Japan: May Tuna Imports Down 55% for Fresh, and 27% for Frozen

According to the Ministry of Finance's customs clearance statistics, imports of tuna in May were 529 tons of fresh and chilled, down 48% year-on-year, and 685 million yen ($6.4 million), down 55%. Frozen tuna totaled 11,445 tons, 20% decrease, 12,310 million yen ($114.5 million), 27% decrease. The amount of processed tuna was 3,622 tons, an 8% decrease, or 2.18 billion yen ($20.3 million), an 11% decrease.

Frozen bigeye had continued to increase, but it decreased to 3,290 tons (16% decrease) in total...

Can StarKist Samoa Survive a Minimum Wage Increase?

Can Starkist Samoa survive a minimum wage increase? That’s the big question in a report put out by the United States Government Accountability Office this month.

GAO’s study on “Economic Trends, Status of the Tuna Canning Industry, and Stakeholders’ Views on Minimum Wage Increases” was conducted because there has been legislation postponing or reducing scheduled minimum wage increases in American Samoa. Congress initially passed legislation in 2007 that established a schedule of periodic increases that would have raised the minimum wage to...

Lischewski Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison, $100,000 Fine

Former Bumble Bee CEO Chris Lischewski was sentenced to over 3 years in prison for his role in a canned tuna price-fixing conspiracy. Lischewski was convicted in December 2019 following a three-week trial.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen ordered Lischewski to pay a $100,000 fine along with a 40-month prison sentence on Tuesday for his role in the price-fixing scandal from November 2010 until December 2013.

According to Bloomberg Law, the prison sentence is a rare outcome for U.S. antitrust cases...

JAPAN: COVID-19 Reduced April Seafood Imports by Air, Down 20-90%

According to the April Customs Statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, marine products imported by air freight were significantly affected by the spread of the new coronavirus infection. The dominant fish species fell substantially
below the previous year. The amount of decline was one-third of the same month last year in quantities, and the value was almost halved, the lowest monthly import record in recent years.

The amount of seafood imported by air transportation in April was 3,485 tons, and 5.4 billion yen ($49 million)...

Japan April Seafood Exports: COVID-19 Reduces Yellowtail fillets by 80%, Scallops to China up 60%

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, the tonnage of marine product exports (seafood and its preparations, and fish meals) in April decreased by 9% from the same month of the previous year to 62,083 tons, and the value decreased by 35% to 15 billion yen ($138 million). In March, the export volume decreased by 11% and the value decreased by 22%, so the unit price has dropped further in April. It appears that the coronavirus pandemic brought...

JAPAN: April Seafood Imports Decreased Further by 20%

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance on April 28, the value of seafood imports in April was 135,118 million yen ($1.25 million), down 18% from the same month of the previous year. The decrease has widened from the 9% drop in March. All fish species except squid and Itoyori surimi decreased from the same month last year. According to Minato Shimbun analysis, the import volume decreased by 5% to 208,242 tons, and it seems that the unit price of imported marine products is declining due to...

By the Numbers: Japan’s March Seafood Imports and Exports

The Japanese Ministry of Finance announced March import and export statistics. Marine product imports totaled 114,238.50 million yen ($1,076.54 million), down 12.2% from the same month of the previous year. Import volume increased 4.6% to 176,192 tons. Exports decreased by 9.7% year-on-year to 55,424 tons, and the value decreased by 22.1% to 18,163.91 million yen ($171.16 million).

Imports

The products that exceeded both the quantities and value are shrimp, crab, and octopus. The volume of fresh and...

Salmon the Most Favored Topping For Conveyor Belt Sushi

Maruha Nichiro announced the results of the "Consumer Survey 2020 on conveyor belt sushi," and the most popular item was salmon for the ninth consecutive year.

Of the frequently eaten items (multiple answers), the first place was salmon (47.3%), followed by lean tuna (Akami) (33.5%) and medium toro tuna (29.8%). Salmon has been the top leader for nine consecutive years, "establishing a solid position as a popular sushi topping at conveyor belt sushi restaurants," the company said.

The survey also asked about a sushi topping most often...

2019 Shipment of Farmed Tuna Up 10% to Highest 20,000 Tons

The Fishery Agency of Japan has compiled the results of domestic bluefin tuna aquaculture operators in 2019. The farmed production in 2019 recorded the highest shipping weight and number since 2011. Weight increased by 11% from the previous year to 19,588 tons. Of this, the number of fish, which originated from artificial seedlings, grew significantly by 92% to 2,199 tons. For the first time, the shipping rate of adult fish raised from artificial seedlings exceeded 10% of the total. 

The number of business entities that managed bluefin tuna...

Former Bumble Bee CEO Lischewski Pushes for Delay in Class-action, Amid Work on Conviction Appeals

In a motion filed on April 6 to California District Judge Janis Sammartino, who is presiding over the class-action case, Former Bumble Bee CEO Christopher Lischewski’s legal team opposed a motion to lift a stay in the lawsuit against top U.S. tuna companies stemming from a price-fixing scandal.

The plaintiffs in the anti-trust litigation (Associated Wholesale Grocer Inc.’s), are looking to lift a temporary stay (halting of legal proceedings) that was imposed on the case leading up to the criminal...

