Genova Premium Tuna Sells Out of Complimentary Mediterranean-Inspired Meal Kits

Some home chefs were lucky enough to score a complimentary Mediterranean-inspired meal kit from Genova Premium Tuna. 

The company recently partnered with Celebrity Chef Geoffrey Zakarian to offer a premium meal kit that “gives fans the opportunity to take their tastebuds on a tour of the Mediterranean.” The kit included the recipe and pre-portioned ingredients to make Chef Zakarian’s  Genova Premium Tuna Salad with Arugula Pesto & Dates. And home chefs must have been pretty hungry to explore the new recipe...

Subway Adds Fresh Tuna Melt to Menu; Launches Deal to Welcome New Item

Sandwich chain Subway introduced Fresh Melts a way to “upgrade” guests' typical footlong orders with a new option featuring extra cheese and grilled bread for just one more buck.

Qsrmagazine noted that the Subway Fresh Melts will deliver triple the amount of cheese on the sandwiches, including the brand's Tuna Melt. The new tuna option will feature 00 percent real wild-caught tuna with mayo, fresh onion and melty provolone cheese.

“Fresh Melts are our latest menu innovation to give guests fresh, smart choices that..."

Japan’s Discharge Announcement Triggers More Ripple Effect in China

Japan’s plan to discharge waste water into the ocean is more than a domestic issue. And it is believed to not only exert great influence on its own seafood industry, but also impact other countries to different extents. For example, China, one of its neighbors, intends to stop its seafood imports and search for other substitutes.

Japan was never a main seafood supplier to Chinam which tends to source seafood from all over the world, said one insider. The country is not even among the top 10 suppliers whose exports are...

Former Bumble Bee VPs Avoid Jail Time for Role in Canned Tuna Price-fixing Scandal

Former Bumble Bee Executives Walter Scott Cameron and Kenneth Worsham were sentenced on April 28 for their role in the canned tuna price-fixing scandal. Both avoided jail time as U.S. District Judge Edward Chen sentenced them to a $25,000 fine, three years of probation and community service time.

Per Law360, the pair of former Bumble Bee Vice Presidents were cooperating witnesses in the case that found Bumble Bee, StarKist and Chicken of the Sea had conspired to illegally raise the price of canned ..

Yanmar Creates Automated Fish Counting System Designed for Tuna Farming

Japan-based industrial supplier Yanmar has developed a new automated fish counting system. The company is now accepting orders within Japan for the system utilizing image recognition to count the number of fish.

The system is designed for tuna farming and should improve the time it takes for aquaculture operators to count fish. Total counts are important for the industry as it helps control production volume and necessary feed volumes.

Yanmar also explained that with fishing vessel required to report their bluefin tuna catches, the aquaculture industry has...

JAPAN: March Imported Fresh Tuna Sales Nose-Dive

The number of imported fresh tuna received at the Toyosu Market in March, which Jiji Press calculated, was 776, a decrease of 29% from the same month of the previous year. Wild Southern bluefin tuna and bigeye tuna have plummeted, but bluefin tuna, the main species, has doubled due to the surge in wild fish from Greek and farmed Mexican bluefin, reported Minato Shimbun. The total number of bluefin tuna was 622, about double from 309 in the same month of the previous year. Wild bluefins from Greece...

Wild Planet Foods Introduces Ready-to-Eat Tuna Salad Bowls

Wild Planet Foods, a seafood canner with a focus on sustainability launched its new line of Ready-to-Eat Tuna Salad Bowls.

The new product line will provide consumers with everything they need to enjoy a tuna salad straight from the bowl. They are aimed at providing a “convenient, satisfying snack or light meal that requires no heating or prep work of any kind.”

The company shared its responsibly sourced seafood, including its wild skipjack. Wild Planet said the tuna is 100% sustainably pole & line caught – no nets are ever used...

Imported Fresh Tuna Sales at the Toyosu Market in February

The number of imported fresh tuna received at the Toyosu Market in Tokyo in February, which Jiji Press calculated, was 479, an increase of 46.5% from the same month of the previous year. Wild bluefin tuna and bigeye tuna decreased, but as farmed tuna from Mexico recovered to the same level as 2019, it turned to increase overall, reported Suisan Keizai.

The total number of bluefins was 372, an increase of about 2.1 times from 175 in the same month of the previous year...

ANALYSIS: Fresh Imported Seafood: Supply Constraints Amid Foodservice Recovery

Signs of optimism are emerging as we approach the one-year anniversary of the initial COVID-19 lockdown. Increasing confidence in the vaccine rollout and easing of state-by-state COVID-19 restrictions are laying the groundwork for the return of the foodservice sector.

For the better part of 2020, importers of fresh fish kept lean inventories due to lockdown orders and closures of dine-in restaurants across the country. During this time, sellers adapted to the new environment and started to move product into the retail sector...

Thai Union Aims for 100% Tuna Supply Chain Transparency by 2025 in New Pledge

In what Thai Union described as a “game-changing” transparency pledge, Thai Union has partnered with global conservation organization The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to commit to a fully transparent tuna supply chain.

