IN BRIEF - NOAA: 'What Happened to All the Alaska Snow Crabs?'
UNITED STATES
Monday, April 29, 2024
A few years ago, snow crab populations in Alaska collapsed. Hear how NOAA biologists solved the mystery of what happened to them
In October 2022, the Bering Sea snow crab season was canceled for the first time in U.S. history. Snow crab populations crashed unexpectedly and officials had no choice but to close the fishery. The next year, it happened again.
The decline of roughly 10 billion crabs hit fishermen hard and the entire industry was impacted—from distributors, to processors, to consumers. The value of the fishery went from $227 million to $0 in just 2 years. Making it all the more confounding was that snow crabs were abundant just a few years prior. So ... what happened?
In our new episode, we'll speak with Dr. Cody Szuwalski, a research fishery biologist and stock assessment scientist at NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center. He is the lead author of a study examining the snow crab collapse. Tune in as we hear how NOAA biologists cracked the case of the mysterious Alaska snow crab collapse, what likely caused it, and why it matters.
We attach the program for the conference organized by Opmega that will take place today, Thursday, May 16, at the Mexillón Building in Galicia. The event will feature interventions by the mayor of Vilargarcía (10:00 a.m.) and the Sea Councilor (1:15 p.m.).
OPMEGA is an OP with a national scope of action recognized by Order of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, dated December 30, 1986 (Official State Gazette No. 23, dated 01/27/1987) as the OPP-18.
Since its foundation, OPMEGA brings together producers from all the Galician estuaries, where they join forces and work to improve and defend the interests of their producers and their Galician mussels.
According to a summary by the Hokkaido Fisheries Federation, the number of scallops landed in Hokkaido in fiscal 2023 (April 2023 to March 2024) was approximately 406,700 tons, down 3% from the previous year.
Trends in scallop landings in Hokkaido (from April to March)
Although it was lower than the previous year for the second consecutive year, it maintained the high level of 400,000 tons that has continued since fiscal 2020. The average unit price fell 20% to 211 yen per kilogram, falling below the previous year's level for the first time in three years, due to a reaction to the previous year's rise in product prices and the impact of the release of ALPS-treated water into the ocean.
Looking at the quantity by region, in the main Okhotsk region, Kitami in the south has increased by 5% to 204,900 tons, the highest in recent years, while Wakkanai in the north has decreased by 11% to 119,500 tons, for a total of 2. % decrease to 324,400 tons, which was below the level of the previous year.
In the Funkawan area, although Muroran decreased, Hakodate increased, and the total decreased by 1% to 61,000 tons, about the same as the previous year.[continues...]
Source: The Suisan Keizai Daily News (translated from original in Japanese)
A delegation from the Port of Vigo, led by its president, Carlos Botana, traveled to Brussels this week to present a road plan on potential energy sources and the necessary prototypes to the EU Energy Transition Association (DG Mare). to facilitate the energy transition of the different maritime fleets.
This strategy for the decarbonization of the fleet tries to respond to the objective set by the European Commission within the framework of the European Green Deal, which seeks to promote the transition towards a sustainable and carbon-free economy.
Pescapuerta began its adventure almost 70 years ago and it is said that "experience is a degree." So much so that, given the news that has been emerging in the sector in recent months, the Galician group maintains a very clear strategy, in which organic and prudent growth prevails over large operations and investments.
In this context, we give the keys and figures of its last year, in which, in addition, it has started a new line of business with its entry into the cultivation of vannamei shrimp.
A new non-profit has been launched to promote sustainable and economically viable fishing in Namibia.
Launched on 26 April 2024, the Namibia Ocean Cluster brings together nine founders dedicated to promoting innovation, identifying markets for by-products and enhancing the socio-economic benefits of the country’s fisheries.
