United Fishermen of Alaska's Fish Facts Shows Proportion of in-State vs. Out of State Fish Income

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio with Laine Welch] July 26, 2017

Alaska’s seafood industry puts more people to work than any other private industry, topping 60,000 workers in 2015. Of that, less than half - 27,600 - were Alaska residents.

And while 71 percent of active fishing permit holders call Alaska home, most of the gross earnings go to the state of Washington. 

Based on numbers from the United Fishermen of Alaska’s annual Fish Facts, resident fishing permit holders made gross dockside earnings of just over $602 million two years ago ...

News Summary July 24, 2017 

Today's Main Story: Stavis Seafoods to Greatly Expand West Coast Distribution with Partnership with R.W. Zant 

Today's lead item reports that Stavis Seafoods of Boston, and RW Zant, a major west coast broadline distributor, have announced a primary distribution partnership that will begin August 1, 2017. RW Zant is one of the largest redistribution companies in the US. The partnership will include the warehousing and delivery of Stavis Seafoods’ products to RW Zant customers. RW Zant specializes in all aspects of protein and dairy wholesale distribution to foodservice and retail distributors throughout the Western United States. This agreement will not only enhance Stavis Seafoods’ supply chain capabilities on the West Coast, it will also greatly expand RW Zant’s product offerings in the seafood category.

Also highlighted today is word that the Russian Fishery Company (RFC), one of Russia’s leading fish producers, is beginning massive production of fish products under the Nordeco brand. According to the company’s plans, RFC should become one of the largest suppliers of fish products that will be mostly manufactured from pollock on the domestic market. A spokesman for RFC said that the company wants to produce fish products that will be processed and frozen on board immediately after the catch. It is reported that future production will be positioned for middle-priced and premium segments of the market. According to RFC, the company currently sells all the products to wholesale buyers and processors.

In other news, Canadian Environment Minister, Eddie Joyce, says a Supreme Court decision ordering an environmental impact statement will be reviewed by the Department of Justice and Public Safety. The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador on Thursday overturned the provincial government's decision to release a quarter-billion dollar salmon farming project in Placentia Bay from further environmental assessment. Justice Gillian Butler ruled on July 20 that Perry Trimper, then the environment and climate change minister, "lacked jurisdiction" to release the project from a full environmental assessment, and that an environmental impact statement had to be completed. Joyce says it's standard practice for the Department of Justice

News Summary July 19, 2017 

Today's Main Story: Bloomberg: Trident Valued at $2.1 Billion, with Chuck Bundrant on Bloomberg Billionaires Index 

Headlining the news today is a look at Chuck Bundrant’s Trident Seafoods which is valued at $2.1 billion. Trident was formed in 1973 with two partners and one boat. Chuck Bundrant was a college freshman with $80 in his pocket when he drove halfway across the country to Seattle to earn a few bucks fishing. The year was 1961. He hasn’t stopped fishing since. And today, Bundrant, the founder and majority owner of Trident, is worth at least $1.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His wealth is due to a fair measure of pluck. Back in the early 1980s, he persuaded Americans to eat pollock, then considered a trash fish, at fast-food restaurants and, to this day, Trident ships it + along with salmon and cod + to chains including Costco and Safeway. 

In other news, Bakkafrost, the major salmon producer in the Faroe Islands, discovered listeria bacteria in its production last week. This was confirmed by its CEO Regin Jacobsen. The company is not certain how much of the fish was shipped before the listeria was discovered, but Jacobsen says the testing showed small amounts, less than 10 parts per million per gram. Listeria is destroyed by cooking in any amount under 100 parts per. This salmon, however, is not suitable for sushi. 

In the UK, sushi bars are committing "seafood fraud" by serving customers the wrong fish, a study has found. Researchers examined labeling practices in restaurants and found that in many cases fish was being mislabeled, or not labeled at all. Substitution levels in the UK were significantly lower, however, than those observed in North America. Research indicated that the average British fish-eater could only distinguish two out of six common fish. About half could tell a salmon from a mackerel, but only a third could identify cod. 

