GAPP Launches Request for Second Round of Proposals to Build a Brand for Wild Alaska Pollock

In the second of three rounds of funding for partnership proposals to build Wild Alaska Pollock’s brand, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced yesterday that proposals for the second flight of funding will be due March 29, 2019.

This round is focused on the second of three marketing targets -- addressing space or channels in retail, foodservice or alternative markets where Wild Alaska Pollock is not regularly sold.

“Wild Alaska Pollock is one of the most abundant and sustainable...

LISTEN: Salmon Analysis; Australis Barramundi in HelloFresh Boxes; GAPP Funding and More

We're back! Join Seafood News staff writer Amanda Buckle and Urner Barry seafood market reporter Liz Cuozzo for a new episode of the SeafoodNews Podcast. This week on the podcast we break down market reporter Janice Schreiber's latest salmon analysis. Plus, we discuss Trident Seafoods and True North Seafood receiving funding from the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers; SeaShare teaming up with Hook Line and Savor; Australis Aquaculture's barramundi in HelloFresh boxes; and much more.

This week’s episode is brought to you by Urner Barry’s Reporter...

VIDEO: Trident, True North Receive Funding; Salmon Analysis; SeaShare Partnership; UB Appoints VP

Watch the latest Seafood News Weekly Recap with hosts Amanda Buckle and Laura Zinger. This week on the video we talk about Trident Seafoods and True North Seafood receiving funding from the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers; market reporter Janice Schreiber's latest salmon analysis; SeaShare's partnership with Hook Line and Savor; and Urner Barry appointing veteran team member Gary Morrison to the position of Vice President.

This video is sponsored by Urner Barry’s Reporter, the quarterly newsmagazine for the food industry professional...

Trident Seafoods, True North Seafood Receive Funding From GAPP for New Projects

On Tuesday the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced that Trident Seafoods and True North Seafood have received funding awards for four new projects designed to develop new market opportunities for wild Alaska pollock.

“The GAPP North American Partnerships program was designed by our Board of Directors with the goal of further developing new products and market channels for wild Alaska pollock in our critically important North American market,” GAPP CEO Craig Morris said in a press release...

Russia Considers Adding Pollock, Herring and Cod to 'No History' Quota Auctions This Year

The Russian government will consider the possibility of extending the list of fish species quotas that will be open to oligarch investors with no fishing history in Russia.  These quotas for which catch will be distributed through the auctions will be open to companies that do not have any prior fishing history,  according to recent statements of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) and some senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to initial state plans, only crab quotas would have become a subject of these 'no history' auctions. However, these plans were revised later by the government, in an attempt to increase revenue from the seafood industry to the federal budget...

Roughly One-Third of Russia’s Fish Harvest Continues to be Lost or Destroyed

Up to 30% of Russian-caught fish and seafood is destroyed, despite the recent efforts of the state to reduce these figures over several years, according to recent statements of some leading Russian fishermen and experts of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo).

According to latest assessments of scientists of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, one of Russia’s leading research institutions in the field of fishing, of the 5 million tonnes of fish annually produced in Russia, about 1.7 million tonnes are not used.

In general, most of the ...

Data on Alaska Fish Catches, Prices, Processor Sales by AK Region

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

One click will take you to a site that can tell you all you need to know about prices and landings for nearly every Alaska fish species by region, how much was processed and into what products, and what processors sold it for.

It’s called the Commercial Fisheries Statistics and Data page on the Department of Fish and Game website and it extends back to the early 1980s.

For salmon, charts and graphs show...

Del Taco Adds Beer Battered Alaska Pollock Taco to Their New Mix2 Menu

Make your next lunch break at Del Taco. The Mexican quick service restaurant just introduced their new Mix2 Menu, which allows guests to mix and match two items for $4 - $5, and the new menu features wild-caught Alaska pollock.

Del Taco diners can now get a Beer Battered Fish Taco, which features a wild-caught Alaska pollock fillet in a crispy beer batter, wrapped in two warm corn tortillas. The taco is topped with crunchy shredded cabbage, Del Taco’s “secret sauce”, and...

Russia Initiates Plans for Pollock, Crab Harvests in Arctic Seas This Year

Russia plans to start more active production of pollock and crab in its Arctic seas during the next several years, according to recent statements of some leading Russian fish producers and officials from Rosrybolovstvo, the Russian fisheries agency.

Plans include increasing production of pollock and crab the Chukchi Sea - a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, bounded on the west by Long Strait, off Wrangel Island, and on the east by Point Barrow, Alaska. Implementation of these plans is already scheduled for the current...

Russia Plans to Compete with Alaska for Brazilian Pollock Market

Russia plans to start more active promotion of domestic fish in foreign markets in the future. Government and industry said that will take place through the conduction of large-scale marketing campaigns promoting Russian fish and seafood, according to recent statements of representatives of some Russian leading fish producers and senior officials of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo).

Part of these plans include expanding into markets that, so far, have been traditionally closed to Russian fishermen, or where their presence has been insignificant ...

