Red Lobster's 2017 Endless Shrimp Promotion Begins With 2 New Offerings

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] September 6, 2017

Shrimp lovers will want to flock to Red Lobster. The restaurant chain is bringing back their annual “Endless Shrimp” promotion for a limited time, giving customers the opportunity to “mix and match their shrimp selections.”

“This year, Red Lobster is giving guests the most abundant and generous portions on their initial order, making it the best Endless Shrimp experience yet,” Chef Dustin Hilinski, executive chef and director of culinary at Red Lobster, said in a statement. “And this year’s new flavors are ...

Live American Lobster, Dungeness Crab Pass Chinese Quarantine in 40 Minutes

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Qingdao] translated by Amy Zhong - September 6, 2017

Three tons of American lobsters, Dungeness crabs and geoducks arrived in Qingdao from Canada recently.

On the evening of Aug. 24, Qingdao airport welcomed one flight from Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. It carried live American lobsters, Dungeness crab and geoducks with a total weight of 3 tons. This import sets a new record in Shandong’s edible seafood imports regarding their species number and weight. And they were available in local markets after clearance.

The inspection and quarantine bureau ...

Brunei Blue Shrimp Sold Exclusively on Alibaba's T-Mall Platform Under New Agreement

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Ishwang] translated by Amy Zhong - August 25, 2017

At the end of last month, T-mall platform signed a strategic cooperation agreement with more than 20 crab sellers in Jiangsu province who own aquaculture areas totaling 37,000 Mu (6,227 acres). All the crab will be supplied to the platform. And this month T-mall has made another big move: It signed a cooperation agreement with Zhangzidao during the World Seafood Shanghai Exhibition on Aug 19. The agreement reads that all Zhangzidao’s blue shrimps imported from Brunei will be sold through the platform.

According to Zhangzidao ...

Hema Expands Fresh Retail/Restaurant Concept in China Merchandising Online Seafood; Plans 50 Stores in Chengdu 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Sichuan] translated by Amy Zhong - August 24, 2017.

The Hema store in Shanghai attracted a lot of public attention last month with the arrival of Jack Ma, a renowned businessman in China and founder of Alibaba. After his tour around the store, Ma enjoyed fresh food such as crayfish, king crab and lobsters, which were cooked in the store.

According to some sources, Hema is wholly invested by Alibaba and is trying a new retailing mode. It serves as a supermarket that provides various fresh food and also a restaurant where consumers can have their selected ...

Rubicon Founder Brian Wynn Invests in Frozen “Food-tech” Company Cadence Gourmet

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 23, 2017

Seafood pioneer and Rubicon Resources founder Brian Wynn has invested in frozen “food-tech” company Cadence Gourmet.

The Los Angeles based frozen food company was launched in 2004 by CEO David Wells, a former food executive. A fast casual restaurant chain approached Wells with their problem of food inconsistency across their restaurants. Inspired by European frozen food and their technology, Wells and his team created frozen replacements for their client. From there they ...

ANALYSIS: Lobster Meat Market Retreats From All-time High

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Jim Kenny August 21, 2017

The market for CK meat has declined a little more than 14 percent in a year’s time; from a record-high $29.50/lb. 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 ...

Maxfield Seafood Sues Freight Co. Over Theft of $318,00 Load of Frozen Lobster from Boston

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  by John Sackton August 14, 2016

Maxfield Seafood, a California Company, is suing Seneca Logistics, its trucking company, for the value of a load of frozen lobster stolen from the Preferred Freezer in Everett, Mass.

In a complaint filed in Massachusetts District Court last week, Maxfield says they hired Seneca to pick up a load of frozen lobster bullets and tails last December 14th.  They had used Seneca for freight pickups on various occasions during the past few years.

Seneca accepted a bill of lading, and agreed to the transport.  On Dec. 15^th, Seneca’s CEO gave verbal ...

FAO Predicts Decline of North American Lobster Production in 2017, Rise of China Imports

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 11, 2017

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published a report on lobster based on market analysis from 2016 and the first quarter of 2017. The organization is predicting that North American lobster supplies will decline in 2017, while imports will rise in China.

