High-Stakes Debate Over Jones Act "Third Proviso" Today in Anchorage Federal Court

The case brought against Customs and Border  Protection (CBP) by subsidiary companies of American Seafoods will play out in an Anchorage courtroom this morning as each side will tell their story. It is a high-stakes debate as accusations have been flung back and forth in the past two weeks. 

The latest declaratory statements filed with the court from the American Seafood side refute the claims of the government that they should have been notified, and separate tariff rates should have been filed before the shipping route ...

PODCAST: Bering Sea Snow Crab Stocks; CBP’s Response to TRO; Restaurant COVID Protocols and More

Join SeafoodNews Podcast co-hosts Lorin Castiglione and Ryan Doyle as they talk about falling snow crab stocks in the Bering Sea; CBP’s Response to the Temporary Restraining Order issued by American Seafood’s subsidiary Alaska Reefer Management and an affiliate; restaurants revisiting COVID protocols as cases of the virus rise; and more!

This episode is brought to you by Urner Barry Consulting. Urner Barry Consulting provides tailored solutions to identify growth opportunities within the fast-paced protein commodity sectors...

Maryland Seafood Company, Owner Plead Guilty to Visa Fraud

Phillip J. “Jamie” Harrington III, of Dorchester, Maryland and his company, Capt. Phip’s Seafood Inc., pleaded guilty to unlawful employment of undocumented workers and visa fraud on September 14.

As per the plea agreement, the seafood processing company “willfully submitted false and inaccurate job descriptions to obtain lower prevailing wages for its foreign workers.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland explained that omissions about the full scope of job duties to be performed by temporary foreign workers resulted in the DOL approving Capt. Phip’s to...

Future Looks Bright for Ecuadorian Shrimp in China

Under the influence of COVID-19, some shrimp suppliers have struggled and have encountered great challenges in China. However, a few lucky countries such as  Ecuador have seen obvious market rebound and strong shrimp demand in the Chinese market. And their near future also looks optimistic...

Shrimp industries in countries like Vietnam and India have been hit hard by the epidemic, while recently Ecuador has enjoyed steady price increase of its shrimps in China. Now it is even hardly possible to bargain with Ecuador’s suppliers...

Alaska Salmon Catches Come in 15% Higher Overall Than Projected

The last weekly salmon update from ASMI marks the end of the 2021 season and the statewide catches were up by 15% compared to the preseason forecasts.

The biggest money making fish exceeded expectations the most. The haul of sockeye salmon topped 54 compared to the pre-season forecast of 46.5 million.

Similarly, the pink salmon catch of over 150 million swamped the prediction of just over 124 million humpies.

And although the run of chum salmon was disappointing, falling about four million short of the 11.5 million projection...

Louisiana Nets $4.2 Million Through Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant

Seafood processors in Louisiana will receive $4,229,669 in financial assistance through the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program (SPRS), U.S. Congressman Corey Graves announced.

This program was unveiled by the USDA last week alongside the Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant.

Together, the programs will support agriculture stakeholders who have yet to receive “substantial federal financial assistance” during the COVID-19 crisis.

These grant programs will aid small businesses in certain commodity areas, including small-scale specialty crop producers and processors, shellfish...

Governments Must Seize Opportunities of a ‘Blue Food Revolution’

The Blue Food Assessment (BFA) sends a message to the policy makers that they must act urgently in order for future generations to benefit from the 'blue food revolution', according the Marine Stewardship Council.

The BFA report provides very detailed reviews of the part blue foods could play in communication and describing the challenges of malnutrition, climate change, and sustainable development.

Blue foods is set to double in global demand by 2050. The BFA makes known that sustainable management of the world's wild-capture fisheries is extremely vital for...

Senate Passes Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act, Again

The Senate has once again passed the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act, which was vetoed by former President Trump on January 1, 2021 after passing through Congress in 2020.

The legislation looks to ban drift gillnets used in fisheries off the state of California to protect whales, dolphins and sea turtles.

According to a release from Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the bill is expected to be signed by President Biden if it passes through the House of Representatives. The bill was reintroduced after the veto in February...

