Pollock roe Auctions Return High Prices, in Boost to Alaska Companies
The American pollock industry got a welcome whiff of stronger markets as the annual first A season pollock roe auction concluded in Seattle writes John Sackton. Trading and demand was strong, and prices were generally higher than last year. Given the additional volume, the auction has been a welcome boost at a time when pollock prices for blocks are very low.
Canada's Northern cod stocks continue to rebound in Newfoundland, but the industry is still deep in the critical zone, according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). But despite DFO’s warning that fishing should be kept to “the lowest possible levels,” a representative of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers’ Union (FFAW) says it’s time for a significant increase in quota. The Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council (GEAC) says that Newfoundland needs to wait before getting commercial cod activity underway. “While the industry is naturally excited about the prospects of an increased harvest, we need to resist the temptation to increase catch prematurely – a view shared by the Standing Committee of Fisheries. We must act responsibly; the world fisheries community is watching, and we must get it right this time," said Dr. Kris Vascotto the Executive Director of the GEAC.
In other news, dozens of angry fishermen in Mexico burned a boat as part of a threat to force out a ship operated by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in Mexico's Gulf of California. The fishermen are upset with a misguided campaign by a group of conservationists that called for US consumers to boycott Mexican shrimp in order to save the endangered vaquita porpoise. "Just as they are judging us fishermen, we will judge all the environmentalists," said Sunshine Rodriguez, a leader of the local fishing cooperative in San Felipe, Baja California. "We aren't going to just sit around."
Two subsidiaries of Pacific Andes have filed for their own Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections in a New York court this week. These filings follow a court decision in the British Virgin Islands this past February that allowed creditor banks to liquidate one of Pacific's other subsidiaries. Nouvelle Foods International Limited and Golden Target Pacific Limited said they “believe that it is in the best interests of its shareholders to file for protection under Chapter 11 to ensure the continuation of a transparent and comprehensive restructuring process.”
Finally, India's major port city Visakhapatnam in the state of Andhra Pradesh will get a a state of the art seafood processing and cold storage facility. The units will be modeled after operations in Japan and China. They will be outfitted to produce and store seafood exports for major markets including Europe, South America and Central America.
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