Indian Shrimp Imports to US Continue Blistering Pace Ahead of Peak Production Period
Shrimp imports from India are reaching the US at a blistering pace this year with the volume much higher than is typical for this time of the year. The latest data showed monthly shipments up 80 percent in April and 43 percent for the year compared to 2016. This is a lot of Indian shrimp to reach the US market given the time of the year since April is not a traditional harvesting period for Indian producers. But this is not unprecedented. In April 2015 Indian imports were again 80 percent higher.Total US shrimp imports now stand at around 394 million pounds, a 3 percent rise compared to last year. This represents about a 10 million pound increase from 2016 levels. This is record territory.
Marine Harvest was given approval from the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries to develop its “egg” concept to farm salmon in an attempt to minimize mortalities from sea lice. The concept allows Marie Harvest to farm salmon at depths where sea lice cannot survive. Sea lice has been an ongoing issue for Scottish and Norwegian salmon producers for several months now.
In other news, Vietnam reports that the USDA has asked the FDA to continue its inspection of pangasius imports. It appears this is the result of proposed budget cuts to the USDA from the Trump Administrations' budget proposal. Truong Dinh Hoe, general secretary of Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said the association has received the information. “We are contacting the parties concerned to see what is really going on,” he said.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) officially found New Jersey to be out of compliance with federal regulations over a compromise the state made to keep the recreational fluke (summer flounder) season open this year. New Jersey's Marine Fisheries Council set a shorter fishing season at 104 days from May 25 to Sept. 5 so that an 18-inch minimum on the fish catch could be retained. The ASMFC called for a a 19-inch minimum on fishes caught, with a three-fish limit per trip over a 128-day season.
Finally, 19,000 Alaskan state employees were notified that they will be laid off on July 1 if the state cannot agree on a budget by June 30. It’s the third straight year that Alaska's state employees have been faced with the prospect of temporarily losing their jobs. The state was able to hash out a budget deal and avoid layoffs in each of the last two years.
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