Russia Eyes Further Live Crab Export Growth to China in 2026

Russia plans to further increase crab exports to China in 2026, with particular focus on live crab supplies, which remain in strong demand among Chinese consumers.

Last year, Russia exported up to 38,500 tons of live crab to China, marking a 10% increase over 2024 and a 20% rise compared to 2023. In value terms, these exports amounted to approximately US$1.1 billion.

These figures are expected to grow further in 2026, as Russian fishermen place high hopes on continued strong demand from China...

Canada and China Reach Deal to Remove Tariffs on Lobster, Snow Crab by March 1, 2026

Canada and China have reached an initial trade agreement that will eliminate tariffs on Canadian lobster, snow crab, and select agri-food products. The agreement, announced January 16, sets a target of March 1 for China to remove retaliatory duties, reinstating market access after a steep 25% tariff hindered Canadian seafood exports.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the deal would remove trade barriers and “unlock billions of dollars in business for Canadian farmers, fish harvesters, and workers across agri-food sectors...

Snow Crab Price Dispute Continues As Rebate Calculation Divides Newfoundland Industry

The end‑of‑season settlement payment for the Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab season was announced yesterday, and harvesters reacted with disappointment.

FFAW‑Unifor, the union representing the province's harvesters, said auditors from Deloitte completed their analysis and set a final rebate of $0.28, yielding a total price of $5.25/lb.

“Based on the available market information, the calculated rebate amount is far below what the Negotiating Committee expected,” FFAW said in a news release. “Today's rebate results are the final straw for fish harvesters who are...

Winding Glass: Trump Policies of Tariff and Weak Dollar Damaged Seafood in 2025, Likely to Continue 

Tariffs and a weak dollar created artificial seafood supply shortages in the US in 2025. The result: higher prices for consumers, reduced consumption, and a reorientation of global trade flows away from America.

Supply is the ultimate driver of seafood pricing, as any boat captain landing in New Bedford, Gloucester or Maine will tell you. On days with more boats, prices are down.

The same dynamic holds at the stock level. When a population expands or contracts, it changes the...

No 2026 Deal as Russia–Japan Fisheries Talks Stall

Russia and Japan have failed to reach an agreement on fisheries for 2026. The two countries hold annual negotiations to set quotas, identify target species, and establish catch conditions. These arrangements have governed operations in the Southern Kuril Islands since 1984.

Japanese Minister Norikazu Suzuki said the prospects for further dialogue remain unclear, with Tokyo seeking a solution that protects national interests.

Contacts between the parties may continue. For Russia, the Japanese market is relatively minor in terms of imports. According to Kommersant, citing industry sources, Japanese seafood...

Russian Far East King Crab Price Dropped 6% to $37.50 per Kilo at the Second Bussan Auction

The second bidding round of the year for frozen king crab from the Russian Far East took place on December 18th in Busan, South Korea. According to one trading company, 14 tons of cooked, air-blast-frozen crab (10kg fixed weight) produced in mid-November was up for bid. The winning bid (M-3L single price, EXW Busan) was $37.50/kg, 6% lower than the initial bid, and it appears that a single South Korean trading company won the entire...

Captain Fresh‑Owned CenSea Acquires Ocean Edge, Expands Lobster and Crab Offerings

Captain Fresh-owned US seafood importer CenSea has acquired Ocean Edge, a move aimed at strengthening its crab and lobster portfolio.

CenSea described Ocean Edge as a specialist in lobster and crab, saying the deal will deepen its premium lobster offerings and establish formal crab capabilities alongside its core shrimp business.

Founded in 2006, Ocean Edge has grown into a premium crustacean supplier, sourcing from Canada, Honduras, and South Africa. The brand’s range also includes imitation crab marketed under the Ocean Edge label...

Snow Crab Collapse Linked to Energetic Limits Amid Marine Heatwave, NOAA Study Finds

NOAA Fisheries, also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), highlighted a recent study focused on the massive collapse of the snow crab population in the eastern Bering Sea. Led by NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center biologist Erin Fedewa, the research sought to understand the causes of the 2018-2019 mortality event and the species’ potential for recovery.

A key aspect of the study was measuring snow crab energy reserves during and after the marine heatwave. Using biochemical assays of lipids and proteins in muscle and...

Oregon Opens Dungeness Crab Season Dec. 16, North Coast Still Delayed

In a move welcomed by holiday revelers anxious for crab before Christmas and many crab fishermen, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced a mid-December opening for Dungeness crab south of Cape Falcon, Ore., to the border with California.

The season will open at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16, with a pre-soak period that starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Pre-season testing showed all crab in Oregon was above the criteria for quality and clear...

The Winding Glass: Crab to Put a Damper on Holiday Retail Sales

Every aspect of the snow crab market this year has been impacted by the tariff turmoil of last April, just when the season was getting underway. 

The primary impact was to front-load exports from Canada to the US as much as possible, so most of the crab pack was imported by the end of July.  Crab followed its seasonal pattern of increasing prices after July as supplies tightened, but retail contracts were mostly made near the lowest price points of the year...

