Russia to Sell New 2025 Crab Quotas to Investors

The Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) has announced a tender for the distribution of crab quotas for a total sum of RUB 2.1 billion (US$26 million).  

Under the terms of the tender, the winner of the tender will build medium-tonnage fishing vessels over 50 meters long that are designed for crab catch.  

As for quotas, they will be for extracting red snow crab in the Primorye subzone (50%), red snow crab in the West Sakhalin subzone (50%), snow crab angulatus in the East Sakhalin subzone (50%) and...

FFAW Applauds Panel’s Decision on NL Snow Crab Price

According to a news release published yesterday afternoon by the Fish, Food & Allied Workers Union (FFAW), the Standing Fish Price-Setting Panel finally reached a decision on snow crab pricing for the 2025 season in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), ruling in favor of the FFAW’s proposed floor price of $4.97 per pound.

Per the Panel’s decision, the FFAW’s starting price was approved across the board, with an adjustment at the end of the season based on market performance, says FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street. The chosen floor price is...

NOAA Helps Two Alaskan Communities Solve Snow Crab Delivery Problem in Bering Sea

The Alaskan cities of Saint Paul and Unalaska, with an assist from the agency that manages federal fisheries in the national Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), may now process 1.5 million pounds of snow crab caught north of Saint Paul Island, at Unalaska, with tax benefits going to Saint Paul. 

Unalaska, near Dutch Harbor, is located on the Aleutian Chain. Two hundred miles northwest are the Pribilof Islands, the largest of which is Saint Paul, home of Trident Seafood’s large crab processing plant. That plant has been closed... 

Key NL Snow Crab Fishery Updates; ASP Clashes with NL Government Amid Season Delay

The season opening for Newfoundland and Labrador's (NL) 2025 snow crab fishery is still set for April 13, per a news release by the Fish, Food & Allied Workers Union's (FFAW), despite the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) application filing on March 28 with the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, seeking to revert the snow crab fishery’s season opening back to April 1.

In ASP’s same-day press release, ASP Executive Director Jeff Loder had called out the NL government for its political interference with the...

NL Snow Crab Fishery: Quota Rises, Protests Erupt, Prices Unresolved

It was a very, very busy weekend for the Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab fishery which featured a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) announcement, and update on dock price negotiations and protests.

The NL snow crab fishery received a 9% quota increase for the upcoming season. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced a 62,883 metric ton (t) quota, above 2024’s 57,568t mark and roughly 15% higher than 2023’s total. In February, the DFO showcased mostly good news for the snow crab fishery in the province, as Expana...

Snow Crab Quota Drops 28% in Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence for 2025

The 2025 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for snow crab in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence dipped to 18,334 metric tons (t), per a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) notice.

The quota is lower than 2024’s 25,710mt TAC but the drop off from last year’s quota was less dramatic than projections indicated earlier this year.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported last month that the DFO recommended a 33% quota cut for the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Instead, the quota dipped by about 28% in 2025...

NMFS Uses Early Genetic Detection Methods for Bitter Crab Disease Amid Low Bering Sea Crab Stocks

Amid unprecedented low abundance levels for Tanner crab and snow crab in the Bering Sea, scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS, or NOAA Fisheries) have been utilizing sensitive genetic detection methods to establish earlier detection of bitter crab disease.

The ailment, which has recently impacted the Bering Sea’s historically large Tanner crab and snow crab fisheries, is caused by microscopic parasites that infect crabs, leading to increased crab mortality rates. Infected crabs are known to taste bitter, hence the name of the disease.

NOAA scientists were able to use these...

A Major Paradigm Shift in King Crab and Shellfish Sector

As we enter the second month of 2025 we are witnessing a paradigm shift where king crab is taking over premium lobster tails as the "luxury" shellfish. Despite record-breaking prices, demand remains strong with consumers willing to support the continued price growth.