Alaska Fishing Updates, September

Alaska’s salmon catch is nearing 219 million and fishing continues despite slowing down at this time of year. That’s 30 million more salmon than was forecasted.

For pinks, the harvest so far is over 151 million with catches at Prince William Sound, Southeast and Kodiak all topping projections

Also at Southeast, beam trawlers have a third go for northern pink shrimp totaling 650,000 pounds in two districts. The spot shrimp fishery opens on October 1 for 457,300 pounds.

That same day Dungeness crab reopens for the fall fishery...

Aquaculture Leaders Honor Dan Swecker, Fish Farming Pioneer and “True Statesman"

Covington, WA—Dan Swecker, the fish farming pioneer and aquaculture advocate, passed away September 1, 2021, following a brief illness.

Swecker was Executive Director of the Washington Fish Growers Association (WFGA), an organization he helped launch to promote fish farming in the state. From 1993 to 2013, Swecker also served in the Washington State Senate, representing the people of the 20th District. He was Vice-Chair of the Agriculture and Environment Committee and served on the Natural Resources & Parks and Ways & Means Committees.

After retiring from WFGA in January ...

Photo Courtesy Northwest Aquaculture Alliance.

Scoular Debuts New Encompass Brand for Fishmeal Business

Scoular, a fishmeal and fish oil marketing firm, launched its new brand for its fishmeal business, Encompass.

“Scoular has long been a leading global fishmeal partner that connects suppliers and customers with a full spectrum of fishmeal products and services,” said Steve Dahlblom, Scoular’s Product Group Manager for Marine Meals. “The brand Encompass represents the customized solutions, consistent quality and reliability that our global suppliers and customers trust Scoular to deliver without disruption.”

Year-round, Scoular supplies marine proteins to companies from over 40 countries across the globe...

July Domestic Shrimp Landings Lowest Since 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The National Marine Fisheries Service reported July 2021 landings of U.S. shrimp (all species, headless) and the total was the lowest on record for the month aside from the devastating 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Through July 2021 landings total 34.714 million pounds, 22% less than the 2020 Jan-July total of 44.587 million.

A quick look at the market from Urner Barry market reporter Jim Kenny described the market direction as “becoming less clear.”

Kenny noted disruptive tropical activity and the USDA’s announcement stating that it was looking...

COVID-19 Spirals Upward in Alaska: Outbreak in Adak, Hospitals Overwhelmed Throughout State

With Covid cases continuing to spiral upward — over 1,470 last weekend and 691 reported yesterday — Alaska is facing a fall and winter clearly worse than they’ve seen so far. 

* Nine new cases were reported in Adak, the nation’s westernmost city and one nearly untouched by the virus.

* Adak had one positive case nine months ago and nothing before or since until visitors to the island, as yet unidentified as to their purpose, brought nine cases to Adak yesterday.

* Eight deaths reported in the last three days bring ...

Nova Austral Hit With $1.5 Million Fine for Concealing Fish Mortality Information

Chile’s Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) said it fined Norwegian salmon farmer Nova Austral $1.54 million for five infractions.

According to the SMA, Nova Austral was fined for concealing information and handling mortalities, with a difference of close to 20,000 kilos of fish from those whose final destination is unknown in their Aracena 19 farming center, located inside the Alberto de Agostini National Park, Punta Arenas commune, Magallanes Region and Chilean Antarctica.

One of the charges was classified as “very serious” by the SMA...

The Pandemic Lifted Average Retail Spending Per Shopping Occasion, Reports NPD

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the average amount U.S. consumers spend on each shopping occasion, whether it is a trip to a physical store or a visit to an online shopping site. Since reaching $34 in March of 2020, average shopping occasion spending has remained elevated at or above that amount through July 2021, according to The NPD Group. This increase is partially due to a general shift toward online purchasing, where average selling prices (ASPs) and the amount spent on each transaction...

Nature Conservancy’s Use of Satlink on Tuna Vessels Show EM Beats Logbooks

A new study commissioned by the Nature Conservancy on 15 tropical tuna longliners in the Western Pacific showed that electronic observation systems produce far more accurate data than logbooks, traditionally filled out by vessel captains. 

