Japan’s H1 Surimi Imports Up 8.6% 

Japan’s Ministry of Finance recently announced that surimi imports in June 2024 were 16,079 tons, a slight decrease of 0.6% compared to the previous year.

According to Kamaboko News, imports from the United States were 6,585 tons, a decrease of 0.9% compared to the previous year, while imports from Thailand, Argentina and Indonesia increased by 34.3% to 1,182 tons, 18.9% to 573 tons, and 7.1% to 105 tons, respectively. Imports from Russia were 1,377 tons, an increase of 2.5%.

Imports from Southeast Asia included:

- An 8.4% decrease to 1,380 tons from...

Japan: May Surimi Products Output Lags Again by 4.4% to 33,325 Tons

Japan’s Food Supply and Demand Research Center recently announced the production volume of surimi products in May 2024, which was 33,325 tons. This was a decrease of 4.4% from the previous year and marked the fifth consecutive month of decline since the beginning of this year.

Looking by product, only ita-kamaboko (steamed products on wooden board) increased slightly by 0.6%, but other products all showed declines and sluggish performance. Chikuwa grilled tube decreased by 2.5%, pre-packaged kamaboko by 42.2%, naruto steamed sticks and...

EU Considering Tightening Ban on Seafood Imports From Russia

The EU will consider tightening the ban on seafood imports from Russia as part of a new package of sanctions against the country, according to recent reports from both European and Russian media.

In spring 2022, the EU imposed a ban on the supply of Russian seafood, caviar and crustaceans. However, some Baltic countries insist on restrictions on the import of Russian fresh fish and fish products. 

Thus, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Sweden are currently demanding a ban on the imports of cod, herring, sprat, and other fish from...

Long John Silver’s Launches New Value Promotion Featuring Alaska Pollock

Long John Silver’s is offering up a deal that is sure to make waves this summer. The quick service seafood chain has launched a new great value promotion and side menu item: $6 fish baskets featuring two pieces of battered wild-caught Alaska pollock, including two golden hushpuppies and a choice of a side — like Long John Silver’s new crispy waffle fries.

“At Long John Silver’s, we are committed to providing our customers with convenient, affordable, high-quality seafood,” says Christopher Caudill, senior vice president of marketing and...

U.S. Authorities Lobbying For MSC to Ban Russia

According to some Russian media reports,, U.S. authorities are lobbying for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to ban Russia from using the international environmental certificate for fishing.

As the Russian RBC business paper has recently reported,a group of American senators appealed to the MSC to ban the use of the international environmental fisheries certificate by Russian fishermen. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Merkausky (from Alaska), as well as senators Susan Collins and Angus Stanley King Jr. (from Maine), reportedly sent a letter with such demands to the...

May Surimi Production in Hokkaido Reaches 1429 Tons, Up 48% From Last Year

The National Surimi Manufacturers Association announced on June 25 the total amount of land-based surimi produced in Hokkaido in May 2024 at 1,429 tons, up 48% from the same month last year. The volume was broken down into 1,399 tons of Alaska pollock surimi, up 60% from the same month last year, and 20 tons of Atka mackerel surimi, down 59% from the same month last year, according to the Kamaboko News.

The total from January to May was 3,110 tons, an 8%...

Russia Plans Further Increase of Pollock Supplies to China

Russia plans to further increase supplies of its pollock to China as the demand for the fish in the Chinese market and its consumption is steadily growing. 

Currently Russia is the second largest supplier of fish to China, after Ecuador. In value terms, exports of Russian fish to China in 2023 reached US $2.9 billion. Of this, about $1.6 billion accounted for frozen fish and $1.2 billion from crustaceans.

According to the Russian Sfera FM business paper, citing the Russian Pollock Association, at present there...

Move Over, Grasshoppers. Wild Alaska Pollock Is Coming To T-Mobile Park

Move over, grasshoppers. There’s a new must-have food at T-Mobile Park.

A new partnership between the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) and the Seattle Mariners will bring Wild Alaska pollock fish tacos to Major League Baseball. Beginning June 28, baseball fans will be able to find the fish at Edgar’s Cantina, as well as in other locations and clubs throughout the stadium.

