Ecuadorian Shrimp Production at Record Levels in 2016 as Sales to Asia Easily Outpace Exports to US  Ecuadorian shrimp sales to overseas markets hit new records both for the month of May and for the year, driven by exports to Asia whiles sales to the US declined. Shrimp exports from Ecuador reached a record high volume at 76.7 million pounds in May. The country's shrimp exports are up now 15 percent through the first five months of the year, a 42 million pound increase compared to 2015 levels. Exports to Asia accounted for 51 percent of Ecuador’s shrimp sales through May at 166 million pounds. At the same time, Ecuador’s shrimp exports to the US market fell to 60.5 million pounds. Ecuador’s combined shrimp shipments to the US and EU markets are now lower than its overall sales to Asia. The Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association (PEIFA) will not ask the federal government to extend the spring lobster fishery despite a slow start to the season. "Even though catches have been down, there's been an offset in prices and it would perhaps be better to end the season on the planned date," said PEIFA Executive Director Ian MacPherson. In other news, the first month of in-season shrimp landings from the Gulf of Mexico shows catches are higher over last year and the five-year-average. Gulf shrimp catches are up 17 percent to 23.5 million pounds, about 3.5 million more pounds of shrimp versus last year. Higher catches out Texas and Alabama are the key contributors to the Gulf catch so far. Meanwhile, European Union scientists have given Sweden until July 31 to address U.S. and Canadian objections to Sweden's claims that North American lobster is an invasive species that should be subject to an import ban. The deadline was issued during a scientific forum that met this week to discuss Sweden's claim that North American lobsters are invasive. The forum asked Sweden to update its scientific justification for labeling the North American lobster as an invader. U.S. and Canadian scientists object to Sweden's claim saying there is no proof of an invasion despite decades of imports, or that offspring of the two species can spawn a second-generation hybrid. Finally, Linda Behnken was named interim commissioner on the International Pacific Halibut Commission. She is replacing Jeff Kauffman who announced his resignation this week. Behnken is currently executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association. She has also served on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, and is a board member of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust, which advocates for fisheries sustainability and marine resource health.