There’s still no movement with the standoff in the crab fishery, as both sides trade barbs in public.

Today, the Association of Seafood producers laid out their position, saying there will be negative impacts if the fishery doesn’t start soon.

NTV’s Becky Daley reports.

• Increased production from previous plan to 660 tons Iwate
  
• First shipment of farmed coho salmon “Kuji-raised Amber Salmon” this year Kuji City

Approximately 1,500 "Kuji-raised Amber Salmon" coho salmon farmed off the coast of Kuji City were shipped for the first time this year.

"Kuji Raised Amber Salmon'' is coho salmon raised through an aquaculture project that the Kuji City Fisheries Cooperative Association has been working on for the past three years.

They were raised in a cage set up in Kuji Bay, and at 6 a.m. at the fishing port, a boat returned from the cage and landed about 1,500 fish.

The landed coho salmon was about 40 centimeters in size, and because it was grown in a natural environment, it was full of fat, and was handed over to a seafood processing company for 900 yen per kilogram.

Fishing cooperatives in various regions are starting to farm salmon. The Kuji City Fisheries Association is also increasing production of this "Amber Salmon" and promoting branding, with the aim of shipping 660 tons by July this year.

Satoru Umanai, head of the private aquaculture section of the Kuji City Fisheries Cooperative Association, said, "We were worried about the effects of the continued rough weather and low seawater temperatures, but we are happy to see that they are growing well.''

Source: NHK

Alaska pollock A seasonal catch increased by 3%

Alaska pollock fishing (Season A) in the Sea of ??Okhotsk, Russia's largest fishing ground, ended on the 9th. According to the Pollock Catchers Association (PCA), Vladivostok), the catch for the A season from January 1 to April 9 was 830,000 tons, an increase of 3% from the same period last year. 87% of the total allowable catch (TAC) in the sea has been consumed. Surimi production increased by 40% to 30,000 tons. 

The total catch of pollock in all regions of the Far Eastern basin exceeded 1.05 million tons, an increase of 8.6% compared to last year.

According to PCA, the production of pollock products was carried out according to the “scenario” of last year. Thus, due to uncertainty in foreign markets, Russian fishermen stabilized the production volumes of fillet and minced meat: their output remained at last year’s level - a total of about 60 thousand tons. At the same time, enterprises continue to increase marine production of surimi: it increased by almost 40% - up to 30 thousand tons according to the results of the 2024 “A” season. The total production of frozen pollock increased by 7% to 397 thousand tons.

Related news:

• IN BRIEF - Russian fishermen complete the first pollock season with a positive mark: more than 1 million tons were harvested

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) has been placing an enhanced focus on the U.S. market as the country seeks to continue expanding its seafood export value.
During an informational seminar hosted by the NSC, officials with the organization emphasized its work in the U.S. is a key part of its plans for expanding Norway’s seafood exports. 
Author: Chris Chase / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here

Canned seafood giant Princes Group has appointed Simon Harrison as Chief Executive Officer.

Since his appointment as deputy Managing Director in June last year, the Mitsubishi-owned company has seen growth across all key business units and has also successfully acquired a number of major strategic customers, according to a press release from Mitsubishi last week.

Source: Salmon Business l Read the full article here

It is not the first time that the Fisheries MEPs of the European Parliament have encouraged the European Commission to close the community market to Norwegian products, in response to the repeated breaches of fisheries agreements, its unilateral decisions and even its defiance of international agreements. And they have done it again, taking advantage of the presence at the last meeting of that committee (PECH) of the official from DG Mare (Directorate General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries) in charge of negotiations with Norway and the coastal States, Eva Carballeira.

Source: La Voz de Galicia l Read the full article here

The drop in fish consumption in Spain is beginning to put the different links in this industry in trouble. In the case of aquaculture, the sharp rise in costs, especially feed, together with the recent storms, have worsened this crisis. The Avramar group, leader in the production of sea bass, sea bream and croaker in Spain and Europe, reduced its sales by 10% in 2023. The group is in the process of reorganizing its debt, as the main shareholder is studying selling its stake.

The group is in the process of reorganizing its debt

Source: Alimarket l Read the full article here

The Nueva Pescanova Group has been ranked as the first fishing company in the world and second overall in the global seafood sector for its contribution to a sustainable and responsible seafood industry, according to the Seafood Stewardship Index 2023. It is the only Spanish company to be included in this ranking, produced by the non-profit organisation World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), which measures the contribution of the 30 most influential companies in the seafood sector to a more sustainable future.

Source: Fish Focus l Read the full article here

The Bering Sea pollock fleet has been at the center of the western Alaska salmon crisis.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which manages federal fisheries in Alaska, will continue to explore options for how to manage chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery.

The council, facing rising pressure from western Alaska communities who depend on chum as a cornerstone of subsistence, released a statement Wednesday summarizing their decision from their April meeting.

Dismal western Alaska salmon returns have reached crisis levels. And while the council listened to scores of harrowing testimonies recalling empty rivers and vacant fish camps, the council was also presented with research that suggested bycatch limits wouldn’t do much to help the crisis.

“Available science indicates recent declines in chum salmon populations across many regions of the North Pacific, including Canada, Japan, Russia, Korea, and the U.S., appear to be driven by warmer water temperatures in both the marine and freshwater environments,” the council said in the statement.

The importance of climate change isn’t lost on those advocating for bycatch limits. But climate solutions are far away and abstract, while controlling how many salmon are scooped up by trawlers seems a simpler problem to solve.[continues...]

Author/Source: Theo Greenly | kyuk.org

With the supporting of the Fisheries Administration, the Wild Earth Allies (WEA), in collaboration with the Coastal Fisheries Administration, has inspired residents to release sea crab eggs, according to the Fisheries Administration posted on Facebook.

It added that today, this activity is revitalizing for the purpose of maintaining stocks to ensure the sustainability of sea crab production.

“In a sea crab, there are about 1 million eggs, so if we release the sea crab that sees the eggs outside the manger into the sea or live in the net until it is hatched and then sold, it will help maintain crab stocks and ensure sustainable use,” said Fisheries Administration.

“Come on, we say no and release the crab eggs outside the manger, the merit is preserved for all of us,”