Supported by the World Economic Forum’s Ocean Action Agenda, the cluster is made up of Marine Stewardship Council-certified hake fishing companies Embwinda, Hangana, Merlus, Novanam, Pereira and Seawork, together with three non-fishing associate members, the Fisheries Observers Agency, Namibia Nature Foundation, and Sam Nujoma Campus - University of Namibia.
The China-baseed company is scaling up its production capabilities, with construction of the second stage at the Gaotang facility underway, adding 4,000 tons capacity, and preparations for the third stage are in progress.
Land-based salmon farmer Nordic Aqua has achieved significant milestones in the first quarter of 2024, marking a successful transition from the project phase to full operational status.
The company produced 967 tons of biomass during the quarter, bringing the total biomass to 2,046 tons by the end of the quarter.
Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here
Thai Union is nearly halfway through a share-repurchasing program it initiated in January 2024 that has seen it spend nearly THB 1.3 billion (USD 35.7 million, EUR 32.9 million).
The Samut Sakhon, Thailand-based seafood giant, which owns the Chicken of the Sea and John West canned tuna brands, announced its third share-buyback program on 16 January 2024, saying it would reward shareholders by returning excess capital to them and boost the company’s earnings per share.
Author: Cliff White / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here
Members of Parliament in Tanzania have urged the government to reduce the royalties and levies imposed on fisheries products to boost the industry.
The parliamentary standing committee on industry, trade, agriculture and livestock said that these royalties and levies hinder efforts to improve the welfare of fishermen and their families.
Deodatus Mwanyika, the committee chairperson, presented the lawmakers’ views in parliament in response to the 2024/2025 financial year budget proposals tabled by Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Abdallah Ulega.
The parliament members emphasized the need for the government to continue removing unnecessary royalties and levies on fisheries products to enable the sector to improve people’s welfare and contribute more effectively to economic growth.
In his response, Ulega said that the government is implementing measures to protect various marine species and promote sustainable fisheries. He told the House that the sector has created employment for six million Tanzanians, including providing direct employment for 198,475 fishermen.
Myanmar’s fishery exports moved up to over US$54.98 million as of 3 May in the current financial year 2024-2025, beginning 1 April, the Ministry of Commerce’s statistics showed.
The figures reflected an increase of $25.5 million compared to $29.46 million recorded in the corresponding period of FY 2023-2024.
At present, fishery exports are regularly occurring, yet the volume of fishery exports is still lower than that recorded in the pre-pandemic period.
Myanmar sends fisheries such as fish, crab, and shrimp to neighboring countries (China and Thailand) through Muse, Myawady, Kawthoung, Myeik, Sittway, and Maungtaw border posts. They are shipped to Japan, European countries, China, Thailand, and other regional countries via maritime channels.
More than 20 fish species, including hilsa, rohu, catfish, and seabass are delivered to foreign markets, according to the Myanmar Fisheries Federation.
Myanmar delivers fisheries to over 40 countries, and the leading importer of Myanmar’s fisheries is Thailand, followed by China. —
Florida land-based salmon farmer Atlantic Sapphire has appointed Cermaq Chile managing director Pedro Courard as its new chief executive.
Courard (pictured left), who will take over from CEO and co-founder Johan Andreassen (pictured right) on August 1, is the second Cermaq executive to join the company this month following the appointment from the global director of Cermaq. of Finance, Gunnar Aasbo-Skinderhaug, as the new CFO and Deputy CEO of Atlantic Sapphire
Courard has been involved in the salmon industry in Chile for over 25 years, holding different management positions, such as most recently managing director of Cermaq Chile, the country’s second-largest salmon producer.
Andreassen said: “I am very pleased that after a long and thorough process Pedro Courard has been selected as my successor. Pedro has a strong operational track record from the Chilean salmon industry and I am convinced that he will be a good match to lead the Miami operations and take the company to operational excellence in Phase 1 and beyond.
“The strategic position of Atlantic Sapphire is stronger today than ever, being the sole land-based salmon producer at scale in the vast and growing US market with a unique location that enables the Company to grow its production to unmatched scale, sustainably.”