Modern Fish Act Passes Senate; Gulf Interests Say Bill Much Improved

A bill called the ‘modern fish act’ that addresses issues important to recreational and charter fisheries in the Gulf has passed the Senate.  It was unclear if it would make it to a floor vote this month.

The bill was significantly different than the one reported out of committee, and is much more acceptable to commercial fishing interests.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Wicker of Mississippi.  Key provisions would

*Direct the GAO to conduct a study on the process for allocation reviews of mixed-use fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic fishery management councils;

* Encouraging councils to utilize alternative methods for managing recreational fisheries, such as fishing mortality...

NFI's Better Seafood Board Applauds NY Attorney General Crackdown on Mis-labeled Seafood

NFI's Better Seafood Board has applauded an investigation by New York’s Attorney General into seafood fraud at supermarkets.  The investigation targeted 155 stores across 29 supermarket brands found mislabeled seafood about a quarter of the time.  Some regions of the state, such as Buffalo, were found to have no violations.  Others, especially in the New York City area, had a high rate of non-compliance, often sellng farmed salmon as wild, or mislabeling snapper.

The report labeled “Fishy Business, Seafood Fraud and Mislabeling in New York State Super Markets” used DNA testing to determine if what was on the label was actually being sold. After 77 of 286 samples came back mislabeled...

URI and VIMS Researchers Show Aquaculture Oysters Can Limit Spread of Dermo in Wild Oysters

Recent research carried out at the University of Rhode Island and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science has found that growing farmed oysters can reduce disease loads in wild oysters.

This counter-intuitive finding is based on the fact that the primary killer of wild oysters is Dermo, a parasite that occurs naturally in the environment, and lives in the tissue of oysters.  The single celled parasite is harmless to humans, and has nothing to do with bacteria such as vibrio.

"The very act of aquaculture has positive effects on wild populations of oysters," said Tal Ben-Horin, a postdoctoral fellow at the URI Department of Fisheries...

China Cracks Down on Smuggling and Improves Logistics for Legal Imports

Smuggling has been haunting China’s seafood industry for a long time, and the country's customs bureaus have decided to take stricter measures to eradicate the problem. They have recently cracked down on a series of smuggling cases through cooperation with other departments.

For example, customs bureaus in China’s nine cities like Tianjin, Shenyang, Shanghai, Qingdao, Zhanjiang and Nanning have taken action together and broken up 16 smuggling gangs in China. This case involved 30,700 tons of frozen seafood and its value was about 1.45 billion yuan...

Brexit Fisheries: Status Quo is Most Likely Outcome in Near Term, as UK has Fish, but EU has Markets

A YouGov poll commissioned by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) in September found that 63.5% of UK voters favour quota increases for British fishermen after Brexit. However, the EU has said repeatedly that it would not allow British seafood exporters tariff-free access to EU markets unless it is in exchange for a reciprocal agreement that EU fishing fleets are able to continue operating in British waters.

So, any proposed expansion of the UK fishing fleet’s access is likely to...

Wegman’s Launches Own Brand of Frozen Ready to Cook Seafood Entrees

Wegmans Food Markets will roll out ready to cook chef created frozen seafood entrees to its entire banner after a successful test in 11 stores this fall. 

Each seafood entrée is sold frozen and vacuum-packed, ready for the oven with no preparation needed before cooking and minimal cleanup afterward. 

Wegmans says “each item goes from the freezer to the dinner plate in 40 minutes or less. Cooked right in the package, the entrées don’t even create a fishy odor in the house. Like all Wegmans seafood, they’re chemical free and sustainably sourced.” 

“We hear from customers all the time that...

Widespread Satisfaction Noted with Outcomes at Western Central Pacific Tuna Meeting Last Week

Environmental groups gave mostly positive marks to the recent actions of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission which concluded their annual meeting last week in Hawaii.

The issue of bigeye tuna overfishing was highlighted before the meeting, with the US pushing for a quota increase.  That measure was withdrawn when others would not agree to it.