Lobster growth in North America has been strong since 2007, but 2016 saw the first signs of decline with a six percent drop. The reason could be linked to new fishing restrictions that were put in place in...

Shake Shack Introduces Lobster Topped Hamburger in NY, in Collaboration with Eleven Madison Park

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 8, 2017

Popular restaurant chain Shake Shack is known for their burgers, and for a limited time in August they’ll be adding seafood-inspired burgers to their menu.

Those who dine at the original Madison Square Park location in New York City from August 11 to the 13 will be able to snack on a Maine lobster-topped hamburger, which is pretty self explanatory, or a CLAMBurger, which is a cheeseburger topped with...

News Summary August 3, 2017 

Today's Main Story: Bumble Bee Foods Pleads Guilty to Price Fixing with Reduced $25 Million Fine 

Today's lead item from Seafood News editor John Sackton reports that Bumble Bee Foods, the third largest tuna canner in the US, has pled guilty to price fixing yesterday in a Northern California District Court. The plea is the result of the government’s price fixing lawsuit that charged Bumble Bee and the other major tuna canners, Chicken of the Sea and Starkist, with colluding to fix prices of canned tuna at retail.

In other news, Alaska’s pink salmon harvest total as of August 1 is 49.08 million pinks. Cautious optimism is taking hold that the preseason...

Everything You Need to Know About the 2017 Boston Seafood Festival

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 2, 2017

Bostonians will show their love of seafood at the sixth annual Boston Seafood Festival, which will take place on Sunday, August 13. Seafood fans will be flocking to the historic Boston Fish Pier for the family-friendly event, which kicks off at 11 a.m.

Hosted by the Boston Fisheries Foundation (BFF), an organization made up of seafood professionals from around the city, the festival has something for everyone — including seafood tastings, clambakes, chef demos, educational events and ...

News Summary August 1, 2017

Today's Main Story: Sen Appropriations Committee Protects NOAA and NMFS Budget From Drastic Cuts

Today's lead item from Seafood News editor John Sackton reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a budget for NOAA last week that is nearly $1 billion higher than the President’s Request, and keeps NOAA overall funding near fiscal year 2017 levels.

In other news, Russia may cut Pollock exports this year amid the ever-growing domestic demand for it. Planned cuts are currently not disclosed. However, according to some sources close to the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, they may reach 30% of the total exports of Pollock out of Russia, which is estimated at about 800,000 tonnes per year.

News Summary July 28, 2017

Today's Main Story: Cochran Adds Shrimp to Seafood Traceability Rules as part of Senate Appropriations Bill

Today's lead item from Seafood News editor John Sackton reports that Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran, appropriations Chairman, and Richard Shelby, of Alabama, chair of the Commerce Justice and Science subcommittee, confirmed that they added language to the appropriations bill to make shrimp subject to the Seafood Import Monitoring Program. The appropriations bill was passed by the full committee yesterday.

Meanwhile, Texas shrimpers are struggling with a lack of crew, as visa applications are stuck in the pipeline. A Brownsville shrimp boat owner said he's losing thousands of dollars every day in the industry.

Stavis Seafoods to Greatly Expand West Coast Distribution with Partnership with R.W. Zant

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  [Seafoodnews] July 24, 2017

Stavis Seafoods, of Boston, and R.W. Zant, a major west coast broadline distributor, have announced a primary distribution partnership that will begin August 1st.

R.W. Zant is one of the largest redistribution companies in the US.  The partnership will include the warehousing and delivery of Stavis Seafoods’ products to R.W. Zant customers. R.W. Zant specializes in all aspects of protein and dairy wholesale distribution to food service and retail distributors ...

Senators Collins, King Introduce Resolution to Designate September 25, 2017, as National Lobster Day

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Federal Information & News Dispatch] July 21, 2017

U.S. Senators Angus King and Susan Collins today introduced a resolution that would designate September 25, 2017, as "National Lobster Day." Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) also sponsored the resolution, which recognizes the historic and economic importance of lobster in the United States.

