Wild Alaska Pollock Nets MSC 2021 Ocean Champion Award

The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) was recognized by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for fishery management and sustainability with its 2021 Ocean Champion Award.

The award was presented at the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Marketing Conference and was created to “reward fisheries and companies engaged with the MSC who demonstrate continued leadership on sustainability above and beyond the MSC Fisheries or Chain of Custody Standards.”

“The MSC US Ocean Champion Award celebrates the accomplishments of companies working toward a healthy ocean and more transparent supply chain...

Russian Pollock Producers Post $400 Million in Losses Due to China Market Closure

The overall losses of Russian pollock producers due to the closure of Chinese ports and market for their supplies amounted to US$400 million although the existed ban allowed them to increase the production of more expensive products - fish fillets and minced meat by at least 1,5 times, according to recent estimates of the Russian Pollock Association.

The restrictions on supplies have been in place for more than a year: in October 2020, China began to close its ports for...

JAPAN: November Hokkaido Surimi Production Up 52.6% Year-On-Year

In November, the production of land-based surimi in Hokkaido continued to maintain a pace higher than the previous year for Alaskan pollock and Atka mackerel, according to the National Surimi Manufacturers Association's announcement on December 24. It remarkably recovered the H1 slump due to the good weather after the opening of the summer fishing season, reported Suisan Keizai.

In November, the total production was 1126 tons, up 52.6% from last month. The output of Alaska pollock surimi, the mainstay of surimi...

Japan’s November Exports Fall 11% In Volume, Up 26% In Value

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, the volume of marine products exports (fish and shellfish and their preparations, and fish meal) in November decreased by 11% from the same month of the previous year to 39,375 tons. The value increased by 26% to 25,176 million yen ($217.46 million). The volume of frozen scallops and yellowtail fillets was lower than the same month of the previous year, but the value was higher, reported Minato Shimbun.

The volume of frozen scallops...

Japan’s National Brand Surimi Product Manufacturers To Raise Prices in 2022

The retail price of surimi products will rise next spring. In response to soaring manufacturing costs, including the raw material surimi prices, major manufacturers have announced that they will raise prices one after another, reported Kamaboko News.

Following the announcement that Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui) will raise prices by 5 to 13% and Kibun Foods by about 8%, other national brand companies such as Ichimasa Kamaboko, Sugiyo, Fujimitsu, Kanetsu Delica Foods, and Kanesada announced their price hikes one after another...

November Salted Herring Roe Sales Increase at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets Amid Price Rise

Christmas is over, and this week is the year's busiest seafood sales season for the year-end and the New Year holiday's special traditional menu.

In November, Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market sales of salted Pollock roe and spicy Pollock roe, whose unit prices dropped, increased sales volume. Still, sales of salmon roe products and seasoned herring roe, whose unit price continued to rise, dropped. Under these circumstances, salted herring roe increased its sales despite the rise in unit price and recovered slightly in...

Alaska Fish Radio: Fishing Updates, December 2021

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

Holidays aside, Alaska fishing stakeholders are gearing up for the start of some of the state’s biggest fisheries and fish meetings.

Starting January 1, boats will drop pots and lines for cod and other groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea.

Trawling for pollock, the nation’s largest food fishery, begins on January 20.

A pollock fishery also opens that day in Prince William Sound. Fish and Game also is seeking trawlers for a pollock test fishery in the Sound to offset...

The Winding Glass:  2021 Was Fantastic Year for Seafood as Disruption Played to Our Strengths

This is the first part of a two-part end of year review. Today we will focus on the fantastic year most in the Seafood industry have had, despite the turmoil and disruption of the pandemic. 

The second part will look at how the factors that helped us in 2021 may play out in 2022 and what we think may be different.

First, some numbers. When I went to analyze what happened with the U.S. seafood supply in 2021, I was blown away by our success...

JAPAN: October Surimi Production Rose 80% to 1340 Tons in Hokkaido

According to the member report of the National Surimi Manufacturers Association, the October frozen surimi production in Hokkaido increased by 81% from the same month of the previous year to 1341 tons. This was an increase for the second consecutive month due to the increase of the mainstay Alaska pollock and Atka mackerel. Production had been sluggish until September, but a leading manufacturer said, "It seems that production increased in November due to good fishing of Alaska pollock in Kushiro and Monbetsu...

Trident Seafoods Acquires Catcher/Processor Starbound From Aleutian Spray Fisheries

Trident Seafoods announced on Monday that they have acquired 300-foot catcher/processor Starbound from Aleutian Spray Fisheries.

Trident and Aleutian Spray both share a commitment to invest in fisheries and ecosystem research to improve knowledge about the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. The C/P Starbound, which was originally built in 1989 as a 240-foot factory trawler for the Bering Sea, has served as a platform for research and gear innovation in the Alaska pollock fishery. Even under new ownership, the C/P will continue to support these...

