Commerce Department Announces $200 Million Fishery Disaster Funding Allocations 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - June 21, 2018

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced Wednesday the allocations of $200 million of disaster funding for nine fisheries, including those affected by hurricanes and others on the West Coast and Alaska.

Some of the fishery failures go back to 2014 and 2015.

"Last year, American fishing communities across the Gulf and Caribbean were devastated by some of the most destructive hurricanes in recent memory, while Pacific fisheries have suffered from years of hardship," Secretary Ross said in a press release. "This administration stands shoulder to shoulder with these communities as they prove their strength 

Deep-Sea Corals Win Protection in Gulf of Mexico

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Pew Charitable Trusts] By Holly Binns - June 21, 2018

Restrictions may help prevent destruction from damaging fishing gear

Gulf of Mexico deep-sea corals won protections on Thursday in a first-of-its-kind plan to safeguard some of the region’s coral hot spots and restrict damaging fishing gear in most of those areas.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, which governs fishing in the Gulf’s federal waters, unanimously approved the measure at its meeting in Key West, Fla.

These safeguards mark a major milestone in protecting...

ASMI Says Seafood Shipped to China for Reprocessing Not Subject to Tariffs; Others Still Unsure

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  by John Sackton – June 21, 2018

Although there have been several reports that the 25% Chinese tariffs on Seafood, placed in retaliation for US tariffs, will not apply to products for reprocessing for exports, this is not set in stone.  Most in both the Chinese import community and the US export community are hoping for a positive ruling, but hard information is scarce.

ASMI’s executive director Alexa Tonkovich said “Our information from our office in Chinaand from our trade partners in China is that this new 25 percent tariff will not be applied ...

Julianne Curry Joins Icicle Seafood as Public Affairs Manager

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 21, 2018

Icicle Seafood announced yesterday that Julianne Curry, a fourth-generation Alaska fisherman and advocate for the Alaska seafood industry, has been named the company’s Public Affairs Manager. She began at the post on Monday.

“Julianne was born and raised in Petersburg, Alaska, where Icicle also has deep roots,” said John Woodruff, Chief Operating Officer at Icicle Seafoods. “As a long-term resident of the area and a third generation Icicle fisherman, she is in tune with the state’s fishing sector and with Icicle Seafoods and its impressive history in the region. We are confident...

First Port Moeller Analysis for Bristol Bay Run is Flashing Yellow

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  [SeafoodNews] by John Sackton – June 20, 2018

The Bristol Bay Science and Research Institute, supported by the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, along with ADF&G, conducts a regular test fishery at Port Moeller to gauge the timing and strength of the salmon run in Bristol Bay.

With a series of test fishing sites, they have a historical record of catch and how various seasons progressed which helps answer questions as to timing, and whether the run is over or under projections.

The first analysis of a week’s worth of test fishing was released today, and it is cautionary...

Bristol Bay Drift Fishermen Ready for First Set Today in Nushagak as Escapement Numbers Look Good

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  [KDLG] BY Austin Fast - June 20, 2018

Andy Wink Appointed New Executive Director of Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Assoc.

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by John Sackton - June 20, 2018

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Associaton announced it has hired Andy Wink, a well known Alaskan fisheries economist and researcher, as its permanent Executive Director.

Wink has nearly 10 years of experience in researching and analyzing Alaska fisheries and has worked extensively with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), especially on Alaska Salmon.

In January, Wink left McDowell Group and formed his own consulting company.  His new position does not preclude continuing non-conflicting consulting jobs, but he told SeafoodNews he will be focused on the needs of Bristol Bay...

Zach Krokos Joins Cannon Fish as New National Sales Team Member 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 19, 2018 

Kent, Washington – Cannon Fish Company (CFC) announced yesterday that Zach Krokos has joined the company’s National Sales Team. Krokos will be responsible for driving sales in the U.S. East Coast and assisting with purchasing initiatives.

Krokos’ background in sales, branded product management and customer service will be a critical addition to Cannon’s seafood processing and marketing firm. 

Krokos is known throughout the industry for his exceptional customer service skills and his ability to brand and market value-added seafood products ...

Stavis Seafoods Unveils Prince Edward Frozen Organic Mussels for Retail and Foodservice

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 20, 2018

Stavis Seafoods, a vertically integrated importer and manufacturer of quality fresh & frozen seafood, unveiled its new frozen Prince Edward Whole Organic Mussels, available in both a one pound retail-ready bag and two pound foodservice bag.

Stavis said the Prince Edward Whole Organic Mussels are certified as an organic seafood item by Global Trust and an as ocean-friendly seafood choice by OceanWise.

The mussels are sustainably grown in the clean, clear waters of Newfoundland located on the East Coast of...

North Pacific Council Looks at Limits for Cod Deliveries to Motherships in the Bering Sea

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Peggy Parker - June 19, 2018

Twelve years ago Amendment 80 was adopted by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to allocate several non-pollock groundfish among trawl sectors, and help form cooperatives in that sector. The amendment covered dozens of competing concerns and succeeded in striking a balance that has worked well in the last decade.

