shipbuilding corporations due to uncertainty in crab quota distributions.

by cancellations as crab quotas become uncertain for traditional producers. talk about cancelled vessel contracts.

That uncertainty is mainly due to the recent decision of vice prime-minister Alexei Gordeyev, the new curator of the agro-industrial complex and fishery in the Russian government, to support the idea of distribution of crab quotas ...

Commerce Department Announces Fishery Disaster Funding Allocations

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - June 21, 2018

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced Wednesday the allocations of $200 million of disaster funding for nine fisheries, including those affected by hurricanes and others on the West Coast and Alaska.

Some of the fishery failures go back to 2014 and 2015.

"Last year, American fishing communities across the Gulf and Caribbean were devastated by some of the most destructive hurricanes in recent memory, while Pacific fisheries have suffered from years of hardship," Secretary Ross said in a press release. "This administration stands shoulder to shoulder with these communities as they prove their ...

Alibaba Has Plans to Become the One of the Biggest Retail and Online Seafood Players in China

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Finance/YQ] translated by Amy Zhong - June 1, 2018

Recently the CEO for Alibaba’s Hema Fresh, the new retail giant, visited Guolian for a discussion about market trends and the possibility of cooperation, which could give both companies the opportunity to share resources and complement each other. In their discussions, Hou, the CEO, proposed Guolian could focus on the development of upstream products, while Hema would be in charge of the sales. Together, they could provide consumers with fresh, healthy and ...

Qingdao Tariff Reduction on Russian King Crab Has Resulted in Higher Demand in China

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Bandao] translated by Amy Zhong - May 24, 2018

Qingdao recently received a batch of Russian king crab with a total weight of 2.3 tons, and these king crab are distributed to seafood markets all over China shortly after customs clearance.

Qingdao’s tariff rate of live king crab dropped from the previous 14 percent to the current 7 percent at the end of 2017. This new regulation is beneficial to seafood importers, said Shao, the deputy general manager for Shangdong ...

Some Puget Sound Tribal Dungeness Crab Fisheries Will Remain Closed This Year

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - May 11, 2018

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Thursday that two marine areas in south Puget Sound will not open for crab fishing this summer to allow Dungeness crab populations to rebuild.

Tribal commercial crab fisheries will remain closed in marine areas 11 (Tacoma/Vashon Island) and 13 (south Puget Sound) this summer. Recreational crab fisheries also will not open in those areas this year.

State and tribal co-managers are developing crabbing seasons for the ...

Lobsters Boost Wuhan Hema Grand Opening; Hema Plans Additional Stores

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [HBtv] translated by Amy Zhong - May 7, 2018

Hema’s first store in Wuhan was open for business on April 28 and large quantities of locals waiting outside rushed into the store to grab Boston lobsters priced at 98 yuan (~$15.43 USD) each. Store staff replenished the lobster tanks four times in half a day and the store had to limit entry of consumers within half an hour of the opening. Apart from lobsters, other seafood like crayfish and frozen salmon from Norway were also widely received ...

West Coast Fisheries Worried El Nino Likely to Return in 2018-19

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - August 30, 2018

As salmon and tuna seasons wind down and Dungeness crabbers start thinking about the winter fishery on the West Coast, some wonder: Will El Niño return?

Recent news articles have reported a 70 percent chance of warm waters in the equatorial Pacific will affect the West Coast.

On land, that could mean a dry winter coming after a summer and fall in which smoke from wildfires filled the skies in the West. On the ocean, it could mean ...

Study Investigates Shortcoming of ITQ Systems For Fisheries

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - August 23, 2018

Individual transferable quota systems for fisheries around the world may be ideal for some fisheries, but they can exclude rural, indigenous, low-income and next-generation fishermen from the industry, according to a new paper co-authored by a University of Alaska Fairbanks professor.

"ITQs are being advocated across the board without much reflection on what individual fisheries need," College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences professor Courtney Carothers said in a press release. "ITQs might work well for some big industrial fisheries, but, for small-scale fisheries, ...

Big in Japan: Scotland’s Seafood Heavyweights Look to Scale Up Exports

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers

A contingent of Scottish seafood companies hope to build on growing international exports when they visit Japan this week.

At £944 million (~$1.2 million USD), Scottish seafood international exports rose by 23 percent last year, and several companies heading to the Japan Seafood Expo 2018 want to continue the trend. The group includes, for the first time, some of the biggest companies in the sector, making this year’s delegation the largest yet in terms of ...

Russia Company Plans Increase in Deep Water Crab Harvests

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Eugene Gerden - August 15, 2018

Vostok-1 Fishery Farm, one of Russia’s leading fishing companies that operates at deep ocean depths, plans to significantly increase the volume of deep-sea crab and fish harvests this year, according to the company.

As part of these plans, the company is going to conduct modernization of its fishing fleet, that will allow it to operate at the depths of 2,500 meters.

Alexander Slizkin, a scientific consultant of the Pacific Research Fishing Center (TINRO-center), one of Russia’s leading fishing research institutions ...

