Vietnam Fires Fisheries Officials for Falsifying Certifications for 800 Aquaculture Products  Vietnam's Director of Aquaculture and five other employees working in the department were fired after an investigation discovered an alleged conspiracy where companies could pay to obtain environmental certification for substandard aquaculture products. Bui Duc Quy, the aquaculture director, along with five co-conspirators were found taking money from companies in exchange for fake, illegally issued certifications for products that could be used in farmed fish operations. According to investigators, the scheme created and issued false certifications to 140 animal feed products and another 668 products used to treat farms between 2013 and 2015. Some of the accused denied they were guilty saying they were just following orders, while others said the corruption was not limited to Vietnam's Aquaculture division. Groundfish fishermen in the Gulf of Maine are testing an automatic jigging machine that allows them to target pollock in the water column and avoid protected cod stocks. The machine is on loan to the region's fishermen from The Nature Conservancy. "This project is really about helping fishermen target those healthy stocks (of fish) while avoiding the codfish to allow them to rebuild," said Geoff Smith, marine program director at the Maine chapter of The Nature Conservancy. "We really feel that these jigging machines, if fished properly, can be selective and have minimal impact on the seafloor. ... And if they work for fishermen, we think they could be a real game-changer." In other news, Chilean farmed salmon association SalmonChile made a final appeal to prevent the country's producers from having to publicly disclose the amount of antibiotics they use in their operations. In June, fishery officials at Sernapesca published a detailed report on antibiotic usage by company in response to a court order to make the information available. Some companies, including Marine Harvest, already report their antibiotic usage publicly. However, SalmonChile argues companies should be allowed to keep the information secret based on a claim of 'constitutional inapplicability.' Meanwhile, First Nation fishermen in Southwest Alaska are blaming the Coastal Villages Region Fund for the suspension of all commercial fishing activity in the Kuskokwim area this season. The season was closed for the first time since Alaskan statehood since a buyer was not found for the catch. Coastal Villages said the shutdown was a difficult, but necessary decision in order for it to continue to fund other projects in the region. Finally, Rhode Island seafood distributor Southstream Seafoods was named Captain Ds’ Vendor of the Year last week. Southstream has supplied Captain D's for over 15 years, distributing dusted pollock and flounder to the chain's 500-plus stores nationwide.