Coast Guard Receives False Distress Call a Little Over a Week After Emmy Rose Tragedy

A little over a week after the tragic sinking of the 82-foot fishing vessel Emmy Rose, the Coast Guard is dealing with a suspected hoax.

At approximately 6:30 a.m. on Thursday Coast Guard Sector Northern New England watchstanders received a mayday transmission through VHF radio channel 16, which is the “internationally recognized hailing and distress frequency.” According to the transmission, a 42-foot fishing vessel was taking on water near Sprucehead, Maine. The crew detailed the situation, stating that the rudder was...

In the Nick of Time: Good News for Canadian Seafood Exports  

Adequately defined as a turbulent year, events throughout 2020 have hindered the consumption of seafood.  

While retail demand has ticked upward, logistical challenges and Brexit uncertainty continue to weigh on international trade. 

Roll Over Deal  

Hailed as a "significant development," the signing of a free-trade deal between Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) is expected to facilitate seafood exports post-Brexit.   

Announced last week, the transitional deal keeps tariffs off Canadian seafood entering the UK, which were originally...

Two Haines Residents Still Missing; Rebuild and Repair of Roads, Houses, Power Grid Starts

Four of the six missing residents in the rainstorm battered community of Haines, Alaska, have been accounted for. Haines Mayor Douglas Olerud identified Jenae Larson and David Simmons as the two still missing residents as of yesterday morning. 

In the first 24 hours following a rain-triggered mudslide, crews from around the region were activated to begin search and rescue. But the ongoing storm, ground instability and flooding  postponed search efforts. The 600-foot wide slide took out four houses and a road before stopping...

Western Pacific Council Pushes Bigeye Tuna Increase; OKs Industry-led Shark Mitigation Measure

More bigeye tuna may be available for U.S. fishermen in the Pacific next year, if U.S. fishery managers can successfully negotiate the proposed increase.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council supported the U.S. proposal to revise the conservation and management measure for tropical tunas, which expires in February 2021, and increase the U.S. bigeye tuna quota by 3,000 metric tons to 6,554 mt at the upcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting next week.

The stock is not overfished nor experiencing ...

Current Restaurant Restrictions and Capacity By State

Coronavirus cases in the United States are growing. On Friday the U.S. recorded over 99,000 new cases – the highest single day total recorded by any country. With concerns rising over the upward trend in cases, restaurants across the country are beginning to see a new wave of restrictions. We're breaking down the latest restaurant news by state...

JAPAN: October Chilean Coho Imports Down 40%; Squid From Peru Up 10000 Tons

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, imports of marine products (seafood and its preparations, fish meal, and seaweed) in October decreased by 6% from the same month of the previous year to 188,690 tons. Fresh and frozen salmon and trout fell 9% to 18,992 tons, down 9% from the last year for the second straight month, due to a sharp decline in Chilean coho salmon. Fresh and frozen tuna increased by 6% to 15,925 tons due to growth in frozen bigeye tuna...

Nordic Aquafarms Nets 3 Permits for Proposed Belfast Aquaculture Facility

 Nordic Aquafarms, an aquaculture company looking to build a land-based aquaculture facility in Belfast, Maine, announced it has acquired three key permits from the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP).

Maine & Co. President and CEO Peter DelGreco and his team worked with Nordic Aquafarms for several years as the company considered locations along Maine's coast. "We are pleased and honored to have worked with Erik Heim as he built his world-class Maine team for Nordic Aquafarms. Over the last few years, this team has stayed steady in its vision to bring cutting edge, land-based RAS...

SeaShare Donations Feed More Hungry Americans

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – SeaShare sends more seafood to the nation’s food banks as demand soars.

Two million pounds of seafood turns into 8 million meals at Feeding America food bank networks across the nation. That’s how much the Seattle-based nonprofit SeaShare has donated to Lower 48 states so far.

Good protein is the toughest item for food banks to source. Alaskans also share in the seafood bounty.

“I think we’re at 180,000 pounds which is over 720,000 servings this year, which is more than we normally do...

NFWF Announces $900K in Research Grants for Killer Whale Conservation

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $918,700 in grants aimed at stabilizing and recovering the population of the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population in coastal Washington and British Columbia.

The NFWF said the grants will generate $3.2 million in matching contributions for a conservation impact of $4.1 million. The grants were awarded through the  Killer Whale Research and Conservation Program (KWRCP), a partnership between Shell Oil Company, SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and NOAA Fisheries...

