Marine Harvest Not Recovering Escaped Salmon Fast Enough, Says Sernapesca

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - July 19, 2018

Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service, Sernapesca, has filed a complaint against Marine Harvest Chile following a salmon escapement that occurred on July 5.

A wind storm earlier this month caused structural damage to Marine Harvest Chile’s Punta Redonda site, resulting in “many of the 900,000” fish escaping. The Calbuco Fishermen Federation was contacted to help recapture the escaped salmon, but according to Sernapesca, only about 5.7% have been recaptured to date. The law requires that the company recapture ...

Landlocked Salmon Farms Cropping Up In U.S.

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio with Laine Welch] - July 19, 2018

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch –

Salmon is now being grown in the nation’s first landlocked fish farm in rural Wisconsin. 

Earlier this month a company called Superior Fresh sent its first batch of 2,000 pounds of fresh 10 pounders to Festival Food stores across the state.  Plans call for an annual output of about 72 tons of Atlantic salmon and steelhead trout from the so called fish house which adjoins a large greenhouse ...

Bycatch of King Salmon Called “Relatively Low” by Fish Managers

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio with Laine Welch] - July 18, 2018

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch … Salmon was the focus of public radio’s Talk of Alaska last week, specifically, potential reasons for poor runs in many regions of the state.

Answering Alaskan’s questions were Scott Kelley, director of the commercial fisheries division, Ed Jones, Chinook salmon research initiative coordinator and Jim Murphy, a fisheries research biologist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

Much of the focus was on depleted stocks of Chinook salmon and ...

Oregon Ports, Port Orford in Line for Army Corps of Engineers Work

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - July 13, 2018

Oregon's small ports -- and Port Orford, in particular -- are getting some much needed maintenance funding, thanks primarily to Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had left out any maintenance dredging or jetty repairs from the agency's Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) Work Plan earlier this year.

DeFazio complained. Twice.

In February, he sent a letter to the Acting Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army Corps requesting that ...

Marine Harvest Attempting to Catch Antibiotic-Treated Salmon After Escapement

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - July 11, 2018

A storm that struck Marine Harvest’s salmon farm in Chile on July 5 has resulted in the escapement of approximately 900,000 fish. Now, the company is attempting to capture the escaped fish – some of which were recently treated with antibiotics.

Antibiotic use on fish is a subject of great debate in Chile’s salmon industry, and the escaped salmon, which are non-native to the area, could cause great harm to other fish stocks. Estefania Gonzalez, Greenpeace Chile Oceans Coordinator ...

Iceland Salmon Producer Arnarlax Suffers Net Pen Failure and Escapement

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - July 9, 2018

Arnarlax, the largest farmer and producer of Icelandic salmon, confirmed that they have suffered from a net pen failure.

An investigation is currently underway, and it’s being speculated that the failure occurred in the “net pen’s lifting system.” Arnarlax reports that two holes were discovered by specialists. A search for any fish that may have escaped is underway.

The incident has been reported to Iceland’s Food Administration, the Environment Agency and the Directorate of Fisheries ...

CDFW Launches E-tix Commercial Landings System One Year Ahead of Mandatory Electronic Reporting

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - July 9, 2018

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently announced the availability of E-tix, a new electronic reporting system for commercial fishery landings that came online July 1. With the cooperation of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, the E-tix application has been adapted to allow electronic reporting of all California landing records, CDFW said in a statement.

Since 1933, CDFW has relied on paper landing receipts that over the years expanded to ...

Data Shows Increase in Vietnam Border Trade and Likely Uptick in Smuggling

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Chinaeel] translated by Amy Zhong - July 6, 2018

Statistics from Vietnam show the country has imported seafood worth more than $163 million USD in May, which is an increase of 29 percent from that of April and an increase of 60 percent compared with the same period last year. This means the import value is close to $698 million USD within the first five months this year, which is an increase of 33 percent compared with the same period last year ...

Salmon Sperm Spawns Bio-LED Development

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio with Laine Welch] - July 5, 2018

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch … Salmon sperm is spawning a revolution in new lighting.

Light emitting diodes, called L-E-Ds. are found everywhere today.  They light up the numbers in digital clocks and watches and all kinds of electronic equipment.

Now, scientists have discovered that LEDs can be intensified by using biological materials – notably, salmon sperm. 

“It is loaded with DNA - there is DNA everywhere but ideally you want a starting point that is very rich in DNA ...

Whole Oceans Names McElwee as New Chief Production Officer

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - July 3, 2018

The company that wants to make land-based aquaculture “the next 100-year industry” in Maine just announced the hiring of Joe McElwee as Chief Production Officer, effective July 1, 2018. 

McElwee has 36 years of experience across many sectors of the aquaculture industry, including more than twenty years in the design and operation of land-based systems.

"Joe McElwee has been farming fish for over 36 years. His knowledge of the technical design and operation of RAS facilities is unparalleled,” said CEO Piasio ...