"Maine's lobster industry helps drive our economy, supports our coastal communities, and is an integral part of our state's heritage," Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. "The ...

News Summary September 1, 2017 

Today's Main Story: Latest NOAA Surveys Off West Coast Spell More Bad News for Salmon

Today's lead item reports that a NOAA Fisheries survey team has finished their spring and summer surveys off the coast of the Pacific Northwest with little evidence of juvenile coho or Chinook salmon. The team also discovered that ocean conditions foreshadow low abundance in the coming years.

Meanwhile, tuna-fishing nations have agreed on a plan to replenish the severely depleted Pacific bluefin stocks. The plan came after a week-long meeting in Busan, South Korea. The northern committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission agreed to ...

“Let’s Make the Lobster Emoji Happen” Campaign Grows on Change.org

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 24, 2017

What started off as a small campaign by a restaurant chain to add a lobster emoji to the electronic messaging pictogram catalogue has turned into a rally cry for seafood lovers.

Earlier this week, the Luke’s Lobster chain started a petition on Change.org to get UniCode Consortium, the organization responsible for adding emojis, to include a lobster in their next update. The online petition initially sought to get 100 signatures, but that number has since grown to ...

Seafood Veteran Greg Brown Joins GAA as Program Integrity Manager for BAP 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 23, 2017

Greg Brown, who has held the title of VP of corporate procurement for Flying Food Group and director of category management seafood for U.S. Foodservice, among other titles, has joined the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA). Brown will be taking on the role of program integrity manager for the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program.

The seafood industry veteran will lead a team that is dedicated to ensuring that ...

News Summary August 22, 2017 

Today's Main Story: Congressional Bills Would Alter MSA to Benefit Recreational Fisheries in Gulf of Mexico

Today's lead item reports that two companion bills in the House and Senate, both currently in committee, would alter the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) in how it addresses recreational and commercial fisheries management. The bills call for a review of the red snapper fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. It also seeks to alter the section in the MSA that deals with Gulf red snapper.

Meanwhile, fish plant workers are receiving aid from the Newfoundland and Labrador government in order to ...

News Summary August 21, 2017 

Today's Main Story: Jeff Davis Says Blue Harvest Will Consolidate its Processing Operations in New Bedford

Today's lead item reports that Blue Harvest Fisheries will consolidate their processing operations in New Bedford. CEO Jeff Davis confirmed the news to South Coast Today. The consolidation comes after the seafood processor purchased Fairhaven’s Harbor Blue in 2016. Blue Harvest is sinking $5 million into refurbishing their facilities to put all of their cutting and processing operations under one roof. Davis says the consolidation will make their business more efficient.

Meanwhile, a standoff has developed over low lobster shore prices in ...

News Summary August 14, 2017

Today's Main Story: Stronger Canadian Dollar Creating Standoff Over Falling Shore Lobster Prices in New Brunswick

Today's lead item from Seafood News editor John Sackton reports that the strengthening Canadian dollar is pressuring the lobster industry. The season is currently closed in Nova Scotia, which means that dealers are selling off live inventory purchased at higher prices. With the Canadian dollar dropping from $1.35 to $1.25 in late July, this is the equivalent of a 7% drop in money returned back to Canada, squeezing margins.

In other news, the fleet owned by New Bedford fishing mogul Carlos Rafael is continuing to fish nearly five months after the Codfather pled...

News Summary August 11, 2017

Today's Main Story: Russian Crab Companies Delay Fishing Due to New Processing Rules

Today's lead item from Seafood News contributor Eugene Gerden reports that crab season in Russia is under threat of failure this year. The Russian government recently introduced a ban of on-board processing of crabs caught within Russian territorial waters. Leading crab producers in the Russian Far East have already started protesting, preferring not to fish until the ban is lifted.

Meanwhile, the U.S. may cease importing Vietnamese pangasius if processors in Vietnam fail to meet with new ...

