Data on Alaska Fish Catches, Prices, Processor Sales by AK Region

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

One click will take you to a site that can tell you all you need to know about prices and landings for nearly every Alaska fish species by region, how much was processed and into what products, and what processors 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 the early 1980s.

For salmon, charts and graphs show...

VIDEO: Industry Mourns Crab Fishermen; FDA Update; Mazzetta’s New Shrimp Line and More

Watch the latest Seafood News Weekly Recap with hosts Amanda Buckle and Laura Zinger. This week we talk about the fishing industry mourning the deaths of Oregon crab fishermen; the FDA’s food safety inspections during the government shutdown; the latest on the Chicken of the Sea tuna price-fixing lawsuit; and Mazzetta’s new shrimp line.

This video is sponsored by Urner Barry’s Reporter, the quarterly newsmagazine for the food industry professional packed with the latest industry headlines, analysis and trending articles...

Mazzetta Company Introduces New Line of Shrimp

Mazzetta Company announced on Tuesday the introduction of Oishii, a new product line that will “surpass the standards of the current shrimp industry.” Pronounced oh-ee-shee, the new line means “delicious” in Japanese and is 100% chemical free with no added hormones, phosphates, antibiotics or artificial preservatives.

According to a news release from Mazzetta, their Oishii shrimp go from “swimming to frozen within four hours” due to the close proximity of their shrimp farms to their production facilities. The Oishi shrimp is farmed in lined ponds...

tru Shrimp Company Building Facility in Madison, South Dakota

The tru Shrimp Company announced that they are [planning to build their first shrimp production facility in Madison, South Dakota.

“We are excited to be working with the City of Madison and the Lake Area Improvement Corporation in bringing safe and sustainable shrimp to the U.S. consumer,” tru Shrimp president and CEO Michael Ziebell said in a press release. “Though we’re headquartered in Minnesota, tru Shrimp is truly a Midwest company. Building our first Harbor in Madison reaffirms our commitment to the broader region...

Texas Shrimp Producer NaturalShrimp Receives U.S. Patent For Vibrio Suppression Technology System

Texas shrimp producer NaturalShrimp announced on Thursday that the they have received a U.S. Patent for the Vibrio Suppression Technology system that they co-developed with F&T Water Solutions.

NaturalShrimp and F&T Water Solutions’ Recirculating Aquaculture System and Treatment Method for Aquatic Species was developed for the first commercially viable system for growing aquatic species indoors. The system not only automatically controls ammonia, bacteria and solids, but feed quality as well. It eliminates bacteria and other harmful organisms to allow shrimp to “grow and thrive in an indoor all-natural environment.”

China Cuts Tariffs on Some Seafood Imported from Countries Other Than the U.S.

According to an announcement from China’s Ministry of Finance, the country has lowered tariffs on commodities imported from New Zealand, Peru, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Iceland, South Korea, Australia, Georgia and members of the Asian Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA). These new tariffs went into effect on January 1.

The official list includes about 300 types of seafood products.

The tariffs have dropped to zero on many seafood items from some countries mentioned above and on all seafood products produced in Hong Kong and Macao...

NOAA, CBP Implement ‘Informed Compliance’ Period for Shrimp and Abalone SIMP Data

While parts of the U.S. Government are closed due to the shutdown, NOAA Fisheries announced that they have implemented a period of “informed compliance” for submission of SIMP data for shrimp and abalone. The compliance provisions, which are in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, start December 31, 2018 and run through March 1, 2019.

According to NOAA, it will be mandatory for foreign shrimp products to be accompanied by harvest and landing data beginning December 31. In addition, importers will have to maintain ...

Weight Watchers Partners with Blue Apron, Introduces New Tilapia and Shrimp Dishes

Eating seafood while dieting just got a whole lot easier. Weight Watchers (WW) announced on Thursday that they have entered into a new partnership with home delivery meal kit company Blue Apron to bring a weekly rotation of recipes inspired by the WW Freestyle program.