In a new study, an international group of scientists found that in comparing four types of fishing gear that touches the seafloor, otter trawls were found to be

Thai Union and Greenpeace Sign Landmark Agreement on Tuna Harvesting and Labor Issues

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  by John Sackton  July 11, 2017

Thai Union, owner of international brands Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, Mareblu, King Oscar, and Rügen Fisch, and Greenpeace announced today an agreement that will tackle illegal fishing, overfishing, and labor abuse issues in the Tuna Industry.

The agreement marks a major milestone in Greenpeace’s campaign to reform tuna industry practices, and marks a move from confrontation to cooperation   Greenpeace has been highly critical of the big three US tuna brands: Starkist, Chicken of the Sea, and Bumble Bee.  They have led numerous demonstrations and protests, and they have strongly pressured retailers to reduce their reliance on these major ...

Ikura Prices Soar to 30-year High in Japan Due to Lackluster Salmon Harvests in Hokkaido

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Japan Reports] - July 7, 2017

Wholesale prices of ikura (salmon roe) are soaring in Japan reflecting the shrinking domestic inventory due to poor harvests of fall chum in Hokkaido.

The wholesale price in Tokyo and Osaka has been on a rise since last fall, jumping 30 to 40 percent over the same period of the previous year.

A major dealer at Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market notes it is the highest price since Japan's bubble economy period 30 years ago. The price ...

Young Pollock Survival Better than Expected During Most Recent Bering Sea Warm Phase 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Peggy Parker - July 5, 2017

In 2015, scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center wanted to test a hypothesis about how warm sea temperatures affect young (from birth to a year old) pollock. At first glance, Bering Sea pollock seem to do best in warm conditions. During a single warm year, young pollock thrive. But if warm conditions persist for more than a year, the population declines. In the long run, pollock do better during a cold regime.

Scientists theorized that warm phases have an abundance of small, low-fat...

Omega Protein Enters Atlantic and Gulf Menhaden Fisheries into MSC Assessment Process 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] June 16, 2017

The U.S. Atlantic menhaden and U.S. Gulf of Mexico menhaden fisheries have entered the assessment process to earn Marine Stewardship Council certification.

The assessments are being conducted by third-party independent auditors SAI Global at the request of Omega Protein. Between the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the U.S. menhaden fishery is the second largest in the country by weight, trailing only Alaska pollock... 

Bidding Prices of Pollock Roe Stay High for Japanese Traders Despite Higher Supplies from US, Russia

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Japan Reports]  June 5, 2017

Last months pollock roe prices again remained high for the Japanese as supplies of lower priced roe remain tight.  The bidding prices of pollock roe--raw materials for "tarako" and mentai spiced roe products--have been pegged at a high level this year.

Supply of pollock roe to the market from main producing places in the U.S. and Russia has been increasing, but the prices have been kept high due to the impact of poor pollock catch last year and diminishing stockpiles in Japan.

In the auctions held in the U.S. this spring, pollock roe from factoryships maintained prices at around 1,100 yen per kilo, with that from Russia standing at 900 yen, a level more or less the same as last year....

Pacific Halibut Catch On Track at Nearly 8 Million Pounds To Date

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Peggy Parker - May 30, 2017

The 2017 Pacific halibut fisheries opened on March 11 with a combined commercial and sport catch limit of 31.4 million pounds. Three months into the 8-month season, commercial landings in Alaska have reached just over 19 million pounds, or 31 percent of the allowable catch. 

For comparison, 6.2 million pounds, or 35% of the 2016 catch limit...

Congressional Trade Committee Hears Testimony About Seafood Trade Deficits from ASPA and NFI

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Michael Ramsingh - May 23, 2017

Earlier this month representatives of the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) and the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) testified before a Congressional Trade Committee regarding the formation of the “Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits.” 

The Omnibus Report is a response to an Executive Order from the Trump Administration that told the Department of Commerce and other federal agencies to identify the trading partners with which the U.S. had significant trade deficits with last year...

Facing Headwinds on European Standards, Russia's White Fish Producers Turn to Brazil

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Eugene Gerden - May 18, 2017

Russia plans to significantly exports of white fish (cod and pollock) to far-abroad countries in the coming years, according to recent statements of Ilya Shestakov, head of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries.    