Dungeness Crab Prices Rise in China; US Shippers Shut Out by Tariffs

SEAFOODNEWS [FishFirst] translated by Amy Zhong - August 13, 2018

The price of large Dungeness crab increased twice within one day and reached as high as 110 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kg; $31.92/kg USD) in some regions. As statistics from August 5 show, live Dungeness crab are sold at about 110 yuan/jin in both Beijing and Guangzhou. The prices even exceed 110 yuan/jin in some second-tier cities. The price increase has lasted more than one month and they have risen to such ...

New Russian State Producer Could Pose Direct Competition to Traditional Fishing Companies

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Eugene Gerden – July 31, 2018

A new state-owned fish producer may soon be established in Russia, according to recent statements of some leading Russian fish producers and sources in Rosrybolovstvo. It could hold a large number of fish quotas available in the Russian fish market and compete with the current market leaders.

The new fish producer will be established on the basis of the already existing FSUE "Natrbresource," a state enterprise that operates coastal port facilities in several regions of Russia, including the Kaliningrad Sea Fishing Port, as well as ...

Crabfest Returns to Red Lobster with New Stuffed Dishes

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - July 9, 2018

There’s only one reason to be crabby over the summer – Red Lobster’s Crabfest.

The fan-favorite dining event is back at the seafood chain for a limited amount of time, and customers can indulge in the largest variety of crab offered at Red Lobster all year.

“During Crabfest, our guests get the unique opportunity to explore a variety of different types of crab, all on one plate,” Red Lobster Executive Chef and Director of Culinary, Dustin Hilinski, said in a press release ...

CDFW Launches E-tix Commercial Landings System One Year Ahead of Mandatory Electronic Reporting

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - July 9, 2018

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently announced the availability of E-tix, a new electronic reporting system for commercial fishery landings that came online July 1. With the cooperation of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, the E-tix application has been adapted to allow electronic reporting of all California landing records, CDFW said in a statement.

Since 1933, CDFW has relied on paper landing receipts that over the years expanded to ...

Summer Reading: Check Out 16 Must-Read Fishing and Seafood Books 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Mary Kelly McQuarrie - July 3, 2018

Summer is here and there’s no better way to spend a day on the beach than reading a book you can’t put down. SeafoodNews has compiled a list of top books about seafood and fishing that are bound to catch your attention. Check them out below:

1. Cousins Maine Lobster: How One Food Truck Became a Multimillion-Dollar Business by Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac is a business book that follows the journey of cousins whose Lobster food truck became an overnight sensation in Maine. This book came out in April 2018, in just ...

Commerce Department Announces $200 Million Fishery Disaster Funding Allocations 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - June 21, 2018

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced Wednesday the allocations of $200 million of disaster funding for nine fisheries, including those affected by hurricanes and others on the West Coast and Alaska.

Some of the fishery failures go back to 2014 and 2015.

"Last year, American fishing communities across the Gulf and Caribbean were devastated by some of the most destructive hurricanes in recent memory, while Pacific fisheries have suffered from years of hardship," Secretary Ross said in a press release. "This administration stands shoulder to shoulder with these communities as they prove their strength 

June Alaska Fishing Updates: Tough Start for Salmon Season

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio with Laine Welch] - June 6, 2018

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Salmon gets off to a slow start with other fisheries going on across the state.

It’s been a tough start so for Alaska’s salmon season.

Fisheries are set to open throughout the month and they will hopefully fare better than at Copper River.

Fishing for sockeyes and kings has been so poor there that only three openers have occurred so far, down by half. At first it seemed like ...

Oishi Group Expanding into Ready-to-Cook Meals with Frozen Alaska Crab, Salmon 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - May 31, 2018

Oishi Group is looking to expand into the ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat food market after seeing the demand for frozen ready meals in Northern America and Western Europe. The company debuted a variety of new products at THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2019, held in Thailand from May 29 to June 2.

“In recent years, ready-to-eat frozen meals are becoming more and more important in the way people live and work ...

Qingdao Plans Construction of 3 More Fisheries Economic Zones, Improving Local Access to Seafood

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Shuichan] translated by Amy Zhong - May 21, 2018

China’s National Development and Reform Commission and its Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently issued a plan to promote the construction in 10 coastal harbor regions as well as 93 fisheries economic zones. Qingdao plans to establish three such economic zones, which are located in Jiaozhou Bay on the western coast of Qingdao, as well as in the area from Jimo to Laoshan.

The plan states the 10 harbor regions will be located in Liaodong Peninsula, Bohai Bay, Shandong ...

Low Share of Aquaculture Continues to Drive Russian Fish Exports

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Eugene Gerden - May 8, 2018

Russia plans to continue to increase its exports of fish and seafood abroad in years to come, according to recent statements of some leading Russian fish producers and senior state officials.

In 2017, fish and seafood accounted for about 17 percent in the overall structure of food and agricultural products out of Russia. The main export position in this segment was frozen fish. After the decline in 2014 (up to 1.1 million tons), the country's exports has been growing for ...