But Amendment 80 was silent on whether the catcher/processors (CPs) in that fleet could act as motherships in the Bering Sea limited access cod fishery ...

Court Confirms Decision Rejecting Catch Limit for California Anchovy Fishery

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - June 20, 2018

A federal judge last week confirmed a January 2018 decision requiring the National Marine Fisheries Service to use the best available science to reconsider the annual catch limit and other limits to prevent overfishing for the central sub-population of northern anchovy.

The court also granted part of the NMFS motion, to apply the reference points argued in court to only the central population of northern anchovy, not other stocks.

The January 2018 court decision was in response to a lawsuit brought by Oceana, represented by Earthjustice, and ...

BREAKING NEWS:
China Slams Alaska and US Seafood Industry with 25% Tariff on $1 Billion in Exports

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  [SeafoodNews] by John Sackton – June 15, 2018

China wasted no time retaliating against President Trump’s trade war.  The US seafood industry has been hit hard.

China will impose 25% punitive tariffs on a range of US seafood exports worth nearly $1 billion in 2017. The announcement was made by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council this afternoon.

The tariffs will go into effect on July 6^th.  They are calculated as 25% additional tax on the imported cost of the product, including any previous tariffs. 

So if  a dungeness crab product was taxed at 12%, the 25% will be on the total cost, ie import cost plus previous tariff....

Washington Commission Selects Kelly Susewind as New WDFW Director

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 18, 2018

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission on Friday appointed Kelly Susewind of Olympia as the new director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The commission voted unanimously to select Susewind after interviewing seven candidates in May and narrowing the field to three finalists, who were interviewed for a second time earlier last week.

Susewind accepted the appointment as permanent director following the commission's vote. He will oversee an agency of 1,800 employees and an operating budget of $460 million for the ...

Lobster Council of Canada: Lobster Harvesters Unfairly Blamed for Right Whale Threat

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] Opinion by Geoff Irvine - June 18, 2018

Much has been written about the ongoing challenge of protecting the North Atlantic right whale along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The impact the 18 reported deaths in 2017 has had on the entire right whale population cannot be understated.

Alaska Air Cargo Grows Service by 40% Thanks to Virgin America Merger

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 18, 2018

Thanks to a merger with Virgin America, Alaska Air Cargo has announced that they are expanding their cargo lift capacity by 40% in the continental U.S.

Alaska Air Group, which not only owns Alaska Airlines, but also Horizon Air, acquired Virgin America in 2016 for $2.6 billion. The merger allowed for a combined 286 aircrafts with nearly 1,200 daily flights. The 71 Airbus aircraft that became part of America Airlines fleet through ...

Australis Barramundi Receives 4-Star BAP Certification

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 18, 2018

Australis Aquaculture announced late last week that their farmed barramundi has received the highest designation of the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program. The company’s barramundi, which is raised off shore in Central Vietnam, is now BAP four-star certified.

“We are very proud to be capable of offering four-star BAP certified barramundi to our customers,” Australis CEO Josh Goldman said in a press release. “This is one step along the path to realize our vision for regenerative aquaculture ...

In Example of Flexibility, Pacific Council Eases Yelloweye Rockfish Constraints in Groundfish Fishery

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - June 15, 2018

The Pacific Fishery Management Council took the bold step of approving a yelloweye rockfish rebuilding plan that would extend its expected year to rebuild by a couple years -- something almost unheard of in the past. At the same time, the benefits to communities could be immense.

Yelloweye rockfish has been on the overfished list since 2002 and has been a constraining species in almost all sectors for commercial and recreational groundfish fishing on the West Coast. The current annual catch limit for yelloweye is 20 mt; ...

Possible North Atlantic Right Whale Death Off Virginia Coast

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [CBC News] - June 15, 2018

Whale experts are investigating what could possibly be a second North Atlantic right whale death in U.S. waters.

On Thursday, Virginia Aquarium's Marine Science Center Stranding Response Program, was alerted to a "very decomposed large whale carcass."

The carcass had washed ashore on Metompkin Island in Virginia, near the Maryland border.

"Whale experts have tentatively identified it as a North Atlantic right whale," said the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in a news release. "Genetic samples have been taken to ...

Russian Barents Sea Inshore Crab Harvesters Say They are Locked Out by Big Monopolies

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Eugene Gergen - June 19, 2018

Russian small scale crab producers have once again called on the Russian government to lift the existing ban on the catch within the coastal 12-mile zone.  They hope to increase the revenue of their business and to bring additional crab volumes to the domestic market, according to representatives of fisherman

According to the inshore fishermen, in recent years commercial stocks of some crab species in the Russian territorial waters have significantly grown.  They hope to convince the Russian government to lift the existing ban on the coastal zone catch, which was imposed as far back as in 2011.

Fisherman say in the..

