Kodiak Loses Salmon to Chignik, Cook Inlet

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

Kodiak salmon fishermen are reeling after a Board of Fisheries decision that limits fishing in two traditional regions. The new rules are aimed at letting more salmon get to Chignik and Cook Inlet.

After hearing testimony by 150 local residents and spending an extra day for deliberations, the board put a mix of new time and catch limits on fisheries at Cape Igvak and the Katmai Alinchak section on the west side of Kodiak Island.

“We’re just stunned. I don’t know if we can really...

VIDEO: Phase One Trade Deal; Fortune's New Acquisition; Minh Phu Investigation; Good Catch Funding

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video co-hosts Lorin Castiglione and Amanda Buckle as they talk about the Phase One trade deal; Fortune International's new acquisition; CBP's investigation of Minh Phu; and funding for plant-based seafood brand Good Catch.

This episode was brought to you by COMTELL, which will be receiving a complete redesign in 2020. Subscribers who utilize COMTELL to track market quotations, analyze trends and stay on top of key industry news will see a...

Alaska Seafood’s Economic Impact Continues to Grow in U.S. and Globally

Juneau, AK -- The 2020 update of The Economic Value of Alaska’s Seafood Industry, released yesterday, shows continued growth and positive impacts to state, national, and international economies. Prepared by the McDowell Group for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), the report updates the economic snapshot from 2015/2016. It has tracked the sector since 2013.

Approximately 5.7 billion pounds of seafood worth $2.0 billion was harvested annually in 2017/2018, and processors turned this harvest into product worth $4.7 billion. In 2016, those numbers were 5.6 billion ...

ANALYSIS: The Impact of Labor Issues, Tariffs and More on Imported Scallops

Imported scallops have been making headlines recently and prices are on the move. Below is a recap of the recent market happenings for the scallop markets of China, Japan, Canada and some insight into Peru.

China

The new crop of China bay scallops is pricing at a premium compared to last season's inventory. Increasing labor costs and the 25 percent tariff have brought prices up considerably, while the tight supply of smaller sizes available only adds pressure to the market...

Hawaiian Swordfish Back in the Market After 9-month Absence; New Measures Protect Sea Turtles

The Hawai'i swordfish fishery is expected to land its first catch in nine months today. This healthy fishery produces approximately 55 percent of America's domestic swordfish and supplies 14 percent of the total US swordfish market.

"Without Hawai'i swordfish, US markets will increase their dependence on foreign suppliers," Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Executive Director Kitty M. Simonds said in a press release. "Our pelagic longline fisheries are well managed and rigorously monitored and regulations are enforced. International fishery management organizations consider ...

ANALYSIS: Frozen Tuna Fillets Imports at Record High

YTD import volumes for frozen tuna fillets are the highest recorded in 12 years. Imports through November registered 82.3 million pounds; a 20.3% increase over YTD 2018, and are trending 49% higher than their 8-year average of 55.2 million pounds.

Although YTD import volume is at a record high, imports for the month of November registered 5.7 million pounds; a 37.4% decline from the peak monthly volume of 9.1 million pounds recorded in August. November imports are trending slightly below their...

Russia Puts Big Hopes on its White Fish Exports in Years to Come  

The Russian government plans to attract up to RUB 340 billion (US$5,48 billion) of private investments in the implementation of "New Cod Industry" – a state project, which involves the conduction of a large-scale modernization  of the existing capacities in Russia for the production of cod fish, according to recent statements, made by senior officials of Russian Rosrybolovstvo and industry’s analysts.  

In general, the project involves building up to 43 new fishing trawlers and 26 coastal fish production enterprises within the territory of the...

Maine DMR Holding Elver Lottery for 9 Licenses 

Maine residents who are interested in an elver license have until February 21 to apply. The Maine Department of Marine Resources announced that nine licenses became available after they were not renewed in 2018 and 2019. Those licenses are up for grabs through a lottery.

The lottery was initially authorized by legislation in 2017. Maine residents who are at least 15 years of age by the start of the 2020 season are eligible to apply.

Demand for elvers has increased in recent years, with demand bringing the price...

NOAA Investigates Effects of Ocean Acidification on Scallops

NOAA scientists and students and faculty at Massachusetts Maritime Academy partnered to study the impact ocean acidification has on Atlantic sea scallops.

The experiment was led by NOAA research chemist Shannon Meseck, who was the first to directly measure the response of juvenile Atlantic sea scallops to ocean acidification.

Juvenile scallops from Maine-based Pine Point Oyster Company were exposed to three different pH levels. The levels mimicked ocean acidity levels from 30 and 80 years into the future

Scientists measured various characteristics like growth, weight...

UK Calls on Governments to Join Initiative to Protect 30% of the Ocean by 2030

In September the UK announced their 30by30 initiative, a global alliance to help protect 30% of the world's ocean by 2030. Now, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow is calling on governments around the world to join them.

"Climate change is ocean change," Pow said at the Greenpeace launch earlier this week. "The blue lungs that cover our planet underpin all health and wealth worldwide – yet we're on track to lose the coral reefs that support over a quarter of marine species...

