Crabbers Pull Up Record Catches in the Gulf of Alaska

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

Crabbers throughout the Gulf of Alaska are enjoying some great hauls, most recently for Tanners at Southeast Alaska.

The 11 day February fishery produced 1.26 million pounds, the fourth largest catch in the past 15 seasons for nearly 70 permit holders.  At an average price of $3.72 per pound, the fishery was valued at $4.2 million at the docks, the highest since 1999.

For golden king crab, which also opened in February, four out of seven fishing districts remain open...

Camanchaca Reports Financial Loss of $7.5 Million Due to Harmful Algae Bloom in Los Lagos Region

Salmones Camanchaca, a subsidiary of Camanchaca, is reporting a financial loss of $7.5 million related to the harmful algae blooms in the Los Lagos region.

As SeafoodNews has been reporting for the past few weeks, salmon farming centers in the Los Lagos and Aysén region in Chile have had to activate contingency plans due to harmful algae blooms. In mid-March Camanchaca had reported that the algae bloom incidents killed 162,000 salmon at a pair of their seawater farming sites...

COMTELL Insights Spotlight: Future-Proofing the Supply Chain FaQ

Available on the COMTELL Platform and brought to you by Urner Barry Insights

If you’re in the food business, you’re probably wondering about future-proofing the supply chain. Given what we’ve seen over the last year—and what we’re still contending with—the task of managing supply chains has become more challenging than ever (and it was no picnic before, we know!). That’s why Urner Barry is bringing together exclusive Insights through original reports, interviews, videos and podcasts in a special April Spotlight dedicated to the biggest supply chain issues the industry is currently facing.

This Spotlight, Future-Proofing the Supply Chain, will take place April 26-30^th, 2021, and can be accessed through Urner Barry Insights on the COMTELL platform.

Segments will include...

ANALYSIS: Strong Demand, Constrained Supply for Frozen Tuna

Frozen tuna imports have increased over the years due in large part to the consistent, strong demand from the foodservice sector. Imports peaked in 2019 registering a record 90 million pounds. Not only was the marketable to absorb this influx of supply, but pricing also remained firm, trending above its 5- year average for frozen steaks.

However, as the COVID-19 virus took hold in 2020, and restaurants across the country closed, importers modified their buying decisions. Frozen tuna imports for the year registered 73.3 million pounds...

NPFMC Moves Abundance-based Management of Halibut Bycatch Forward 

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) took action last week to make final changes in the draft analysis (DEIS) of management alternatives to put halibut bycatch from the Bering Sea bottom trawlers under an abundance-based scheme and stay on schedule for final action this year. 

The motion, made by Deputy Commissioner Rachel Baker of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game, passed by a 10-1 vote last Thursday. There were two elements to the motion. First, incorporating changes to the analysis that were suggested by the Council’s Scientific ...

WDFW Eases Dungeness Crab Rules as Domoic Acid Levels Drop in Washington

Dungeness crabbers and processors in Washington no longer have to eviscerate crab, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said earlier this month. Soon, crabbers will also have to get summer buoy tags to fish after May 1. Crabbers can also help with gear recovery after May 1.

"Due to low levels of domoic acid in recent crab samples taken from all coastal WA sample locations, WDFW is removing evisceration requirements for all areas," the agency said in a notice last week. "Hold inspection certificate numbers... 

Innovasea Breaks Down Latest Monitoring Software; Acting as Early Algal Bloom Warning System

Innovasea, a company that creates aquatic solutions for the aquaculture industry announced that its latest Plankton Monitoring software is now in the hands of two major salmon producers in Canada. The software aims to give companies the ability to detect early signs of harmful algae levels in the water.

The new software helps streamline and enhance monitoring efforts so fish farm operators can better predict when algal blooms may appear and take action earlier to help protect the fish.

“Our new Plankton Monitoring solution adds a new...

