Alaska's salmon industry is stuck with a crushing inventory of pinks, and it would really, really help if the federal government would buy a bunch (again).
That's the upshot of this letter from Gov. Sean Parnell to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
What happened to that Republican chestnut of letting the markets, supply, and demand set the price?
ReplyDeleteLet's ramp up another hatchery in port graham, more fish more fish, it's not how many you catch it's what you put in your pocket at the end of the season.
ReplyDeleteI like how you affectionately referred to parnell's brain as a "republican chestnut".
ReplyDeleteThe canners, Trident, Icicle, and Ocean Beauty have a crushing supply of cans........so they get a bailout from the government for mis-managing their production. How about a bail out for a little guy some time? How about a bail out for JL in Adak so he can survive another season? Because if he doesn't, you know who is going to be running that plant next.
ReplyDeleteno who? do tell...
ReplyDeleteWe should pray for Adak.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't at all about mismanaged production
ReplyDeleteHad these guys a decent workforce we'd have put away 15% more
It's about handling.our natural resources for the maximum benefit of all alaskaa
whether it's oil ttrees.fish or gold or people
Its.our job to Provide for our sustenance
These guys do alaska a great service when they try to produce the max
Max tax for state and communities
Max gross stock for skippers and crew
Max wages for workers
Max shipping handling freight
Max benefit to the Alaskan economy
But fish, especially salmon, are super cyclical
200 million plus last year and 30 million pinks so far this year
Bristol bay doubles prediction
Fraser river goes from 1 to 32 then back to 4
You wisenheimers come up with a better plan
Canned usda surplus programs are what we do now
Kodiak Bruce Schactler is Alaskaa stateside point man on this
Maybe we could put up a piece of our taxes for a crop insurance or a hedge
But for now this is how we do it
Oh
And btw
Pink salmon fishermen should be eligible for another round of TAA assistance due to f all ing export prices
This complicated situation is a real problem
So I know it sounds like a farmer thing
Kinda is really
If you have a better solution let's hear it
Bobbyt
It is about historic capital investment being mis-managed. The traditional canners have had many years to devote new capital to building up their freezer capacity and failed to do so in a significant way. Over the last 20 years, there has been no appreciable increase in the demand for canned salmon, while at the same time, the market for frozen products (wild and farmed) has exploded. Think about how much more total salmon is produced world wide now vs 20 or 30 years ago (again, wild and farmed) and none of that incredible increase went into cans. So what were the Alaska producers thinking? They weren't thinking and that is why an opportunity was created for a company like SBS. So in a sense, their production has been mis-managed due to their failure to properly reinvest capital. do they deserve a bail out?
ReplyDeleteBobby T, you are the MAN!!! For once I agree with you. Nothing wrong with USDA buying some really good protein, from our Alaskan seafood bounty. Helps everyone in Alaska. This season has 28 cent pink price, compared to 42 cent last season. Price effects us all! Raw fish tax to municipalities that support our commercial fisheries. If the feds can help the US farmers, they can certainly help us Alaskan farmers of the sea!
ReplyDeleteI don't think the feds should buy any fish for these reasons. First, anymore, everything is run out of obamas office and it will have strings attached. Such as the feds might say if we have to keep on bailing out fishermen because they catch too much we want to have a say in catch rates. After all it seems like once Obama hears that somebody is making money he cant have that. I think fishermen will just have to learn that in fishing there are good years and bad years and since Obama is transforming this country if we get bailed out there will be lots of scrutiny on everything we do. You hear if they can bail out farmers why cant they bail us out? But now the farmer only survives if congress passes farm bills which has made most farms owned by companies. And since they get handouts look at the regs now on them. It is best to not be involved with the feds. Why do you think the processors will raise the price if the feds bail us out? maybe the Feds will think 42 cents is to high?
ReplyDeletemike svenson
Yep Bobby T, the seiners had to have the buyback because of the low harvest in pinks. Now you want the USDA to subsidize the remaining fleets, after all, that is the Republican way.
ReplyDelete