Today's Main Story: Russia has "completely substituted" its Norwegian salmon imports with product from the Faroes, Chile
Russia’s Federal Customs Service (FCS) says the country has managed to fully replace its imported salmon supplies that would normally come from Norway with products from the Faroe Islands and Chile. The FCS said since Russia’s widespread ban on imported goods from several trading partners--including its main salmon supplier Norway—importers have managed to offset their losses with chilled and frozen shipments from the Faroes and Chile as alternative markets. “The drop in imports of chilled salmon and trout, seen directly after sanctions were imposed, was completely substituted with supplies from Chile and the Faroe Islands and the share of frozen salmon and trout increased from 40% in July to 83% in October,” the FCS said.
Alaska’s Department of Fish Game will slash Sitka’s 2015 sac roe herring harvest by half compared to this year’s quota. According to the Department’s preliminary forecast Sitka’s projected 8,712 ton harvest was based on very low numbers of young herring recruits aged under three-years-old.
It won’t be until at least Friday that lobstermen in Nova Scotia’s LFA 34 fishery will be allowed to commence the season. Gale force winds in the region are expected to reach between 34 and 47 knots today and with another storm expected Thursday, fishery managers decided to tentatively set Friday as the new start date. Another round of discussions about the opening will be held on Thursday.
In other news Stavis Seafoods has finalized an agreement to expand its operations to Globe Fish’s now former facility on 310 Northern Avenue. The additional 20,000 square feet of space is expected to triple Stavis’s fresh fish operations according to Stavis CEO Richard Stavis.
Finally, NMFS will implement several protection measures for Steller sea lions in Western Alaska that will regulate Atka mackerel, Pacific cod and pollock fishing in the region through a combination of closed areas, harvest limits and seasons. The final rules will be effective December 26.
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