Mon. Mar 18 2024
PODCAST: 2024 Boston Seafood Show Recap; Trident Sells Plants and More
ANALYSIS: Snow Crab Insights for Mid-March 2024
Get Those California Dungeness Crabs Now, Before the Whales Arrive
Pebble Sues EPA to Revive Mining Project, Alaska Sues Feds for $700 Billion in Lost Future Revenue
New Bedford Seafood Company Northern Wind to Pay $72,000 for EPA Violations
Iceland’s Matorka Shares Challenges From Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruptions in 2023
FFAW Provides Update On Members Protesting For Free Enterprise
USCG Acknowledges Accidental Discharge of Diesel Fuel off Fort Bragg, Calif.
John West Foods Names Company Veteran New Managing Director
Europe Looking Towards Air Freight Solutions Due To Continuing Attacks in Red Sea
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Overharvesting and Selling Chesapeake Blue Crabs
Maryland Lawmakers Visit Tilghman Island Seafood to Highlight Funding for Blue Catfish Processing
Seafoodnews.com Summary Monday, March 18
Fri. Mar 15 2024
Trident Seafoods Confirms Sale of Petersburg Facilities To E.C. Phillips & Son
Judge Finds NMFS Illegally Closed Massachusetts Lobster Fishing Area To Protect NARW
NL Snow Crab Price Negotiations Hit New Issue As FFAW Negotiator Reportedly Resigns
Cooke Drops Appeal to Restart Steelhead Operations in Puget Sound; Blames DNR Delays
Bob Evans LTO Alaska Cod Entree Sales Triple From Last Year
Certain Oysters From Westport, Connecticut Recalled Due to Potential Norovirus Contamination
Cause of Death Revealed For Third North Atlantic Right Whale To Die In 2024
Seafoodnews.com Summary Friday, March 15
Thu. Mar 14 2024
Silver Bay Seafoods Acquiring Trident’s Ketchikan Processing Facility; Everything You Need To Know
SENA 2024: ProChile’s Andrea Sapag Highlights Importance of Events In Promoting Chilean Seafood
Phillips Foods Awarded Winning Bid To Acquire Assets of South Shore Seafoods Group
Tough Times Ahead for Global Shrimp Farmers – Victam Asia 2024
ANALYSIS: Declining Canadian Lobster Imports to the EU and the UK in 2023
Fifax Reports No Revenue in 2023 After IHN Outbreak at Finland Facility
Steakholder Foods Gets First $220K SIIRD Grant Based on 3D-Printed Grouper Fillet
Hokkaido Herring Landings Up 52% to a Record 2942 Tons as of the End of February
FishWise, Seafood Legacy Renew Partnership to Promote Human Right Due Diligence in Supply Chain
Seafoodnews.com Summary Thursday, March 14
Wed. Mar 13 2024
SENA 2024: Acme Smoked Fish’s New Lox in a Box Snack Kit Marries Convenience And Luxury
The Retail Rundown: Seeing Green
OBI Seafoods, Peter Pan Seafood Awarded USDA Section 32 Salmon Contract
USDA Awards 5 Companies CCC Fish Contract For Canned Salmon, Alaska Pollock
Multi X Launches Two New ‘Latitude 45’ Smoked Salmon Products at SENA
Russia Plans to Increase the Volume of Domestic Catch Up to 6 Million Tonnes by 2030
Bottomfish on the Western Pacific Council's SSC Agenda this Week
Sea Harvest Releases Strong 2023 Financial Results Despite Difficult Fishing Conditions
Seafoodnews.com Summary Wednesday, March 13
Tue. Mar 12 2024
LIVE! From The Seafood Expo North America Show Floor With Alaskan Leader’s Keith Singleton
SENA 2024: Is This The Year Of The Salmon Snack?
