The Winding Glass: We Need a New Magnuson Act to Deal with Climate Change Impacts on Fisheries

[The Winding Glass is an opinion and commentary column from SeafoodNews Founder and Publisher John Sackton.]

50 years ago fisheries were in crisis.  The prevailing international law allowed no national control of ocean activities beyond 12 miles.  

Similar fishing situations were occurring around other coastal nations. 

The key features of the Magnuson-Stevens Act passed in 1976 were regional councils,  the best available science, and to involve all stakeholders in the council and decision-making process.

Today we are facing a new crisis...

2019 Gulf of St. Lawrence Halibut Quota Increases 15% Above Last Year’s Quota

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans raised the total allowable catch for Atlantic halibut in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to 1,492 mt, a 15 percent increase over last year’s quota. The decision was announced June 12 in a statement from the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) headquartered in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

“The increase is welcome news to harvesters who have long asserted the flourishing stock warrants an increase to the harvest level. While a 15 per cent increase is certainly beneficial to...

China’s White Shrimp Market Overshadowed by Low Prices

White shrimp prices have been in decline in China’s main aquaculture regions since late April, and due to prevalent disease, a general attitude of depression haunted the South China market in May when the weather is changeable. For example, the incidence rate of disease has reached about 70% in Zhongshan of Guangdong and trhe local price dropped by about 10 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kg; $1.44/jin USD). Meanwhile, the prices have also dropped by about 5 yuan/jin ($0.72/jin USD) to 7 yuan/jin...

Trident Seafoods Partners with Food Network Star Nancy Fuller

Food Network star Nancy Fuller is the new brand ambassador for Trident's Louis Kemp brand Crab Delights.

Trident Seafoods announced the partnership with the star of "Farmhouse Rules" on Thursday, revealing that the move is part of their effort to connect "healthy and easy-to-prepare seafood with current food and lifestyle trends." And Fuller is wasting no time in making that connection. Those that visit the Louis Kemp website can find Fuller's 5-minute "Easy Breezy Crab Dip" recipe, or her "Red, White & BBQ Pizza" recipe...

VIDEO: Gulf of St. Lawrence Closures; Trident & Nancy Fuller; ASMI's Exec Director; Dead Zone

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they discuss the latest Gulf of St. Lawrence fishing closures; Trident's partnership with Food Network star Nancy Fuller; ASMI's new Executive Director; and the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone.

This week's episode was brought to you by Foreign Trade Data. Reduce uncertainty, minimize risk and uncover opportunities with the only website designed exclusively for the seafood import/ export community.

FFAW: To Protect Cod Stock, Action Needs to Be Taken to Control Seal Population  

FFAW is calling on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to "take action to control the overpopulation of seals." The call for action comes after the DFO announced the management plan for certain groundfish species in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, including the total allowable catch (TAC) for 3Pn4RS cod.

The management plan for 3Pn4RS cod sets the TAC at 1000t for a two-year period, which is a 68% reduction from the previous season. The reduction is a result of the increasing rate of...

WDFW, Partners Apply to Lethally Remove Sea Lions from Columbia River, Tributaries

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, along with a consortium of state and tribal partners, submitted an expanded application to lethally remove California and Steller sea lions preying on threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead runs in the Columbia River and its tributaries.

California sea lions -- and increasingly, Steller sea lions -- have been observed in growing numbers in the Columbia River basin, especially in the last decade. These sea lions prey heavily on salmon and steelhead runs listed under the Endangered Species Act, including...

Walmart Foundation Awards IJM Grant to Combat Human Trafficking in Thai Fishing Industry

The Walmart Foundation has awarded the International Justice Mission (IJM) a grant to continue to address human trafficking in the Thai fishing industry. This is the third grant that IJM, the world's largest international anti-slavery organization, has received. IJM previously received a grant from the Walmart Foundation, in addition to a grant from the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

"Because of the Walmart Foundation's investments in IJM over the last several years...

Salmon Harvests in PWS and Copper River Strong, Pre-Season Showing in Chignik Worrisome

Harvest and escapement statistics from the Copper River and Prince William Sound are above preseason forecasts, but Chignik’s early showing of salmon past the weir are significantly below forecasts. Meanwhile, the Port Moller Test Fishery, the best indication of what’s ahead for Bristol Bay, is just starting to gather numbers.

Cumulative harvest for sockeye in Area E, Prince William Sound and the Copper River, was 694,000 reds as of June 6. Harvest from the 48-hour Copper River District period that began on June 6 is...

NFI Working With IBM to Launch Seafood Blockchain Pilot

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) announced earlier this week that they are working with IBM's Food Trust, blockchain-enabled system to launch a seafood supply chain traceability pilot program.

"Blockchain technology has the potential to transform any industry, especially when we have multi-stakeholder environments, businesses and organizations participating," Raj Rao, general manager with IBM Food Trust said in a press release. Blockchain can digitize information, capture it in a decentralized system and convey it in a secure way and allows for permissioned viewing rights. We are delighted to...

