Thai Union Buying Majority Stake in Canadian 
Lobster Processor Chez Nous
Thai Union announced another expansion into the North American lobster industry with a deal to acquire a majority stake in Canadian lobster processor Les Pecheries de Chez Nous (Chez Nous). Chez Nous’s lobster operations are based in New Brunswick with a processing facility on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This is Thai Union’s second major move into the North American lobster industry since February 2015 when it’s subsidiary, Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods, acquired the assets to Orion Seafood International. “Thai Union’s vertical integration has been a key to our division’s success in the shrimp, tuna, and pasteurized crab categories,” said Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods President and CEO Bryan Rosenberg. “We are excited about the growth possibilities of a similar relationship in North Atlantic lobster. The partnership between Thai Union and Chez Nous will bring additional expertise and transparency to our customers.”
Vietnam's pangasius exports are up 5.5 percent in value through May this year compared to 2015. Sales to each of Vietnam's top three markets China, the US and the EU are each up this year. Vietnam's exports to China are up a sharp 73 percent in 2016, while its sales to Brazil are also up notably.
In other news, John Sackton writes of how the recent Brexit vote could derail the CETA free trade deal between the EU and Canada. Until recently, this was considered a done deal that would give a significant boost to Canadian exports, particularly of shrimp, lobster and crab. But there are reports that ministers in the EU nations, which are voting to ratify the CETA deal today, do not want to set a precedent where any future deal with England would not require unanimous ratification by all EU parliamentary bodies, which include not only national legislatures but some regional bodies as well.
Meanwhile, Canada is being accused of poorly tracking its fishery management decisions and stock data. The accusations come after a report from Oceana claimed Canada's fish stocks are poorly managed. However, the authors of the report said fishery information--from Canadian management decisions to fish stock data-- was either hard to find or non-exisitent. For instance, researchers said they were only able to get information on 125 of Canada's 165 fish stocks. “It should not be that hard to find management decisions, whether or not something has a management plan and the state of a stock, and it is hard right now,” said Susanna Fuller, a Halifax-based marine biologist and co-author of the Oceana report.
Finally, Cape Seafood, the sister company to Luke's Lobster, is now part of the newly formed Tenants Harbor Fisherman's Co-operative at Miller's Wharf in Maine. This means Cape Seafood and by extension, Luke's Lobster is now a guaranteed buyer for every lobster caught from the co-op's 20 members. Cape Seafood's processing plant in Saco cooks, packages, and ships all of the lobster used at Luke's 19 shacks nationwide.
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