A Salmon Glut Has Sent Prices Plunging, and Economists Don’t Know When They’ll Recover

KTOO ^ | August 28, 2023 | Brian Venua

[madison10]

Took the words right off my keyboard.

[verum ago]

My father was a fisherman in Alaska and they had to quit years ago because Russia was fishing too close to our shores with huge processing ships. 3 miles. Then Congress passed a law saying 12 miles is the limit and things got better. I don’t know that things can get better.

Please reference my post #39 right below yours, then read this:

The biggest enemy for salmon production is illegal fishing by the Chinese. Until the whole Ukraine thing started the Russians had actually (finally!) started to play along with international regs meant to keep salmon fishing sustainable, recognizing that it was in their own best [long term] interests. But since Ukraine kicked off, they've adopted an intransigent Cold-War "up yours" attitude that hurts us, will hurt them in the long run, and ultimately just empowers lawless Chinese fishers using kilometers-long nets on the high seas that wipe out entire runs. So frustrating.

4 years ago I'd have called the Russians enemies in terms of N. Pacific fisheries, yet only 2 years ago I'd have called them allies.

Now it's back to enemies, and for crappy reasons as well...

[Openurmind]

“There’s nothing resembling a “Free Market” these days. Big Business is in bed with government.”

Absolutely, corporatism is not free market.

[Golden Eagle]

Great! I live off these many days anyway, one of the healthiest things you can eat.

[reg45]

Salmon, tasty and healthy, yum!

[dfwgator]

Corporatism is actually much closer to the way Communist countries were run, than so-called “Capitalist economies”

[devere]

So you think there’s a “fish cartel”, that fixes the price of fish, and then poor Biden gets blamed? LOL

Wouldn’t you feel more at home on Democratic Underground? It seems to me that your “business” may be selling the idea of government control of everything, to stop those imaginary price gougers.

8 months ago eggs were selling for $4 per dozen around me, and this week I bought a dozen eggs for 96 cents. The free market works superbly well, and I infer that there is no egg cartel.

Fish spoils easily, and it’s difficult to get it from the fisherman to market, so I can see why retail prices are much higher than wholesale. But you have inspired me to shop more for fresh fish, so thank you for that. I found a couple of new fish markets near me to check out.

[showme_the_Glory]

I’ll take Halibut cheeks all day every day.

[Bob434]

lol- the northern coasts are brutally cold/damp- bone chilling-

[Openurmind]

“So you think there’s a “fish cartel”, that fixes the price of fish, and then poor Biden gets blamed?”

No, the corporations fix prices and they use government to help them do it. There is runaway market manipulation right now. Covid was an opportunity the greedy just could not pass up to manipulate markets. And as they price gouge they have no problem at all if Biden gets ALL the blame.

I have been a conservative small businessman all my life. But apparently it looks like I am one of the few “honest and fair” businessmen left. The way to fix this greed is for the customers to wise up and stop falling for these price fixing and gouging deceptions. Stop blindly paying the gouging scam. Reduced “Demand” alone will reset the market and help repair the economy whether Biden likes it or not.

[Openurmind]

“Corporate Communism” is a real thing... It goes well beyond fascism.

[dfwgator]

The Marxist-Leninists finally figured out, that if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

[DoodleBob]

I prefer Midwest salmon.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I agree with you. Have been watching them do it to the Dungeness crab fishermen for years.

[pghbjugop]

Yeah that global warming helping fish make too many babies, too much food, climate change gonna kill us yet.

[Openurmind]

I am close to the Beef industry, and they have also been “fattening the middlemen” for a long time now. Giving the rancher almost nothing to profit from and gouging the retailers also reducing their profit.

[Liz]

Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, Slow Roasted w/ Tomatoes and
Black Olives, Garnished w/ Lemons and Chopped Tarragon.

[Golden Eagle]

That looks like BACON! I would not recommend that! Probably more expensive than my canned smoked salmon, too. And I’d call the smoked salmon equally delicious.

[Paul R.]

Yep, just check that label for the sourcing & where processed...

A little while back I picked up a 32 oz. package of salmon at Wally World. I don’t recall exactly, but it seemed to be a good price. Then I looked at the label - fish from Russia, processed in China. I dropped it like it was radioactive. Maybe it was.

It’s bad enough that in many US waters, now, most of the mercury blew over from China. Luckily, that’s partially because we’ve really reduced mercury pollution in the US. But I stay away from ANY food sourced in China.

[Paul R.]

Country sourced from?