High Prices on Crayfish in China’s Domestic Market Has Some Traders Concerned

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Schuichan] translated by Amy Zhong - August 21, 2017

Crayfish price increase has been the most frequently discussed topic among industry sources recently: The prices have more than doubled within the past two months. They used to decline every August when the sales begin to end. But this year prices have ballooned nearly 70% at the end.

There are several factors that contribute to the dramatic increase. First, crayfish output contracts this year due to floods that hit main aquaculture regions like Jiangsu, Hunan and Jiangxi. As statistics show, the supply plummeted by about one-third this year compared ...

Louisiana White Shrimp Season Officially Open

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 21, 2017

Louisiana fishermen are free to start catching white shrimp.

The state’s brown shrimp season started in early May after biologist Jeff Marx found that brown shrimp had grown more quickly due to the warmer temperatures and lower than average rainfall. White shrimp season was set to open this fall, however, fishermen and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission had a tough time agreeing on when to start. Marx had presented data that showed 64 to 73% of shrimp in the ...

COLTO Successfully Gets Amazon Toothfish Ban Petition Removed

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 21, 2017

The Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators (COLTO) has successfully closed an online petition that requested that Amazon ban the sale of Patagonian toothfish.

A petition titled “Stop Letting Your Vendors Endanger Antarctic Wildlife” was posted on the Care2 Petition website and had garnered over 110,000 signatures by late last week. The petition was seeking to get Amazon to cease selling Patagonian toothfish, also known as Chilean sea bass, because of issues related to ...

Capital Seafood Rebuilding in Nova Scotia After 2016 Fire

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Chronicle Herald] by James Risdon

Eastern Passage-based Capital Seafood International is getting ready to rise from the ashes after a fire destroyed its lobster processing and storage building last November.

“Last year, it was terrible,” Jiu Chang, vice-president of Capital Seafood, said in an interview Thursday. “Not only did we lose the working area and the equipment but also the production. We just can’t do anything.”

The electrical fire that ripped through the two-story building on Government Wharf Road last year took out ...

StarKist Samoa Cannery to Shut Down Due to Fish Shortages

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Radio New Zealand] August 18, 2017

American Samoa's largest private employer, the StarKist Samoa cannery, will shut down operations next week because of fish shortages.

Our correspondent in Pago Pago said it remained unclear when the next vessel would call into the port with more supplies.

In October last year the cannery shut down for just over a week, also because of a shortage of fish.

The US-based StarKist Company said it realised the shutdown was a disruption for workers and ...

Russian Crab Producers Say Production is Now at Highest Sustainable Levels, Consolodation is Next

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Eugene Gerden - August 18, 2017

Russia has no plans to significantly increase the volume of crab catch in the coming years, as the current volumes are already at historical maximums. Additionally, further increase is substantially limited by the biological component, according to recent statements of Alexander Duplyakov, president of the Association of Crab Producers of the Far East.

According to Duplyakov, further increase of catch could damage the entire population of crab in Russia. Duplyakov also added that crab quotas are at almost 100 percent capacity ...

Norwegian Seafood Exports to China Show Dramatic Rise

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Cappma] translated by Amy Zhong - August 18, 2017

Norway’s seafood export to China has reached 91,842 tons during the first seven months this year. It has jumped by 44% from 63,834 tons in the same period last year, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council. The dramatic increase undoubtedly shows great potential of Norwegian seafood in Chinese market, said Sigmund Bjorgo, the NSC director for the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.

Among all seafood, the pelagic ones like mackerels have enjoyed obvious increase in export volumes. Their export volume is 35,536 tons in ...

Researchers Discover Reason for Deafness in Farmed Salmon

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 18, 2018

Past research has revealed that farmed salmon can suffer from partial deafness and now we know why. Researchers at the University of Melbourne have discovered that half of the world’s farmed salmon are part deaf due to accelerated growth rates in aquaculture.

Inner ear deformity in salmon has been studied since the 1960s, according to Phys.org. However, scientists have been unable to figure out the reason for the deformity. A study published in Scientific Reports in April 2016 found that farmed fish have ...

West Coast Scientists, Industry Collaborate on Sardine Survey

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Susan Chambers - August 18,2017

Each spring and early summer, scientists set out along the West Coast aboard NOAA vessel Reuben Lasker to survey coastal pelagic species, which includes small schooling fish such as northern anchovy, Pacific sardine, and jack and Pacific mackerels.

But this year was different. After discussions with industry, the scientists tested a new approach to extend their reach into nearshore waters to improve the accuracy of the survey results. The collaboration involved the F/V Lisa Marie, of Gig Harbor, Washington, and brought two commercial fishermen ...