“It’s a big deal to have a menu item at a major MLB stadium — not only for the sheer number of...

NFI President Lisa Wallenda Picard Responds to Peltola’s Bottom Trawl Clarity Act

On May 22 Alaska Representative Mary Peltola introduced a pair of bills designed to restrict bottom trawling and reduce bycatch. And one of them has garnered a response from National Fisheries Institute (NFI) President and CEO Lisa Wallenda Picard.

The first bill — the Bycatch Reduction and Mitigation Act — would authorize NOAA’s Bycatch Reduction and Engineering Program (BREP) to provide $10 million in funding for five years. The bill would also establish the Bycatch Mitigation Assistance Fund, administered by the National Fish and...

High Liner Foods and Trident Win USDA Alaska Pollock Purchase Request

On Thursday the USDA announced the purchase award winners for the May 3 invitation for Alaska pollock products. Both High Liner Foods and Trident Seafoods were awarded the contracts, which combined are worth $3,756.021.68.

High Liner was awarded a contract for 76,000 lbs of frozen Alaska pollock fillets (pkg 20/2 lb), 76,000 lbs of frozen Alaska pollock sticks (pkg 20/2 lb), and 836,000 lbs of frozen and breaded Alaska pollock sticks (40 lb carton). The contract total of 988,000 lbs is worth...

Tokai Denpun Predicts Russia's Surimi Production Will Double to 100,000 Tons in 2027

Yoshiharu Jinno, manager of the Surimi Group, Sales Department 2, of Tokai Denpun, gave a speech at an exhibition held by the company in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on May 24, where he presented his outlook for future surimi production in major countries. He predicted that Russia, a new producer of Alaska pollock surimi, will see its current production of about 40,000 tons grow two to three times to 100,000 tons in 2027. He also predicted that India, the world's fourth largest producer of...

Japan: Frozen Pollock Surimi Imports In 2023 Increase 19% to 10,866 Tons

In 2023, Japan's frozen Alaska pollock surimi imports totaled 109,866 tons; an increase of 19% from the previous year. The United States and Russia are the only countries producing pollock surimi for Japan, and the amount imported from the U.S. increased by 28% to 97,469 tons. In the same year, the total allowable catch (TAC) for pollock was increased, resulting in a significant 30% increase in imports.

On the other hand, the new producer, Russia, exported 12,397 tons to Japan; a decrease of 23%. It appears...

Russia Plans to Increase its Pollock and Crab Supplies to South Korea in Years to Come

Russia plans to increase its pollock supplies to South Korea in years to come and to make this country one of the largest consumers of Russian pollock.

So far, most of South Korea's pollock needs have been met by the supplies from Japan. However, due to discharge of water contaminated with radioactive substances from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, the volume of such supplies have significantly declined. As an alternative, imports of chilled pollock from the Russian Federation to the...

USDA Kicks Off May With Open Purchase Requests For Alaska Pollock, Catfish, Salmon and Walleye

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) kicked off the month of May with three seafood open purchase requests.

On May 2 a bid invitation went out for a total of 392,000 lbs of catfish products for use in domestic food distribution programs. According to the document, the USDA is seeking 152,000 lbs of catfish fillets (unbreaded, raw, pkg 20/2), and 240,000 lbs of catfish strips (breaded, oven ready, pkg 4/10). Offers are due by May 9, with acceptances set to...

Maruha Nichiro Estimates Worldwide Surimi Production in 2023 Reached 800,000 Tons

Ryota Masaki, General Manager of Maruha Nichiro's North American Division, delivered a compelling speech on April 24 after the Fish Protein Health Research Group general meeting in Minato-ku, Tokyo. He shared a company estimate that the world's total surimi production reached 800,000 tons in 2023. Masaki emphasized the dynamic changes in the supply and demand side of surimi, particularly the rapid increase in the production of Russian Pollock surimi, which is primarily imported into China. 

Consumption of Russian Pollock Surimi Soars in China

Masaki provided detailed...