Shestakov said that currently the demand for white fish in the domestic market remains still relatively low, however it has significantly increased in such countries as Brazil, Argentina and other Latin America states, which may provide significant export opportunities to Russian producers.

Such a decision will be mainly due to the current inability of Russian fisherman to successfully export...

Newport’s Surimi Plant to Open this Season After Pacific and Oregon Dept of Justice Reach Agreement

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton  May 15, 2017

The former Trident Surimi plant on the Newport Waterfront will open at the end of this week or early next week, after Pacific Seafood and the Oregon dept. of Justice agreed on conditions for the acquisition.

It is highly unusual for the Oregon Dept. of Justice to give an opinion about a merger or acquisition, but because the Dept. had intervened with a friend of the court brief in a lawsuit claiming Pacific Seafood was too concentrated on the Oregon coast, the company was reluctant to operate another plant without a sign off from the DOJ...

JBS-Backed Swift Retailers in Brazil to Sell MSC and ASC Certified Seafood 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] May 5, 2017

The Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council signed an agreement with major Brazilian meat processing company JBS to sell MSC and ASC certified seafood products at the company’s Swift retail stores in the San Paulo region.

This makes Swift the first retailer in Latin America to carry ASC and MSC-certified seafood products.

“We are extremely proud to be the first retailer in Latin America to launch an ASC/MSC product line...

Today's Main Story: Norwegian Companies Plan Explosive Growth in Salmon Sales to China

Norway is planning a massive expansion in salmon sales to China, following a series of agreements that will normalize seafood trade. The Norwegians have watched the explosive growth of online seafood sales, and feel Norwegian salmon, which already has an excellent consumer reputation, could take advantage. Some expect to carve out a 65% market share, more than 10 times what they sell currently. If this strategy is successful, it will have global implications for salmon pricing.

In Russia, far east pollock stocks are quite healthy, but the industry is seeking TAC reductions in 2018 due to the market oversupply. The A season Russian production was up 6% over last year. But companies are also taxed on quota they do not catch. With these two factors, the industry is pushing TINRO for more conservative quotas.

The pot cod fishery in Dutch Harbor has closed with over 33 million pounds landed. Extra wide 58' pot cod boats are able to land large volumes, rivaling th 120' crabbers.

A province in Bangladesh is reporting a major outbreak of shrimp disease among black tiger farmers. It is unclear if the massive die offs of juvenile shrimp are the result of high water temperatures and overstocking, or a new disease. Approximately 15,000 tons of shrimp are potentially affected.

Finally the issue of irresponsible BC mine management threatening southeast Alaska salmon rivers has not gone away. We print an opinion piece from someone involved in this issue for many years.

PEI's Spring Lobster Season a Go for Saturday

Saturday is setting day for the spring lobster season in PEI. The PEI Fishermen's Association said some fishermen will probably set and pull their traps that day, especially in harbors that aren't far from shore. Close to 1,000 boats will be in the water for setting day. The lobster season in fishing area 24 and 26A runs until June 29. Traditionally, Island lobster fishermen don't fish on Sunday, so Monday could see big landings from the two-day haul.

Shrimp harvesting is now underway in the Mekong Delta but the industry is already expecting production to fall short of processor needs. The expectation is that the harvest will only meet 40-50 percent of the demand from the processing sector. This is likely going to keep raw material prices high in the domestic market and require Vietnamese processors to import raw material.

In other news, the Russian pollock Association signed a five-year review for recertification of the pollock fishery under the MSC at the recent Seafood Expo in Brussels. The signing was attended by the head of the Russian Fisheries Agency Ilya Shestakov and MSC head Rupert Howes. Earlier, the Pollock association joined in the Association of Sustainable Fisheries, which is the industry stakeholder group within the MSC. The meeting of the ASF this year focused on the problems of updating the MSC standards, and the danger than large numbers of fisheries would fail to meet the new requirements.

Meanwhile, the Alaska House and Senate convened together Thursday to take confirmation votes on Gov. Bill Walker's appointees to lead state departments, boards and commissions — including Walker's recent appointments to the Board of Fish — then left without voting. By postponing the votes, lawmakers leave themselves a point of potential leverage over Walker's administration as they try to negotiate budget and deficit-reduction deals. Similar postponements have taken place before.