SENA 2024: More Photos From Day 2 On The Boston Show Floor
West Coast Ocean Salmon Season Options Out for Public Review
High Liner Foods Finalizes Settlement Agreement With Rubicon
Seafoodnews.com Summary Tuesday, March 12
Sea6 Energy Launches World's First Large-Scale Mechanized Tropical Seaweed Farm
Previous Week »
Upcoming Events
PODCAST: 2024 Boston Seafood Show Recap; Trident Sells Plants and More
Missed Seafood Expo North America? Seafoodnews Podcast hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione recap some of their favorite moments from Boston. Plus, learn more about Trident’s sale of two of their Alaska plants; and more news!
This episode of the Seafoodnews Podcast is brought to you by Urner Barry’s Executive Conference. Join the UB team LIVE from the Palazzo Tower at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas from April 14-16 for the must-attend conference for the protein industry! Engage with key industry figures, gain priceless economic and market insights, and participate in unmissable networking opportunities. Visit events.urnerbarry.com to learn more.
Full Story »ANALYSIS: Snow Crab Insights for Mid-March 2024
The snow crab market pricing in the U.S. has remained unchanged for the past several weeks. As we head into the back end of March and the start of the Canadian snow crab season, all eyes are on Eastern Canada. Some market participants have reported that snow crab fishing will begin in Nova Scotia starting over the weekend. As is typical in Nova Scotia, with weather conditions permitting, market participants report this is a normal start time for this area.
From a historical...
Full Story »Get Those California Dungeness Crabs Now, Before the Whales Arrive
Welcome to spring, when the winds start to change, the rain lessens and the whales start to move north into California waters.
That also means a greater risk for whale entanglements in Dungeness crab gear.
But for now, crabbers can still go fishing, according to an assessment last week by California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham. Bonham determined the fishery can continue with a 50 percent gear reduction in fishing zones 3-6 (Mendocino/Sonoma county line south to the border ...
Full Story »Pebble Sues EPA to Revive Mining Project, Alaska Sues Feds for $700 Billion in Lost Future Revenue
Last Friday, Northern Dynasty, the parent company of the Pebble Limited Partnership, filed an appeal against the Environmental Protection Agency to overturn its decision to halt the gold and copper mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay. The EPA issued its decision on January 30, 2023 invoking its authority under the Clean Water Act to veto the mining project on the grounds that it would cause “unacceptable, adverse” harm to the valuable Bristol Bay salmon fishery, the largest return of wild salmon ...
Full Story »New Bedford Seafood Company Northern Wind to Pay $72,000 for EPA Violations
New Bedford, Massachusetts-based Northern Wind, a company that specializes in distribution of fresh and frozen seafood products, has been ordered to pay $72,000 after an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violation.
The issue dates back to August 4, 2020 when the company had an accidental release of anhydrous ammonia at their cold storage warehouse and distribution center, located at 75 MacArthur Drive in New Bedford. The facility used anhydrous ammonia as a refrigerant “to maintain appropriate temperatures for the storage of seafood products. The accidental....
Full Story »Iceland’s Matorka Shares Challenges From Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruptions in 2023
Aquaculture farmer Matorka recently released its 2023 Impact Report, which not only shares the company’s responsible practices and milestones, but also provides an update on the volcano eruptions in 2023 that impacted the company’s operations inc.
Last fall the town of Grindavík was hit with hundreds of earthquakes and threats of volcanic eruptions. The company admitted in mid-November that the earthquakes resulted in damage at its fish farm, as well as “challenging” conditions. The town, which is home to 4,000 residents, was evacuated as the...
Full Story »USCG Acknowledges Accidental Discharge of Diesel Fuel off Fort Bragg, Calif.
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alder, a 225-foot buoy tender, homeported in San Francisco, accidentally discharged approximately 500 gallons of diesel fuel 30 miles offshore of Fort Bragg, Friday morning.
Alder was en route to Humboldt Bay when the incident occurred. Members of Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Incident Management Division have notified interagency stakeholders and are investigating the oil spill and cause. They are also evaluating potential impacts to sensitive sites. There are currently no anticipated shoreline impacts at this time...
Full Story »Trident Seafoods Confirms Sale of Petersburg Facilities To E.C. Phillips & Son
A second buyer of one of Trident Seafoods’ four plants for sale has been named. The seafood giant announced Friday that it has reached an agreement to sell its processing plant, bunkhouse, galley and two housing units in Petersburg, Alaska, to E.C. Phillips & Son Inc.
