RRPK Has No Concerns Regarding Expulsion of Association of Pollock Producers

Russian Fishery (RRPK), one of the country’s largest fish producers and processors, has confirmed its plans to apply to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) and other law enforcement agencies in Russia to protect rights, which were damaged after its expulsion from the local Association of Pollock Producers (ADM).   

As the company said in an exclusive statement, "It currently continues preparations of appropriate appeals, that will be sent to relevant Russian state bodies shortly."

RRPK has also said that it does not depend on ADM in its work...

JAPAN: August Marine Products Imports at 148,231 Million Yen, Down 2% From the Previous Year

According to preliminary trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, imports of marine products in August were 148,231 million yen ($1,418 million), down 2% from the same month of the previous year. Quantity decreased by 6%. Frozen salmon and trout, frozen mackerel, and frozen octopus grew, but frozen tuna struggled, reports Minato Shimbun.

Fresh and frozen salmon and trout brought in increased by 24% to nearly 20,000 tons, and the value increased by 29% to 20,698 million yen ($197.90 million)...

Jerky From Alaska Pollock

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

Jerky made from Alaska pollock attracted the attention of big backers starting at a buffet table at Fish 2.0, a global gathering of innovators and investors hosted by Stanford University to grow the sustainable seafood sector.

“I knew that they would have to taste it to buy into what we were trying to build. And so I brought about 200 samples and it was literally the first major set of samples that we'd ever made of the product. And the samples disappeared in a matter of minutes...

Russian Fishermen May Face Significant Decline of Catch 

According to recent forecasts, Russian fishermen may face a significant decline of catch due to the overall reduction of fish stock in the domestic territorial waters, a further expansion of the Russian fishing fleet and the generally wasteful nature of fisheries in Russia.

The Pacific Research Fisheries Center (TINRO) estimates that the increase of capacities of the domestic fishing fleet and the decline of fish stock may lead to the reduction of total allowable catch of some fish species by almost two times by 2025, compared to the current figures...

The Winding Glass: Pandemic and Election Could Revitalize Seafood Industry; We Need to Think Big

It could be that the loss of significant sales by the U.S. seafood industry due to the pandemic may provide some real opportunities.

For these to happen we will need the entire country to commit to a huge infrastructure and jobs program, which will only happen if democrats win control of the White House and senate. The pandemic and the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression offers the possibility for large scale recovery programs.

We have published a few stories this month on...

Russia Posts 20% Decline of Crab Exports in First Half of Current Year

Exports of Russian crab in the first half of 2020 fell by almost 20% in volume and by 15% in value terms, which is associated with serious losses for local producers and exporters, according to recent statements made by the President of the All-Russian Association of Fishermen (VARPE) Herman Zverev during the recent press conference.  

In regard of overall fish exports, according to Zverev, in the first half of the current year they amounted to 928,000 tonnes in volume terms and...

Japan Fisheries Agency Increases Alaska Pollock TAC to 65,000 Tons

The Fisheries Agency of Japan approved the increase in the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of pollock for the FY2020 fishing season (April to March 2021) at the 102nd Resource Management Subcommittee of the Fisheries Policy Council held in Tokyo on August 6. In response to a large number of pollock in the Sea of Okhotsk appearing in the Japanese fishing grounds this year, the Agency increased the catch quota for offshore trawling in the waters by 10,000 tons to 64,900 tons...

Russia May Face Significant Decline in Catch of Japanese Squid, Cod, and Pollock Due to North Korean Poachers

Russia may be faced with a significant decline in catch of Japanese squid, cod, pollock and some other fish species due to the ever growing volumes of poaching in its territorial waters in the Far East.   

According to analysts of ZRPRESS, one of Russia’s leading business papers, currently the biggest concerns are related with the activities of fishermen from North Korea and China, whose illegal fishing in the Russian inland waters has significantly increased in recent years...

Trident Seafood Subsidiary Begins Surimi Product Manufacturing in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture

Mangoku no Tsubu in Onagawa-cho, Miyagi Prefecture, a crab-flavored surimi sticks factory of Trident Seafood Asia Inc., has been operating since May 11. According to Trident Seafood Japan, Inc. of Tokyo, which plays a part in sales, the new factory focuses on careful hygiene management and quality improvement. Currently, it operates with two lines and 45 employees. It plans to produce 500 to 600 tons in the first year, reports Minato Shimbun.

The crab leg style product offers four items...

JAPAN: Low Grade Surimi Price Fell 35 Yen Per kg

Alaska pollock B season has opened. Production for the past five years has been high around 200,000 tons per year. TAC in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Island (BSAI) waters, which is the main fishing ground, increased by 2% to 1.44 million tons this year reported Minato Shimbun.

Surimi production in A season was over 81,000 tons, down 10% year-on-year. The fish were large, and the roe recovery was good, but the surimi yield was rather low. During the A season, U.S. high sea processors and...