ANALYSIS: 2024 Alaska Pollock ‘A’ Season Wraps Ahead of Seafood Expo Global

As the "A" Season for Alaska Pollock wraps up, this year's harvest data from the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands region reveals nuanced dynamics in the fisheries sector.

According to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) data, the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Bering Sea pollock in 2024 remained consistent with the previous year at 1,300,000 metric tons. Despite the static TAC, landings during the "A" season of 2024, currently available through the first week of April, totaled 533,633 metric tons, showing a modest decline from...

U.S. Surimi Producers Losing Competition to Russian Rivals in Global Market 

According to recent statements made by German Zverev, President of the All-Russian Association of Fishery Producers (VARPE), U.S. surimi producers are losing competition to Russian rivals in the global market, forcing them to use political tools to protect their interests. 

In a recent interview with the Russian Rossyiskay Gazeta business paper, Zverev responded to recent statements made by American Seafoods Group CEO Einar Gustafsson to Undercurrent News. Gustafsson called for a tougher trade war with Russian fishermen, being unhappy with the...

Russia Pollock Association: Country Number One In Pollock Production

Russia retained its global leadership in pollock production based on the results of the first half of 2024, according to the latest data, published by the Russian Pollock Association. 

In the first half of 2024, Russian fishermen caught more than 1.3 million tons of pollock, which is twice as much as the United States, Russia's main competitor.

Compared to the same period last year, pollock catch in Russia this year increased by 21,000 tons, or 1.6%. According to the forecast of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the...

ANALYSIS: Uncertainties Within Cod, Haddock, Pollock Amid Geopolitical And Economic Factors

The U.S. wholesale market for groundfish is currently experiencing a complex and unsettled environment. Despite pricing remaining relatively steady, the undertone across the sector is highly unsettled, reflecting a range of economic and geopolitical factors influencing market dynamics. With upwards pressure on the market, including but not limited to supply challenges driven by Russian sanctions and reduced quotas, as well as rising replacement, freight, and cold storage costs and availability, sluggish demand within the U.S. has tempered the upwards pressure on wholesale prices during the height of summer...

Russia Projects Surimi Production to Triple to 163,000 Tons by 2028

Full-scale production of Russian pollock surimi began in 2021 at modern onshore factories and high-sea processing vessels. According to Russia's leading pollock fishery company, Russian Fisheries Company (RFC), the country's surimi production is expected to surge to 163,000 tons in 2028; 3.5 times the actual production of about 47,000 tons in 2023. Surimi produced by the company is expected to account for 60% of the national total, at 98,000 tons (3.3 times the amount in 2023), Minato Shimbun reported.

Japan: Crab Sticks Processed with Sustainable Alaskan Surimi Go on Sale at 16,300 FamilyMart Stores

FamilyMart Co., Ltd. will release two crab-flavored surimi products, "Seafood Stick" and fish side dishes using wild seafood from Alaska. The sustainably fished products will be at approximately 16,300 FamilyMart stores nationwide from June 18, 2024, to coincide with "Sustainable Food Culture Day" on June 18, one of the international days designated by the United Nations, reported Kamaboko News.

In addition to the three products already on sale using wild seafood from Alaska, the target products will display the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute...

Russia Looking To Overtake The United States in Global Surimi Market

Russia is overtaking the United States in the global market of surimi by a sharp increase of domestic production.

According to recent statements from the president of the All-Russian Association of Fisheries, German Zverev, Russia's share in the global market of surimi from pollock in 2024 will increase by 5% - to 24%, versus 19% a year earlier.

According to data from the Russian Pollock Association (ADM), the global surimi market reached about 900,000 tons last year. Of this, surimi from warm-water fish species accounted for...

New Surimi Product Wrapping Plant-based Pollock Roe Goes on Sale

Kamaboko manufacturer Sanriku Fish Paste in Miyagi Prefecture has started selling a new product, "Tarakichi, Fresh Mentaiko-Style Kamaboko." This healthy product wraps a "mentaiko-style (artificial spicy pollock roe) paste" made with konjac in surimi kamaboko. Thanks to a retort sterilization process, it can be stored at room temperature.