Finally, halibut quota share values continue to soar in Alaska’s major fishing areas. The halibut IFQ prices have gone up about $5 a year for the past several years as the fish stocks have appeared to stabilize and increased slightly. Dock prices for halibut also have remained high, in the $6 to $7 per pound range at major ports.

Have a great weekend.

Russia May Increase Duties on Fish Exports to Slow Shipments Out of Its Market

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Eugene Gerden - April 27, 2017

The Russian government is considering increasing duties on the exports of fish and seafood out of the country, due to ongoing growth of prices for fish and seafood in the domestic market.

According to recent statements of an official spokesman of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), despite the recent strengthening of the domestic currency – ruble, prices for fish in Russia continue to grow, while a the majority of Russian fish catch is imported to abroad, mostly to the Asia-Pacific region...

Russian Fish Co. to Expand Sales of Single Frozen Pollock to Domestic Market, Citing Weakness in EU

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Eugene Gerden  July 24, 2017

Russian Fishery Company to become largest producer of pollock fillets in Russia

Russian Fishery Company - RFC (former Russkoe More), one of Russia’s leading fish producers is beginning massive production of fish products under the Nordeco brand.

According to the company’s plans, RFC should become one of the largest suppliers of fish products that will be mostly manufactured from pollock on the domestic...

Crab Poachers Design New Schemes for Illegal Activities in Russia

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  by Eugene Gerden - July 13, 2017

Crab poachers in the Russian Far East are designing new schemes for illegal exports of domestic crab to foreign markets, according to recent statements of analysts of Russian Rosrybolovstvo and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to a spokesman for Ilya Shestakov, head of Rosrybolovstvo, the majority of crab poachers have started to use transport ships for illegal deliveries of their catch in recent months.

According to Shestakov’s spokesman, this scheme successfully works, as Japanese and South Korean Coast Guard..

...

New England’s Major Groundfish, Except Cod, Enter into MSC Assessment

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton July 7, 2016

New England has often been vilified as having some of the worst overfished species in US waters and has long had a contentious fight over fisheries management.

However, three stocks in New England are fully healthy:  haddock, Pollock and redfish. Together the annual catch limit for these stocks totals more than 70,000 tons.  Such a success in rebuilding fisheries is often lost in the attention paid to the failure of the Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine cod stocks to recover.

Now a client group led by Atlantic Trawlers of Maine, which is owned by Jim Odlin, and Fishermen’s Wharf in Gloucester, led by Vito Giacalone, have completed the MSC pre-assessment 

News Summary July 5, 2017

Today's Main Story: Bristol Bay Leads State with Strong Sockeye Landings 

Leading the news is a recap of Sockeye landings in Bristol Bay. Another five million fish were landed since the July 4th holiday for a cumulative harvest of 9.83 million sockeye as of July 3. The pre-season forecast of an estimated 27.5 million sockeye remains solid with strong numbers at the Port Moller test fishery as of July 1. At nearly all testing stations, the numbers have increased in the days prior to July 1, especially in larger mesh gear. More recent totals will be available towards the end of the week. With a 5-6 day travel time from Port Moller to the Bristol Bay fleet, test data from July 2 on will help gauge how close the pre-season run forecast is in both timing and size. Cumulative escapement for all five river districts in the Bay is 3.7 million as of July 3, with an in-river estimate of about half a million, just over a third of the estimated goal of 12.46 million.

Meanwhile, at least four commercial fishing vessels partially sank in Bristol Bay after boats heavy with salmon had difficulty navigating poor weather in the region. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill Colclough said the four vessels were all partially submerged Monday in different parts of Nushagak Bay after they were swamped by waves and began taking on water. He said all of the vessels were commercial salmon fishing. Colclough said Good Samaritan vessels assisted in recovering everyone on board and no one was injured. He did not know Monday how many people were rescued. He said an investigation into the incidents was ongoing Monday and that a definitive caus

Rethinking MSC and West Coast Fisheries: Brad Pettinger Makes an Important Point

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [News Analysis]   By John Sackton  June 29, 2017

Last week we published an article attacking the role MSC plays in West Coast Groundfish, and many people told us we went too far.  Susan Chambers and I agree.

