Saving Seafood

Citing market volatility and Russia’s war in Ukraine, Trident plans to halt salmon buying early

August 9, 2023 — Trident Seafoods, the country’s largest vertically integrated seafood company, announced a number of measures over the weekend that bode poorly for the Alaska salmon market, including an early end to its salmon buying season across much of the state.

In a letter over the weekend to fishermen who sell their catch to Trident, the company outlined the issues prompting low prices and a halt to most salmon purchases at month’s end.

“The current state of the salmon markets is volatile, and future indicators are even more concerning,” reads the letter, signed by Trident CEO Joe Bundrant and senior vice president for Alaska operations Jeff Welbourn. “We know this is not an easy time and we understand and empathize with our fishing community. Given how quickly things are changing we are committed to being as transparent as possible so you can make timely and informed decisions.”

Read the full article at Anchorage Daily News

China reprocessing, selling Russian-origin seafood to US despite import ban

July 5, 2023 — China has experienced a surge in Russian seafood entering the country recently, and is reprocessing and selling much of it to markets that have banned Russian seafood imports, including the U.S.

Bilateral seafood trade between the China and Russia rose 80 percent in the first quarter of 2023, according to Robin Wang, head of seafood marketing agency SMH International in Shanghai. Overall, Sino-Russian trade rose 38.7 percent year-over-year in Q1.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Alaska lawmakers want to expand US ban on Russian seafood imports

June 23, 2023 — Alaska’s congressional delegation has introduced legislation to close loopholes in U.S. rules banning Russian seafood imports.

The U.S. ban on Russian seafood was part of a slew of sanctions and prohibitions announced by U.S. President Joe Biden in a March 2022 executive order designed to impose economic punishments on Russia for its ongoing invasion and occupation of Ukraine.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Facing ongoing suspension, Russia threatens permanent withdrawal from ICES

May 16, 2023 — Russia is threatening to leave the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) if its suspension is not lifted.

ICES temporarily banned Russian delegates from participating in the organization’s activities in April 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the time, the organization said it had instructed its scientists and representatives “to either boycott or avoid engagement in activities where representatives of the Russian Federation are present.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US, Russia eyeing development of Arctic fisheries

April 12, 2023 — The U.S. and Russia are each moving to investigate opening up commercial fisheries in the Arctic, following fish stocks that have shifted northward due to climate change.

Currently, there is a ban on fishing in the Arctic, after nine nations and the European Union signed the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement – officially known as Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean – in 2018. After ratification, the agreement went into effect on 25 June, 2021 and bans fishing in the Central Arctic until at least 2037. The treaty limits fishing in the high seas area of the Arctic to research trips only and can be extended in five-year increments by unanimous consent.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

OREGON: Oregon seafood industry feels economic hit from Russia’s continued war against Ukraine

March 1, 2023 —  The economic ripple effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine have been felt for more than a year. This includes Oregon’s seafood industry.

Before Russian forces invaded in February 2022, American exports of Pacific hake — or whiting — to Ukraine came to nearly $95 million worth of fish. But that market’s been gutted in wake of the ongoing hostilities.

“The war in Ukraine — compounded with various trade restrictions that we’ve been dealing with Russia — have just really put into jeopardy our biggest market for Pacific Hake,” said Lori Steele, executive director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association. “Which is really the bread and butter for a lot of seafood processors here on the West Coast.”

Read the full article at Herald and News

MAC: EU’s Ukraine war response requires more top-level fisheries, aquaculture action

February 7, 2023 — When Russia first invaded Ukraine almost 12 months ago, the European Commission quickly provided appropriate measures and gave E.U. member-states new tools to mitigate the impacts of the conflict and the sanctions that were adopted across the bloc, according to the Market Advisory Council (MAC). However, E.U. member-states haven’t been as prompt in their implementations, it found in a newly-issued report.

Composed of organizations representing the entire value chain and other interested groups, and co-funded by the E.U., MAC provides advice to the E.C. and E.U. member-states on the global seafood market.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Ukraine’s seafood industry beginning to recover from worst of war’s impact

December 1, 2022 — The Association of Ukrainian Fish and Seafood Importers was established in 2013 as a non-governmental organization with the purpose of protect the rights and interests of seafood importers. It currently has 27 member-companies

In an interview with independent journalist Viktor Sagaydak, the organization’s head, Dmitry Zagumenny, discussed how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected the country’s seafood industry and the biggest challenges the industry currently faces.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Russian seafood firms finding workarounds to Western sanctions

October 27, 2022 — Despite facing a slew of international sanctions, Russian seafood exports increased year-over-year first seven months of 2022 in both value and volume.

However, a slowing of its seafood trade in recent months could be a warning sign trouble lies ahead.

During the first half of 2022, Russia sold 1.1 million metric tons (MT) of seafood in overseas markets, up 18 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2021. In sum, Russia’s exports were worth USD 2.9 billion (EUR 3.16 billion), an increase of 21 percent, the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries said.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource