Multiple Signs Point to Tough Summer Season for Farmed Salmon Market
Traders are concerned that the US farmed salmon market this summer could fall to pricing levels not seen for several years. The worry stems from the convergence of current market weakness, higher imports, expectations of more wild Alaskan salmon and the strong US dollar all coming to a head in the upcoming summer months.
Meanwhile, US fishery management under Magnuson continues to improve according to NOAA’s annual status report of the nation’s fisheries. In 2014 the number of domestic fish stocks listed as overfished or subject to overfishing has dropped to an all-time low since 1997 reports NOAA. “This report illustrates that the science-based management process under the Magnuson-Stevens Act is working to end overfishing and rebuild stocks,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fisheries.
In today’s Editor’s View column John Sackton writes about what has changed in the world of certification and the branding of Alaska salmon since 2012, when Alaska Salmon Producers left the MSC. In short, the seafood sustainability landscape has changed quite substantially according to Sackton, one that “has moved on to a more robust infrastructure for, and understanding of, global certifications and ecolabels.”
Finally, the USDA will propose standards to allow for the sale of US -raised organic fish and shellfish this year. The standard would cover salmon, tilapia, catfish, shrimp and mollusks such as mussels, oysters and clams. The Department said it will propose standards for organic fish this year, which means it could be as little as two years for products to hit US stores.
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