“This partnership is all about bringing delicious, inspiring meals directly to your home,” WW President of North America Stacey Mowbray said in a statement. “The recipes – based on WW Freestyle, our most effective and livable program to date – make cooking at home simpler...

Argentina, Ecuador Shrimp Thriving in China, but Some Domestic Producers Face Difficulties

China’s seafood imports have enjoyed a great increase this year. For example, Ningbo has imported 164.6 tons of frozen seafood worth $1.37 million USD so far this year, according to local customs figures. The import volume skyrocketed by 27 times compared with the same period last year, while the value grew by 20 times. It has worked hard to improve fresh food import clearance times -- and those times have been reduced by about 50 percent, according to customs staff. On the morning of Dec. 7, Ningbo welcomed ...

NMFS Releases Latest Fisheries of US Report; Alaska On Top for Volume, Value

Alaska topped the U.S. in commercial fisheries landings and value in 2017, according to the latest Fisheries of the United States 2017 report released this week by NOAA.

While Alaska's 6 billion pounds of landings generating $1.8 billion led the nation, fishing and seafood consumption increased across the board last year. Landings and value of U.S. fisheries continued a strong, positive trend, according to NOAA. Fishermen landed 9.9 billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 2017, while the U.S. imported 5.9 billion pounds of seafood, up 1.6 percent.

Given the increases in ...

BAP Seafood Officially Launches in Japanese Market

Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certified seafood is available in Japan. According to the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), shrimp and pangasius from BAP certified facilities is now being sold at the employee cafeteria at Japanese electronics manufacturer Hitachi.

“The importance of sustainable seafood sourcing policies is rapidly progressing in Japan,” Global Aquaculture Alliance VP Steve Hart said in a statement. “That’s why we are excited to make this the first official launch of BAP in the Japanese market.”

Hitachi is working with its food service provider...

Total FDA Refusals Decrease Slightly in November 2018

Total refusals of shipments decreased 1.6% from November 2017 to November 2018. Year-to-date there are 61 line item refusals compared to 62 at this time last year.

Tuna had the biggest YTD increase in November, with 203 line item refusals compared to 135 at this time last year; a 50.4% increase. Mahi Mahi refusals also increased, with 168 YTD compared to 126 last year YTD.

Unclassified fish, tilapia, lobster, snapper and shrimp are all down YTD. Unclassified fish had a 64.4% drop...

Shrimp Continues to Pour into the US, With Another Record Year for Imports Likely

The latest shrimp import numbers confirm that 2018 will likely be the 5th year of record shrimp imports into the US.

Through October, the US has imported 1.247 billion pounds of shrimp, which is 5% over the figure from October, 2017.

In the last five years, the total volume of shrimp imports has risen 35.6%.

In 2018, the bulk of the increase was in cooked shrimp, and in peeled raw shrimp.  HLSO volumes have been relatively flat...

ANALYSIS: Will Retail Features Keep Increasing Heading into the Holiday Season?

After the traditionally slow pre-Thanksgiving period for seafood promotions, things look to come back with a roar for the holidays. Most of the major seafood retail items, except for salmon and tilapia, are trading at lower prices than last year in December. And both salmon and tilapia have positives that may support more retail promotions over the holidays. For salmon, it is the higher prices of whitefish, that make it a more attractive staple. For tilapia, it is the heavy buying ahead of Chinese tariffs that...

SeaPak Pushing New On-The-Go Shrimp Cocktail During Busy Holiday Season  

The holidays are notoriously a stressful and busy time of the year. Fortunately, SeaPak is making it easy to snack while on the run with their new protein-packed On-the-Go Shrimp Cocktail.

“When we began creating our On-the-Go products, we wanted to make something really unique that would allow our seafood-loving fans to chillax and refuel anytime, anywhere,” Leslie Harris Thomas, marketing manager at SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Co. said in a press release...

