EU Decides to Forgo Ban on N. American Lobster, Refuses to List as Invasive Species
The EU’s Committee on Invasive Alien Species will not list American live lobster as an invasive species, which squashes an attempt by Sweden to ban imports of the item from its market. The Committee cited technical reasons for not listing Homerus americanus as invasive. “We are thrilled. We don’t have specifics about the decision, but are thrilled the European market is not in question," said Annie Tselikis, marketing manager for Maine Coast Co. and a spokesperson for the Maine Lobster Dealers’ Association.
Major Indian shrimp supplier Devi Seafoods was named Sysco’s top seafood supplier for the third straight year as part of the broadline food distributor’s annual Supplier Excellence Awards. Sea Watch International was recognized with Sysco’s Sustainability Partner Award for “emphasizing the importance of a responsible supply chain to enhance Sysco’s corporate social responsibility goals.” High Liner Foods took home Sysco’s Silver Supplier Award in the seafood category. Bronze recognition in the seafood category was given to Beaver Street Fisheries, Inc., Arista Industries, F.W. Bryce, Inc. Nissui Global Links Company, Trident Seafood Corporation, Paul Piazza & Son, Inc.
In other news, 25 countries and leading krill harvesters will meet in Australia this week to renegotiate the catch limits and harvest zones for krill landed in Antarctic waters. The need to revisit commercial krill fishing regulations is because of high demand for the fish that has caused the annual catch to tripled since the 1990s. Most of the demand has been credited to the $30 billion supplement industry because of krill's Omega 3 content.
Meanwhile, representatives from Alaska's salmon industry testified before the NPFMC that the state has not done a good job at managing the salmon fisheries, specifically in the Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound and the Alaska Peninsula. The United Cook Inlet Drift Association recently won an appeal to overturn state-run salmon management in these waters in favor of federal oversight. Alaskan officials and salmon industry stakeholders are now figuring out a management strategy given the court ruling.
Finally, Russia announced an increase in catch quotas for both pollock and crab. For pollock, Russia has increased the allowable harvest by about 3 percent. For the MSC approved Sea of Okhotsk fishery, the catch will be 1.07 million tons. For crab, the total quota for all species is up to 73,500 tons.
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