New Kuskokwim Model Corrects Overestimate of Chinook Run, Could Affect Chinook Bycatch in Bering Sea Pollock Fleet

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Peggy Parker - June 20, 2018

The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council adopted a new more accurate model to estimate the size of the Chinook run in the Kuskokwim River system at their early June meeting in Kodiak.

The model is used to calculate part of the Western Alaska Three River Index, a calculation used in determining the level of Chinook bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery. The old version of the model has been overestimating the size ...

Seafood Trade War: What’s Next (News Analysis)

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] News Analysis by John Sackton – June 18, 2018

What’s next after China has announced a 25% tariff on over 170 different US seafood products, to take effect on July 6^th?

First, the disruption is already having immediate consequences.  We have heard of order cancellations over the weekend.  For example, a squid supplier from California had his Chinese buyer immediately cancel his order.

This kind of disruption will continue over the next couple of weeks.  China has a holiday, the dragon boat festival, today, Monday, June 18th.  This is delaying the opening of many offices.

Second, the biggest question facing many Alaskan exporters is whether the tariffs apply to product sent to China for re-export...

American Shrimp Processors Assoc Praises Their Friendly Senators for Language in Appropriation Bill

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] -  June 19, 2018

The American Shrimp Processors Association, which is one of the leading advocates for restricting imported shrimp, praised their Southern Senate allies after securing some favorable language in the latest Senate Appropriations Bill for Dept. of Commerce.

Within that bill were several measures to assist the shrimp sector.

First, the CJS Subcommittee provided $1.4 million in implementation monies for the transition of shrimp to the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). 

Shrimp is included in SIMP beginning in December 2018, and implementation funding was also provided in FY18. This was largely due to the lobbying of the American Shrimp Processors, as there is no food safety ...

China Tariffs Raise Alarms Throughout the Industry; Read Some Reactions 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 18, 2018

On Friday the People’s Republic of China imposed 25% tariffs on a number of products, including major seafood exports like salmon and lobster. The move came as a response to President Donald Trump’s recent increase on Chinese imports. The new 25% tariff will go into effect on July 6th, and be in addition to any tariffs that are already levied on products.

The tariff is raising alarms throughout the industry. Check out some of the reactions ...

LISTEN: Seafood News Podcast Welcomes Samuels and Son Seafood’s William Bradford 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 18, 2018

This week’s episode of the Seafood News podcast features a very special guest – Samuels and Son Seafood’s Marketing Communications Manager Bill Bradford.

Samuels and Son Seafood is a wholesale distributor with a 60,000 square foot facility on Lawrence Street in Philadelphia. Bill joins us to talk about the company’s rich history and some summer trends they’re seeing.

The Seafood News Podcast is available to download via SoundCloud or iTunes. This episode was sponsored by the Seafood Innovation Expo ...

Opinion: NL Harvesters Trotting Out Same Arguments Used Against Cod Moratorium 26 Years Ago

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Southern Gazette] Opinion - June 18, 2018

Sea Pact Brings Funding to Sri Lanka Tuna Fishery Project 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Sea Pact] - June 19, 2018

Sea Pact, attending The State of Global Tuna Sustainability Seminar at the SeaWeb Seafood Summit in Barcelona, today announces industry funding for a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) to reduce the impact of Sri Lanka’s longline fisheries for yellowfin and bigeye tuna and swordfish on endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) non-target species.

“We are heeding the call for industry initiatives and support in collaborative efforts to address tuna 
sustainability needs”, said Rob Johnson, managing director for Sea Pact ...

Oceana Canada Says CFIA’s New Food Regulations Do Not Address Seafood Fraud

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 18, 2018

Last week the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the introduction of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). This new regulation replaces a long list of previous ones and was designed to “simplify and strengthen” rules for food in Canada. However, Oceana Canada says that CFIA “misses the boat on seafood traceability.”

“CFIA had the opportunity to move in the right direction to ensure all seafood sold in Canada is safe, honestly labeled and ...

Direct Air Routes Between China and Norway to Start in 2019

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 18, 2018

Norway’s seafood industry will get a boost for exports to China with a recent decision to allow direct flights from China to Norway next year.

According to the Norwegian media outlet E24, the decision was the result of direct consultations between Norway’s Minister of Transport and Communications Ketil Solvik-Olsen and Norsk Industri, including representatives from the seafood industry.

Hainan Airlines has been approved to open a direct route from Beijing to Oslo. The route will start in 2019 ...

Council Separates Adak Cod Issue from Broader Cod Allocation issues, Expects Action by Dec 2018

SEAFOODNEWS.COM[SeafoodNews] by Peggy Parker - June 15, 2018

Management of Pacific Cod in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands is a study in complexity, founded on the earnest principles of protecting historical deliveries to the village of Adak and balancing the needs of the rationalized fishery with the non-rationalized Aleutian Island cod fishery.

Amendment 113 to the BSAI groundfish plan was intended to navigate this warren of concerns, but in the first year of its implementation a perfect storm of sorts resulted in  ...