Construction on Nordic Aquafarms’ Largest Land-Based Salmon Unit Moving Forward in Norway

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 28, 2018

Nordic Aquafarms is moving forward with their largest land-based salmon unit constructed in Europe. The company confirmed earlier this week that Fredrikstad Seafoods, a subsidiary of the aquaculture company, received the construction permit for their “ground-breaking phase 2 design.”

With planning and engineering in the works for over a year, the new facility will feature “new innovations related to efficient footprint, self-cleaning tanks, efficient logistics and environmental standards.”

The new aquafarm concept reduces ...

Chignik Latest Salmon Failure, Alaska Statewide Picture Looks Terrible

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Jim Paulin and John Sackton – June 27, 2018

A fishery disaster may be shaping up in the Gulf of Alaska salmon district of Chignik.

“I haven't put my net in the water once,” said purse seiner Roger Rowland Tuesday. “It's literally the worst run ever.”

Rowland commented from the fishing district on his cellphone, while participating via teleconference in an Unalaska City Council meeting, about 300 miles to the southwest where he lives. During a break between votes, Mayor Frank Kelty asked him ...

House Passes Bipartisan Bill to For Sea Lion Removal on Columbia River

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - June 27, 2018

A bipartisan bill championed by Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., and Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., to selectively remove some sea lions from the Columbia River -- and thus improve the survival of salmon and steelhead -- passed the House with a 288-116 vote.

H.R. 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, provides tribal and government resource managers with the means to rapidly respond to and lethally remove a limited number of California and ...

Commerce Department Announces $200 Million Fishery Disaster Funding Allocations 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - June 21, 2018

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced Wednesday the allocations of $200 million of disaster funding for nine fisheries, including those affected by hurricanes and others on the West Coast and Alaska.

Some of the fishery failures go back to 2014 and 2015.

"Last year, American fishing communities across the Gulf and Caribbean were devastated by some of the most destructive hurricanes in recent memory, while Pacific fisheries have suffered from years of hardship," Secretary Ross said in a press release. "This administration stands shoulder to shoulder with these communities as they prove their strength 

Andy Wink Appointed New Executive Director of Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Assoc.

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by John Sackton - June 20, 2018

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Associaton announced it has hired Andy Wink, a well known Alaskan fisheries economist and researcher, as its permanent Executive Director.

Wink has nearly 10 years of experience in researching and analyzing Alaska fisheries and has worked extensively with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), especially on Alaska Salmon.

In January, Wink left McDowell Group and formed his own consulting company.  His new position does not preclude continuing non-conflicting consulting jobs, but he told SeafoodNews he will be focused on the needs of Bristol Bay...

China’s Frozen Salmon Prices Have Been Dropping; Dealers Stuck with High Cost Inventory

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [FishFirst] translated by Amy Zhong - June 15, 2018

Frozen salmon prices in China began dropping at the end of May. It all began in Guangzhou on May 25, then spread to Shanghai. Beijing seems to be the lucky one in this price contraction with comparatively small changes to local prices.

As statistics from June 7 show, Norwegian salmon are sold at about 80 to 82 yuan per kg ($12.45-$12.76/kg USD) in Guangzhou, while the Chilean ones are at around 72 to 76 yuan per kg ($11.21-$11.83/kg USD). Salmon sellers are upset...

China Continues to Ease Path for Norway Salmon Imports, Rescinding some Geographic Limitations

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [FishFirst] translated by Amy Zhong - July 19, 2018

According to Norwegian media, China is removing its limitations on salmon imports from three counties of Norway: South Trondelag, Nordland and Trom. Salmon suppliers like Leroy and Cermaq have confirmed this news but the Chinese government has not yet announced officially whether domestic importers can buy salmon from these regions at this moment.

Salmon from these three regions had been banned from China in 2015 due to the outbreaks of infectious salmon anemia and  ...

JD Fresh Cooperates with GAA to Start Summer BAP Seafood Promotion

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [FishFirst] translated by Amy Zhong - July 16, 2018

JD has begun its one-week-long promotion activities for BAP-certified seafood beginning on July 9. The promotion resulted from the cooperation of JD and the Global Aquaculture Alliance. During that week, consumers could spend 99 yuan ($14.80 USD) to get such certified aquatic products worth 119 yuan ($17.78 USD).

Fifteen certified seafood products were on the promotion list. They included products such as Guolian’s white shrimp meat, tilapia fillets and other processed ...

Chinese Make Their First Deep Water Salmon Aquaculture Installation

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [FishFirst] translated by Amy Zhong - July 13, 2018

China’s newly invented aquaculture equipment, Deep Blue No.1, has been officially put into use in the Yellow Sea on July 2, though it was submerged into the sea on June 29. It has become home to 300,000 trout and salmon, which marks the coming of China’s industrialized farming of sea fish.

There was very strong wind on July 2, but the equipment is reported to be able to handle even a hurricane with its four 100-ton anchors. In addition, a vessel with ...

Alaskan Seafood Going to More Countries 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio with Laine Welch] - July 11, 2018

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Seafood is Alaska’s #1 export by far, topping $3 billion in sales to 120 countries. In fact, Alaska seafood makes up 55 percent of our nation’s total seafood exports.