LISTEN: Center for Bio Diversity Sues Trump Admin, New AquaBounty CEO and More 

This week on the Seafood News podcast co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione discuss the Center for Biological Diversity suing the Trump Administration, Aqua Bounty Technologies appoints new CEO and Executive Director, October 2018 Shrimp Harvest in Gulf of Mexico lowest recorded, more Carlos Rafael News, Biodegradable plastic from lobster and crab shells and more!

The Seafood News podcast is available to download for free via SoundClound and iTunes.

This episode was sponsored by Urner Barry’s Reporter Magazine , the quarterly newsmagazine for the food industry professional ...

Mari Signum Commercial Chitin Extraction Plant Transforming Shrimp Shells

Mari Signum-Mid Atlantic is using their environmentally responsible commercial Chitin extraction plant to transform shrimp shells into “one of the most important substances for human and the planet’s health.”

According to a news release, the company’s technology uses “environmentally benign Ionic Liquids in a recirculating system.” This process, which was developed at the University of Alabama and is exclusive to Mari Signum, replaces the reliance on toxic petrochemicals. Traditional Chitin extraction, also known as pulping, is generally forbidden in the Western Hemisphere, and uses...

Shrimp From Ecuador to Re-Enter Brazil After Over Seven Month Suspension

Ecuadorian shrimp will finally be able to re-enter Brazil after a more than seven month long suspension.

In early 2018 domestic shrimp producers in Brazil called for imports of Ecuador shrimp to be suspended to “avoid risks to human health.” Brazil attorney general Raquel Elias Ferreira Dodge agreed with the request for suspending the imports, saying that continued imports of Ecuadorian shrimp posed environmental risks to Brazil. In June Minister Carmen Lucia, president of Brazil’s Supreme Court, ruled that...

Total FDA Refusals Decrease Over 25% in December 2018

Total refusals of shipments decreased 25.7% from December 2017 to December 2018. Year-to-date there are 78 line item refusals compared to 105 at this time last year.

Tuna had the biggest YTD increase in December, with 243 line item refusals compared to 156 at this time last year; a 55.8% increase. Mahi Mahi refusals also increased, with 172 YTD compared to 137 last year YTD. Snapper stayed the same, with 59 line item refusals last year and YTD this year...

China's Seafood Smuggling Crackdown Successes Ushers Shrimp Industry into New Era

According to the Hebei government on Dec. 25, 2018, local customs cracked down on a smuggling case of frozen seafood in late October of 2018. Two gangs were broken up and 11 suspects have been held in custody so far. This case involves 15,500 tons of frozen seafood and tax evasion of 111 million yuan (~$16.51 million USD). Its value reaches 889 million yuan (~$129.4 million USD), which is higher than all the other cases customs has seized...

Stricter Customs in China Forces Ecuador White Shrimp Prices to Rise; Ecuador Pushes for Zero Tariffs

White shrimp from Ecuador have done well in the Chinese market within the past few years. Their sales have skyrocketed in this year’s online shopping carnival. And with China’s rising demand, large quantities have been smuggled into the country through Vietnam during the first half year, though China has worked hard to crack down on smuggling and promote legal imports.

The cost is still higher for legal importers who have only paid 2 percent tariffs now, because the value-added tax is high...

Stavis Seafoods’ BOS’N Brand to Include Full Line of Argentine Red Shrimp Products

Stavis Seafoods is expanding their BOS’N brand. The company announced that their BOS’N line will now include a full line of Argentine Red Shrimp products.

According to Stavis, new additions to the BOS’N line include retail and foodservice packs of Peeled & Deveined, Easy-to-Peel and Headless, Shell-On Argentine Red Shrimp. The line previously included various cooked and raw P&D White Shrimp and Black Tiger Shrimp, as well as a Cold Water Shrimp option.” The shrimp is harvested on...

SeaPak Makes Holiday Party Planning Easier with New Parmesan Shrimp and Spinach Bites

SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Co. is making it easier than ever to have a stress-free holiday thanks to their new Parmesan Shrimp & Spinach Bites.

