Because of the squashed quality and the mass quantity of trawler cod mush, rumor has the posted price of all cod, dragged, longline, pot, and jig down to an incredible 25/35 cents a pound 24 inch split, ex-vessel. I see Europe and the East Coast looking and laughing at us, colonial Alaska, nothing ever changes. Major processors set the price. Congress, NPFMC and the State give carte blanche to big industry; trawlers are in bed with processors, and small players are either legislated out or crushed out by big players. Alaska's natural resources are given away at ten cents on the dollar to mostly foreign owned corporations...this is basic colonialism. Alaska is a state in name only.
This ad is from
Cabelas' website. That's $16 a pound! Recovery isn't nearly that of halibut, but 35 cents a pound to fishermen? Even at 20% recovery, $1 a pound would be more reasonable for cod. But why would processors pay more when they get cod for next to nothing en mass from draggers. Who is talking quality product here?
Let's see...45,524 metric tons of GOA cod TAC, or around 100 million pounds. Conveniently decimal. At .35 a pound ex-vessel means 35 million dollars gross. For every 10 cents the processors short us on our cod, they short us 10 million dollars! Short the community 10 million dollars for every dime. Outrageous! What about that, Louise?
Keep yer flippers wet.
2 comments:
This is an article that should be sent to every legislator in the country. It is common knowledge amongst the Alaskan fleet, the collusion between fish buyers, but we receive no protection of the value of our resources, from the state or federal governments, neither from the legislative branches or the justice departments. I commend the observer for sounding off, well done.
It is very difficult for members of the Alaskan fleet to give opinion to this subject because of the constant threat of loosing their boats location to deliver fish. If the state provided municipal ice houses and cranes, the Alaskan fishing fleet could join the free market and the 21st century and receive " fair market prices" for their boats and their communities. It is very surprising that the local community governments don't support fair prices for the local resources when it is obvious that fair prices would bring 10 times the amount of money to the community, especially when talking about cod.
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