SEA-NL Schedules Election For New President

Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) will elect a new president at their first annual general meeting, which is scheduled for Saturday, February 25 at Albatross Hotel in Gander. The election comes after Jason Sullivan resigned from the position earlier this month.

”“The leaders we need must not be bought and paid for or out for themselves, but focused on the overall health and direction of the inshore as a whole,” said Ryan Cleary, Executive Director of SEA-NL. 

SEA-NL members who are in good standing are eligible...

Jeff Loder Named New Executive Director of the Association of Seafood Producers

The Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) announced Monday that they have named Jeff Loder as their new Executive Director.

Longtime ASP Executive Director Derek Butler announced in early November 2022 that he would be departing the organization after 19 years at the helm. 

“The time has come for a new adventure,” Butler said of his decision to leave. “Working with ASP has been the honor of a lifetime. There have been some great challenges, and it will always be a difficult...

WDFW Investigation Reveals IUU and Misbranding Violations at Washington Restaurant

A multi-year investigation by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife detectives into the illegal, unreported, unregulated and misbranding of fish has resulted in hefty fines for a popular eastern Washington restaurant, TJ's Bar and Grill in Kettle Falls.

The case was filed by the Attorney General's Public Lands and Conservation Division in summer 2022. On Jan. 17, TJ's Bar and Grill Restaurant was convicted in Stevens County Superior Court of the felony offense of Unlawful Fish Catch Accounting in the First Degree and sentenced to pay $10,000 in ...

Discovery Island Reportedly Impacting West Coast Canadian Whole Fish Supply

For one of the first times in recent memory, Urner Barry quotations for the West Coast Canadian whole fish market have been removed due to lack of trade supply. In speaking with market participants there is no product available in the marketplace from Western Canada and many attribute these deficiencies due to closures out of Discovery Island.  

Industry members will recall that the Government of Canada announced in December 2020 that they would be phasing out salmon farming licenses in Discovery Islands, British Columbia. The government acknowledged at the time that...

Ocean Seafood Co Contributes $30,000 to Environmental Damages Fund After Importing European Eel Meat

Ocean Seafood Company has contributed $30,000 to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund. The contribution was part of an agreement reached with the company after they were charged with an offense under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA).

The company’s charge stems from an April 17, 2019 inspection by Environment and Climate Change Canada wildlife enforcement officers. Those officers reportedly sampled one shipment of 1,450 boxes of eel meat imported by Ocean Seafood Company...

Canada Recognizes Federal Land, Water as Contributions to 30 by 30 Conservation Goal

The Canadian government has made more progress as it tries to conserve 30% of the country’s land and water by 2030, nicknamed “30 by 30.”

The latest effort from the government includes recognizing a number of federally-managed properties for their contribution to the federal government’s conservation goals. The move was announced at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity through the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada Agency...

Aker BioMarine’s QRILL Aqua Lands Approval for Import in Canadian Market

Aker BioMarine announced that it had renewed its registration with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to allow the country’s aquaculture industry to include its QRILL Aqua in fish feeds.

The move comes months after landing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval with the company saying the product has made “headway” in the North American market.

The registration with the CFIA comes after the removal of ethoxyquin as a feed additive to its krill meal product, QRILL Aqua. QRILL Aqua functions as a feeding...

DFO: Timeline Extended for Harvesters to Implement Lower Breaking Strength Gear Modifications

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced that the timeline for non-tended fixed gear, trap and pot commercial fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Quebec to implement lower breaking strength gear modifications has been extended to 2024.

The DFO said it is “reviewing available information to ensure that lower breaking strength fishing gear is safe, effective at protecting whales, and readily available. This is important for supporting harvesters as they transition successfully to equipment that better protects endangered whales.”

“The Department will continue its support for various whalesafe gear...

Third Freshwater Fishery in Canada Lands MSC Certification

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced that the Cedar Lake Walleye and Northern Pike Fisheries have achieved eco-certification to the MSC sustainable fishing standard.