Norwegian Scientists Advise 44% Cut to 2026 King Crab Quota

Norway’s Institute of Marine Research has recommended a steep reduction in next year's king crab catch, citing a significant drop in the harvestable stock after its latest assessment. The institute's annual advice calls for the 2026 quota to be set at 850 metric tons (mt) of male crab, representing a 44% cut from the 2025 quota. The 2025 quota was approximately 1,520mt, reflecting a sizable reduction moving into 2026.

The king crab fishery is an increasingly important segment for Norway’s seafood sector, both for domestic sales...

Bid Price for Frozen Russian Opilio Weakening by 10% at Busan Auction

According to a report in the Minato Shimbun, the third bidding of the year for new frozen opilio snow crab (from the Russian Far East took place on November 6th in Busan, South Korea. According to multiple trading companies, 32 tons of air-blast frozen boiled sections produced in October were up for bid. The winning bid (single price for L-4L sizes, EXW Busan) is expected to be $19.7-19.8/kg, 10% lower than the second auction. Many Japanese trading companies were unsure of the identity...

Court Drops All Charges Against Quinlan in Bay de Verde Crab Case

Quinlan Seafood says a court has dismissed all charges related to crab production and handling at its Bay de Verde facility after the Crown chose not to call any evidence, concluding there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.

In a November 13 statement, the company said the decision vindicates its position that the allegations were unfounded and rooted in “flawed testing, unproven and untested technology, and improper inspection authority.” Quinlan President Robin Quinlan said the company and its employees had “borne the weight” of what he called arbitrary...

Les Hodges: Frozen Crab to the US, Live to China - Everything Else is Just Noise

As the industry enters the final weeks of 2025, one reality is unmistakable: global king and snow crab movement is now shaped almost entirely by the United States and China. The US has become the dominant outlet for frozen snow crab, absorbing record volumes from Canada and Norway, while China controls the live crab market and continues to pull the majority of Russian king and snow crab. Japan remains Asia's largest frozen crab buyer, but demand has fallen sharply under a weak yen and declining consumer...

Court Orders NMFS Reconsideration of Crab Import Ban, Giving Importers Temporary Reprieve

The development is a lifeline for US crab meat importers and processors that were facing immediate supply disruptions.

The stipulation also resolves a lawsuit filed by the National Fisheries...

Kodiak, Chignik, and South Peninsula Remain Closed for Tanner Crab This Winter

The tanner crab season for the Kodiak, Chignik, and South Peninsula Districts will remain closed this year and for the first part of 2026 due to low abundance thresholds in each area. 

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has established male crab abundance levels needed to open each fishery. Based on the 2025 survey results, only two of the six sections — the Southeast and Southwest — met the thresholds, but surplus abundance was not sufficient to meet the 100,000-pound minimum guideline harvest level (GHL) requirement in either...

Shadow Crab Market Persists in Russia Despite Crackdown and Legal Reforms

A recent case in the Murmansk region saw local police disrupt an organized group involved in the illegal sale of Kamchatka crabs. According to Irina Volk, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, up to 77 live crabs weighing approximately 300 kg were illegally caught in coastal waters of the Barents Sea and intended for unlawful delivery and sale in other parts of Russia.

This incident is one of many involving illegal catches of Kamchatka and other crabs investigated by Russian law enforcement. While past annual volumes of...

Coast Guard Rescues Nine Crew of Crab Vessel Arctic Sea Near St. George Island, Alaska

Early in the morning of Monday, January 5, the 134-foot crab vessel Arctic Sea lost power and began drifting toward the shallow north shore of St. George Island, part of the Pribilof Islands in the central Bering Sea.  

At 4:11 a.m., watchstanders at the Coast Guard Arctic District Command Center in Juneau received a call that the vessel was taking on water and had run aground with nine people aboard.  

At the same time, Eric Deakin, CEO of Coastal Villages Region Fund...

2025: A Pivotal Year Reordering Global Seafood Trade and Policy

The year 2025 marked a watershed in seafood trade and policy with transformative impacts felt across international supply chains, domestic regulations, and industry competitiveness. At the center was President Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariff regime, reshaping sourcing and pricing dynamics from shrimp to crab, while high-profile regulatory actions, from the FDA's radioactive shrimp recalls to NOAA’s Marine Mammal Protection Act import bans, reverberated through global markets. Domestically, the Trump administration launched bold initiatives, including an executive order to cut regulatory burdens and a strategic roundtable...

Golden King and Tanner Crab Seasons Open in SE AK Mid-Feb. 2026, GHLs Slightly Less than 2025

The six-week season of golden king crab and tanner crab in Southeast Alaska will open on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, with a slightly lower guideline harvest limit for golden king crab and a lower biomass recorded for mature tanners.    

Last summer and fall’s crab survey data produced a biomass estimate of 3.05 million lbs. of mature male Tanner crab, about 250,000 lbs. lower than the 2024 estimate of 3.30 million lbs. This puts the biomass in a conservative position...