Norway-based Smart Salmon Takes Another Step Towards Construction of Smolt Production Facility

Land-based salmon farmer Smart Salmon has tabbed HS Bygg as the contractor for its smolt production facility with construction beginning as early as fall 2021.

“It is gratifying to get this contract in place with a solid, local contractor such as HS Bygg. We see an enormous potential in this project and are now working to complete the plans,” says Petter Bakke, CEO of Smart Salmon Group AS.

The site will produce up to 2,500 tonnes of big smolt the Smørhamn site in Bremanger municipality in Western Norway...

Spain’s CEPESCA Elects New President, VPs

Juan Manuel Liria was elected as president of the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CEPESCA), Liria has held the position on a temporary basis since May 2020, following the death of Amador Suárez, president of the employer's association since its foundation, in 2007.

 Liria received was elected unanimously, per a release from CEPESCA and he will be joined by Julio Morón Ayala, as first vice president, representing deep-sea fishing, and José María Gallart García, as second vice president and representing the inshore.

CEPESCA provided some bios for the new leaders of CEPESCA. Liria has spent...

Aloha Poke Plots Big Growth in Texas

Fast-casual poke restaurant chain Aloha Poke is making a big push with plans to open 11 new locations in the Houston-metro areas by 2025. The news is not only major considering that it’s their first move into the Texas market, but because it nearly doubles their total franchise location holdings.

Aloha Poke Co. is excited and extremely proud to launch into Texas with these first stores already in development within the Houston market,” said Paul Tripodes, VP of Franchise Development at Aloha Poke. “Houston is one of the fastest growing and...

Alaska Seafood Hits the Big Time with Four Minutes on the Today Show

Launching their Down to Earth celebration for Earth Week yesterday, the Today Show visited Alaska with a live segment on Alaska seafood. Al Roker, Hoda Kotb, and Carson Daly peppered Hannah Heimbuch, a third-generation commercial fisherman who “specializes in sustainable fishing practices,” as the show’s preview says, with questions on how to find sustainable seafood, and how to prepare it. 

“Navigating the fish department can be a little tricky,” Roker said after he noted that national nutrition experts recommend two to three meals of seafood each ...

The Global Aquaculture Alliance is Now Officially The Global Seafood Alliance

Say goodbye to the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA). Following votes by the GAA board of directors and the board of directors of its sister organization, Global Seafood Assurances, the Global Aquaculture Alliance is now officially the Global Seafood Alliance. 

According to the organization, the new name reflects the merger and their growing involvement in wild fisheries through the addition of the Seafood Processing Plant Standard (SPS) Issue 5.0 and the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS). Along with the name change will be the introduction of the...

JAPAN: Hokkaido Surimi Production Keeps Decreasing, but Brisk Sales in February

The National Surimi Manufacturers Association announced on March 25 that the February production of land-based surimi produced in Hokkaido continued to be sluggish. Shipments were favorable, and inventory at the end of the month further decreased. It was the second-lowest inventory level since 2010.

According to the announcement, Alaska pollock surimi production in February was 494 tons, down 29.1% from the same month of the previous year. Atka mackerel surimi tripled to 10 tons. The total, combined with a...

Norwegian Seafood Council Responds to “Seaspiracy” Netflix Documentary 

Last month Netflix released a new documentary called “Seaspiracy,” which caused a big splash online. While the film initially started off by focusing on plastic pollution and whale deaths, it quickly shifted to an attack on the fishing industry and a call to stop eating seafood. 

Many scientists and industry organizations have already issued responses to the film, and now the Norwegian Seafood Council is speaking out.

“There’s no doubt Netflix’s most recent documentary about oceans, ‘Seaspiracy,’ has caused quite a stir...

Kroger Introduces First-of-its-kind, Delivery-focused Customer Fulfillment Center

Grocery retailer Kroger has launched its first Customer Fulfillment Center (CFC). The CFC aims to transform the grocery delivery process with the help of technology developed by Ocado.