Coronavirus Traps Fishing Crew of Japanese Long-Distance Tuna Vessels

The global spread of the novel coronavirus is beginning to significantly affect the activity of pelagic tuna fisheries, according to the Suisan Keizai Shimbun, a Japanese fisheries industry newspaper. The number of countries that regulate boarding and disembarking of crewmembers at major supply ports overseas has increased. In the current situation, where boats are moored at overseas ports, crewmembers are unable to return to Japan by air. Some vessels are having trouble deciding whether to hurry to return to Japan or continue...

As Canned Tuna Fly Off Shelves, Operations of U.S. Boats Are Compromised

Consumers bracing against Covid-19 have raised demands not only for health and safety products but also for many food staples, including tuna. According to a recent National Public Radio report, tuna sales were up more than 31 percent last week compared to the same time last year.

StarKist Samoa, located in the U.S. Territory of American Samoa, supplies tuna for the U.S. market.

“The StarKist Samoa operation relies on the U.S. tuna fishermen and direct fish deliveries to the cannery are a major component of our business ...

WPFMC Leaders Express USCG Appreciation for Combatting IUU Fishing in Western Pacific Region

Western Pacific Fishery Management Council Chair Taotasi Archie Soliai and Executive Director Kitty M. Simonds laud the US Coast Guard's recent success in combating illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in the Western Pacific Region.

On Monday, the Maritime Executive reported that for the first time since 2012, the Coast Guard's Honolulu-based 14th District intercepted foreign vessels illegally operating within the U.S. exclusive economic zone waters off Guam and Hawai'i.

"While regulation compliance among U.S. fishers is near 97 percent, some of the lowest ...

Study: Marine National Monuments Caused No Economic Harm to Hawaii’s Longline Tuna Industry

Recent findings released in the Nature Communications journal show that the expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands and Papahānaumokuākea marine national monuments did not hurt the pockets of Hawaii’s longline tuna fishing fleet.

The study, supported by Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project, marked the first economic look at two of the biggest protected areas on the planet. According to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the protected areas are larger than Alaska, Texas and California combined.

The study’s lead author, John Lynham, of the University...

PBS Segment Highlights Hurdles Facing Tuna Industry in American Samoa

In a recent PBS News Hour Weekend edition segment, reporter Mike Taibbi and producers Laura Fong and Mori Rothman explored the seafood industry in American Samoa.

American Samoa is home to a StarKist cannery which employs 2400 locals, about four percent of the entire population. Consider other industries directly related to the cannery, StarKist’s government relations manager Archie Soliai estimated it creates 4500 jobs.

The cannery has become a staple in the region for 56 years, as Taibbi described in the report. However, it faces a litany of issues...

Bumble Bee, FCF and Ocean Outcomes Team up for FIP to Improve Indian Ocean Tuna Fisheries

Bumble Bee Foods, FCF Co and Ocean Outcomes launched an initiative to improve the sustainability of Bumble Bee source fisheries in the Indian Ocean.

Ocean Outcomes explained the initiative as “the first of its kind in the region for longline vessels catching albacore tuna.” Currently, no albacore tuna or longline fishery in the Indian Ocean is certified as sustainable.

The team hopes to improve the sustainability of Bumble Bee’ fisheries in the region in the coming years. Through a new fishery improvement project...

Tuna Price-Fixing Case Delay Denied; Top Companies Now Appealing Class Certifications 

An appellate court has denied a motion from major tuna companies to pause a class-action price-fixing lawsuit as they battle class certifications.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied a motion from Bumble Bee Foods, StarKist and Chicken of the Sea to stay court proceedings until the companies could complete their challenges of class action certifications.

The failed appeal now allows U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino to move forward with the case and summary judgment...

StarKist to Donate $150,000 to Feed the Children Organization

Top tuna company StarKist announced that it will donate $150,000 to Feed the Children, a nonprofit dedicated to relieving hunger in the United States and around the globe.

Feed the Children and StarKist have had a partnership for the past 11 years, with the seafood and chicken provider providing the organization with over $600,000 of support, including a $100,000 donation in 2019. During that same time frame, StarKist contributed about 500,000 pounds of tuna and chicken products to assist food-insecure children and families in the U.S...

Walmart Celebrates World Oceans Day With Announcement About Sustainability Efforts

There is no better day than World Oceans Day for Walmart to announce that they are moving to source their U.S. stores Great Value canned tuna as either Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified or, based on supplier reports, from an FIP actively working toward certification. According to the company, this new sustainability effort will be in place as of July 2020.

“With a clear signal from leadership, our team has invested in research to help us better understand the value chain of tuna and ask the question...

State of Washington Files Civil Suit Against StarKist, Lischewski Over Price-Fixing Canned Tuna

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit against top tuna canner StarKist and the former CEO of Bumble Bee Foods, Christopher Lischewski over a price-fixing conspiracy which he said took $6 million out of the pockets of residents.

Washington now becomes the first state to file a suit over the conspiracy. The Department of Justice is currently seeking a 8-10 year prison sentence for Lischewski, following his December criminal conviction for his role in the price-fixing scandal...

