Last year was one of the busiest years ever
for Alaska brokers who help fishermen buy, sell and trade fishing permits and
quota shares, Alaska Dispatch News reports.
Drift permits last fall were fetching a
record US$175,000; now they’ve dipped to US$164,000.
The
fashion-forward line is designed for the gym, and its uniqueness comes from its
‘odor crush’ technology.
Read the article HERE.
“I was really happy to see such a good mix
of permits we were selling -- it wasn’t just one thing,” said Olivia Olsen of
Alaskan Quota and Permits in Petersburg.
“We had a lot of Dungeness crab permits,
charter halibut permits, salmon and shrimp permits, sea cucumbers, and then whatever
IFQs we could find.”
Salmon permit sales peak from March through
May, and early indicators point to lower salmon prices this year in a plentiful
market. A strong US dollar against the yen, euro and other currencies also
makes it more expensive for foreign customers to buy Alaska salmon. At the same
time, record numbers of cheaper, farmed salmon continue to flood into the US
from Norway and Chile.
Combined, those factors are having a downward
press on permit prices - notably, at Alaska’s bellwether sockeye fishery at
Bristol Bay.
“Permit prices have softened in the Bay and
actually kind of across the board for any salmon permits,” said Doug Bowen with
Alaska Boats and Permits in Homer, adding that there “is concern about the
price in the Bay this year.”
“A lot of sockeye is left in the market
from the big run in the Bay last year, plus from the Fraser River. And another
big sockeye run is forecasted for Bristol Bay this summer. So there are some
negative price rumors out there about the exvessel (dock) price in the Bay
dipping below a dollar a pound.”
Even if a permit buyer is interested, both
brokers said it could be tough going for anyone trying to break into the
fishery.
“Some of these guys buying in are having
quite a bit of difficulty just lining up a market and finding anyone who will
take them on, because the processors at Bristol Bay are bracing for another big
year and not really looking to expand their fleets,” Bowen explained.
Elsewhere, Prince William Sound seine
permits have dropped below US$200,000 for the first time in several years. Cook
Inlet drifts are at US$65,000, down from US$90,000 two years ago. Kodiak seine
permit interest is flat at around US$50,000.
Still, both brokers said the mood on the
Alaska waterfront is very upbeat.
“I could feel it in the fall with how busy
we were,” Olsen said.
“People are looking forward to a good
year.”
Bowne added: “We do see a lot of optimism
among the fleets,” said Bowen,
“and people are building new boats. That is
definitely the biggest vote of confidence that you can make.”
The 40 day Lenten season began early this
year - Ash Wednesday was February 18 - giving the traditional boost to seafood
sales. The season will end on Easter
Sunday, April 5.
Lent, derived from the Old English lencten,
meaning spring, is a time of fasting and soul searching for hundreds of
millions of Christians around the world that dates back to the fourth century.
Many believers give up favorite foods, or devote time to volunteering or
charity work.
What the peak holiday selling season from
Thanksgiving to Christmas means to retailers, Lent means to the seafood
industry. Food Services of America, for example, reports that Ash Wednesday is
the busiest day of the year for frozen seafood sales, and the six weeks
following is the top-selling season for the entire year. Restaurant trades say
weekly sales of seafood increase by 25 percent to 40 percent during Lent.
In many countries, the day before Lent -
called Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday - has become a last fling before the start
of the long fast. For centuries, it was customary to not eat meat during Lent,
which is why the festival is called carnival, Latin for farewell to meat.
While nearly all seafood enjoys a surge of
interest during Lent, the most traditional items served are the ‘whitefish’
species, such as cod, pollock, flounders, and halibut.
But no matter what the seafood favorite,
the six-week Lenten season is good news for Alaska, which provides more than 60
percent of America’s wild caught seafood to our nation’s restaurants and
grocery stores.
Stylish workout gear made from crab and
shrimp shells is drawing raves from exercise enthusiasts in Vancouver, British
Columbia.
“The clothes are breathable, durable and
fast-drying. Everything we use is non-toxic so they are environmentally
friendly as well,” said Quincy Samycia, co-founder of Strongbody Apparel.
The
fashion-forward line is designed for the gym, and its uniqueness comes from its
‘odor crush’ technology.
“The magic ingredient comes from the ocean -
it’s a natural biopolymer in crab and shrimp shells called chitosan. When it is
combined with the fabric, it inhibits the growth of bacteria on the clothing
and that is what makes it odor-free,” explained Megan Conyers.
Conyers and Samycia spent years researching
fabrics and making designs to fit their active lifestyle before launching the
apparel last year.
Between 500-700 crab and shrimp shells are
used to make a few ounces of solution that is then combined into the fabric.
Because chitosan’s structure is similar to cellulose, it blends easily with
cotton and other fabrics.
“One thing that definitely drew us to this
particular solution is that it is environmentally friendly and a byproduct of
the fishing industry. All that stuff is just going to go to waste, so why not
find a use for it,” Conyers added. Estimates claim that nearly 25 billion tons
of chitin from seafood is dumped each year.
Along with being odorless, the
chitosan-infused fabric also is super durable - and it is safe for those who
may be allergic to shellfish.
The Strongbody line includes workout shorts
and leggings, tanks and sports bras, and Samycia’s favorite - the pulse elite
tee. He agreed that it’s the chitin technology that has made their clothes
stand out in the market of fitness gear.
“People like different. Nobody just wants to go out and get just
another T-shirt. There is a strong market for what we are doing, and people are
definitely looking to have a unique piece of clothing and they want a story to
tell,” he added.
Read the article HERE.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd
For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquaculture-news
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