"2020 was a pivotal year for grocery e-commerce, with Kroger's digital business scaling to over $10 billion—and achieving a record digital sales increase of 116%," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "We're incredibly proud to achieve this milestone that advances our position as one of America's leading e-commerce companies...

More Studies Prove Red Seaweed in Livestock Feed Cuts Methane, Startups Underway

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

More studies prove that seaweed can help save the planet from greenhouse gases.

Fish Radio has followed studies in Australia and Canada that showed small amounts of red seaweed added to livestock feed greatly reduces methane from the gas they pass in burps and farts. Cow burps alone  account for 26 percent of the nation’s total methane emissions according to the EPA, and the U.S. is only the world’s fourth-largest producer of cattle, behind China, Brazil, and India...

NaturalShrimp Announces Success in Critical Transfer of Shrimp from Nursery to Grow-out Tanks

NaturalShrimp, Inc. announced last weekend that they have begun a successful transfer of shrimp from nursery to grow-out tanks iin their La Coste, Texas production facility.

The company developed and patented the first commercially-operational RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture System). Their production facility contains twenty 2,000-gallon nursery tanks and forty 20,000-gallon tanks.

"This combination minimizes the amount of square footage required for production," the company said in a press release. "In addition, the smaller nursery tanks provide a more controlled environment for acclimating the ...

ANALYSIS: Strength in Shrimp Market Accelerating, Demand Robust and Supply Constrained

Shrimp market values have been on the rise all year but accelerated in the last 30 days. The current situation is unique and the environment unmistakably robust.

Demand has become quite active in tandem with the reopening of restaurants, but probably at a pace that has surprised most market participants. The issue at-hand is that suppliers are short, part intentional and part through no fault of their own.

Importers had been replenishing somewhat cautiously — and for good reason...

Restaurants See Some Relief in March as Sales Increase 36% From Last Year

It’s been a year since COVID-19 struck, and things finally appear to be turning around. The U.S. Census Bureau released the advance monthly sales for retail and food services for March 2021, and according to the report, U.S. retail and food services sales reached $619.1 billion—an increase of 9.8% from the previous month and a 27.7% jump from March 2020.

Overall, total sales for January 2021 through March 2021 are up 14.3% from the same period a year ago...

Thai Union Highlights UN’s World Creativity and Innovation Day 

April 21 is designated as World Creativity and Innovation Day by the United Nations as a way to raise awareness to the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.

To recognize the role both creativity and innovation play in its business, Thai Union noted a few ways that innovation remains one of its key corporate values.

The company’s “Healthy Living, Healthy Oceans,” is one of the ways it looks to innovated. Back in 2015, it launched its Global Innovation Centre (GIC) in 2015 - a world-class R&D facility, and the first of its kind in Thailand...

Coast Guard Medevacs Injured Fisherman 132 Miles East of Cape Cod

The Coast Guard medevacked an injured fisherman 132 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts on April 20.

Coast Guard District One watchstanders received an alert from the crew onboard the commercial fishing vessel Mary Anne stating that a 56-year-old crewmember was suffering from severe abdominal pain at about 6:30 a.m.

Shortly after, a Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched, and safely hoisted the fisherman from the vessel, which is home-ported in New Bedford, at approximately 9:30 a.m...

Quiznos Brings Back LTO Lobster Subs to Canada Locations

Quiznos’ Canadian locations are delivering a seafood favorite. For a limited time the Lobster Classic sub and the Old Bay Lobster Club will be back on the menu.

“We are thrilled lobster is returning to the menu– this time kicked up a notch with the distinctive and tangy addition of Frank’s Hot Sauce,” said Chef Mike Gieseman, Director of Culinary and Innovation for REGO Restaurant Group, which owns Quiznos. “Our Lobster subs are eagerly anticipated by consumers year after year, and it’s no wonder why. They are...

BlueNalu Dishes Out Scholarships to Young Chefs in Eat Blue Essay Contest

Cell-cultured seafood producer BlueNalu announced the winners of its Eat Blue™ Essay Contest in collaboration with the Research Chefs Association (RCA).