The new product from SeaPak is a “poppable finger food” featuring shrimp, spinach and cheese in a crispy parmesan, Romano and Italian herb breading. The bite size appetizer features 13 grams of protein per serving, and are “practically effortless” to prepare.

“One thing we hear from our seafood-loving fans time and time again is their desire for more handheld appetizer options...

China Cracks Down on Smuggling and Improves Logistics for Legal Imports

Smuggling has been haunting China’s seafood industry for a long time, and the country's customs bureaus have decided to take stricter measures to eradicate the problem. They have recently cracked down on a series of smuggling cases through cooperation with other departments.

For example, customs bureaus in China’s nine cities like Tianjin, Shenyang, Shanghai, Qingdao, Zhanjiang and Nanning have taken action together and broken up 16 smuggling gangs in China. This case involved 30,700 tons of frozen seafood and its value was about 1.45 billion yuan...

Per Capita Seafood Consumption Highest Since 2008, with Gains in Shrimp, Salmon, Cod

NFI has released their annual compilation of the top ten seafoods consumed in the US on the day that NOAA is finally releasing its Fisheries of the United States for 2017.

Overall, Americans ate 16.0 pounds of edible seafood per person in 2017, a big jump from 14.9 pounds in 2016.  The percentage gain is 7.4%.  NOAA uses a disappearance model, so it does not account for seafood inventory holdings that carry over from year to year.

This is the highest per capita number since 2008...

Russia Seeks to Diversify and Increase Efforts with Coldwater Shrimp

Russian leading fish producers are considering diversifying their activities into areas that have been previously uncommon for them -- such as coldwater shrimp -- according to recent statements of producers and some market analysts in the field of fish business.

Producers say due forthcoming reforms in the Russian fish industry and the introduction of auctions that will replace the existing historical scheme of quota distribution, forces them to pay more attention to new directions for business, even though they could be less profitable than pollock and crab production but more reliable.

According to producers, many ...

LISTEN: Seafood Retail Features Analysis; 2019-20 Scallop Plan; Thai Union's Lobster Lab and More

Join Seafood News staff writer Amanda Buckle and Urner Barry seafood market reporter Lorin Castiglione for a new episode of the SeafoodNews Podcast. This week on the podcast we take a look at seafood retail features, discuss the 2019-20 scallop plan, talk about Thai Union's Lobster Lab and much more.

This week’s episode is brought to you by Urner Barry’s Reporter, the quarterly newsmagazine for the food industry professional packed with the latest industry headlines, analysis and trending articles...

Use of Autofeeders is Dramatically Increasing Shrimp Growth, Say Researchers

With the world awash in shrimp as farmers react to the last high price cycle, it is important to remember that technology is pushing up global shrimp production as much or more than simple increases in hectares under cultivation.

This was brought home by a recent study on autofeeders, in the journal Aquaculture for January, 2019.

Researchers Carter Ullman and others from Auburn University did a controlled trial of several types of feeding using autofeeders in shrimp ponds and compared it to the standard twice a day...

BioMar Increasing Capacity At Ecuador Shrimp Feed Factory

BioMar announced on Tuesday that they will be increasing the capacity of their shrimp feed factory in Ecuador by 2020. According to a press release from the company, a new extrusion line will “add approximately 40,000 tons capacity.”

“We have experienced a strong growth in Ecuador since the acquisition of Alimentsa in 2017 and we currently operate at our capacity limit,” Henrik Aarestrup, BioMar Group’s VP of Emerging markets, said in a press release. “For our customers the new line will mean increased flexibility and increased choice...

Avanti Feeds Suffers Reverses Due to Low Shrimp Prices, 20% Drop in Output

Avanti Feeds, India’s largest shrimp feed producer, has been trading on the Indian stock exchange since 2011.

This year is its worst year ever with the value of the company falling 59%.

With Indian shrimp prices in the US now down more than 20%, farm gate prices in India have tumbled as well.  80% of Avanti’s business comes from sales of shrimp feed, and only 20% from sales of processed shrimp.

Avanti says that shrimp output has dropped 20 to 25% year over year, based on...