Alaska is U.S. Seafood Superpower 

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch -- Alaska is the nation’s super power when it comes to seafood.

Last year, American fishermen landed just shy of 10 billion pounds of fish and shellfish, valued at $5.4 billion, both up slightly. Alaska accounted for 61 percent of total landings (6 billion pounds) and 33 percent of the value ($1.8 billion).   

That’s according to the 2017 Fisheries of the US report revealed yesterday by NOAA Fisheries.  Ned Cyr is Science and Technology director.

“The Alaska port of Dutch Harbor led the nation with...

Russia Says Six Pollock Factories Will Aim to Push Chinese Pollock from EU in 2020

Russian pollock producers plan to increase their share of the European Union market and to push Chinese competitors out during the next several years, they say. The plan will take place through a significant increase of the quality of exported products, according to recent statements of some Rosrybolovstvo senior officials and local producers.

According to Petr Savchuk, the deputy head of Rosrybolovstvo, the quality of Russian pollock products will be significantly higher than those offered by Chinese competitors...

Tax Dispute Over Vessel Repair Threatens Russian Pollock Season; 200,000 Tons of Fish Could be Lost

Russian fish producers are preparing to protest due to a proposed state initiative to ban fish harvests from trawlers that were repaired at foreign shipyards, leading Russian fish companies say.

The proposal was revealed just as the Russian pollock season is about to begin on Jan. 1.

In accordance with the latest initiative of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, all the fish trawlers serviced and repaired at shipyards outside Russia must undergo customs declarations -- otherwise, their further activities within the Russian territorial waters will be banned.

In the meantime, the new initiative has already caused sharp criticism ...

Trident’s Protein Noodles Top Winner at Alaska Seafood Contest

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

Trident’s Protein Noodles took top honors at the Symphony of Seafood, winning first place in the retail category and the Seattle’s People’s Choice. The top winners were announced Monday at Pacific Marine Expo.

The refrigerated noodles are pollock-based and touted as a high protein, gluten free alternative to wheat-based pastas that contain loads of carbs and sugars.  Just heat them up and add sauce! The protein noodles will debut at Costco stores early next year ...

Russian Taxes of 4.8 percent Proposed Across the Board for the Domestic Seafood Industry

Increased taxes on fish and seafood products appear to be on the horizon for the Russian seafood industry.

The Russian government is designing a new legislative system for the domestic fish industry that will be based on new taxation rules and standards, according to recent statements of some leading Russian fish producers and local analysts in the field of fish business.

According to Peter Savchuk, deputy head of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), the current situation in the Russian fish industry remains stable; however, its current growth rates do not meet the expectations of the national government.

He added that the government is unhappy...

Halibut’s a Wrap But There’s Lots of Fishing Going on Across Alaska

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio with Laine Welch] - November 9, 2018

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Halibut’s a wrap but there’s lots of fishing going on across Alaska.

As some Alaska fisheries wind down for the year, others are still going strong.

In Southeast, a fishery opened on November 8 for seven different kinds of rockfish.

About 170 divers are still going down for more than 1.7 million pounds of sea cucumbers, and more than 700,000 pounds of giant geoduck clams ...

Del Taco Offering Wild-Caught Alaska Pollock Tacos, Jumbo Shrimp Options

Mexican quick service restaurant Del Taco is expanding their seafood offerings.

“Our guests already love Del Taco’s Beer Battered Fish tacos, and each year, look forward to the return of our crispy Jumbo Shrimp tacos and burritos,” said Barry Westrum, Del Taco’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Seafood fans come to Del Taco because they know that they can get a variety of freshly-prepared, premium and delicious seafood items at an unbeatable value, and served at the speed of our drive-thru...

Russian Fishery Company is First in Line for Pollock Supertrawler Construction

Russian Fishery Company (RRPK), one of Russia’s leading fish producers and processors, is continuing preparations for a significant increase of its pollock and herring catch, scheduled for the coming years.

For this purpose, the company recently started construction of Russia’s first fish supertrawler.

The ship of the ST-192 project is currently being built at The Admiralty Shipyards, one of Russia’s largest shipyards, which is part of the Russian shipbuilding monopoly – the United Shipbuilding Corporation.

According to an official...

GAPP Receives Commitment from USDA on Record Purchase of Alaska Pollock

Last Wednesday, the new CEO of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) issued a statement about the record USDA purchase of Alaska pollock.

”Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) notified the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) of their commitment to purchase an additional 30 million dollars of Wild Alaska Pollock products to support the nation’s food banks and food assistance recipients,” siad Craig Morris, CEO of GAPP.

“GAPP, on behalf of the entire wild Alaska pollock industry, commends and thanks ...

Pollock "A" season began on schedule Sunday, despite shutdown

The Alaska pollock A season began on schedule, on January 21^st, despite the closure of most NOAA offices.

This year’s TAC is 1.397 million tons, vs. 1.364 million tons in 2018.  Reductions in pacific cod have allowed for more landings of pollock under the North Pacific Council’s 2 million ton cap.

And unlike cod, which have moved north and created problems for Dutch Harbor based longliners, the pollock fishery appears to be normal this year.