Instead, the WCPFC kept existing harvest measures in place for bigeye, while the stock continues to improve.  They also agreed to extend the current...

Alaska is U.S. Seafood Superpower 

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch -- Alaska is the nation’s super power when it comes to seafood.

Last year, American fishermen landed just shy of 10 billion pounds of fish and shellfish, valued at $5.4 billion, both up slightly. Alaska accounted for 61 percent of total landings (6 billion pounds) and 33 percent of the value ($1.8 billion).   

That’s according to the 2017 Fisheries of the US report revealed yesterday by NOAA Fisheries.  Ned Cyr is Science and Technology director.

“The Alaska port of Dutch Harbor led the nation with...

Indonesian Fishermen Arrested in Hawaii After Attempting to Smuggle Shark Fins

Ten Indonesian fishermen have been arrested in Hawaii in connection with smuggling shark fins.

According to a report from Postmedia Breaking News, U.S. prosecutors are accusing the owners of a Japanese fishing boat of aiding 10 Indonesian fishermen with smuggling nearly 1,000 shark fins. The fins were reportedly harvested from sharks that were still alive, and then discarded at sea – an act that is illegal in the U.S. However, one of the owners of the boat claims that the crew members had the shark fins without the captain’s knowledge...

NMFS Releases Latest Fisheries of US Report; Alaska On Top for Volume, Value

Alaska topped the U.S. in commercial fisheries landings and value in 2017, according to the latest Fisheries of the United States 2017 report released this week by NOAA.

While Alaska's 6 billion pounds of landings generating $1.8 billion led the nation, fishing and seafood consumption increased across the board last year. Landings and value of U.S. fisheries continued a strong, positive trend, according to NOAA. Fishermen landed 9.9 billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 2017, while the U.S. imported 5.9 billion pounds of seafood, up 1.6 percent.

Given the increases in ...

ADF&G Releases Annual Outlook for 2019 Groundfish Harvests in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet

December 14, 2018

A revised overview of what Alaska processors and fishermen can expect in the upcoming groundfish fishery in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet was released this week. The notice announced Guideline Harvest Limits (GHLs) on pollock, cod, sablefish, and rockfish along with limits on bycatch and important rules about avoiding seabirds and marine mammals and new rules on electronic monitoring.

PWS Pollock, Sablefish, Cod

The 2019 GHL in Prince William Sound at 6.6 million lbs, a 16% decrease from 2018's ...

EU announces new tariff quotas for 2019-20, raises limit for Alaska pollock to 320,000t

The European Council has announced the new autonomous tariff quotas (ATQs) for 2019-20 on Dec. 11, providing reduced or duty-free import rates for certain products from outside the EU.

By far the biggest beneficiary of the ATQs is Alaskan pollock, which has been granted an extra 20,000 metric tons of tariff-free imports by the new ATQs. This brings the total annual tariff-free import quota of the species to 320,000t.

Undercurrent News understands that the additional quota was provided so that a quirk in legislation could be avoided. Under official EU rules, importers must begin paying a duty on additional volume once 80%...

Cermaq Canada Frees Humpback Whale From Empty Salmon Cage

Earlier this month employees at Cermaq’s Millar Channel farm site rescued a healthy humpback whale that somehow ended up in an empty sea cage.

Employees made the discovery at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 2. Due to inspections that occur throughout the day, the employees were able to determine that the whale was in the cage system for less than 18 hours. Upon seeing that the whale was in good health, not entangled, and not exhibiting any signs of stress, the crew made the decision to...

Russia Seeks to Diversify and Increase Efforts with Coldwater Shrimp

Russian leading fish producers are considering diversifying their activities into areas that have been previously uncommon for them -- such as coldwater shrimp -- according to recent statements of producers and some market analysts in the field of fish business.

Producers say due forthcoming reforms in the Russian fish industry and the introduction of auctions that will replace the existing historical scheme of quota distribution, forces them to pay more attention to new directions for business, even though they could be less profitable than pollock and crab production but more reliable.

According to producers, many ...