Calif. Opens Portions of Dungeness Season With Gear Reductions; Wash. and Ore Open Soon Too

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday that portions of the state’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery will open in early January following the completion of a risk assessment by Director Charlton H. Bonham. 

Also late Friday, Washington and Oregon Departments of Fish and Wildlife announced non-tribal crab seasons north of Cape Falcon, Ore., with Dec. 31 and Jan. 4, 2026, opening dates.  

According to the CDFW Director's Declaration, Fishing Zones 3, 4 and 5 — stretching from south...

Russian Snow Crab Price Remained Unchanged at $19.7 per Kilo at the 4th Busan Auction

According to a report in the Minato Shimbun, the fourth bidding round of the year for frozen Opilio snow crab from the Russian Far East took place on November 28th in Busan, South Korea. According to one trading company, 53 tons of air-blast frozen cooked sections produced in late October were up for bid. The winning bid (single price for L-4L sizes, EXW Busan) was $19.70/kg, unchanged from the third auction, and is believed to have been won by...

Record Prices, Record Imports, Record Shifts — 2025 Crab Trade Turns Upside Down

The holiday period remains the most active stretch of the year for global king and snow crab, and this season is no different. Alaska red king crab has entered December holiday channels, while harvesters have now shifted to the largest Bairdi (Tanner) snow crab harvest seen in more than a decade. Prices for red and golden king crab remain at record highs and have shown little elasticity throughout the year despite broader economic uncertainty.

Attention across the industry has sharpened around the US...

Russian Crab Exports to China Up 15% YTD; Competition Expected to Tighten

Russia expects a significant tightening of competition in the Chinese crab market in the coming years as demand rises with China’s expanding middle class, Alexander Dyplyakov, head of the Russian Far East Crab Association, said.

Dyplyakov noted that growing Chinese affluence is attracting interest from multiple producing countries, intensifying competition for market share. Despite the expected pressure, Russia posted solid results in the Chinese crab market this year.

Based on an analysis of Chinese customs data, the Russian Fish Union reports that Russia exported 32,000 tons...

Arctic Fisheries Secures Strategic Investment from SNH Capital Partners

SNH Capital Partners (SNH) has announced its latest strategic investment in Arctic Fisheries, a leading importer of premium seafood products like groundfish, crab, and lobster, serving customers throughout the United States.

With over a century of history, Arctic Fisheries has established a legacy that positions it as a leader in the industry. Leveraging strong, long-standing connections with a global network of suppliers, Arctic Fisheries sources high-quality, premium seafood that is highly esteemed by its foodservice clientele.

Michael Kotok, CEO of Arctic Fisheries...

Oregon Crabbers Stay Tied to the Dock as Delay Pushes Season to Dec. 16 at Earliest

Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fleet will remain idle a little longer, with the season now delayed coastwide until at least Dec. 16, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on November 21.

Although Oregon crab passed both meat quality and biotoxin tests, the opener is being held back because Long Beach, Washington, crab has not yet met the 23% meat fill requirement. Most members of the Dungeness Crab Advisory Committee backed the delay, calling it the least disruptive to longstanding harvest patterns...

Oregon, Washington Advance Toward Dungeness Crab Decision as Test Results Roll In

West Coast crabbers and fishery managers are entering a decisive week for the 2025-26 Dungeness crab season, with a season-opening announcement scheduled for Friday, following the recent release of Washington test results. 

According to an industry notice from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, crab from Long Beach did not meet the Tri-State meat recovery threshold for a Dec. 1 opener.  

Crab from Westport did meet the criteria, with a 25% meat recovery result, but some crab is still soft...

Oregon Dungeness Crab is Ready for Harvest!

Oregon’s Dungeness crab fleet appears headed for an on-time start to the 2025–26 commercial season, with preseason testing showing strong meat recovery across all sampling areas. The only thing that could hold up an on-time season start for Dec. 1: Elevated domoic acid levels in one or more areas.  

According to coastwide test data, all Oregon areas exceeded the state’s minimum meat recovery criteria, according to results released by the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission – an encouraging sign for harvesters and processors after several...

US Share of Norwegian Salmon Slips as Tariffs Push Growth Toward Asia in 2025

The United States has become a smaller share of the Norwegian salmon market in recent months as tariffs play a significant role in the market shift.

In its monthly Norwegian seafood export update, the Norwegian Seafood Council said that salmon export growth to the US has slowed down in recent months. Over the last three months, only 8% of Norwegian salmon exports were destined for the us. That number was as high as 11.5% in the first quarter of 2025. Despite this, the US remains among...

Russia to Deploy Modern Crab Catchers as It Expands Domestic Crab Production

Russia plans to increase its crab catch in the coming years using the most modern crab catchers, the construction of which is currently underway. Despite current difficulties with building new ships for Russian crab producers, the work is proceeding, primarily at domestic shipyards.

During the Soviet era, the fleet relied heavily on foreign technology, but in recent years Russian shipyards specializing in crab-catching vessels have significantly improved their capabilities. Western sanctions have disrupted supplies of some key technologies and equipment used in fleet construction, but progress continues...