According to the MSC, the fishery became the second freshwater fishery in Manitoba, and the third in Canada overall to land certification.

The move comes after a 13-month assessment that was independently certified by third-party auditor Lloyd’s Register that scored the fishery against 28 detailed MSC performance indicators related to stock health, overall environmental impact, and effective management, per the MSC...

Report: “No statistically Relevant Association” Regarding Sea Lice and Production of Farmed Salmon

A new peer-reviewed Science Response Report published on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) website by the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) concludes that sea lice on farm-raised salmon does not impact sea lice levels on wild juvenile salmon in British Columbia.

This comprehensive CSAS report adds to the nine previous CSAS science reviews (2020) on salmon aquaculture in BC, that concluded “minimal risk” to Fraser River Sockeye salmon from all relevant fish pathogens of concern...

Cooke Aquaculture Named as One of Atlantic Canada’s Top Employers

Canada-based Cooke Aquaculture was named one of the top employers in the Atlantic Canada region.

The company said the designation recognizes companies in the four Atlantic provinces that are leaders in their respective industries and is run by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

“We’re a family company. That’s important to us as our seafood business has grown through Atlantic Canada and around the world,” said CEO Glenn Cooke. “We’re connected to our communities, and we’re committed to helping them grow...

2022: The Year King and Snow Crab Came Down to Earth

Spending by U.S. households rose 0.1% in November from the prior month according to the Commerce Department. This compares to a 0.9% gain in November. Consumers continued to boost spending on services while cutting back on goods. The Feds preferred view of inflation is the personal-consumption expenditure price index that cooled to 5.5% in November vs 6.1% in October. The Fed has raised interest rates seven times in 2022 and is expected to increase again at a lower 0.25% at the January meeting. More than two-thirds...

Lagoon Seafood Celebrating 30 Years in Seafood Business

Canada’s Lagoon Seafood is celebrating 30 years in the seafood business as 2022 wraps up.

The Quebec-headquartered brand was founded as a family-owned operation in 1992 and is involved in the distribution, importing, exporting, processing, and curing of fresh and frozen seafood.

“When I started Lagoon Seafood in 1992, our focus was to provide high-quality and sustainable seafood while caring for our communities,” says Mr. Sam Cheaib, founder, and president of Lagoon Seafood. “I started the business because at the...

Blue Star Foods Files Application for $35 Million Land-Based Salmon Farm in B.C.

Blue Star Foods announced that its subsidiary, RAS aquaculture firm, Taste of BC Aquafarms applied for an aquaculture license for a new and expanded farm in British Columbia, Canada.

The application was sent to the DFO and proposed a new facility in Campbell River, B.C. that will produce 1500 metric tons (MT) of head-on gutted Steelhead Salmon which is equivalent to 13 million meals of sustainably raised salmon.

Blue Star said the facility would deploy Taste of BC’s module-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS)...

FFAW Exec Board Endorses Greg Petty to Lead Union

Shortly after news broke that Keith Sullivan would be stepping down from his role as president of FFAW-Unifor, the Union’s Executive Board announced its endorsement of Greg Petty as its next leader.

“Greg Pretty has agreed to put his name forward, and after discussions, the Board made the unanimous decision to support him,” said Tony Doyle, FFAW-Unifor Inshore Vice-President.

“Greg is currently the Industrial/Retail/Offshore Director of the FFAW-Unifor and has served FFAW members since the days of Richard Cashin. He’s an experienced negotiator and...

Nova Scotia Government Urges Safety As Lobster Season Begins

The Nova Scotia government is urging lobstermen to follow safety measures as their season begins.

“Boarding boats in the cold and dark, at the mercy of the weather and the sea, makes fishing dangerous work,” said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minster Steve Craig. “One tragedy is one too many, so we urge fishing captains and crews to make sure they follow their safety training and take every precaution so they are able to come home safely to their loved ones.”

Occupational health and safety laws require fishing crews to wear...