Groundfish Enterprise Council Changes Name to Atlantic Groundfish Council

The Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council (GEAC) unveiled its new name prior to its annual meeting: Atlantic Groundfish Council®. The rebrand includes a new website and tagline 'Responsibly Harvesting for Tomorrow', emphasizing the association’s commitment to a balanced, sustainable groundfish industry that puts the responsible management of the resource first and foremost. 

The industry association represents year-round groundfish harvesters in Atlantic Canada.  The nineteen member companies include the largest offshore groundfish quota holders, including Ocean Choice International, Icewater Seafoods, Clearwater, and others...

BAP Seafood Officially Launches in Japanese Market

Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certified seafood is available in Japan. According to the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), shrimp and pangasius from BAP certified facilities is now being sold at the employee cafeteria at Japanese electronics manufacturer Hitachi.

“The importance of sustainable seafood sourcing policies is rapidly progressing in Japan,” Global Aquaculture Alliance VP Steve Hart said in a statement. “That’s why we are excited to make this the first official launch of BAP in the Japanese market.”

Hitachi is working with its food service provider...

John Henderschedt to Leave NOAA’s International Division for Former Company Phoenix PLP

John Henderschedt, director of NOAA’s International Affairs and Seafood Inspection program, will leave his federal post for a position with a former employer on January 30, 2019.

Henderschedt was the first director under NOAA's newly organized office, incorporating international affairs and seafood inspection. He started in April 2015. Last Tuesday, Henderschedt sent an email to his staff, saying he was “returning to work in the private sector. 

“I will be joining the company for which I previously worked, now as its Vice President and COO...

LISTEN: Seafood Consumption Numbers; Grubhub's Year in Food Report and More Seafood News

Join Seafood News staff writer Amanda Buckle and Urner Barry seafood market reporter Lorin Castiglione for a new episode of the SeafoodNews Podcast. This week on the podcast we take a look at seafood consumption numbers for 2017; November 2018 refusals; Grubhub's annual Year in Food report; and much more.

This week’s episode is brought to you by Urner Barry’s Reporter, the quarterly newsmagazine for the food industry professional packed with the latest industry headlines, analysis and trending articles. Contact advertise@urnerbarry.com to be a featured sponsor...

Togiak Herring Forecast Higher Than Last Year And Seiners Get Larger Share

ADF&G announced the returning Togiak herring biomass for next year as 217,548 tons, a 60% increase over the 2018 forecast of 136,756 tons.  Next spring's forecast is about 131% of the last ten-year average. 

The biomass number translates into a total harvest of 30,457 tons, of which 21,544 tons is alloted to seiners for their roe fishery.

At a 2018 Bristol Bay Board of Fish meeting, the allocation share in the Bristol Bay Herring Management Plan was changed from 70% purse seine ...

Russian Fishery Company Starts Construction of Russia’s Largest Pollock Processing Plant

The Russian Fishery Company (RRPK), one of Russia’s largest fish producers and processors, has officially started the construction of a new fish processing plant in the Primorye – expected to be the largest of its kind in the Far East and all of Russia. 
The new plant will be known as Russian Mintai and will be located within the territory of the Nadezhdinskaya special economic zone.

As planned, the first phase of the plant, with a capacity of more than 100 tons of finished products per day, will be put into operation in 2021.

The new facility will ...

Thai Union Launches Tuna Oil Refinery; Only Refiner to Own Complete Supply Chain and Production

Thai Union Group announced late last week that they have launched a new state-of-the-art tuna oil refinery in Rostock, Germany. The company is now the only refiner of high-grade tuna oil with “complete end-to-end supply chain and production management.”

“We are focused on creating a sustainable future for the tuna industry by maximizing and leveraging high-nutrient tuna byproducts,” Thai Union CEO Thiraphong Chansiri said in a press release. “Our pure tuna oil is just our first step...

SalMar to Move Ahead With Plans to Farm Fish in Open Waters With Smart Fish Farm

Norwegian farmed salmon producer SalMar announced this week that they will not be appealing the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries’ partial rejection of their application for 16 development licenses for a full-scale fish farming installation designed to operate in the open ocean. However, the company is moving forward with their plans to farm fish in open waters with the eight licenses that were awarded to them.