At Least 60 Dead Ice Seals Reported from the Bering Sea Region

NOAA Fisheries is responding to several reports of unusually large numbers of dead ice seals along the coast of the Bering and Chukchi seas, in Alaska. At least 60 dead seals have been reported.  

On Monday June 10, NOAA received multiple reports of dead ice seals (bearded, ringed, and spotted seals) in southwest Norton Sound. A hunter from Kotlik counted 18 seal carcasses along 11 miles of shore, north of Kotlik. This same hunter reported dozens of ice seals along the shores of Stuart Island, north of Stebbins...

University of British Columbia to Only Purchase Ocean Wise Recommended Sustainable Seafood

Beginning July 1, 2019, the University of British Columbia will only be purchasing and offering 100% Ocean Wise recommended sustainable seafood.

UBC Food Services already primarily buys seafood from large scale food service providers that offer Ocean Wise recommended seafood, however, moving forward they will also begin working with "local, small-scale and family-owned fish mongers who follow sustainable practices." The announcement regarding their sustainable seafood initiative came last Friday on the eve of World Oceans Day...

Seward Incubates Blue Businesses

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch –

Seward is the first Alaska community to work with the Alaska Ocean Cluster to jump start ocean based businesses. A first cohort of four early-stage businesses signed up with AOC’s Blue Pipeline Incubator last October and has attracted $1.6 million from investors so far, ten times more than anticipated.  

Different ocean based industries, including seafood manufacturing, ocean energy, mariculture and coastal tourism. 2

Justin Sternberg is Director of the Blue Pipeline Incubator in Seward which is a partnership between...

Corbion Completes Successful Trial of AlgaPrime DHA in Thai Union Shrimp Feed

Corbion is celebrating the successful trial of AlgaPrime DHA in shrimp feed from global seafood producer Thai Union Group. The algae-based food and feed ingredients company made the announcement at the SeaWeb Seafood Summit currently taking place in Bangkok, Thailand.

"Our new opportunity with Thai Union demonstrates our continued commitment to sustainability," said Chris Haacke, Global Aquaculture Lead at Corbion. "Shrimp farming is one of the fastest growing sectors in the aquaculture industry, and AlgaPrime DHA has the potential to offer shrimp farmers assurance in...

Louisiana Shrimp Landings Decline Due to High Water Events, Bonnet Carré Spillway

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is reporting that statewide shrimp landings, both brown and white shrimp combined, have declined as a result of the high water events and opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway.

In an effort to deal with the heavy rains, the Bonnet Carré Spillway was partially opened in late February, and then again at the beginning of May. This was the first year that the spillway had to be opened twice, and the fresh water has been wreaking havoc on...

Vietnam May Overtake China as the World’s Largest Pollock Processor

China may lose its status as the world’s largest pollock processor in the future -- due primarily to the ever-growing competition from some other countries in the region. One of those countries is Vietnam, say some leading Russian and Korean analysts in the field of fishing.

As Kim Jong-Sok, professor of the South Korean Maritime Institute, said during the IX Far Eastern Russian-Korean Forum, Vietnam will be able to overtake China in terms of the annual volume of pollock processing already in...

Toothfish Stocks in Danger as Spanish Vessels Fish in Under-Regulated Areas

Stocks of Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Indian Ocean Fishing Agreement (SIOFA) are in trouble as Spanish vessels continue to fish in under-regulated areas despite scientific evidence of risks.

These areas have no catch limits, bycatch limits or any other measures to help maintain populations.

Since the start of 2018, fishing activity in the SIOFA area has increased with massive catches by a pair of Spanish flagged ships on Del Cano Rise and William’s Ridge. These areas are right next to well managed fisheries that have been...

DFO Announces New Temporary Fishing Closures in Gulf of St. Lawrence Due to Right Whales

Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced new temporary fishing area closures in the Gulf and Quebec regions due to the confirmed presence of North Atlantic Right Whales.

The closures are subject to a 72-hour delay due to weather, but beginning at 5 p.m. ADT on June 13, the DFO will be closing the following grids in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: GW36 and GY40. Portions of grids GU36 and GV36 will also be closed.

The new grid closures come less than a week after...

Rep. Huffman and 53 Members of Congress Call Pebble DEIS “Indefensible”

In a strongly worded letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army R.D. James and Commander of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers in Alaska, California Rep. Jason Huffman and 53 other members of Congress criticized the Draft Environmental Impact Statement the Corps has submitted for the Pebble Mine complex at the headwaters of Bristol Bay.

“We write to express our deep concern regarding the proposed Pebble Mne in Bristol Bay, Alaska,” the letter began. “Bristol Bay is a national treasure that supports the world’s greatest wild sockeye slamon fishery...

Fisheries Survival Fund: Issues with NOAA’s “HabCam” Will Hurt 2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Survey

Issues with the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s “HabCam” habitat mapping camera will result in changes to the 2019 Northeast sea scallop survey.

The HabCam can ride just above the ocean floor and provide an extensive look at Atlantic sea scallop. In general, the camera is becoming a staple for NOAA research and surveillance.

The issues with the $450,000 HabCam began on June 6 when it struck an object. According to NOAA, divers were able to recover the camera and repair it, but...