E.C. Phillips & Son currently operates year-round out of Ketchikan and Craig, Alaska. Trident’s sale of their Petersburg facilities to E.C. Phillips & Son is expected to close in April.
“E.C. Phillips & Son is a well-established family company with an almost 100-year history in the...
Full Story »NL Snow Crab Price Negotiations Hit New Issue As FFAW Negotiator Reportedly Resigns
The opening of the Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab season is just weeks away from kicking off, yet harvesters and processors have yet to come to an agreement on price. In fact, according to new reports that are circulating, FFAW’s negotiator, Jake Rice, has resigned.
Things have been tense between the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) and the Association of Seafood Processors (ASP) for years. But the tension came to a head in 2023 when a failure to agree on the price selected by the...
Full Story »Bob Evans LTO Alaska Cod Entree Sales Triple From Last Year
A partnership between Bob Evans Farmhouse Kitchen and the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has proven to be fruitful this year. While about two weeks of the Lenten season remain, the restaurant chain has revealed that their limited time cod entree has already tripled sales from last year.
The limited time menu offering for Lent is a Fish Fry Platter which features three pieces of wild-caught fresh Alaska cod fillets in a light and flaky pub-style batter. In addition to the fish fillets, the platter also...
Full Story »Certain Oysters From Westport, Connecticut Recalled Due to Potential Norovirus Contamination
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture is conducting a recall of oysters from Norm Bloom and Son (CT-069-SS, AQ) in Westport, Connecticut. These oysters are associated with a norovirus outbreak in Minnesota and may be contaminated.
The impacted oysters were harvested on February 20, 2024 from lot 207. The oysters were distributed to restaurants and retailers in at least 12 states, including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Texas. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is...
Full Story »Silver Bay Seafoods Acquiring Trident’s Ketchikan Processing Facility; Everything You Need To Know
Silver Bay Seafoods is in the final stages of acquiring Trident Seafoods’ Ketchikan processing facility, the companies confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
Trident announced late last year that it planned on selling four shore-based processing plants in Alaska — Kodiak, Ketchikan, Petersburg, and False Pass. The seafood giant gave an update last week that it was close to finalizing sales of the plants in Petersburg, Ketchikan and False Pass. Now, the company has confirmed that the Ketchikan plant will be sold to Silver Bay Seafoods...
Full Story »Phillips Foods Awarded Winning Bid To Acquire Assets of South Shore Seafoods Group
GT Securities, financial advisor to Phillips Foods, confirmed on Wednesday that the Maryland-based processor and distributor has been awarded the winning bid to acquire the assets of South Shore Seafoods Group of Companies during a Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, or CCAA, restructuring process.
Phillips confirmed earlier this month, prior to Seafood Expo North America, that they were gearing up for expansion into north Atlantic seafood with two projects in Canada. One project involved the acquisition of the Pêcheries Bas-Caraquet Fisheries facility in Bas-Caraquet...
Full Story »ANALYSIS: Declining Canadian Lobster Imports to the EU and the UK in 2023
In 2023, imported volumes of Canadian lobster in the EU and the UK dropped to its lowest levels since 2017, when the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU was enforced. According to Global Trade Tracker, imported volumes of live and frozen Homarus Americanus had been varying between 10.0k MT and 12.0k MT between 2018 and 2021, when in 2022, trade-in volumes reached a peak at 12.6k MT (15% up YoY). However, last year imports fell quite severely, by 27.7% at 9,136 MT...
Full Story »Hokkaido Herring Landings Up 52% to a Record 2942 Tons as of the End of February
As of February 29, the catch of herring fishing along the Sea of Japan coast of Hokkaido (Hiyama-Soya) (preliminary figures compiled by the Hokkaido Fisheries and Forestry Department) was 2,942 tons, an increase of 52% compared to the same period last year.
According to a report in the Suisan Keizai Shimbun, despite a temporary slowdown in mid-February due to the storm, it recovered in late February to about 900 tons, 2.3 times the same period last year, showing further growth...