When we saw the MSC press release highlighting the strides made in West Coast groundfish conservation, it came at the same time we were wrestling with the problem of low catch rates and the general difficulty of harvesters catching a substantial share of their allocations under current NMFS rules.

Unfortunately, I hastily conflated this problem with the MSC, and that was wrong.  The MSC has been a very positive factor in West Coast Groundfish.

In his rightly angry response, Brad Pettinger, head of the Oregon Trawl Commission, made an important point:

Prior to the fishery being certified in 2014..

What a State Budget-Triggered Shutdown Will Mean for Alaska's Fisheries

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Factor] by Laine Welch - June 12, 2017

Want a fishing license to crew on a salmon boat this summer? Got friends or family visiting who want to wet a line for a prized Alaska catch? Don't count on it.

If the Alaska Legislature continues to defy its constitutional obligation to pass a budget, those opportunities will be lost because there won't be any state workers to issue fishing licenses. Layoff notices went out June 1 to thousands of state employees who will be off the job at the July 1 start of the fiscal year...

Russian Fishing Co (RFC) Enters Crab Business with $170 million Quota Purchase at Auction

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Eugene Gerden  June 1, 2017

Russian Fishing Company (RFC), a former Russkoe More – Dobycha, one of Russia’s largest fish producers and processors,  became one of the largest holders of quotas on the catch of crab in Russia, as a result of the recent auction, conducted by the Russian Rosrybolovstvo.

In accordance with the results of an auction, which was conducted on May 18-19 six lots out of 24 for the catch of crab in the Russian Far East were granted to RFC’subsidiary OJSC "Tournif, a Russian fishing producer, which is based in Vladivostok.

The main beneficiaries of the RFC are Gleb Frank, the son-in-law of the billionaire Gennady Timchenko, and Maxim Vorobiev, the brother of the governor of the Moscow region.

It is one of the largest fishing companies in Russia

DHL Now Shipping Live Crabs and Seafood from Northern Norway to South Korea and US Markets

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] May 25, 2017

DHL Global Forwarding will start shipping live crabs and seafood the Lakselv Airport Banak in North-Norway to markets in Asia and Northern America.  

The carrier will start dedicated weekly flights to ship fresh seafood to the DHL terminal in Oslo to South Korea and other destinations including Japan and the United States.

DHAL said all of the logistics are exactly timed, ensuring the shipments are delivered in perfect condition. Today’s first flight will be officially welcomed by the State Secretary Ronny Berg of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries...

NE Fisheries Scientists Expect Drastic Changes as Gulf of Maine and Georges warm 7 to 9 degrees

A new paper by a number of scientists formerly with NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center suggests that there will be drastic changes in fisheries and the ports that depend on them during the next 60 to 80 years. Among the predictions for specific species, lobster and dogfish are likely to thrive. Also mid-Atlantic Fish like croaker and striped bass will find more suitable habitat in New England. The “changes will result in ecological, economic, social, and natural resource management challenges throughout the region,” said Kristin Kleisner, the lead author of the study. “It is important to understand large-scale patterns in these changes so that we can plan for and mitigate adverse effects as much as possible.”

The USDA said domestic catfish processors operate similarly to meat and poultry processing-only operations and can be subject to inspections just once per production shift. When the USDA adopted catfish inspections last March, inspectors practiced continuous inspection procedures so the agency could understand the fish slaughtering and production process. But the USDA said it is adopting the FDA’s definition of fish processing, which combines the slaughter and processing steps. This will exempt domestic catfish operators from continuous inspections once the program takes full effect this September.

In other news, Russia plans to significantly increase exports of cod and pollock to the Latin American market in coming years. Russia's Federal Fishery Agency said demand for white fish in the domestic market is relatively low. Meanwhile, demand for white fish is up significantly in such countries as Brazil, Argentina and other Latin America states. To date, there are already several agreements to supply Russian cod and pollock to Brazil.