Thai Union's Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Receives Seafood Champion Award

Dr. Darian McBain, Thai Union Group's Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, received the Seafood Champion Award while at SeaWeb Seafood Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, this week.

The Seafood Champion Award features four categories, including Vision, Leadership, Innovation and Advocacy. Dr. McBain  received the award in the Vision category, which was created to recognize individuals or organizations that have shown "outstanding leadership in promoting environmentally responsible seafood, leading to industry innovation and change."

"I'm incredibly honored to receive this award...

Trivial and Mysterious Shortbelly Rockfish Threatens West Coast Trawl Fisheries

An unremarkable and non-marketable rockfish has been showing up in trawl nets off the West Coast this year and in high enough numbers that NMFS notified industry to avoid them.

Shortbelly rockfish is a fast-growing rockfish species that has a relatively short lifespan for a rockfish: roughly 30 years. They also mature quickly, within 5 years, and they grow to reach about 13.5 inches. Until 2018, they were rarely seen in large numbers as bycatch in trawl fisheries. This year, trawl fisheries already...

Pebble Mine Draws More Opposition From NPFMC, AK Communities, Congress

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch –

The plans for the Pebble Mine at Bristol Bay have drawn broadening backlash despite the mine’s backing by the Dunleavy administration.

The City of Kodiak, Aleutians East Borough and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council are now all on record opposing the draft environmental impact statement for the massive mine, saying it is flawed, does not go far enough and leaves more questions than answers. 

At Kodiak, where over 500 resident fishermen and tenders work at Bristol Bay, city council members said...

ISSF Increasingly Concerned Over Continuing Overfishing of Yellowfin Tuna in Indian Ocean

The ISSF is growing increasingly concerned over the failure of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission to control yellowfin harvests.  The stock is classified as both overfished, and with overfishing occurring, and the measures adopted in 2018 have not been sufficient to reduce catches. 

In a statement, ISSF said their highest priority item for upcoming IOTC meeting is the adoption of an effective rebuilding plan for yellowfin tuna, one that gives full effect to the recommendations from IOTC’s Scientific Committee. In 2018, the Scientific Committee reported that catches of yellowfin tuna exceeded by 3% the management measures previously agreed by the Commission that called for reductions in catches; reductions that did not even meet the scientific advice.

“Fisheries managers must act to protect Indian Ocean yellowfin,”...

Council Rejects Emergency Order Request for Adak Cod Set-Aside for 2020

An effort to reinstate the Adak cod set-aside by emergency order failed at the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council last week. Proponents are now reaching out to Congress for a legislative fix in time for the January 2020 cod season.

The 5,000 mt set-aside was established in 2016 with Amendment 113, which was vacated last March in response to a lawsuit brought by the Groundfish Forum. In his decision, D.C. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly found the amendment did not comply with requirements in the Magnuson-...

NFWF’s Electronic Monitoring Grant Program 2019 Open for Proposals

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) will hold a webinar on Thursday, June 20 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time to help applicants prepare proposals to fund the use of electronic monitoring on fishing boats. The EMR Grant Program will award approximately $3.5 million in grants for the 2019 funding cycle. The majority of awards under this program will fall in the range of $200,000 to $500,000, although upper or lower limits to award size are not specified.

The program will consider proposals from all U.S. state and ...

CPF Buys 75% Stake in Sri Lanka Shrimp Farmer Lotus Aquaculture

Following Liberal Party Victory in Newfoundland, FFAW and Processors Jockey over Fish Prices

During last months election campaign in Newfoundland, the FFAW-Unifor questioned parties on their commitment to improving transparency in fish price negotiations by collecting accurate information from fish processors on all product forms processed in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"During the election campaign, the Liberal Party clearly stated their support for transparency in fish processing and committed to seeking updating and accurate pricing information. Fish harvesters will hold the government to that commitment," concluded Keith Sullivan, President of the FFAW. Under the banner of transparency, the union is asking the province to collect a far wider range of business information from processors than it does now. 

Because of the provincial rule that requires most species be processed in Newfoundland...

Aquabanq to Build Land-Based Salmon Plant in Northern Maine

Aquaculture company Aquabanq is ready to break ground on a land-based aquaculture plant in Millinocket, Maine.

After two years of development and planning, the plant will soon be ready to produce 8 million pounds of farm-raised Atlantic salmon every year by 2022.

Aquabanq’s salmon will get to consumers plates in major cities like Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia and New York.

Aquabanq wants to bring more U.S. raised salmon to consumers. Americans eat nearly 1 billion pounds of salmon every year and they want more of it to come from...

King Kampachi Offshore Farm Receives ASC Certification

Following the auditing process against the Aquaculture Stewardship Council standards, The Kampachi Company announced that its offshore operation earned ASC certification.

The La Paz, Mexico based operation is now the world’s first certified kampachi (Seriola rivoliana). It will now be available in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and will soon be available in Europe and Japan.

“From King Kampachi’s conception, the goal of meeting and exceeding ASC standards has been baked into our company’s core mission,” Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of The Kampachi Company Neil Anthony Sims said...