The record-high prices of 2024 have carried into 2025, with red and golden king crab reaching all-time highs. Total supply ----combining Alaska production and imports from Norway and Argentina ---declined again by over 7% from the prior year to just 7.7 million pounds...

GSMC 2025: A Look at Crab Market Narratives Including Tariffs, Russia and Supply

As the seafood industry navigates uncertainty in 2025, the conversations at GSMC revealed how global events, market trends, and policy shifts are shaping the future of shellfish, including crab. From tightening quotas in key fisheries to geopolitical pressures and evolving consumer preferences, the GSMC Shellfish Panel provided some key insights into what’s in store for crab this year.

Snow Crab

Roman Tkachenko, CEO of Direct Source Seafood, believed that snow crab hit its stride during the second half of the year after witnessing some lackluster demand...

Hodges: US Crab Sales are Strong with Limited Inventories

The year ended as it began, with strong retail support for snow crab. According to Urner Barry, April prices when the 2024 Canadian snow crab season began rose by 19% compared to the remarkable levels of 2023. Despite the higher prices, the trade perceived snow crab as being a strong value, leading to 78 million pounds being imported in the first three months of the season. Favorable import prices persisted throughout the summer and into fall.

Canada dominates the U.S. snow crab market, accounting for 91% of total snow crab imports through...

Japan: Russian Snow Crab Imports up 20% in January-October, Pushing Down US Imports by 30%

Snow crab imports are on the rise partly due to the influx of crab from the Barents Sea in Russia. According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, imports of frozen snow crab from January to October were 17,618 tons, up 20% from last year. Of that, imports from Russia were 11,564 tons, up 20%, reported Minato Shimbun.

The winning bid price at an auction in Busan, South Korea, for new frozen opilio snow crab from the Russian...

US Crab Prices Soar Amid Diminished Supply

The 2024 Canadian snow crab season began with prices in April up 19% compared to the already remarkable levels of 2023, according to Urner Barry by Expana. Despite the increase, these prices remained manageable for retail and food service sectors, holding steady throughout the summer and into September. However, as inventories dwindled, prices surged further, with Canadian snow crab now up over 40% compared to the same time period last year.

More than 90% of U.S. imports of Canadian snow crab occurred early in the season when prices were lower, which benefited retailers and...

Les Hodges: The Holiday Buying Season Begins with New Alaska Fisheries

The Alaska king and snow crab fisheries are underway, with all eyes looking north. This season, the red king crab quota has been raised by 7.5% to 2.310mm pounds. Meanwhile, tanner (or bairdi) snow crab has seen a remarkable increase, tripling last year's quota to 6.27 million pounds. Additionally, there's an unexpected opening for opilio snow crab, with a quota set at 4.720mm pounds. However, St. Mathew blue king crab and the Pribilof red and blue king crab remain closed.

Norway also announced 2025 quotas...

Bering Sea Snow, Tanner, and Bristol Bay Red King Crab TACs Announced, Season Opens Oct. 15

Bering Sea Snow crab will be open for the first time since 2021/22 and increased total allowable catches (TACs) will be in place for Bering Sea Tanner and Bristol Bay Red King Crab when seasons open for all three on Tuesday, October 15. The TACs, and evidence of the start of snow crab stock rebuilding are the results of last summer's trawl surveys conducted by NOAA Fisheries. 

Bering Sea Snow Crab

TAC for Bering Sea Snow Crab was set at 4.72 million pounds ...

Record U.S. Snow Crab Imports Surge Amid Strong Demand

Canada has harvested nearly 100,000 metric tons of snow crab during the 2024 season. Favorable prices have driven strong demand in the U.S., with the May imports of snow crab reaching a record 35.152 million pounds. This is the highest monthly total since 2019. The pace of U.S. snow crab imports from all sources exceeds the record-setting pace of 2023.

Through July the U.S. imports of snow crab from all sources have reached a record 110 million pounds, representing a 3.7% increase compared to last year. Canada remains the dominant...