VIDEO: Seafood Plant Fire; Joe’s Crab Shacks Closed; High Liner CEO; Maxfield Sues; Seafood Meal Kit

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] August 18, 2017

Peter Pan Seafoods Plant Devastated by Fire; Multiple Joe’s Crab Shacks Have Closed Down; Henry Demone Named High Liner CEO; Maxfield Seafood Sues over Stolen Lobster; Alaska Seafood Companies Taking a Bite Out of Home Meal Kits 

Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Washington Hosts Exhibit On Early Years of Salmon Derbies

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Daily News] August 18, 2017

Northern California Petitions for More Squid Permits

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Susan Chambers - August 17, 2017

Northern California fishermen and processors want a piece of the squid action.

Four processors and businesses in Fort Bragg, Calif., fishermen Dan Yoakum and Bill Forkner and the Fort Bragg fishing community petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission in June to allow fishermen in northern California to harvest 5 tons of market squid per day, with a cap of 950 tons total in the waters from Point Arena north to the California/Oregon border. 

The group said ...

ANALYSIS: Imports of Mexican Shrimp

Let's take a step back to analyze the volumes imported from Mexico in recent years. Total imports in 2016 amounted to 55 million pounds, about six less than in 2015, but slightly...

High Liner Will be Looking for New CEO Says Henry Demone

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  by John Sackton  August 16, 2017

Henry Demone, who has taken back the CEO positon at High Liner Foods, joked with analysts that "I can promise you I won't be here as long as I was the first time," on a conference call.  That stint was 23 years, from 1992 until 2015.

Demone said he was not an interim CEO, but that he was there full time with all his energy and talent "to do the job as well as I can."

However the board is going to do a search for a new CEO, said Demone.  "We will be looking for a new CEO ..

Striped Bass Being Caught in Labrador Which is Far Beyond their Normal Range

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [CBC News] by Geoff Bartlett August 17, 2017

Striped bass that are turning up in Labrador have locals and researchers perplexed, but a biologist says it's too early to start calling them an invasive species.

People have been posting on social media, as well as contacting the NunatuKavut natural resources office in recent weeks with reports of having caught striped bass — a species not usually found north of the lower St. Lawrence River.

The bass have been found in rivers and ponds in Forteau, L'Anse au Clair and L'Anse au Loup, which has ...

Annual Fishing Ban in South China Sea Lifted

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] August 17, 2017

The annual fishing ban in the South China Sea, which went into effect on May 1, has been lifted.

According to a report posted on the Business Standard, a record high of 18,000 fishing boats returned to Chinese ports when the ban started. Over the course of the three and a half month ban, there were 92 cases of illegal fishing reported. The ban ended Wednesday with approximately 100 fishing vessels departing from China’s Hainan province. 

NOAA Endorses Eating Small Haddock — But What About Cod?

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 16, 2017

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are giving their stamp of approval to eat small haddock.

In the July issue of the NOAA Fisheries Navigator, the government agency reports that smaller haddock does not necessarily mean an unhealthy stock. Looking at stats dating back to 1995, the size of the fish has been decreasing — but the population has been growing.

This trend is something that the organization has seen in the past. “A decline in the average size of Georges Bank haddock ...

Midwest Supermarket Chain Hy-Vee Offering 100% Responsibly Sourced Fresh and Frozen Seafood

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 16, 2017

Midwest supermarket chain Hy-Vee is taking the responsibly sourced route when it comes to their seafood. The store’s national brand of frozen seafood is now 100% responsibly sourced in compliance with its Seafood Procurement Policy.

“At Hy-Vee, we take pride in our dedication to high-quality, environmentally and socially responsible seafood, and we are thrilled to be the first Midwest retailer to make this kind of commitment,” Brett Bremser, executive vice president of perishables at Hy-Vee, said in a statement. 

ANALYSIS: Gulf Oyster Gallon Meat Prices Spike

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  by Nicole West  August 17, 2017

Gulf oyster gallon meat prices advanced this week amid limited seasonal production.

Tally’s New Zealand Gets its Purse Seine Skipjack Certified by MSC

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton August 18, 2017

Another small purse seine skipjack tuna fishery is now MSC certified.  Tally is one of New Zealand’s major fishing companies with both inshore and offshore fisheries, selling New Zealand seafood products.  In addition to Tally’s, they sell their offshore frozen at Sea production under the Amaltal Brand.

The New Zealand fishery averages a bit over 11,000 tons annually, and represents about 0.5% of the Western Central Pacific tuna catch.

As retailers have begun to demand MSC certified tuna, there has been considerable pressure to certify high volume tuna fisheries.  Currently 4 purse seine fisheries are in assessment, and two have been certified.  However, volumes of certified skipjack remain very small..

Marine Biologist Hopes to Solve Mystery of Blue King Crab Population Flatline in Pribilof Islands

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Unalaska Community Broadcasting] by Laura Kraegel August 18, 2017

In the Pribilof Islands, no one’s gotten an accurate count of blue king crab since the population crashed hard in the 1980s.