The season’s first catch of Copper River salmon will arrive in Seattle straight from Alaska this Friday. As per tradition, the Alaska Airlines Boeing "salmon 30 salmon" will deliver the fish to the Sea-Tac Airport. The seasoned opened this morning. 

Finally, The Ecology Action Centre (EAC) said the suspension of the offshore Marine Stewardship Council certificate for the Newfoundland cod fishery in the 3Ps region confirmed its initial concern and objection to the designation. The EAC was among a group that objected to the 3Ps certification last year. "While we fully support efforts to both achieve and celebrate improvements in sustainable fisheries, we had deep concerns about this cod stock throughout the certification process. Suffice it to say we are not at all surprised that the issues we raised last year, including low bar for recovery, evidence of poor stock health and a high rate of mortality," said Susanna Fuller, Senior Marine Conservation Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre.

SeaShare Partners with Native Association to Donate Pollock to Communities in Bristol Bay

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - May 17, 2017

Seattle, Wash. -- Seashare, a non-profit dedicated to bringing seafood to food banks, announced it has partnered with the Bristol Bay Native Association to deliver more than 7,000 pounds of pollock to Bristol Bay for hunger relief in Dillingham, Alaska, and surrounding communities.

The pollock will be stored in a freezer container that SeaShare installed in partnership with the Port of Dillingham in 2016. This is the third time the container has been filled, with more than 20,000 pounds of seafood donated by SeaShare in Bristol Bay over the past year.

“Seafood has dietary and ...

Japanese producers set to boost consumption of kazunoko outside New Year season

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Japan Reports]  May 10, 2017

Kazunoko processors in Japan are now set to make kazunoko (herring roe) an all-year-round product such as ikura and pollock roe.

Consumption of kazunoko, a typically seasonal food product in Japan, dwindles rapidly after the high demand season around New Year.

The nation's kazunoko processors' organizations last year designated May 5--a national holiday dedicated to children--as the "Day of Kazunoko" by highlighting the traditional belief in kazunoko as a symbol of prospering posterity...

Federal Fishery Report Notes Wave of Chinese, South Korean Investment in Russia's Fishing Industry

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Eugene Gerden - May 4, 2017

Russia's Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) said Chinese and South Korean business are still attempting to expand into the Russian fish and aquiculture business. A report from the Agency said efforts by the Chinese and South Koreans include gaining control over Russia’s largest fish producers and processors and through efforts of changing local legislation in the fish business.

The decision of Rosrybolovstvo to create conditions for the development of fish processing in the Russian Far East is contrary to the plans of the Chinese business to strengthen its presence in the Russian fish market since it could reduce China's access to cheap fish resources.

Russian A Season ends at 874,000 tons of pollock, up 6%; Industry wants TAC decrease in 2018

SEAFODNEWS.COM by John Sackton - May 1, 2017

The Russian A season ended earlier in April with a total catch of 874,000 tons or 82% of the total TAC. This catch level is up 6% from the prior year. However, the Russian industry is concerned about the pollock market and wants to see a decrease in the TAC in 2018.

Pollock stocks in the Far East are Healthy, and the Russian industry has asked not to be saddled with maximum TACs due to the current market oversupply of pollock, and the fact that companies pay taxes on quotas as well as actual landings.

The 2018 TAC recommendation is for a decrease of 5% to 1.786 million tons. Sources indicate that higher level TACS could be maintained biologically, but the industry preferred to scale back somewhat.

By area, TACs for the main

Russian Pollock Fisheries Begin MSC Recertification Process, Join Industry Group Within MSC

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  by John Sackton  April 28, 2017

The Russian pollock Association signed a five-year review for recertification of the pollock fishery under the MSC at the recent Seafood Expo in Brussels. The signing was attended by the head of the Russian Fisheries Agency Ilya Shestakov and MSC head Rupert Howes. 

Shestakov said that in addition to the MSC certification, which he felt confirmed the soundness of Russian Fisheries management, he noted the importance of creating and implementing national environmental certification, which could guarantee the safety of products, maintaining the balance of aquatic ecosystems, as well as provide an alternative tool independently, confirming the quality of products in domestic and foreign markets. 

Earlier, the Pollock association joined...