Atlantic Scallop Prices Continue to Crash in May 
with Landings Up 23% from Last Year
Wholesale scallop prices are still crashing in May as new season production continues to flood the market. Prices are down about 18 percent since the start of the month and 13 percent from the five-year-average according to Urner Barry data. New season production has eroded market prices. Traders say a strong biomass in the open areas is supporting high landings per day. Reports say fishermen are landings are north of 3,000 pounds per trip in May.
The Miscou Fish Product plant burned down yesterday in New Brunswick. The plant processes herring, snow crab and lobster. The plant was processing snow crab and lost about 23,000 pounds of live crab because the crab they were exposed to toxic smoke from the fire. The plant employed about 100 workers. Nobody was injured from the blaze.
In other news, Vietnam's pangasius sales to the market continue to struggle in 2017. Exports are down 21.5 percent in the first quarter of the year. Consumer demand for pangasius in the EU was shattered from a smear campaign that started in Spain and gained traction as a number of NGOs latched on and expounded on the false claims.
Meanwhile, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and California Gov. Jerry Brown released their joint letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Thursday, in which they requested he declare the salmon fisheries in 2016 and 2017 federal fishery disasters. "We are glad that Oregon's Governor has moved forward in asking for a salmon season disaster declaration," Oregon Salmon Commission Director Nancy Fitzpatrick said. "Our Oregon fishermen, especially on the South Coast, are hurting. It is hard to make ends meet for your family when you have no income due to a complete closure."
Finally, the financial toll of a proposed lobster fishing ban near deep-sea coral gardens in the Gulf of Maine could top $8 million a year, almost double what was originally projected by the regional regulatory group that is considering the ban, a Maine fishing representative said Thursday. This figure was announced during a public meeting to discuss the proposal. Lobstermen in attendance all supported an exemption to the fishing ban.
Urner Barry and Seafood News will be closed on Monday, May 29 in observation of the Memorial Day holiday in the US. We will return to our normal publishing schedule on Tuesday, May 30. Until then, we wish all of our readers and their families a safe and happy holiday weekend.
To Read Full Story Login Below.