AI Grades Tuna and Certifies Quality

Dentsu Inc. introduced an app, TUNA SCOPE, which grades tuna with AI and issue quality certification for each fish. It examines the quality of tuna based on the image of the cross-cut tail section of the fish like experienced tuna buyers do at the tuna auction in the Toyosu fish market in Tokyo. It simulates the eyes of skilled tuna buyers. It examines the image of tail flesh with graphic information based on more than 5,000 recorded images of the critical quality evaluation keys based on taste, texture, freshness, fat content, and among...

SFP and Major Retailers Call For Sustainably-Produced Tuna During COVID-19 Pandemic

The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) has partnered with more than 50 major retailers, including Walmart, Aldi and Publix, to ensure that sustainable fishing practices in tuna fisheries continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization and companies crafted a letter that was sent to fisheries ministers and Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) in the U.S., European Union, and approximately 45 other governments to call for electronic monitoring in tuna fisheries.

As SeafoodNews reported back in April, PNA countries and Pacifical announced that they suspended the...

MSC Report: Sales of Certified Tuna More Than Doubled in Last Five Years

According to a new report from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), sales of certified sustainable tuna have more than doubled over the course of the last five years.

Over 54,000 tonnes of tuna were sold with the MSC blue label in 2018-19, compared to 21,500 tonnes in 2015-16. The MSC said its figures for 2019-20 are even higher than last year.

The MSC credited the increase in blue label tuna sales is due to transformations in the fishing sector...

News Out of Taiwan: Record-breaking Bid on Season's First Tuna; COVID-19 Stops Fishery Negotiation

This season's first tuna auction on April 16 at Donggang, Taiwan's leading tuna fishing port, fetched 2,286,000 Yuan ($76,000).

The bluefin tuna weighed 254.4 kg. And the price of 9,000 Yuan ($299)/kg was the highest ever recorded, reported by the Central News Agency of Taiwan. It cheered up those in the fishing industry who were pessimistic about the auction result under the influence of COVID-19.

The successful bidder was Mr. Zheng Jinchi...

StarKist Introduces New Microwavable Pouches

StarKist has launched a new product: Creations Microwavables.

“Today’s consumer seeks a balance between health and convenience when considering food purchases - both are extremely important,” said Andy Mecs, VP of Marketing and Innovation at StarKist. “We kept that in mind when creating a microwavable product that is high-quality, and it helps shift the ‘unhealthiness’ stigma that has been pervasive in the past.”

The new StarKist Creations Microwavables not only feature wild-caught tuna, but also vegetables and grains, like quinoa, barley and brown rice. The new shelf-stable treat comes in four varieties...

An Increase in Home Consumption Pushed February Seafood Sales at Japanese Supermarkets

According to supermarket sales statistics released by three small and medium-sized supermarkets in Japan, existing store sales in the seafood division in February were ¥74.552 billion (US$669.39million), up 4.1% year-on-year. It is the first time in four years that the year-on-year result exceeded one point. Sales grew in response to a growing demand for in-home consumption due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection. In marine products, sashimi such as tuna and bonito...

Western Pacific Council Recommends 2020 Bigeye Tuna Catch, Allocations for U.S. Pacific Territories

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council in Honolulu recommended that the federal catch limits for longline-caught bigeye tuna for the U.S. Territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for fishing year 2020 remain at 2,000 metric tons each and the allocation limits be up to 1,500 mt each with a cap of 3,000 mt overall.

Previously, the allocation limits were up to 1,000 mt for each Territory. The new allocation limits and cap ensure that the potential environmental impact ...

Ocean’s Tuna Steaks Named Best Frozen Fish Product by BrandSpark International

Canadian tuna provider Ocean’s took home the Best Frozen Fish Award in BrandSpark International’s Best New Product Awards (BNPA).

BrandSpark is a market research firm that interviewed over 16,000 Canadians to come up with winners in its 17^th annual awards showcase. Consumers voted on the latest beauty, health, personal care, food, beverage, household, pet, home goods and tech products in 70 different categories.

Ocean’s Yellowfin Tuna Steaks took home the seafood prize on the list. The company features three variations of the streaks on its website including Black Pepper...

These are the Top 10 Seafood Items Consumed in the U.S. for 2018

On Friday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their Annual Fisheries of the U.S. Report for 2018, and the report detailed how U.S. seafood per capita consumption has hit 16.1 lbs.  Now, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) is doing a deeper dive into exactly what seafood items Americans are consuming.

The top consumed seafood item – once again – is shrimp, with 4.6 lbs. eaten per capita. This is a record-high. Second on the list is...

MSC Adopts On the Hook Campaign Change; Bans Compartmentalization by Fishing Practice

Changes are coming to the Marine Stewardship Council's Fisheries Certification Process in March, pushed for by the On the Hook campaign for more than two years.

The MSC's Board of Trustees said Friday they approved a new version of their Fisheries Certification Process. The updated process removes the possibility for a vessel to catch both certified and non-certified catch using different practices, known as compartmentalization. The On the Hook campaign has campaigned for this change for the past two and a half years, the organization...