According to the Minato Shimbun report, the paste was created in collaboration with Deats Food Planning of Tokyo, which develops plant-based food products. In pursuit of authenticity, the paste reproduces the taste and...

JAPAN: April Land-Based Surimi Production in Hokkaido Doubles to 717 Tons

The National Surimi Manufacturers Association announced on May 27 that the total amount of land-based surimi produced in Hokkaido in April 2024 was 717 tons, 99% higher than last year. It was broken down into 602 tons of Alaska pollock surimi, 236% higher than last year, and 10 tons of Atka mackerel surimi, 84% less than last year.

The cumulative total from January to April was 1,681 tons, 12% lower than last year. It was broken down into 1,463 tons of Alaska pollock, 5% lower than...

Trident Seafoods Will Operate Kodiak Plants Through ‘B’ Season

In a series of events that define the phrase “Timing is everything,” Trident Seafoods has announced it will continue to operate its Kodiak plant through the pollock “B” season. The news comes on the same day that Kodiak’s City Council and the Borough prepared a request for a federal emergency rule to allow a mothership processor to buy and process fish from Trident’s pollock fleet of 15-25 vessels this fall. 

Kodiak’s Hail Mary was well planned, not to mention well timed, for the North Pacific Fishery...

Japanese Convenience Store Chain to Sell Sushi Rolls with Alternative Sea Urchin, Ikura, Crab Meat

Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart Co., Ltd. will start selling "Daitai (Alternative) Seafood Sushi Rolls" for 398 yen ($2.53). The sushi offering, which uses alternative seafood such as sea urchin, ikura, and crab meat, will be available in the Kanto region's seven prefectures beginning May 28, 2024. The company announced that it will sell the sushi rolls at approximately 4,900 FamilyMart stores in Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, and Kanagawa prefectures, reported Kamaboko News.

The main ingredient of alternative sea urchins is...

Silver Bay Seafoods, Channel Fish and More Win Latest USDA Seafood Purchase Requests

Earlier this month the USDA issued a handful of bid invitations for seafood products, including catfish, salmon and walleye, and Alaska pollock. While offer invites for the Alaska pollock products ends today, the USDA has already announced the winners for the catfish, salmon and walleye products.

Looking first at catfish, the bid invitation from the USDA went out on May 2. The bid was for a total of 392,000 lbs of catfish products for use in domestic food distribution programs, including unbreaded raw fillets and...

Hokkaido Surimi Production Rebounded in March after Three Months

According to the National Surimi Manufacturers Association, Hokkaido land-based surimi production in March improved due to the impact of the significant increase in pollock catch over the previous year.

According to a report by Suisan Keizai Shimbun, the production volume of pollock surimi in March was 160 tons, an increase of 12.7% compared to the same month last year, while the production of Atka mackerel surimi was only 14 tons, a 70.2% decrease. Including some other surimi, total production increased by 5.0% to...

Russia Begins Preparations for 2025 Salmon Fishing Season

Russia has begun preparations for the 2025 salmon fishing season. According to preliminary forecasts made by Rosrybolovstvo during the recent Far Eastern Scientific Council in Vladivostok, the catch of Pacific salmon is expected to reach about 320,000 tonnes.

“All the work will be carried out as in previous years. Once again I want to say that 320,000 tonnes is still a preliminary forecast. I think it will increase,” said Ilya Shestakov, the head of Rosrybolovstvo. 

Of the 320,000 tonnes, 192,900 will account for pink salmon, while chum salmon will account for...

Russian Pollock Roe Auction In Busan Softening Due To Weak Yen And Other Factors

The bidding on new Russian-produced pollock roe has been slow, with some unsuccessful bids. The auction, held from April 16 to 18 in Busan, South Korea, featured listings of over 7,000 tons, with prices ranging from around $5/kg for STD (high grade) to $4/kg and above to mid-$3/kg for off-grade. Minato Shimbun reported that Japanese buyers have been cautious due to the rapid depreciation of the yen against the dollar, a factor that significantly impacts their...