NL Fisheries Minister Expresses Snow Crab Market Concerns Following Charge Against Quinlan Bros.

All eyes are once again on the snow crab industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. 

In late July charges were laid against Quinlan Brothers Ltd. of Bay de Verde for “processing dead snow crab and moving snow crab while under detention.” Robin Quinlan, President of Quinlan Brothers, was quick to respond to the charges in a press conference hosted by the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP). Quinlan and ASP say that the charges highlight issues around snow crab inspection regulations and quality...

Canadian Snow Crab Fishery Updates: NB Open Now, NL Opening April 10

New Brunswick’s fishery is underway

The Canadian snow crab season is officially underway in the province of New Brunswick (NB). As of 6 a.m. on April 5, snow crab fishermen from NB's Acadian Peninsula were permitted to put their traps in the sea.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans, this permission applied to zones 12 (12, 18, 25, and 26) and 12E in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

NB’s fishing season will go until the end of the day on June 30, when all fishermen must...

NL Snow Crab Fishery Still Set to Open April 13; FFAW Asks DFO for Biomass Information

In the latest update on Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab fishery delays, FFAW Negotiator and Policy Manager Ray Critch appeared in court yesterday morning to represent FFAW against the Association of Seafood Producers’ (ASP) Supreme Court application challenging Minister Gerry Byrne’s decision to move date of the snow crab Price-Setting Panel—initially set for March 29—to April 7.

According to a news release from the Fish, Food & Allied Workers Union’s (FFAW), a ruling will be made next week regarding the eligibility of...

NL Snow Crab Fishery Season Delayed, To Start One Week Late

Today, the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) snow crab fishery—initially set to open in most areas on April 1—announced that it would be delaying the start of the season by almost two weeks.

The announcement was first issued in the form of a letter written by the Honorable Gerry Byrne, Minister of the District of Corner Brook, and addressed to key representatives for the involved parties: FFAW-Unifor’s Dwan Street, ASP’s Jeff Loder, and Standing Fish Price-Setting Panel Chair Sheilagh Murphy.

According to the March 27 letter...

US-Canada Trade Tensions Loom Over Newfoundland Snow Crab Negotiations

FFAW-Unifor, a union representing fishermen throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, said negotiations with the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), a trade group representing processors and producers in the region, “have been productive.”

According to the FFAW, stronger snow crab market conditions compared to recent years have helped negotiations. The FFAW also noted the price increases in the Urner Barry by Expana price index.

“We have seen steady increases in the Urner Barry price index and inventory is not a factor. In fact, Urner Barry ceased quoting...

DFO Says NL Snow Crab Fishery in Good Shape, But Cautious on Long-Term Outlook as Season Draws Near

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) showcased mostly good news for the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) snow crab fishery in its latest stock assessment update. However, findings did indicate that the stock may see poor growth rates due to “unfavorable ecosystem conditions and low abundances of small snow crab observed in surveys.” 

The DFO indicated that stocks appear to sit at healthy levels, which may pave the way for a similar quota in 2025. Last year’s quota was...

Russian Snow Crab Weakens to $19 Per Kilo at Busan’s 4th Auction

On February 7, 2025, the fourth auction of frozen Russian Opilio snow crab in the 2024-25 season was held in Busan, South Korea, during which 41 tons of air-blast frozen boiled sections (single price for L-4L sizes) were up for bid. One Japanese trading company won the entire quantity, with the winning bid (EXW Busan) amounting to $19/kg, 10% lower than last year's third auction held in late July, reported Minato Shimbun.

As with the first three auctions, the fishing vessel Atka...

Alaska Seafood Launches Nationwide Lent Menu Promotion

Alaska Seafood recently launched a string of promotions in advance of Lent 2025, showcasing its products on multiple menus across the country, ranging from fast casual restaurants to more upscale café and dining locations.

