Santa Monica Expands West Coast Distribution with Purchase of Prospect Enterprises' Seafood Assets
Santa Monica Seafood has signed a definitive Purchase Agreement to acquire most of Prospect Enterprises seafood assets including American Fish & Seafood, Chesapeake Fish, LA Fish Company and Cactus Cove. The agreement will form one of the largest seafood distribution companies that will serve restaurant, hotel, country club and grocery store chain customers across the California, Arizona and Nevada markets. This is a good marriage of two companies – American Fish has been around for 68 years and Santa Monica Seafood has been here for 76 years. Both companies have the history, the experience and the knowledge to continue as the preeminent seafood distributor in the southwestern United States,” said Michael Cigliano, Executive Vice President of Santa Monica.
Jeff Davis and Bregal Partners closed today on a deal to purchase Peabody Corp., including its shore operation and 8 scallop vessels. The new operation will be called Blue Harvest Fisheries. The value of the acquisition was not announced; a formal annoucement is expected in the near future.
Several salmon producers in Chile have evacuated workers from plants operating in and around Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and Puerto Octay after the country’s volcano Calbuco erupted late last night. The eruption triggered Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet to issue a state of emergency and enact evacuations within a 12 mile radius of the volcano. No deaths, missing person or injuries have been reported because of the eruption so far.
In other news Tropical Aquaculture plans to bring fresh, farmed cobia fillets to the US market by the end of the year through a partnership with Ecuadorian producer Ocean Farm.
Finally, the FDA has canceled its enforcement of Import Alert (IA) 16-08, which gives the Administration the authority to refuse swordfish shipments for mercury. The IA number is no longer posted on the FDA’s enforcement list and an email from the FDA has confirmed they are currently not enforcing it.
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