Thai Union, the parent company of major tuna brands Chicken of the Sea and John West, shared that it will work with TNC’s sustainable fisheries experts to implement 100% ‘on-the-water’ monitoring of its vast tuna supply chain by 2025.

The work will include deploying electronic monitoring on all of its partner vessels in our supply chains...

JAPAN: In January Imports, Chilean Coho up 20%, Norwegian Mackerel Increased 70%

January marine product imports preliminary figures based on the Ministry of Finance's trade statistics on February 25 decreased by 8% from the same month of the previous year to 175,319 tons, Minato Shimbun compiled. Fresh and frozen salmon and trout increased 13% to 29,681 tons, but other prominent seafood decreased. Fresh and frozen tuna decreased 10% to 13,005 tons, and fresh and frozen shrimp decreased 15% to 11,286 tons.

The import value decreased by 17% to 108,172 million yen...

Friend of the Sea Recertifies SAPMER's Indian Ocean Tuna Fishery

Friend of the Sea announced it has renewed its certification of the SAPMER purse seine fishery in the Indian Ocean. The company can continue displaying the Friend of the Sea logo on its products.

SAPMER was described by Friend of the Sea as a pioneer in the French Austral Seas, operating a fleet of four deep freezer longliners that fish for Patagonian Toothfish, along with a pot vessel fishing for rock lobster.

15 years ago, it began tropical tuna fishing in the Indian Ocean and operates nine super-freezer purse seiners freezing Yellowfin and Skipjack down to -40 °C...

Good Catch Plant-Based Tuna Continues Expansion into Foodservice 

Keep an eye on Good Catch tuna. Gathered Foods, the makers of the plant-based seafood brand, are continuing their expansion into foodservice through a new partnership with Whole Foods Market.

Good Catch first debuted at Whole Foods in February 2019. Now, instead of just being on the shelves, it’ll be in the Whole Foods prepared food section. Retail locations in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island will be offering Good Catch’s plant-based deli-style tuna salad by the pound...

Japan's Air Cargo Imports Fell Below 100 Billion Yen for The First Time

According to the December import customs statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, the quantity of marine products brought in by air freight, mainly high-end seafood, fell below the same month last year. A drop in the unit price resulted in a consecutive significant decrease in import value. The annual results saw the quantity reached less than 90% of the previous year, and the import value fell by 30% to below 100 billion yen ($.95 billion) for the first time...

Atlantic Natural Foods Responds After Schouten Europe B.V. Announces New Tuna Alternative

It’s the battle of the tuna alternatives.

Schouten, a specialist in the development, production and packaging of meat substitutes, announced in late January that they were launching a tuna alternative, their first fish substitute offering. 

“All tuna species are (heavily) overfished and a large number of species are threatened with extinction,” product manager Annemiek Vervoort said of the new product. “Our vegetable tuna has the same bite and taste of the real tuna. The product is suitable for eating cold and is therefore immediately ready...

Subway on Tuna Lawsuit: “Simply No Truth To the Allegations”

Subway is speaking out after news broke earlier this week of a lawsuit alleging that the restaurant chain’s tuna sandwich is “made with anything but tuna.”

For those just following the fishy legal battle, plaintiffs Karen Dhanowa and Nilima Amin of Alameda County filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Independent lab tests reportedly taken from multiple Subway locations in the state found that the tuna was a “mixture of concoctions that do not constitute tuna.” Dhanowa and Amin are suing Subway for...

ISSF Announces New Conservation Measure for Indian Ocean Yellowfin Tuna Ahead of IOTC Meeting

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) announced its latest conservation measure that will require participating companies to reduce the annual sourcing of Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna.

The measure will come into effect if the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) does not take action at its June 2021 annual meeting to effectively implement the IOTC scientific committee's advice on the reduction of yellowfin catch.

ISSF’s Conservation Measure 1.3 IOTC Yellowfin Tuna Rebuilding, was noted in the group’s latest position statement, which can be found here...

Marine Stewardship Council Finds Rapid Growth in Certified Tuna Products

In a May update, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) found a projected 38% growth in the volume of MSC labeled tuna products in 2020-21, reaching 100,000t.

MSC data found that nearly 30% of the global tuna catch is now MSC certified. The jump indicates a strong rise in demand from both foodservice and retail for sustainably sourced tuna and on-product labeling. The MSC noted that Edeka, Netto, Walmart, Bumble Bee, and Lidl were among the global brands that have committed to sourcing MSC certified tuna...

StarKist Achieves Sourcing Goal as 100% of Tuna, Salmon Now Sourced from MSC, FIP Fisheries

Tuna canner StarKist achieved a significant goal as it now sources 100% of its tuna and salmon from sustainable sources.

All tuna and salmon procured by the company from third-party suppliers either meet the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard for sustainable fishing or are working toward certification, including those participating in a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP).