Products being promoted include the following Alaskan fish staples: salmon, cod, pollock, flounder, and snow crab.

For the Lent promotions, Alaska Seafood partnered with big names like McDonalds, Popeyes, Jack in the Box, Dairy Queen, and Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, among others.

Below are Alaska Seafood’s fast casual dining menu collaborations:

-- Popeyes: Featuring the Alaska Flounder Fish Sandwich...

China's Russian Live Crab Imports Hit Record High in 2024, Up 17% to 35,000 MT

China's imports of live crab from Russia in 2024 set a new record for the fifth consecutive year. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, the quantity was 35,108 MT, up 17% or 5,000 MT, from the previous year. This trend is because live crabs are more expensive than frozen crabs, and Russian producers are focusing on exporting live crabs to China. A Japanese trading company said, "Not only land transport but also air transport has increased," Minato Shimbun reported...

ASP Drops Complaint Against Quin-Sea Fisheries in Snow Crab Dispute

In the latest twist in the Canadian snow crab saga, the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) has dropped its complaint against Quin-Sea Fisheries, one of its member companies.

In October, the ASP, which represents seafood processors in Newfoundland and Labrador, filed an application to the province’s Labour Relations Board claiming that Royal Greenland-owned Quin-Sea Fisheries refused to hand over sales receipts that the ASP argued were required to pass along under the third-party review of 2024 snow crab sales...

China Opens Market for Live Norwegian Snow Crab

Chinese authorities have approved the import of live snow crab from Norway. The news comes shortly after Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, met with the Minister of Chinese Customs and Veterinary Authorities, Yu Jianhua, in Beijing last month.

"The fact that China is opening up imports of live snow crab from Norway so quickly after I had political talks in China is very positive, and shows the importance of visits to promote Norway's interests,” Sivertsen Næss said.

“Live snow crab is of increasing interest in Asian markets...

Price Setting Changes and Strike Options Highlight NL’s Snow Crab Fishery Reform

The Newfoundland and Labrador government has mapped out 10 decisions and directions that pave the way for sweeping changes to the massive snow crab fishery. This includes notable changes to the price-setting process and the potential for lockouts and strikes.

Gerry Byrne, NL’s Minister of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture, said the plan to overhaul the fishery would ensure “management, efficiency, and fairness” in a statement released ahead of his appearance at the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) union Triannual Convention on November 18...

Norway Boosts 2025 Snow Crab Quota

Norway’s Ministry of Trade and Fisheries announced an increase in the 2025 snow crab quota to 12,725 metric tons. This marks a notable jump of 2,425 metric tons compared to the recommended total quota in 2024.

The quotas fall in line with recent recommendations made by Norway’s Institute of Marine Research (IMR).

“It is gratifying that we will get an increase in the snow crab quota in 2025. When several of the fishing quotas are otherwise going down, we have to be happy about the arrows pointing upwards,” said Fisheries and Oceans Minister...

Nearly $40 Million in Disaster Funding Allocated for ’23-24 Bering Sea Snow Crab Fishery

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce announced that $39.5 million in funding will address a fishery resource disaster that occurred in the Alaska Bering Sea Snow Crab Fishery from 2023 to 2024.

“As climate change continues to have severe impacts on the fisheries and ecosystems that are vital to Alaska’s economy, the Department of Commerce remains committed to providing disaster relief across the state,” said Secretary Raimondo. “This funding will help Alaskans recover from the Bering Sea Snow Crab Fishery disaster...

Tsukiji Kanisho Offers Low Priced Barents Sea King Crab and Snow Crab for Year-End Sales

Tsukiji Kanisho of Tokyo has the largest share of crab traded in Japan and is aggressively promoting king crab and snow crab from the Arctic Ocean and Barents Sea for the year-end sales. The new catch of Far East snow crab is expensive, and due to the weak yen, the price has risen to about double what it was last year. King crab is also expected to be expensive, and "it is expected to rise to about twice the...