In value alone, these exports compared with $9.5 billion from Norway, $4.5 billion from Russia, $4.2 billion from Vietnam, $3.9 billion from Chile, and $3.7 billion from Canada, said seafood economist Andy Wink of Juneau's McDowell group.
The total 5.5 billion pounds of seafood harvested in Alaska in 2012 accounted for 56 percent of all domestic commercial fisheries production, Wink told participants at the ComFish 2014 meeting in Kodiak. The bulk of that harvest, 53 percent, was Alaska pollock, with another 30 percent being Pacific cod and other groundfish.
Salmon comprised 12 percent, followed by crab (2 percent), herring (2 percent), and halibut and black cod (1 percent), Wink said, in his presentation on Alaska seafood economics and market trends.
Based on ex-vessel value alone, McDowell Group estimated the breakdown was salmon, 29 percent; Alaska pollock, 25 percent; Pacific cod and other groundfish, 16 percent; crab, 16 percent; halibut and black cod, 13 percent, and herring, 1 percent, based on data provided by federal and state fisheries agencies.
The economic impact on Alaska included the creation of jobs for an estimated 40,000 residents, including employment of one in every four residents of Western Alaska at some point in the year. Adding the multiplier effects, a total of 77,400 jobs for workers were created, the commercial seafood industry directly accounted for 7 percent of all resident income in the private sector, and backhaul lowered freight rates by as much as 10 percent, Wink said.
On a national scale, the Alaska seafood industry created jobs for an estimated 165,800 Americans, with an economic output of $15.7 billion, including $6.4 billion in labor income.
Looking ahead to the fast approaching fishing season, Wink said some key issues for the short term for salmon include increasing sales of the large canned pink salmon inventory, while retaining the value of canned red salmon. Demand for keta salmon, meanwhile, has been improving, he said. Long-term issues include differentiation of domestic and export markets and shifts in product form.
For the Alaska pollock market, key issues will include MSC certification of Russian pollock, the future of the Japanese pollock roe market and the stagnant overall value, Wink said.
Demand for Pacific cod is improving, but there is still a large supply on hand and the Brazilian Bacalao (salt cod) market is getting more competitive, he said.
For Alaska shellfish markets, the McDowell Group report noted that the outlook for Russia's illegal, unreported and unregulated harvest is down for 2014, but that Russian king crab total allowable catches are up, and there is a new Russian snow crab fishery. Another issue is the impact of weaker Japanese yen.
Looking further into the future, challenges will include continuing to develop markets, and new products, and boosting prices for about 80 percent of the seafood, which has a wholesale value of less than a dollar a pound, he said.
McDowell Group also produced a lengthy report on the economic value of Alaska's Seafood Industry for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute in July 2013.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached US$1.14 billion in August 2026, up 6.4% year on year, bringing the total for the first eight months to more than US$8.0 billion, an increase of 11.9%. Monthly export value remained above US$1 billion, but August growth was only around half the rate recorded cumulatively through the first eight months. This indicates that the eight-month result was supported significantly by stronger performance in earlier months, while market conditions are entering a less predictable period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius is attracting growing interest from Japanese seafood companies as prices of many traditional whitefish species remain high and supply becomes increasingly volatile. Notably, seafood group Kyokuyo has recently continued to feature pangasius among its priority products, highlighting its competitive pricing and stable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As Vietnam’s tilapia industry searches for new growth opportunities, venturing into brackish-water aquaculture could unlock a formidable competitive moat. Bypassing the volume-and-price bloodbath against established global heavyweights, Vietnam could differentiate itself through high-quality tilapia products tailored to specific farming conditions and value-added market segments.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) 2026 is rapidly shaping up to be a formidable stress test for Vietnamese pangasius exports to the United States. While exports to alternative markets maintain a resilient growth trajectory, the U.S market has declined significantly. In the first eight months of the year, pangasius exports to the U.S fell by nearly 14% year-on-year, with August alone recording a decline of more than 50%. The trend shows that difficulties in the U.S. market are not driven solely by weak consumer demand, but also by multiple layers of trade barriers that are intensifying simultaneously, particularly additional import tariffs, anti-dumping duties and growing protectionism for the domestic catfish industry.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan are showing positive signals in 2026, indicating that the market is opening up greater opportunities for pangasius products, particularly processed and value-added products. In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan reached US$31 million, up 20% year-on-year. In July alone, export value reached approximately US$5 million, up 30%.
On July 22, 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 292/2026/ND-CP detailing certain articles and providing measures for the organization and implementation of the Law on Foreign Trade Management. The Decree takes effect on September 5, 2026, replacing Decree No. 69/2018/ND-CP.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese pangasius producer Vinh Hoan has won the top prize at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Asia Awards for its Cured Panga Croquette, highlighting the growing potential of value-added pangasius products in international markets.
(vasep.com.vn) The Global Shrimp Forum (GSF) 2026 is taking place from September 1–3 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, bringing together around 585 delegates from 40 countries, representing approximately 300 companies and organizations across the shrimp supply chain. Representatives from VASEP are attending the event as part of the Vietnamese delegation, strengthening connections with partners across the global shrimp industry.
(vasep.com.vn) At the international B2B seminar (Hosted Buyer Program) held as part of Vietfish 2026, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Pham, Sales Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, delivered a presentation entitled “Vietnam’s Shrimp Industry: Changing for Sustainability.” From the perspective of a seafood processor, the presentation highlighted that Vietnam’s shrimp industry continues to play a leading role in seafood exports, but is entering a new phase of competition in which change is no longer an option, but a prerequisite for growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) VIETFISH 2026 may have concluded after three dynamic days in Ho Chi Minh City, but conversations around the exhibition continue to resonate across international trade media, industry organizations, and the social media channels of participating companies.
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