According to the company, the decision to not appeal was “prompted by a desire to...

Chinese Basa Producers Focus on Strong Domestic Market, See Positive Signs for 2019

This has been a great year for China’s basa industry. Now its farming and processing have been coming to an end, while the products are still sold at high prices. And according to initial estimates, China has raised about 25,000 to 30,000 tons of basa this year, and it has over 20 processing plants. Currently the plants in Guangdong and Guangxi have run out of raw materials and have to buy from Hainan. 　　

Their farm gate price is 4.5 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kilo) in Hainan, while they are sold at about 4.8 yuan/jin to 4.9 yuan/jin in others and even as high as 5 yuan/jin at some point...

VIDEO: 2017 Seafood Consumption Numbers; Dungeness Crab Delay and More News 

Watch the latest Seafood News Weekly Recap with hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione. This week we talk about the 2017 seafood consumption numbers; Chile’s increase in salmon exports; the West Coast Dungeness crab delay; and the Canadian Government’s aquaculture management initiatives.

This video is sponsored by Urner Barry’s Reporter, the quarterly newsmagazine for the food industry professional packed with the latest industry headlines, analysis and trending articles. Contact advertise@urnerbarry.com to be a featured sponsor in the spring edition of the Reporter, which is distributed to thousands of protein...

Per Capita Seafood Consumption Highest Since 2008, with Gains in Shrimp, Salmon, Cod

NFI has released their annual compilation of the top ten seafoods consumed in the US on the day that NOAA is finally releasing its Fisheries of the United States for 2017.

Overall, Americans ate 16.0 pounds of edible seafood per person in 2017, a big jump from 14.9 pounds in 2016.  The percentage gain is 7.4%.  NOAA uses a disappearance model, so it does not account for seafood inventory holdings that carry over from year to year.

This is the highest per capita number since 2008...

Concern Mounts for Winter Season as Nova Scotia Lobster Landings Down Considerably

The fall lobster season in Southwest Nova Scotia is the largest and most important Canadian season.  Last year, LFA 33 and 34 combined for over 70 million pounds of landings, or about 60% of all landings in the Maritimes.

It is also positioned right before the both the European and Chinese holidays, when lobster shells have hardened, and demand is at its peak.

So a hiccup here has the potential to reverberate throughout the market. 

In recent years, there have been challenges...

Chile Furthers its Seafood Exports, Market Penetration in China

Chile has enjoyed a 10. 6 percent increase in salmon exports from January to September compared with the same period last year. Its total export volume reached 459,000 tons, while the value exceeded $2.5 billion USD. Sales to the U.S., the largest importer, is $1.4 billion USD and those to Brazil are $426 million USD.

At the same time, China and Russia contribute most to this increase. Chile's export to China skyrocketed by 83.3 percent to reach 33,000 tons, while those to Russia ...

Former Disney Exec Enters New Partnership to Bring Fully Traceable Fresh Iceland Seafood to U.S.

Approximately six months after founding Niceland Seafood, former Walt Disney exec Oliver Luckett is in the process of introducing fully traceable fresh Icelandic seafood to more people. Working alongside Seattle Fish Co., Niceland Seafood has now entered into a partnership with King Soopers and City Market to bring fully traceable fresh Icelandic seafood products to 65 locations in the U.S.

This past June, Luckett, the former head of innovation at the Walt Disney Company, and founder and CEO of social media management agency theAudience...

NPFMC Adopts Groundbreaking Ecosystem Management Plan for Bering Sea

The latest regional council to adopt an ecosystem-oriented management plan is the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council for the Bering Sea. Ecosystem considerations while managing a single population of fish have become critical as fisheries habitats -- and the behavior of other species in that area -- change. The Bering Sea is one of the planet’s fastest changing habitats and one of its most productive for seafood.

The NPFMC has used an ecosystem approach for years, as have other regional councils, but the Anchorage-based council formalized their effort...