Cooke Aquaculture Scotland Welcomes New PR and Communications Manager

Cooke Aquaculture Scotland announced this week that they've appointed Andrew Watson as their new Public Relations and Communications Manager.

Watson joins Cooke Aquaculture Scotland after previously serving as the Head of Communications for Lowland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association, an agency of the Ministry of Defense. He's an alumni of the University of Edinburgh, and a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

"We are excited to welcome Andrew to the Cooke Aquaculture Scotland team," said Colin Blair, Managing Director of Cooke Aquaculture Scotland...

CBP Formally Investigating Minh Phu For Anti-Dumping Duty Allegations

In May Illinois Congressman Darin LaHood submitted a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan regarding Minh Phu Seafood Group possibly evading duties. Months later the CBP has launched a formal investigation into the largest exporter of shrimp in Vietnam.

As SeafoodNews initially reported in June, Minh Phu was accused of "circumventing antidumping duties on frozen shrimp from India. Minh Phu allegedly purchased substantial quantities of frozen shrimp from India, minimally processed that shrimp in Vietnam, then sold the shrimp to the U.S. as a Vietnam...

Save Our Seas 2.0 Act Unanimously Passes Senate, Now On To the House

The atmosphere was celebratory earlier this week when Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) spoke on the Senate floor about the bipartisan efforts to pass the most comprehensive marine debris legislation to ever pass the Senate.

"This is a significant piece of legislation. It is, really, the most comprehensive piece of legislation to pass the Congress--to pass the Senate--that has dealt with ocean debris and ocean pollution--ever," said Sullivan. 

“I thank all of the Senate members...

Alaska Fishing Updates for January 2020

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

There’s lots of fishing going on across Alaska and more to come in the winter line up.

Cod and a mix of groundfish kicked off the year on January 1 in the Bering Sea and in many parts of the Gulf.  Boats also are targeting black rockfish in Southeast, the westward region of Kodiak, Chignik and the Alaska Peninsula and along the Aleutians.

Lingcod also is open in Southeast. Divers there have pretty much wrapped up a 2 million pound sea cucumber fishery but...

Clearwater, Quin-Sea Partner for Shrimp Processing Venture

Clearwater Seafoods and Quin-Sea Fisheries announced they have agreed to form a joint venture to gain control of the St. Anthony Seafoods Limited Partnership plant in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada.

The St. Anthony plant processing shrimp and according to a press release from Clearwater, is “ideally located on the Great Northern Peninsula with a highly experienced workforce and proximity to the resource.” The partnership brings together to major companies that will better match the plant’s capacity.

“Our partnership with Clearwater will ensure a stable and long term..."

Red Lobster, ezCater Bringing Seafood and Biscuits to Conference Rooms Across the U.S. 

Next time you are stuck in a business meeting, lobster tails and biscuits may help make it less of a drag. Thanks to a partnership between ezCater and Red Lobster, seafood catering options may now boost the morale in any conference room.

For the first time in its 52-year history, Red Lobster will now be a catering option through ezCater’s marketplace.

ezCater is eyeing to boost Red Lobster’s reach to high-value business customers and grow its catering operations. ezCater features catering options from over 70,000...

Gulf of Alaska Cod Likely to Lose 2020 MSC Certification Due to Ocean Warming

Update: The RFM Certification is not under expedited audit for GOA Pcod; only the MSC Certification is. The article has been corrected.

 It’s all but certain that Gulf of Alaska cod will lose its MSC sustainability certification in a few months, due to incremental decreases in the stock that now brings it just below a critical reference point. That prompted a federal closure in the Gulf, and now will likely mean a suspension -- the word itself telegraphs misdeeds and penalties -- of the Marine Stewardship Council’s certification ...

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Fortune International Expands in Midwest with Acquisition of Seattle Fish's Kansas City Operations

Fortune International is starting off the new year with the acquisition of Seattle Fish's Kansas City operations. The latest acquisition will provide Fortune International's Fortune Fish & Gourmet brand with additional processing and distribution is Missouri and the surrounding states. The purchase does not include Seattle Fish's Denver-based processing or distribution operations.

Seattle Fish expanded into the Midwest with their Kansas City location back in 2003. In 2015 they expanded into a new 29,000 square foot location in Riverside, Missouri...

Trouble at Sea: Natuna Islands and Claims of Sovereignty  

Major confrontation on the cusp of the South China Sea hit headlines again last month as dozens of Chinese fishing vessels entered waters off the Natuna Islands, which falls within Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 

While tensions have eased over the resource rich waters, Chinese claims of sovereign rights within the jurisdiction threaten to escalate the situation.  

On December 30th friction reached boiling point as Indonesian warships and supersonic fighter aircrafts known as F-16 fighter jets were dispatched to patrol the territory...

China’s Wuhan City Gradually Rises to Prominence Among Seafood Sellers

Regarding Chinese cities with great seafood imports, people usually think of the country’s three first-tier ones: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. But now, with an increase in household incomes of other cities, as well changes to overseas seafood’s positioning in this oriental market, there are some others which have impressed the public with strong demand.

A case in point is Wuhan, a central city with a large population and convenient transportation. According to available statistics, sales of imported commodities  in Wuhan makes up nearly 40% of total holiday sales...

