Shortage of Lobster Processing Capacity Pushing Meat Prices Through the Roof
It appears that the shortage of meat processing capacity has combined with several other factors to cause historically unprecedented demand for lobster meat and record high prices. According to John Sackton, the industry’s lack of lobster meat processing capacity is the liming factor and will change the industry. “Not only will it give a big boost to processing in the US, especially in Maine and Massachusetts, but it will also spur Canadian companies to rethink their production strategies,” Sackton writes. “If they don't, lobster meat production could move offshore to China, in the same way that Newfoundland snow crab meat production--formerly at millions of pounds per year---disappeared from Canada because the plants could not make the long term adjustments needed to keep producing.”
The NPFMC passed an amended version of its controversial Alternative 3 fishery management for Gulf of Alaska trawlers in a narrow 6-5 vote along state lines. The Amendment passed even though trawl industry representatives blasted Alternative 3 as the short route to crippling the Gulf of Alaska groundfish fleet. Trawl captains voiced their opposition to the Council and ADF&G Commissioner Sam Cotten during a two-day public comment period. “If the goal of the council is to hamstring the trawl industry, then Alternative 3 it is,” said Bob Krueger, executive director of Alaska Whitefish Trawlers.
Washington State’s Dungeness crab landings are up 23 percent compared to this time last year. Total commercial and tribal landings are up 2.3 million pounds to 10.3 million pounds. “The late start allowed crab to really fill in well, so the crab are of especially high quality and very heavy — or full of meat” said Dan Ayers, Washington State Coastal Shellfish Manager. “We’ve heard that from fishers, buyers and even from retail consumers.”
In other news marketing professionals say Red Lobster missed out on even more sales after the chain was mentioned during Beyonce’s Super Bowl halftime performance. Red Lobster sales spiked immediately after it was mentioned during the performance. However, social media analysts say the chain’s slow social media response to going viral might have cost the restaurant even more sales.
Finally, Morpol will invest over $11 million at its fish processing plant in northern Poland to expand its operations. The project will allow the company to raise its output capacity to about 100,000 tons of salmon.
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