Unalaska mayor Frank Kelty told KUCB that the local NMFS office is closed, but that there are two fish managers on the job at the Juneau office.

"How are two people going to be able to track all the fixed gear stuff that started Jan. 1 and all the trawl sectors starting January 20...

Despite Predictions, Russian Fisherman Do Not Expect Pollock Decline Over Next 5 Years

Russian leading fishermen do not expect the decline of domestic pollock production during the next five years, despite recent predictions by some analysts. Some researchers have noted the potential exhaustion of pollock reserves, according to recent statements by the president of the Russian Pollock Association, Herman Zverev.

At the end of last year, Ilya Shestakov, head of the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), said a possible reduction in the stocks and catch volumes of pollock may be observed during the next 4 to 5 years...

Alaska Fishing Updates For January 2019

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

Lots of winter fishing is going on and gearing up across Alaska. Boats have been out in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea since January 1 targeting cod.  Openers for pollock, flounders and various other whitefish kick off on January 20. For pollock, Bering Sea trawlers will harvest over three billion pounds of pollock this year, with more coming from Gulf fisheries.

The snow crab fishery gets going in earnest around this time of year in the Bering Sea...

Alaska Fisheries Report Few Problems So Far From Gov’t Shutdown 

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

Alaska’s cod and crab fisheries are underway in the Bering Sea ang Gulf with few problems reported so far from the government shutdown that’s heading into a third week.  

“I have not heard of any problems, but that’s not to say that there aren’t any.”  

Forrest Bowers is acting director of the Alaska’s commercial fisheries division. The shutdown has furloughed about 800,000 workers nationwide, most with no pay, including fishery oversight and research jobs...

Alaska Fishing Gears Up for 2019

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch…. January marks the start of Alaska’s largest fisheries - and that means more jobs than any other Alaska industry!

Salmon will always be the heart of Alaska’s fisheries. That’s why many people think of summer as the fishing season.

But that’s not the case.  The heart of winter is when most of Alaska’s largest fisheries get underway each year.

On January first, hundreds of boats with hook and line gear or huge pots begin plying the waters of...

Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers Appoints Craig Morris As New CEO 

Craig Morris, Ph.D., has been appointed the new CEO of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, effective January 14, 2019.

“On behalf of the entire GAPP Board of Directors, we are thrilled to welcome Craig to the help,” GAPP Chair Mikel Durham said in a press release. “Craig’s passion for protein, his creativity and his experience understanding the marketing of protein products in the U.S. and abroad were the perfect match for our goal of raising the profile of Wild Alaska Pollock...

Russian Fishery Company Starts Construction of Russia’s Largest Pollock Processing Plant

The Russian Fishery Company (RRPK), one of Russia’s largest fish producers and processors, has officially started the construction of a new fish processing plant in the Primorye – expected to be the largest of its kind in the Far East and all of Russia. 
The new plant will be known as Russian Mintai and will be located within the territory of the Nadezhdinskaya special economic zone.

As planned, the first phase of the plant, with a capacity of more than 100 tons of finished products per day, will be put into operation in 2021.

The new facility will ...

North Pacific Council to Reveal Catch Allocations This Week; Pollock to Increase, Cod is Uncertain

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Alaskans will know this week how much cod, pollock and other whitefish they’ll be able to catch next year.

The bulk of Alaska’s fish catches come from waters from three to 200 miles offshore with oversight by federal fishery managers.

Their advisory arm for Alaska is the North Pacific Fishery Management Council who reviews stock assessments for groundfish each fall and sets catches for the coming year in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea ...

Russia Expects Record Fish Harvests This Year; Salmon Growth Almost Doubles

Russia expects a record fish catch this year since the beginning of 1980s, according to recent statements of an official spokesman of the Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo).

According to deputy head of Rosrybolovstvo, Vasily Sokolov, the volume of catch this year will be more than 5 million tons – a record in the post-Soviet period and in the history of modern Russia.

Sokolov added that salmon has accounted for the biggest growth. According to data of Rosrybolovstvo, more than 677,000 tonnes of salmon were ...

Kuril Islands Resolution with Japan Could Mean Huge Losses for Russian Seafood Industry

Russian leading fishery companies may bear multi-million dollar losses due to the possible transfer of the Kuril Islands to Japan, which is currently being discussed between the governments of Russia and Japan.

According to some Russian experts, both countries have never been so close to a solution of the issue of Kuril Islands since the end of World War II. The potential transfer were part of recent talks between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which were conducted in Singapore.

For Russian fishermen, the transfer ...

Symphony of Seafood Debuts 10 New Products

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – From spring rolls to seafood noodles – Alaska’s Symphony of Seafood unveils new products.

The 26^th Alaska Symphony of Seafood attracted 10 entries in its annual competition. They were judged privately last night (Wednesday) in Seattle in three categories: retail, food service and Beyond the Plate. As always, the innovation is off the charts.

“I have not seen a spring roll product entered before. Alaska sockeye salmon spring roll by Tai Foong. And Fishpeople Seafoods entered a salmon jerky ...