News Summary August 8, 2017

Today's Main Story: Weaker US Dollar Roiling Seafood Imports, Putting Pressure on Lobster, Crab and Shrimp Producers 

Today's lead item from Seafood News editor John Sackton reports that after a period of dollar strength, which contributed to record seafood imports of commodities like shrimp and salmon in 2016, the dollar has reversed course. The dollar has fallen about 7% since January of this year against a composite of foreign currencies. The change in currency values could potentially have a big impact on profitability for overseas exporters to the US.

In other news, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game called for a complete ban on Chinook salmon catches throughout Southeast Alaska. Deputy commissioner of ADF&G, Charles O. Swanton, released a statement explaining that “extreme management measures are necessary to restrict harvests...

Thai Union’s Stake in Red Lobster Remains Strong in Second Quarter

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Amanda Buckle August 7, 2017

Thai Union, the world’s largest canned tuna producer, is benefitting from the 2016 deal in which they bought a stake in restaurant chain Red Lobster. The seafood chain brought in 235 million baht to the net profit in the second quarter, which translates to over $7 million in US dollars.

“Our strategic investment in Red Lobster and effort in cost control continue to deliver positive results,” said Thai Union Group CEO Thiraphong Chansiri...

News Summary August 2, 2017

Today's Main Story: Quebec Private Equity Creates $140 Million Lobster and Crab Group Merging Riverside and Cheticamp

Today's lead item from Seafood News editor John Sackton reports that Montreal based private equity firm Champlain Financial has purchased Riverside Lobster of Nova Scotia, and will merge the company with Cheticamp Fisheries, which it purchased in May 2017.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has passed a bill to include shrimp in the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, a risk-based traceability program that requires certain imported seafood products to have records and specific data. The move is being commended by the National Chamber of Aquaculture of Ecuador, which exported 86,082,995 pounds of shrimp in June — a record high for the country.

Quebec Private Equity Creates $140 Million Lobster and Crab Group Merging Riverside and Cheticamp

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  by John Sackton August 2, 2017

The Montreal based private Equity Firm Champlain Financial  has purchased Riverside Lobster of Nova Scotia, and will merge the company with Cheticamp Fisheries, which it purchased in May, 2017.

The primary products of Riverside and Cheticamp are lobster and snow crab.

The group will be led by Marc Poulin, formerly CEO of Sobey’s, who will become the executive chairman of Champlain’s seafood platform.

"Both companies are strategically located in the most productive crab and lobster regions of the Nova Scotia Coast. I am ...

Argentine Red Shrimp Catch up 60% as Season Approaches Peak

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] July 31, 2017

Argentine red shrimp have become an increasingly important shrimp commodity as catches have increased.  Last year record landings were recorded.

This year, as the season enters its peak period, catches appear to be running 60% ahead of last year.  If this pace continues, it would mean catches well over 200,000 tons.

The volume landed in the first six months of the year totaled 79,976 tons, which was an increase of 59.5% over the same period of the previous year.

Shipments have been increasing not only to the conventional big-lot buyers ..

Domestic Red Crayfish is a Big Success for Chinese E-commerce Platforms

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [OCN.com] translated by Amy Zhong - July 25, 2017

Suning, a renowned e-commerce company in China, entertained its staff with many crayfish dishes on the evening of June 20 to celebrate excellent sales of June 18 (618), the online shopping festival. And JD also served its employees who worked overtime for that festival with crayfish in the early morning of June 19.

Red crayfish is more than a symbol of success now. They have become very popular on various e-commerce platforms in the summer of 2017. The crayfish sales of JD ...

Shanghai Crayfish Season at its Peak; Prices Have Skyrocketed Over Last Decade

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Schuichan News] Translated by Amy Zhong - July 24, 2017

With the weather getting hotter, the peak season of crayfish has arrived. Crayfish output usually drops every July and August, so their prices are high correspondingly around this period. The price can reach 38 yuan/jin (~ US $2.82/kg) for those with individual weights exceeding 0.1 jin.

The output has plummeted by more than 70% recently. There are crayfish of two different sizes available at a Shanghai farmers market. The large ones are sold at 28 yuan/jin (~ US $2.06/kg), while the small ...