This summer, a marine biologist is trying to change that, with the species’ first in-depth study in more than 30 years.

His ultimate goal: Determine if blue crab can make a comeback — or if it’s gone for good.

It’s a foggy day on St. Paul Island ...

Aquamar and LM Foods Create New Platform In Surimi Seafood Market

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 18, 2017

Surimi seafood company Aquamar and surimi manufacturer LM Foods are working together to create a new platform in the surimi market. According to a press release, the two companies will be “producing and selling crab flavored seafood to food service, food manufacturing and retail channels primarily in North America. 
Aquamar is already a leading manufacturer of shred style surimi, a type of fish paste, in North America. LM Foods, on the other hand, focuses on frozen ...

Liberty Seafoods Names Greer Vest as Director of National Accounts

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 18, 2017

Liberty Seafood, an importer specializing in natural farm raised and wild caught frozen seafood, has announced that Greer Vest has been retained as Director of National Accounts. Vest, who will be based in the Dallas, Texas, area, has a long history working with national chains.

Liberty Seafood is based Horsham, Pennsylvania. The importer was founded by seafood veterans and aims to deliver seafood products with integrity, transparency, sustainability and ...

ANALYSIS: Atlantic Salmon Frozen Fillets and Portions also under Downward Pricing Pressure

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by Janice Schreiber August 17, 2017

Farmed salmon weakened or barely remained steady through most of the summer, and frozen fillet and portion markets are also under downward pricing pressure...

COLTO Responds Forcefully to Baseless Amazon Petition Asking to Ban Sale of Toothfish

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 17, 2017

Richard Ball, chair of the Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators (COLTO), has released a statement in response to a petition that is circulating online requesting that Amazon “ban the sale” of Patagonian toothfish.

“The petition is inaccurate, misleading and untruthful — and we are doing what we can to work with Amazon to ensure it is removed as fast as possible from all websites and public distribution,” Ball wrote ...

Danish Fish Scandal Hints at illegal Quota Manipulations Going Back Years

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  by John Sackton  August 17,2017

A fish scandal brewing in Denmark suggests that the administration of fish quotas and licenses by the relevant ministry has been the site of illegal activity, and some referrals to the Danish police have been made.

An external review of fishing quotas by the National Audit Office produced a damaging criticism of the Ministry of Environment and Food, but also specified wrong doing in assigning quotas that went back as far as 2002, under 8 different ministers.

The Danish parliament has for years instructed the ministry not to allow extreme concentration in quota holders.  However, that mandate has been violated, says the report.

The report, according to Danish News reports, says:

-the ministry has failed to investigate compliance with rules

GAA and Fishin’ Company Partner to Promote Positive Aspects Of Aquaculture Industry

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 17, 2017

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and The Fishin’ Company have teamed up to promote the positive aspects of the aquaculture industry.

The Fishin’ Company is an importer of tilapia and other frozen fish, and supplies large retailers and food service companies all over the world. The company is already doing their part to promote responsible aquaculture by sourcing their tilapia from farmers in China who are part of the BAP third-party certification program. But according to CEO Manish Kumar, they could be ...

Prices Drop as Sick Shrimp in China Flood the Market Again -- Except in Guangxi

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Shuichan] translated by Amy Zhong - August 16, 2017

China shrimp prices are higher this year than recent years and insiders expected a slight increase in shrimp prices this August. However, the prices have contracted slightly in most production regions of China. They declined around 1 yuan/jin in the Pearl River Delta region while about 1 to 2 yuan/jin ($0.30 to $0.60/kg US) in Hainan and Fujian. The prices plummeted by 3 yuan/jin ($0.90/kg US) for those ...

Southeast Alaska Dungeness Fall Season Reduced to One Month

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] - August 16, 2017

Petersburg -- The Dungeness crab season this fall will open October 1 and close at midnight October 31, 2017 rather than the end of November. 

ADF&G based their decision on an analysis of the incidence of legal-size male soft-shelled crabs caught early in the summer season, data from port sampling and fish tickets. 

The good news was that the proportion of legal-size male soft-shelled Dungeness crabs discarded during the first week of the summer season was above the previous three-year average. 

The bad news is that amount is not a contributing factor in failing to meet the 2.25 million pound harvest...

Canada Announces Largest Marine Protected Area in High Arctic

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 16, 2017

A section of the Tallurutiup Imanga/ Lancaster Sound in Canada will be protected as part of a national marine conservation area (NMCA).

The conservation area is approximately twice the size of Nova Scotia and is home to whales, polar bears, migrating birds and other wildlife. The decision to protect the area was spurred by climate change and human activity that has begun to not only affect the landscape, but the “traditional way of life in ...