Full Story »Steakholder Foods Gets First $220K SIIRD Grant Based on 3D-Printed Grouper Fillet
Israel-based Steakholder Foods, a pioneer in 3D-printed meat and fish technology, recently received $220,000 of a potential $1 million grant from the Singapore-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (SIIRD). The award was based on the success of their hybrid grouper — a product made up of Steakholder Foods' SHFish – White Fish™ plant-based raw material and cultivated grouper cells provided by Umami Bioworks and printed by Steakholder Foods' Drop Location in Space (DLS)™ printing technology.
“The hybrid fish was subjected to ...
Full Story »The Retail Rundown: Seeing Green
Grocers and foodservice establishments alike are seeing green ahead of what is expected to be a record-setting St. Patrick’s Day for spending.
According to an annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics with the National Retail Federation, consumers plan to spend an average of $44.40 per person on the holiday coming up on Sunday, March 17th, amounting to a record $7.2 billion in collective spending—up from $6.9 billion in 2023.
The top spending categories are food and beverages—sláinte! And with the holiday falling on a weekend this year...
Full Story »USDA Awards 5 Companies CCC Fish Contract For Canned Salmon, Alaska Pollock
Last month the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service issued a new solicitation for CCC, or Commodity Credit Corporation Fish. The government agency has since awarded contracts to five companies.
The CCC Fish bid, which opened on February 9, was seeking 173,599.908 cases of 24/7.5 oz canned red salmon and 148,959.804 cases of 24/14.75 oz canned red salmon. According to the PCA Report released by the USDA, Kanaway Seafoods, OBI Seafoods and Peter Pan Seafood Company have all been awarded bids. Kanaway was awarded 2,800 cases of...
Full Story »FFAW Provides Update On Members Protesting For Free Enterprise
The Fish, Food & Allied Workers (FFAW) union is continuing to push for free enterprise.
Some members of FFAW have been protesting outside the Confederation Building in recent weeks, calling for more competition and market access for harvesters. While the protests are occurring ahead of the start of the snow crab season in Newfoundland and Labrador, the group says that the issue — and request for free enterprise — “does not pertain solely to snow crab.” Instead it’s for all commercial species fished by inshore licenses.”
Fisheries Minister Elvis Loveless...
Full Story »John West Foods Names Company Veteran New Managing Director
Mark Doherty is now the Managing Director of John West Foods. Doherty has been with the UK-based seafood company for 15 years and has held both key account management and commercial positions. Prior to this role, Doherty served as John West’s Commercial Director for six years.
Before joining John West — which is owned by Thai Union Group — Doherty worked with several companies, including Northern Foods, Nestlé and Anheuser Busch.
As Managing Director at John West, Doherty now leads all company entities in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, and...
Full Story »Judge Finds NMFS Illegally Closed Massachusetts Lobster Fishing Area To Protect NARW
Massachusetts lobstermen are celebrating a much-needed win this week as a federal judge determined that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) illegally closed 200 square miles of federal waters open to trap and pot fishing.
The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) filed a lawsuit against NOAA in which they argued that the agency’s final rule to permanently close the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge (Wedge) and include the Wedge in the larger Massachusetts Restricted Area (MRA) annually, from February 1 to April 30, is “unlawful under the Consolidated...
Full Story »Cooke Drops Appeal to Restart Steelhead Operations in Puget Sound; Blames DNR Delays
In a statement released yesterday, Cooke Aquaculture Pacific said they have filed a motion with the Superior Court in Washington to dismiss its appeal against the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The appeal sought reinstatement of Cooke’s leases at Rich Passage and Hope Island steelhead trout fish farms in Puget Sound.
Cooke’s appeal, filed December 15, 2022, followed a November 14, 2022 decision by DNR Commissioner Hilary Franz to deny renewal of Cooke’s steelhead net pen farms in Puget Sound. The company called Franz’s decision ...
Full Story »Europe Looking Towards Air Freight Solutions Due To Continuing Attacks in Red Sea
As Houthi terrorists continue to attack in the Red Sea, shipping and logistics companies also continue to provide updates on what the developments mean for cargo.