Also known as Electronic Monitoring or EM, these systems out-perform logbooks because they are able to be verified and reduce the chance of human errors in logbook recording. 

The study was to check different fishing practices and note compliance with management measures, as verified by the electronic camera and location system ...

Business Coalition, NFI Back Ocean Shipping Reform Act

A group of over 152 companies and trade associations that represent U.S. importers, exporters and others along the supply chain submitted a letter of support for the recently introduced Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021.

The group, which includes the National Fisheries Institute is supporting the bill introduced last month by Congressmen John Garamendi and Dusty Johnson that would update the Shipping Act to recognize the significant changes to the international maritime transportation system of the past two decades, as the National Retail Federation explained...

Crisis in the North Pacific: Bering Sea Snow Crab Stocks Fall Sharp and Fast

Scientists and the industry as a whole got a shocking look at survey numbers for snow crab late last week and heard a discussion on it yesterday during the first day of the week-long Crab Planning Team. Declining numbers of snow crab compared to 2019, when the last survey was taken, have scientists, managers, and industry members grappling with the numbers they have and the far larger set of information they don't have.

Male snow crab abundance in the eastern Bering Sea is down 70% from ...

Iceland Seafood International to Enter Spain Retail Market Through Latest Acquisition

Iceland Seafood International (ISI) has announced it has finalized an agreement with the Mestanza family to acquire an 85% stake in the company Ahumados Dominguez in Spain.

Ahumados Dominguez producers smoked salmon and according to Iceland Seafood it has a strong brand and consumer recognition in the retail sector of the region.

The company will continue to be led by Managing Director Pedro Mestanza. Mestanza will hold a 15% minority stake and has an option to buy additional 5% stake form ISI within the next five years...

Fire Breaks Out at Atlantic Sapphire Denmark Facility; All Fish Expected to Be Lost

Land-based salmon farmer Atlantic Sapphire said all of the fish at its Danish facility will be lost due to a serious fire that erupted on September 15.

According to the company, a fire broke out at an Atlantic Sapphire Denmark facility at about 8:20 p.m. local time. Employees were evacuated safely, and all are accounted for with no injuries reported.

In an announcement, Atlantic Sapphire said all of the biomass at its facility is expected to be lost and the damage...

Urner Barry's Fall 2021 Reporter Issue Released; Read It Online For Free Now

Check out a brand new issue of Urner Barry's Reporter! The Fall edition takes a deep dive into soaring farm to fork costs that have triggered global price shocks. In our latest issue you can find market insights from our talented team of market reporters, as well as stories on plant-based trends, labor issues, sustainability, and much more!

Read Volume 16, Numer 4 of Urner Barry's Reporter for free here.

Not a subscriber? Sign up for free! Click here to subscribe to Urner Barry’s Reporter, the quarterly newsmagazine for the food industry professional. The Reporter delivers interesting and informative articles for the poultry, egg, red meat and seafood industries...

July Hokkaido Surimi Production Down 33%, Imports Up 3.2% Y-on-Y

The production volume of land-based surimi in Hokkaido in July 2021 was 918 tons, which was 67% of the same month of the previous year. The National Surimi Manufacturers Association released the report on August 25. According to Kamaboko News, the breakdown was 915 tons of Alaska pollack surimi, 68% of the same month last year, zero tons for Atka mackerel surimi, and 3 tons other surimi.

With this, the cumulative production from January to July was 6937 tons, down 22% from a year ago, and the...

Rabobank: Offshore Aquaculture Has Potential for Growth

In a new report, Rabobank took a “deep dive” into the future of offshore aquaculture as fish farmers are looking to develop offshore practices due to a litany of issues.

According to Rabobank senior seafood analyst, Gorjan Nikolik explored the potential growth of offshore aquaculture as companies deal with legislative issues, environmental concerns and other hindrances to current operating procedures.

One area that Nikolik focused on was both federal and local laws that have left offshore aquaculture unable to scale.

“To move farming offshore, an industry must secure support from local and federal...