Search Suspended for Two Missing Fishermen After Deadly Collision Near Galveston, Texas

A search for a pair of fishermen who went missing following a vessel collision near Galveston, Texas was suspended on Thursday.

The 81-foot fishing vessel Pappy’s Pride collided with a 600-foot chemical tanker, Bow Fortune on Tuesday afternoon. The collision killed one crewmember and left another two crewmembers missing.

Over the past three days, crews searched over 49 square miles for the missing fishermen.

“It is never an easy decision to suspend a search," said Cmdr. Jordan Baldueza, Sector Houston-Galveston search and rescue mission coordinator...

Cellular Aquaculture Firm BlueNalu, Nutreco Announce Strategic Partnership

BlueNalu, a cellular aquaculture company announced its strategic partnership with Nutreco, a top aquafeed company in a move to help commercialize cell-based seafood products.

Dutch-based Nutreco is the parent company of Skretting, a significant player in aquaculture feeds. With Nutreco’s expertise in aquafeed in tow, the partnership is intended to create a more stable and sustainable supply-chain solution.

Nutreco brings a breadth of knowledge and deep expertise to the partnership, including fish nutrition, raw materials expertise and ingredient procurement at competitive costs, BlueNalu said...

RODA Launches Pacific Advisory Committee with Members of West Coast Fisheries

On Thursday the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) announced the launch of a Pacific Advisory Committee, a group of leaders from West Coast fisheries who will work together to improve the compatibility of new offshore development with commercial fishing.

RODA is a membership-based coalition of fishing industry associations and fishing companies who have an interest in improving the compatibility of new offshore development with their businesses. Members include a number of fishing vessels, as well as businesses like...

How Seafood Fits Into The Phase One Trade Deal With China

On Wednesday the United States and China signed the "Phase One" economic and trade agreement, a deal that requires "structural reforms and other changes to China's economic and trade regime in the areas of intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial services, and currency and foreign exchange."  A fact sheet released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative boasts that the agreement will "provide U.S. fishermen and seafood companies expanded access to China's rapidly growing market for imported seafood products."

The partial trade deal with China, which also...

ANALYSIS: Atlantic Salmon Retail Features Surge to Kick Off 2020

It’s not every year that the farmed salmon complex experiences an upward swing in January. The market has risen in just two of the past five years. The farmed salmon complex is 6.6 percent higher since the end of December 2019 and almost 27 percent higher since the end of November 2019.

An interesting point is that the market uptick is without the European market in a firming situation. The markets that are on the rise are the Canadian whole fish markets...

Plant-Based Seafood Brand Good Catch Gets Funding from General Mills and Greenleaf Foods

General Mills is continuing to expand into the world of plant-based products with an investment in Gathered Foods Corporation, the company behind plant-based seafood brand Good Catch.

301 Inc. is the venture arm of General Mills and was created to "seek emerging food brands with a compelling product." 301 Inc. has already partnered with other plant-based brands, like Beyond Meat. Now they're investing in Good Catch.

According to a press release from Gathered Foods, they have secured over $32 million from their...

One Dead, Two Remain Missing Following Fishing Vessel Collision in Galveston, Texas

A crewmember aboard a fishing vessel that collided with a chemical tanker near Galveston, Texas died on Tuesday, another two members of the crew remain missing.

A Coast Guard Response Boat-Medium crew recovered the crewmember following the collision of the Pappy’s Pride and a 600-foot tanker, but the crewmember was unresponsive. Following CPR attempts by the Coast Guard crew, the fisherman was transferred to medical services, where he was later pronounced deceased, according to Cmdr. Jordan Baldueza, Sector Houston-Galveston search and rescue mission coordinator...

FDA Releases Graphic Novels to Encourage Families to Eat More Fish

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants families to include more seafood in their diet.

About six months after releasing new advice about eating fish for pregnant women and young children, the FDA has now released photonovels, or graphic stories, to encourage people to eat more fish. The graphic novels have three major takeaways:

-Fish are part of a "healthy eating pattern" and have many nutritional benefits. Eating seafood while pregnant can aid with baby's brain and eye development...

New Zealand Issues Warning for Fishermen Participating in Illegal Activity: "People Are Watching"

Fisheries New Zealand reports that officers have stopped a group of commercial fishermen who were allegedly under-reporting catches and unlawfully selling snapper.

According to the New Zealand government agency, the Ministry for Primary Industries had been investigating allegations into "the unlawful trade of commercially caught fish from the lower firth of Thames into the Auckland area." A search was conducted in December, which ultimately resulted in the confiscation of over $25,000 in cash. Six commercial fishing vessels, as well as a...

Wuhan Pneumonia Outbreak: Case Detected in Thailand, Human-to-Human Transmission Not Ruled Out

A case of coronavirus-infected pneumonia has been identified in Thailand.

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health reported the first imported case of lab-confirmed novel coronavirus earlier this week. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a 61-year-old Chinese woman living in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, was traveling to Thailand with five family members as part of a tour group. Prior to her trip, the woman developed a fever with chills, a sore throat, as well as a headache...