U.S. Central Command confirmed on March 12 that between 2 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Sanaa time, Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists “fired one close-range ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon in the Red Sea.” The U.S. government agency revealed that the missile did not impact the vessel, and that there...
Full Story »Cause of Death Revealed For Third North Atlantic Right Whale To Die In 2024
NOAA confirmed that experts have completed a necropsy on the North Atlantic right whale (NARW) calf that was found stranded on Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia early this month. A cause of death was revealed, linking the whale’s early demise to a vessel strike.
The dead NARW is the calf of right whale Juno, #1612, and marks the third endangered whale mortality for 2024 so far. Juno’s calf had previously been spotted in early January off Edisto, South Carolina. Footage showed that the calf had...
Full Story »SENA 2024: ProChile’s Andrea Sapag Highlights Importance of Events In Promoting Chilean Seafood
Earlier this week Diversified Communications hosted the 42nd edition of Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston, welcoming thousands of attendees who walked through 249,665 net square feet of exhibit space. And amongst that exhibit space was the sleek and eye-catching Chilean Pavilion, which was occupied by 10 companies, as well as representatives from ProChile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs institution responsible for promoting the supply of Chilean goods and services.
Chile is a major seafood exporter to the U.S. Last year Chile exported...
Full Story »Tough Times Ahead for Global Shrimp Farmers – Victam Asia 2024
Providing an overview of the global shrimp farming industry at Victam Asia 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday, Soraphat Panakorn, Vice President of the Thai Aquaculture Business Association, argued that the main players in the shrimp export sector are facing grim prospects, apart from India.
China, according to his estimates, produced 900,000 tonnes of shrimp in 2023. Panakorn said Chinese production dropped due to climate change having more of an impact last year. Translucent post-larvae disease (TPD) and other diseases, such as vibrio, also affected production.
“Domestic shrimp prices...
Full Story »Fifax Reports No Revenue in 2023 After IHN Outbreak at Finland Facility
Fish farming company Fifax has released its 2023 financial results after a difficult year. The company reported no revenue last year due to a June 2022 infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) outbreak — a disease that affects salmon and trout — at its Eckerö facility in Finland. The facility was immediately emptied of fish and decontaminated based on a decision by the Finnish Food Authority. As a result, Fifax spent a majority of 2023 rebuilding a new fish stock solely from eggs.
“The restart of aquaculture operations at the...
Full Story »FishWise, Seafood Legacy Renew Partnership to Promote Human Right Due Diligence in Supply Chain
Sustainable seafood organizations Seafood Legacy and FishWise renewed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during the 2024 Seafood Expo North America in Boston, USA. This ongoing partnership will continue to strengthen responsible business practices regarding human and labor rights in the Japanese seafood industry.
This partnership began in March 2022, and since then, FishWise has provided technical support and guidance on due diligence practices as Seafood Legacy works to implement changes throughout the Japanese fishing industry.
Under the new MoU...
Full Story »SENA 2024: Acme Smoked Fish’s New Lox in a Box Snack Kit Marries Convenience And Luxury
“I’m hungry, but I also don’t have a lot of time and I don’t want to eat something unhealthy.”
This is a frequent thought in a post-COVID world where everyone is a little more health conscious but once again on the go. The seafood industry has been targeting these consumers with pre-marinated, ready-to-heat dinner options. But Acme Smoked Fish is coming hard for the snack and lunch category with their new Lox in a Box Snack Kit...
Full Story »OBI Seafoods, Peter Pan Seafood Awarded USDA Section 32 Salmon Contract
The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service put out a request in early February that it was seeking 1,139,999.976 cases of canned pink salmon. Now, the PCA Report has been released, revealing that two companies — OBI Seafoods and Peter Pan Seafood Company — received the Section 32 salmon contract.
OBI Seafoods was awarded 1,083,760 cases of 24/14.75 oz canned pink salmon with a weighted average price of $48.0600, not to exceed the award value of $53,992,923.20. Peter Pan Seafood Company was awarded 367,840 cases of 24/14.75 oz...
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