Sockeye Market Analysis Shows Stability of AK's Total Dockside Value Despite Recent Price Volatility
The McDowell group issued its semiannual analysis on Alaska’s sockeye market, a report commissioned by Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association. The study by Andy Wink breaks down the current state of the Bristol Bay sockeye market across the supply chain. This year’s report is of considerable interest to those in the industry currently battling with sharply lower ex-vessel sockeye prices after this past season’s 36 million fish harvest. Wink’s analysis points out just how stable the fishery’s total ex-vessel value has remained despite much volatility for dock side prices. Once final 2015 values are factored in, the last two seasons will almost certainly represent an increase in average (nominal) ex-vessel value,” Wink points out.
Recreational and commercial Dungeness crab harvesting has been shut down in parts of Oregon’s southern coasts and bays for high levels of domoic acid. The closures are from Heceta Head to the California border. So far no decision has been made for Oregon’s coast crab season scheduled to start on December 1.
A stock survey of New England groundfish by the Northeast Fisheries Science Centre found the biomass of haddock, redfish, pollock and white hake is up substantially over the last twenty last years, while cod and flatfish populations are still in decline . “The combined biomass of the Georges Bank haddock, Gulf of Maine haddock and redfish stocks currently constitute more than 80 per cent of the overall groundfish biomass observed in the surveys," the report said.
Finally, Vietnam’s Ministry of Fisheries says it might be on track to produce and export as much as $150 million worth of tilapia to overseas markets by 2020. Vietnamese tilapia export values are up sharply to $32 million so far this year compared to $1.95 million in 2014. Major markets include Italy, America, Spain, Columbia, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Mexico and England. Producers still need to open up access to major markets by improving brood stock quality, reducing production costs and decreasing disease issues.
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