Russia’s Norebo Group Expands Domestic Presence  

Norebo Group, one of Russia’s largest fish producers, owned by Vitaly Orlov, has expanded its business by the acquisition of Murmansk enterprises of its local rival FEST Group of Companies, the company which owns quotas for the catch of about 80,000 tons of fish per year.

Financial and other details of the deal were not disclosed.  

FEST enterprises will continue to be managed in Murmansk, where Norebo’s headquarters is also located. The companies will function as a separate unit.

According to data of the...

JAPAN: Surimi Inventory Falls Again In August But Overall Shipping Consistent

According to the refrigerated marine products inventories survey by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the inventory at the end of August nationwide (preliminary figures) continued to be low for Alaska pollock surimi, and the other fish surimi continued to increase slightly. The total inventory of Alaska pollock surimi and others at the end of the month was 38,923 tons, falling below 40,000 tons again for the first time in four months, a decrease of 6.3% from the same period of the previous year, reports Suisan Keizai...

USDA Invites Offers to Sell 1.6 Million Pounds of Pollock; 88K Cases of Canned Salmon

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invited offers for Alaska pollock and canned pink salmon for use in the National School Lunch Program and other Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs.

For both purchase requests, acceptances will be announced by midnight, November 22, 2021. Deliveries for the pollock solicitation will be made between January 1, 2022 and June 31 2022. Salmon deliveries will be made between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022.

A look at the pollock solicitation shows...

Judge Confirms Injunction in Jones Act Case; No Further Penalties for American Seafoods During Case

U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason will not modify a preliminary injunction that has halted further fines from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to shipping companies affiliated with American Seafoods.

After Gleason ordered the preliminary injunction on October 10, the CBP urged the judge to reconsider, arguing the Court’s “overbroad injunction threatens to impair Defendants’ ability to ever collect penalties for likely violations of the Jones Act.”

The Court disagreed with the CBP, Gleason wrote, “The Court declines to modify the preliminary injunction...

What Scientists Say About Decline of Pollock Stocks in Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The population of pollock in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, one of the centers of Russia's catch, have substantially decreased this year, compared to 2019, according to recent statements of the press service of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), one of Russia’s leading research institutions in the field of fisheries.  

According to an official spokesman of VNIRO, the results of calculations based on the use of two methods for assessing pollock stocks (ichthyoplankton and trawl) showed a decrease in the...

Russia’s Primorye Fisherman Hope for Successful Catch and Exports This Year

Fishermen of the Russian Primorye region, Russia’s second-largest fish-producing region have begun pollock fishery as part of the B fishing season (October – December) in the North Okhotsk subarea, planning to start to catch in the Western Kamchatka area on November, 1 of the current year.  

According to the press service of the Primorye region, this year local fishermen have produced over 625,000 tons of fish and seafood, including about 420,000 tons of pollock and 76,000 tonnes of herring...

Fish Factor: Alaska Fishing; Halibut Watch; COVID Cans Ketchikan; Good Global Outlook

Wow, there is a lot of fishing going on across Alaska!

Salmon is the heart of Alaska’s seafood industry but winter is when the fishing action really begins.

Hundreds of boats are out on the water on the first day of each new year, beginning a predictable rhythm for the seafood industry as millions of pounds of fish begin to cross the docks around the clock at Alaska’s working waterfronts. Here’s a sampler:

Starting January 1 boats drop pots and baited lines for cod...

NMFS Revises TAC Amounts For Gulf of Alaska Pollock, Pacific Cod

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) revised the 2022 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for pollock and Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska. The changes, which increases the pollock TAC and decreases the Pacific cod TAC, were put into effect at 12 noon Alaska local time on January 1, 2022.

According to NMFS, the pollock TAC will increase from 99,784 metric tons (mt) to 141, 117 mt. The TAC for Pacific cod decreased from 27,961 mt to 24,111 mt. The changes were made because the government agency determined...

Russia Will Consider Suspension of Controversial Reform of Domestic Fish Sector

Russia will consider suspension of the controversial reform of the domestic fish sector, which was proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture due to its opposition by some senior officials in the national government and the local anti-trust regulator – the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS).

The reform suggests distributing 20% of the total allowable catch of pollock and herring in the Far East in 2023 in exchange for investments (for building of fishing vessels and processing complexes), as well as placement at auctions of up...

Alaska Fish Radio: AK Fish Catches, Revenues For 2020 Mostly Leave The State

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Most of the fish and the values of Alaska’s catches go out of state.

As Alaska struggles to find new sources of revenue, its leaders might look to reining in the losses from fish and crab that go elsewhere.             

Data compiled each year by NOAA research economists at the Seattle-based Alaska Fisheries Science Center provide a breakdown of the shares of all groundfish ex-vessel values, meaning dock side, by boat owners’ state of residency...