Russia Plans to Diversify Exports of Pollock Roe Within Next Several Years 

According to recent statements, made by German Zverev, head of the Russian Association of Fish Producers (VARPE), Russia plans to significantly diversify exports of its pollock roe within the next several years, paying a particular attention to supplies for the Chinese market. 

As Zverev said in an interview to the Far East business paper Tvoy Dalny Vostok, so far, up to 90% of pollock roe, produced in Russia, have been sent for exports to Japan, however there is a possibility that this year at least part of...

Russian Pollock Producers May Significantly Strengthen Their Positions in Domestic Market This Year 

Russian pollock producers may significantly strengthen their positions in the domestic market this year due to expected reduction of supplies of some imported fish species, according to recent statements, made by representatives of some Russian fish industry associations and local analysts.   

As German Zverev, head of the Russian Association of Fish Producers (VARPE) told in an interview with the Far East business portal Tvoy Dalny Vostok, due to the pandemic, the volume of production of tilapia and pangasius (and products from them)...

Wholesale Price of Frozen Alaska Pollock in Korea Soars 58.6% to KRW 53,600

Korea Agro-Trade Center announced on June 5 that the wholesale price of frozen Alaska pollock was KRW 53600/carton of 20kg ($44.68/20 carton or $2.23/kg), according to a fishery coop in Hokkaido. The price rose 58.6% from KRW 33,800/carton ($28.18/carton or $1.41/kg) a year ago, and 33.6% higher than the previous year’s annual average of KRW 41,300/carton ($34.44 or $1.72/kg). The retail price of KRW 2,614/fish ($2.18/fish) rose 20.4% from...

Russian Leading Fish Producer RRPK Accelerates Domestic and Foreign Expansion  

The Russian Fishery Company (RRPK), one of the country’s largest fish producers, is accelerating expansion both in the domestic and foreign markets, despite the ongoing spread of COVID-19 and the negative consequences for economics, the company said in an exclusive interview with SeafoodNews.  

According to RRPK, while the pandemic had a negative impact on the global economy and fish market, the company was able to flexibly respond to all challenges, which allowed them to achieve a record-breaking catch in its history this year...

By the Numbers: Japan’s March Seafood Imports and Exports

The Japanese Ministry of Finance announced March import and export statistics. Marine product imports totaled 114,238.50 million yen ($1,076.54 million), down 12.2% from the same month of the previous year. Import volume increased 4.6% to 176,192 tons. Exports decreased by 9.7% year-on-year to 55,424 tons, and the value decreased by 22.1% to 18,163.91 million yen ($171.16 million).

Imports

The products that exceeded both the quantities and value are shrimp, crab, and octopus. The volume of fresh and...

Russia Plans to Increase Pollock Catch in Bering and Sea of Okhotsk this Year   

Russia plans to increase the volume of pollock catch in the Sea of Okhotsk within the next several years, thanks to a significant increase of stocks, which has been observed in the last 10-15 years.  

Since 2005 the volume of pollock stock in the Sea of Okhotsk has increased by almost two times and is currently estimated at 12 million tons. According to experts of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), one of Russia’s leading research institutions in...

Fishing Sector of Russian Kamchatka on Verge of Big Changes 

The fishing sector of the Russian Kamchatka is on the verge of big changes, which is mainly due to the recently announced plans of its newly elected governor Vladimir Solodov to create conditions for a significant increase of its output and the overall weight in the country’s fishing industry.  

As Solodov said in an interview with the Russian Expert business paper, as of now the Kamchatka territory accounts for almost a third of the total fish and seafood output in Russia and there is a high possibility these figures will...

USDA Eyeing Purchase of U.S. Shrimp, Alaska Pollock

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is yet again looking for offers to sell seafood, including wild shrimp and Alaska pollock.

The USDA is looking for bids on 318,600 containers of frozen peeled and deveined shrimp, packed in two-pound packages. Ten two-pound packages were packed in a 20-pound shipping container. Frozen block (bulk) shrimp shall be packed in a 5-pound primary package. Four 5-pound primary packages shall be packed in a 20-pound (net weight) shipping container, the USDA explained...

Chinese Pollock Importers Losing Positions in Russia

Imports of Chinese pollock products to Russia are steadily declining due to the growth of the share of domestic producers, according to a recent report published by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti, citing sources in the Russian Association of Pollock Producers.  

According to data of the Association, the biggest decline is currently observed in the case of pollock fillets, which are supplied to Russia from China, and the volume of which imports to the Russian market has declined by almost three times in recent years...  

Japan's Seafood Imports Fell 14% to 169,605 Tons in July

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance on August 28, the quantity of seafood imports (seafood and its preparations, fish meal, and seaweed) in July was 169,605 tons, down 14% from the same month of the previous year. It exceeded the same month last year in June but fell below again. Fresh and frozen shrimp increased by 7% to 15,506 tons, and fresh and frozen salmon and trout increased by 7% to 13,457 tons, but fresh and frozen tuna decreased by...