Impressive, but globally, it’s a drop in the bucket.

“We have a lot of challenges--  we think of ourselves, rightfully so, as having the greatest seafood in the world but we are only 2 percent of the world supply and ...

Norwegian Salmon Importer Vikings Label Opening Land-Based Salmon Farm in Dubai

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - July 9, 2018

A large, land-based fish farm is headed to Dubai.

Gråkjær’s, a company specializing in the construction of commercial, aquacultural and agricultural buildings, announced on Monday that they have partnered with Vikings Label to design and develop the new fish farming project. Vikings Label is an importer and processor of Norwegian salmon based in Dubai. While they’ve found success importing salmon into Dubai, the company is now looking to enter the aquaculture market.

“We see a huge growth potential for salmon ...

Rosrybolovstvo Makes Second Attempt to Set Up State Sponsored Chain of Low-Priced Fish Stores

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Eugene Gerden - July 6, 2018

Russian Rosrybolovstvo plans to establish a network of seafood stores in Russia, with the aim to ensure local citizens have regular access to fish and seafood and sold at affordable prices, according to an official spokesman of a Ilya Shestakov, head of Rosrybolovstvo, and recent statements of some senior officials of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture.

The first store is scheduled to open in August or September this year in Murmansk ...

Fourth of July Food By The Numbers: A Look at Retail and Restaurants

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Amanda Buckle - July 5, 2018

Barbecue, fireworks and sunburn – all signs of a good Fourth of July.  But what about for retailers and restaurants?

Prior to the holiday, the National Retail Federation (NRF) predicted that Americans would spend $6.9 billion on food for Fourth of July cookouts. That number is down from last year’s record of $7.1 billion, and the drop in spending is being attributed to the fact that the Fourth of July fell on a Wednesday this year ...

OPINION: Hatcheries Are a Vital Part of Alaska's Fisheries

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] Opinion by Jerry McCune - July 3, 2018

Egegik 2-2 Fish Not Showing So Far at Port Moller, But Forecast Expected a Lot of These Fish

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by John Sackton – June 29, 2018

On their latest Bristol Bay Report, KDLG’s Austin Fast talked with Jack Erickson, research coordinator for the Bristol Bay region with ADF&G.

The issue is that fish that are called 2-2’s, ie. 2 years in fresh water, than two years in salt water, are not showing up in the Port Moller data, even though this was the basis for about 9 million fish ...

Canadians Rapidly Making Strides in Chinese Seafood Markets; OCI Featured at Food Festival

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [ifeng] translated by Amy Zhong - June 28, 2018

On June 17, the opening ceremony was held for the Seafood Festival of Canada in Jinan city of China. This event is said to be hosted by Canada’s seafood giant, Ocean Choice International (OCI), Qingdao Meichu Food and the Inzone. During the festival, locals can get a taste of wild-caught and quality seafood from Canada like northern prawns and yellowtail flounder.

The seafood products are all from renowned areas in the North Atlantic ...

Chinese Supermarkets Update Their Salmon Labels to Show Country of Origin

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [YCWB] translated by Amy Zhong - June 27, 2018

Last week one influential Cantonese newspaper, Yangcheng Evening News, reported that some local supermarkets had written that salmon products' places of origin were the supermarkets themselves -- not the foreign country or domestic region -- on product labels in the stores. Such labels provide little help to consumers when they try to distinguish imported salmon from the domestic ones. One local consumer complained to the Guangdong Administration of Ocean and Fisheries about the labels through the bureau’s hotline ...

Sushi Lovers Must See These Photos of the ‘Largest Sushi Roll at Sea’

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 22, 2018

Can’t get enough sushi? Cruise company Holland America Line has created the “largest sushi roll at sea,” with the classic Japanese dish coming in at a whopping 3.3 feet wide rolled.

Holland America Line Culinary Council Member Andy Matsuda created the “world mega roll” on June 9 in honor of International Sushi Day, which is celebrated on June 18 every year. While aboard the Koningsdam ship for a special “food and beverage aficionado” cruise in Norway, Matsuda prepared ...

Commerce Department Announces Fishery Disaster Funding Allocations

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] by Susan Chambers - June 21, 2018

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced Wednesday the allocations of $200 million of disaster funding for nine fisheries, including those affected by hurricanes and others on the West Coast and Alaska.

Some of the fishery failures go back to 2014 and 2015.

"Last year, American fishing communities across the Gulf and Caribbean were devastated by some of the most destructive hurricanes in recent memory, while Pacific fisheries have suffered from years of hardship," Secretary Ross said in a press release. "This administration stands shoulder to shoulder with these communities as they prove their ...

Washington Commission Selects Kelly Susewind as New WDFW Director

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - June 18, 2018

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission on Friday appointed Kelly Susewind of Olympia as the new director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The commission voted unanimously to select Susewind after interviewing seven candidates in May and narrowing the field to three finalists, who were interviewed for a second time earlier last week.

Susewind accepted the appointment as permanent director following the commission's vote. He will oversee an agency of 1,800 employees and an operating budget of $460 million for the ...