The contest brought in essays from culinary students that focused on sustainable seafood and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Below Water. It was open to all 280 culinary student members of the RCA.

The questions posed to the students were: “What does it mean to you to Eat Blue™? How do you incorporate this into your daily life and find inspiration to Eat Blue™ in your personal and professional journey...

ANALYSIS: Blue Swimming Crab Meat Prices Soar; Up 34 Percent from Beginning of the Year 

The crab meat market has reached all-time highs, above levels seen in the late summer and early fall of 2017. Most market participants said it was just a matter of time—and it looks as though they were correct.  

The blue swimming crab meat market for colossal, jumbo lump, super lump, and lump have all achieved all-time highs this month. Meanwhile, the remainder of the grades, backfin, special, and claw continue to climb...

Dillingham Prepares for Another Big Sockeye Season With New COVID Protocols

City Manager Gregg Brelsford has issued a new Emergency Order 2.1 and he wants everyone who is coming to Bristol Bay this year to read it.

“In the past year, Dillingham has sustained relatively few COVID-19 deaths, medical evacuations, positive cases, and negative impacts, overall. In the past few months, a substantial number of our people have obtained vaccinations,” Brelsford wrote in the E.O’s preamble.

“All of this is attributable to Emergency Order 1.1 and the COVID-safety practices of Dillingham residents, tribes, businesses, incoming travelers...

Gulf Council Increases Red Snapper Limits, Takes Other Actions at April Meeting

At a virtual meeting last week, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council increased the 2021 red snapper limits, likely allowing both sport and commercial fishermen more fishing opportunity.

The Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee recommended increasing the overfishing limit to 25.6 million pounds and the acceptable biological catch to 15.4 million pounds for this year.

The most recent stock assessment, from 2018, showed a downward trend in red snapper and a proposed OFL for 2021 of 15.6 million pounds -- roughly the same as the recently...

MLMC Partners With The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel To Create the Ultimate Maine Lobster Experience 

Lobster lovers who couldn’t travel to Maine last year due to COVID won’t want to miss this opportunity. The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) announced that they’ve partnered with The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel to create the ultimate Maine lobster experience — “The Maine Lobster Suite.”

“Many Maine visitors don’t realize that peak lobster season runs from roughly June to October here in Maine, so we wanted to create something special to celebrate the sweetest, most sustainable lobster all season long at...

Alliance Rubber Company Launches Lobster and Oyster Banding Machine

Alliance Rubber Company announced the launch of its first fully-tested and approved Seafood Banding Machine for lobsters and oysters.

The company said the new banding machine “provides consistent application speeds which, in turn, significantly increases the amount of seafood sent to market.” Alliance sees the new machine as a way to limit the wear and tear for crew members who are manually banding seafood during processing.

Alliance highlighted the 2019 iteration of the machine and during testing, the company said many users did not want to return the test product...

MSC Announces £650,000 in Grants for Fishery Observer Safety and Bycatch Improvement Projects

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced 20 fisheries and research projects will receive up to £60,000 through its Ocean Stewardship Fund, a fund dedicated to sustainable fishing across the globe.

The awards include grants to the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), WWF India and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) as well as to fisheries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia, the MSC said. A quarter of the funding will focus on Global South fisheries.

In 2021, a special focus will be focused on fishery observer safety. The MSC highlighted a grant which will help support Saltwater Inc...

Multiple Chicken of the Sea Settlement Proposals on the Table in Tuna Price-fixing Lawsuit

Thai Union’s Chicken of the Sea International (COSI) has proposed a $20 million settlement with another group of plaintiffs, the End Payer Plaintiffs (EPPs), in civil litigation stemming from the canned tuna price-fixing conspiracy involving major tuna brands.

The flurry of settlements continues for COSI as another agreement was put in place with the Commercial Food Preparers (CFPs) track in the class-action settlement.

The settlement focusing on the EPPs track, described as “indirect purchasers...