"StarKist is proud to be the industry leader and consumers can be assured that all of our wild-caught tuna and salmon products are responsibly sourced and certified...

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...

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...

Chicken of the Sea On Cusp of $13 Million Settlement in Tuna Price-Fixing Case

Thai Union-owned Chicken of the Sea International and a group of Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs (DPPs) have settled a class-action lawsuit relating to the tuna price-fixing scandal, per federal court documents.

The settlement, which is awaiting approval from U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino, will pay the DPPs, classified as wholesalers and distributors who bought directly from tuna canners, approximately $13 million.

Thai Union and COSI agreed to pay 3.2% of the tuna that was sold to the DPPs, which include...

U.S. Fishery Managers Support Changes to Address Overfishing for Striped Marlin in the Pacific

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council members took a bold step last week in response to the internationally overfished North Pacific striped marlin stock. The Council supported a catch limit for U.S. vessels of roughly 1 million pounds, or 457 metric tons in 2022.

The new limit would apply to all U.S. vessels fishing north of the equator and west of 150° W. longitude. An in-season accountability measure would also be implemented to track catch relative to the limit. Retention and...

Tesco Moves to Seascape Tuna Sourcing Approach to Boost Marine Sustainability

UK retailer Tesco announced it has joined the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in advocating for a Seascape approach to marine sustainability. The approach is designed to ensure whole marine ecosystems are maintained in a healthy, productive way.

A press release said that the retailer will adopt the Seascape approach for its tuna sourcing and will set out a roadmap to transition to ecosystem-based fisheries management by 2030.

Through the Seascape approach, Tesco will work in partnership with its own brand suppliers from this year to...

JAPAN: January Marine Product Exports Increase 60% For Frozen Yellowtail Fillets; Scallops Decrease

January marine product exports based on trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance decreased by 1% year-on-year to 26,285 tons, but the value increased by 33% to 16.55 billion yen ($155.34 million). The volume and value of frozen Yellowtail fillets, skipjack, and albacore exceeded the same month last year,  Minato Shimbun compiled.

Frozen Yellowtail fillets increased the quantity by 58% to 736 tons and the value by 45% to 1,243 million yen ($11.66 million). The fresh fillets decreased by...

ISSF Report: 16 Tuna Stocks Fail to Meet MSC Sustainability Standard

A new report released yesterday by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) found 16 of the world’s 23 tuna stocks do not meet criteria to received the Marine Stewardship Council’s sustainability certification.

The independent scientists who wrote the report — ISSF 2021-01: An Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria  — found only seven tuna stocks worldwide are meeting the MSC standard that requires maintaining stock biomass levels sustainably. 

They are: North Atlantic albacore, South Atlantic albacore, Eastern Atlantic bluefin, Western Pacific skipjack, ...

Toyosu Market's January Imported Tuna Sales Down 49.2%

The number of fresh tuna sold in January at the Toyosu Market in Tokyo, which Jiji Press compiled, was 333, a decrease of 49.2% from the same month of the previous year, almost half. Due to the prolonged new coronavirus pandemic, the number of bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean and North America has decreased. The number of bigeye tuna has dropped significantly due to Guam's production interruption, reported Suisan Keizai.

The total number of bluefin tuna was 296, a decrease of about 33% from 445 in the same month...

Japan’s 2020 Tuna Imports Down 27%

According to the Ministry of Finance's customs statistics, the import record of tuna from January to December 2020 was 183,110 tons of frozen tuna, up 1% from the previous year, and 150,390 million yen ($1437 million), down 14%. Processed tuna was 44,556 tons, up 1%, with 26,562 million yen ($253 million), down 2%. The quantity was almost the same as the previous year.

Frozen gilled and gutted bigeye tuna was 62,23 tons, up 15%, recovering to the 60,000 tons level for the first time in four years...

Bumble Bee Earns 'Favorite Fish Brand' Nod in Allrecipes Community Choice Awards 2021

Tuna and salmon products from Bumble Bee Seafoods was the winner in the Favorite Fish Brand category in the Allrecipes Community Choice Awards 2021.

Allrecipes is a media brand under Meredith Corporation and is comprised of a large community of online cools. The platform “helps home cooks around the globe discover and share the joy of cooking through community-driven content.”

This is the first year for the Community Choice Awards and the community was tasked to identify their top favorite brands in 58 pantry-product categories via an online survey conducted in the Spring of 2020...

Third Indonesian Tuna Fishery Nets MSC Certification; 11k Tonnes of Sustainable Tuna to Enter Market

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced that the Indonesia pole-and-line and handline, skipjack and yellowfin tuna of Western and Central Pacific archipelagic waters became the third tuna fishery to meet the standard for sustainable fishing.

The fishery marks another success for the MSC and Indonesian government collaboration with 11,000 tonnes of sustainable tuna becoming available in the U.S. and European markets.

For the organizations that manage the fishery, the Indonesian Pole and Line and Handline Tuna Fisheries Association (AP2HI) and the International...