Russian Fish Market Faced With New Threat of Consolidation in 2023 

The Russian fish market will face a new threat of consolidation due to the forthcoming allocation of investment quotas. This will lead to the withdrawal of small and medium-sized enterprises from the market, as well as large players gaining a control over their quotas.

The second stage of investment quotas program in Russia is scheduled for 2023 and will lead to a distribution of 20% of the total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock and herring in the Far East, 50% of crab catch quotas and 100% of shellfish...

Surimi Producer to Undergo Brand Overhaul to Focus on Benefits of Alaska Pollock

Surimi manufacturer Aquamar is amid a brand overhaul as it aims to celebrate the advantages of Wild Caught Alaska Pollock both environmentally and nutrionally.

Aquamar explained pollock’s growth in the 1980s due to its accessibility as fish fillets and imitation crab meat for its price point, versatility, flavor and texture. However, the company sees the fish as an emerging leader as consumers continue to become more aware of the deeper benefits of seafood.

"It's high time that we know and celebrate Wild Caught Alaska Pollock by its...

China Adjusting Import, Export Tariffs For Seafood Items Ahead of Beijing Winter Olympics

China’s Ministry of Finance revealed this week that beginning January 1, 2022 they will be adjusting import and export tariffs of certain commodities. 

The Office of the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said that the temporary adjustment of import tariffs is to “meet the needs of the people for a better life, conform to the consumption upgrade trend, and create a strong atmosphere for the Beijing Winter Olympics.” 

The Beijing Winter Olympics are set to begin on February 4 and run through February 20...

Russian Pollock Producers Face New Problems With Exports to China

Russian pollock producers are facing new problems exporting their products to China next year due to the forthcoming introduction of product labeling system, which will start working in early 2022.

According to the Russian Vedomosti business paper, the order of the General Administration of Customs (GTU) of China, which comes into force on January 1, 2022, enforces importers to label both the outer and inner parts of the package. In addition, to the standard list of information (about the manufacturer, its details, the name of the goods...

JAPAN: October Seafood Exports Doubled In Frozen Yellowtail for the U.S.

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, the quantity of marine products exports (fish and shellfish and their preparations, and fish meal) in October decreased by 10% from the same month of the previous year to 39,083 tons, and the value increased by 29% to 23.3 billion yen ($205.81 million). Frozen scallops, yellowtail fillets, among others, exceeded the previous year's levels, but frozen mackerel fell below the last year's level, reported Minato Shimbun.

For China, frozen scallops (adductors and in-shell combined) increased by 47%...

Trident, High Liner Among Firms to Land USDA Contracts for Salmon, Pollock

USDA purchase awards were announced for Alaska pollock and canned pink salmon products with a few well-known firms netting contracts.

The USDA purchased 88,160 cases of canned pink salmon products for $5.87 million. Much of the purchase was awarded to OBI Seafoods with the firm landing a $4.95 million contract. The rest was netted by Trident Seafoods for roughly $925,000.

A total of $3.9 million in Alaska pollock was purchased by the USDA. In all, over 1.6 million pounds of product was...

Russia Continues Experience to Pollock Surplus in Domestic Market 

Russia continues to experience a surplus of pollock in the domestic market, despite the fact that the volume of its catch is 157,000 tonnes lower this year compared to 2020.

Alexander Fomin, vice-president of the Association of Production and Trade Enterprises of the Fish Market, said in an interview with the Moscow-based Vechernyaya Moskva business paper that the decline of pollock catch in Russia this year will be compensated by the increase of catch of Pacific catch. Production of Pacific catch this year amounted to 535,000 tons...

Russia Ready to Replace China in the EU Pollock Fillets Market  

Russia plans to partially replace China in the EU market of pollock fillets, a process that has already been started with Arctic cod, according to recent statements made by Valentin Balashov, chairman of interregional association of coastal fishermen of the Russian Northern Basin.  

As Balashov said in an interview with the Russian Regnum newswire, in recent years the positions of China on the European cod fillets market has dropped. EU countries are looking for alternative suppliers, which may provide an opportunity for Russian fishermen and processors...

Pollock prices in Russia on the Rise  

Pollock prices in Russia are steadily growing. According to recent statements made by representatives of producers and some local media reports, this is mainly due to the overstocking of the market with fish and the lack of state subsidies for its transportation from the Far East to the European part of Russia.

According to data of the Russian Gazeta.ru business paper, the stocks of frozen pollock currently exceed the domestic needs by about five times. 

Russian fisherman are still unable to begin large-scale pollock supplies to...

Government Asks Judge to Reconsider Injunction in Jones Act Pollock Case

The U.S. Government is asking a federal judge to reconsider an injunction that has allowed over 26 million pounds of pollock to re-enter the market.

Shipping companies affiliated with American Seafoods, an Alaskan seafood firm, received a preliminary injunction from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s enforcement actions which include hundreds of millions of dollars in fines over Jones Act violations.

The injunction was granted on October 10 and will allow for the millions of pollock which is destined for the east coast of the United States...

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