This Week in Retail: Heat Lingers, but Grocers Look Towards Fall Demand

Heat continues to blanket much of the country in mid-September. Meanwhile, hurricane season is wreaking havoc along the eastern U.S. and Gulf Coast, with tropical storm Daniel being the latest system to rear its ugly head.

With some communities still reeling from the devasting damage of Hurricane Ida and others flooded by torrential rainfall from Nicholas, late-summer grilling plans are far removed from the priority list for many households. 

Meanwhile, the first day of fall is just under one week away. For retailers, the transition to autumn will mean increased consumer preference for fall favorites like roasts. Weather-permitting, tail gaiting at sports events as fans celebrate NFL season could prolong demand for grilling cuts while supporting popular game-time foods like wings.

Speaking of wing fanatics, the National Chicken Council recognizes September as National Chicken Month. Some grocers are advertising additional chicken cuts to encourage consumer spending on poultry. However, the number of chicken advertisements this week in Urner Barry’s survey was down from a week ago and was also below the last half of August...

Tanner Crab Coming on Strong in the GOA, 2022 Fishery Looks Likely in Several Regions

Bering Sea crab stocks are in dire straits but that’s not the case in the Gulf of Alaska.

A huge Tanner crab cohort that biologists have been tracking in the Westward region for three years showed up again in this summer’s survey. 

“We were optimistic, and we did find them again this year. So pretty much all the way across the board here from Kodiak all the way out to False Pass, essentially, we found those crab again and in good quantity...

Routine Coast Guard Patrol Discovers Chinese Warships Near Aleutians

During a routine patrol in the Bering Sea and Arctic region, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf spotted and established radio contact with Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) task force in international waters within the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ), according to a USCG release on Monday. The encounter took place on Aug. 30, 2021. 

The flotilla of four Chinese warships included a guided missile cruiser, a guided missile destroyer, a general intelligence vessel and an auxiliary vessel.

The Chinese vessels conducted military and surveillance operations during their deployment to the ...

Global Seafood Alliance Rebranding Complete, New Identity Unveiled

On September 13, the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) completed its rebranding that began in April.

SeafoodNews wrote about the new brand identity after Global Seafood Assurances and the Global Aquaculture Alliance merged to form the GSA.

The new branding follows GSA’s recent work in wild-capture fisheries following its June introduction of its Best Seafood Practices (BSP) certification. BSP is the wild fisheries equivalent of their Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party aquaculture certification program.

Alongside the rebrand and new logo, the GSA released a video and letter featuring GSA...

Bakkafrost to Invest $985 Million in Growth, Scottish Operation Improvements

Salmon farmer Bakkafrost announced that it will invest DKK 6.2 billion (US$984.9 million) to boost its output by 40% over the next five years and transform its Scotland-based operations.

According to the Faroese company, the sustainable plan will see the output of its premium salmon by 40% over the next five years. It will be completed via a combination of employing idle license capacity and higher utilization of existing licenses by using large smolt.

When it comes to improvements in Scotland, Bakkaforst said it will work...

Atlantic Natural Foods Presents Their Reformulated TUNO Seafood Alternative

Atlantic Natural Foods (ANF) announced that they will be debuting their reformulated TUNO™ seafood alternative varieties. This new product line will include new packaging for its complete line of shelf-stable, plant-based Loma Linda® Meal Starters and Solutions, at Natural Products Expo East 2021.

ANF launched their Loma Linda Brand Foods TUNO and Ready to Eat plant based meals in Fall of 2018. The reformulation of the TUNO varieties aims to provide a closer taste and texture to actual tuna. However, this version offers plant-based ingredients...

The Winding Glass:  Destabilized Supply Chain Here to Stay

The seafood industry has one of the most complex supply chains of all food commodities.  Despite the disruption caused by the global pandemic, much of our industry has thrived due to the simultaneous surge in demand for our products.  The higher demand has provided the money to cover the costs of extreme disruption, whether that is freight rates and driver shortages, temporary plant closures, or lack of plant workers.

This demand surge has buffered us from the risks in our new operating environment...