Gulf Shrimp Landings Now Under 2014 Totals as La.'s Shorter Spring Season Cuts June Catch Sharply
Gulf shrimp landings in June reached 9.7 million pounds for the month, a 39 percent decline from the same month a year ago. For the year, Gulf landings are down just over 1 million pounds. These declines have largely been due to Louisiana’s dip in landings from the 2014 fishing season. The sharp drop in the state’s June landing figure was at least partially the result of the decision to shut down the spring fishery early. Since Louisiana is responsible for about half of all Gulf shrimp landings, the early spring closure and subsequent dip in June figures is mainly why the Gulf’s total harvest volumes are down through the mid-way point of 2015.
Thailand says the US State Department’s Trafficking report, issued yesterday, did not consider its efforts to clean up rampant labor issues in its seafood industry. The report kept Thailand at the lowest Tier 3 level after the State Department determined the country did not take significant enough steps to eliminate human trafficking and other labor issues in its seafood supply chain.
In other news market reports are indicating that Japan will be a major export market for Bristol Bay’s abundant smaller-sized sockeye catch. This season’s average sockeye size across the Bay is five pounds, fully half of the H&G frozen fish will be in a two to four pound range. Some early prices are trickling in, but no prices have been settled.
Finally, an unseasonably hot Columbia River has killed an unprecedented half of the sockeye run through Oregon and Washington State. West Coast fishery managers have been trying to manage fish mortalities during this year’s severe drought conditions at the same time that the Columbia run was at its third-highest sockeye count since 1960.
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