Russia Hopes for Increased Pollock Catch During Forthcoming Fishing Season  

Leading Russian pollock producers are preparing for a new fishing season this year, which is scheduled for October-December, according to recent statements, made by representatives of producers and some local analysts in the field of fishing.  

Traditionally, the majority of the planned catch will account for the Okhotsk and Bering seas, which are historical centers of pollock catch in Russia.  

As Evgeny Ovsyannikov, Head of the Pollock and Herring Laboratory of the Pacific Fisheries Research Center (TINRO), one of Russia’s largest centers in the field of fisheries...

Russian Pollock Association Forecasts 10% Boost in Catch 

The Russian pollock catch this year may be by at least 10% higher the figures of 2019, mainly due to the planned increase of production in the Bering Sea.

Such forecasts have been recently made by the experts of the Russian Pollock Association in an interview with Russian media.

The increase of catch will be primarily due to favorable fishing conditions in the Bering Sea this year and the migration of pollock from US waters to the Navarino region of the Russian part of the Bering Sea...

H1 Pollock and Atka Mackerel Landings Over 100,000 Tons in Hokkaido, Price Down Due to COVID 19

According to the summary of Hokkaido Kisen Ren, the landing of offshore trawlers in Hokkaido in the first half of 2020 (January-June) increased by 33% from the same period of the previous year to 101,230 tons due to the growth of both main fish species, Alaska Pollock and Atka Mackerel. It is the first time in eight years since the landings exceeded 100,000 tons in the first six months.

On the other hand, landed prices were weak for both...

Russian Pollock Roe from the Previous Fishing Season Increased by 10% to 34,000 Tons

The new Russian Pollock roe's production volume is estimated to be 33,000 to 34,000 tons this year, which is an increase of 2000 to 3000 tons, up to six to ten percent, from the previous period. The high-grade product's median market price was $6.00 to $7.20/kg in the March-April bid but dropped to no more than $5.50/kg after mid-May. As for off-grade, buying in South Korea was weak, and the feeling of affordability became...

NOAA’s Trio of Ocean Drones Set to Reach Bering Sea Survey Station

The trio of sail drones set to collect important data of one of America’s key fisheries has reached the Aleutian Islands, according to a recent update from NOAA Fisheries.

In June, NOAA said that the trio of sail drones would head off from California and travel to the Bering Sea to survey the largest fish stock in the country, walleye pollock, and monitor weather and ocean conditions in the Arctic Ocean.

The drones left from Alameda, California in May and arrived at Unimak Pass in the Aleutian Islands, traveling nearly 2700 miles already...

Alaska Fishing Updates for July 2020

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Lots of fishing is going on besides salmon.

Alaska’s salmon catch is nearing 8 million fish, of which over half are sockeyes, mostly from Bristol Bay where catches are building.

Fishermen in Quinhagak have formed a group of 70 harvesters to revitalize commercial salmon fishing in Kuskokwim Bay. The group is called the Independent Fishermen of Quinhagak Cooperative and also includes members from Goodnews Bay, Platinum, and Eek. It’s the first fishery since 2016 when the region’s CDQ group...

Economic Value of Alaska Seafood Industry

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch --Which Alaska region is home to the most fishing boats and which region produces the most fish?

Those are just a few of the questions answered each year in the highly anticipated Economic Value of Alaska’s Seafood Industry report by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute compiled by the McDowell Group.

The report shows that just under 59,000 workers were directly employed in 2018.

There were 29,400 skippers, active permit owners and crew, of which 56% were Alaska residents. Just over 13,000 fishermen were from outside Alaska.          

GAPP Partners with Urner Barry to Track International Surimi Supply

The Wild Alaska Pollock industry will soon be able to have a comprehensive picture of the international wholesale surimi trade—both supply and demand—thanks to new quarterly tracker, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced today. After a months-long search that began with a formal request for proposals (RFP), GAPP selected renowned data and insights firm Urner Barry to build the tracker on behalf of the industry.

“It is extremely important for all GAPP members to better understand the wholesale surimi trade and have a...

Up to 400-500K Tonnes of Pollock May be Destroyed in Russia This Year

Up to 400,000 to  500,000 tonnes of pollock may be destroyed in Russia this year in the case of a new wave of COVID-19 in China and the introduction of new restrictions on the supplies of pollock from Russia, per recent statements made by representatives of some leading Russian fish producers and analysts in the field.

The recently finished pollock fishing season in the Sea of Okhotsk brought some good results for Russian pollock fishermen, which allowed them to increase their overall catch...

Latest Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers Funding Brings New Products to Europe

The Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers’ (GAPP) latest investment will bring new wild Alaska pollock products to Europe. The organization announced this week that they have awarded nearly one million dollars in funding to launch exciting new products to feed more European consumers.

“We’re excited that there was such strong interest in the Partnership Program and are elated with the caliber of companies we’re partnering with,” said GAPP CEO Craig Morris. “These new products represent the versatility of Wild Alaska Pollock and our collaboration will help consumers understand...