To Better Expand Business in China, a Norwegian Company Relocates Some of its Salmon Aquaculture 

On November 28, Norwegian company Norsal inked an agreement with its Chinese partner in Shandong’s Yantai free trade area, which marks the beginning of a salmon aquaculture project worth around US$0.4 billion. The company is to build the largest salmon farming, processing and trading center in China.

Further details reveal that the project is divided into two stages. At the first one, the investment is US$0.198 billion, while the annual production value is to reach US$0.54 billion...

Tokyo October Salmon Market: Frozen and Salted Coho Stable, Salted Fall Chum Decline 

In October, Tokyo Central Wholesale Market sales of salmon and trout, centered on the mainstay coho salmon, were favorable for frozen and salted fish. Still, for fresh salmon, the mainstay imports continued to be sluggish, reported Suisan Keizai.

Fresh salmon

Although fresh fall chum had some deliveries since September, they have not reached the previous year's quantities, and imports have continued to be sluggish.

Overall, it was 1073 tons, 3.2% lower than the same month of the previous year...

Alaska Fish Radio: Updates on COVID Relief Funds, Deadline to Apply Approaches

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch –

December 14^th is the deadline for U.S. fishermen to apply for federal funds to take the sting out of market hits from the Trump Administration’s trade tariffs.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture will distribute a total of $530 million to fishermen based on their catches in 2019 for 19 species under the new Seafood Trade Relief Program (STRP).  

For example, the U.S. pays a 38 percent tariff on seafood products going to China, previously Alaska’s biggest buyer...

Emergency Rulemaking Petition Filed to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales From Fishing Gear

The Centers for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife and the Humane Society of the United States have filed an emergency rulemaking petition to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from becoming entangled in commercial fishing gear. The petition was filed on Wednesday.

While previous reports say that approximately 400 North Atlantic right whales remain in the world, the Centers for Biological Diversity reports that new scientific information shows that the population now consists of 356 animals, of which only about...

Sustainable Shrimp Partnership Launches 'Farm to Fork' Blockchain Traceability App 

With traceability becoming more and more important for the average consumer, the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) launched a traceability application that will allow shoppers to trace their shrimp from farm to fork.

The app will be connected to the IBM Food Trust platform, based on blockchain technology, ensuring data is transparent throughout the supply chain.

The SSP said every package of its SSP Blue Box shrimp includes a QR code that can be scanned in allow consumers to immediately know...

COVID-19 Restrictions Take Their Toll on Norwegian Seafood as Export Value Drops

COVID-19 restrictions and shutdowns across Europe are beginning to impact Norwegian seafood exports.

For the month of November, the value of Norway’s seafood exports was NOK 9.4 billion (USD $1.1 billion), this is 11 percent below the mark hit in November 2019. For the year, export value is NOK 96.6 billion, down 1 percent compared to this time last year.

“Norwegian seafood exports are now seeing the impact of a hotel and restaurant sector that has more or less shut down across Europe,” said director of market insight and market access in the Norwegian Seafood Council, Tom-Jørgen Gangsø...

Australia-based Clean Seas Seafood Names New CEO, CFO

Aquaculture company Clean Seas Seafood named Robert Gratton Chief Executive Officer and David Brown as Chief Financial Officer.

Gratton has been acting CEO of the company since August, previously holding the CFO role. The company said he has “led Clean Seas through the pivot into new markets and channels and the development of strategic relationships as the Company worked through the impact of the COVID pandemic.”

“I’m humbled and excited at the prospect of leading Clean Seas as we seek to grow and enter new markets. We have an outstanding product, great partners and a fantastic team at Clean Seas...

REPORT: Only $16.5 Million in CARES Act Funding Disbursed to Fishery Participants As of October 23

In May 2020 Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the allocation of $300 million in fisheries assistance funding provided by Sec. 12005 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act. We’re less a month away from 2021 … so the funds have all been dispersed, right? Not quite. According to a recent report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), as of October 23, only about $16.5 million of the $300 million has...

USCG Executes Tricky Medevac in Alaska and Finds Two Lost Fishermen in Tropical South Pacific

A suddenly ill chief engineer on a freezer longliner in the Bering Sea and two very lucky fishermen on a 21-foot boat east of the Philippine Sea were beneficiaries of the U.S. Coast life-saving skills in the past week.

The rescues were among many successful operations in that time, but these two showcase incredible skills and determination in difficult conditions.

The first one began 170 miles northwest of Saint Paul, AK in the northern Bering Sea, and the second one on Thanksgiving near ...

Diversified Sets July 2021 Date For Seafood Expo North America

Save the date! Seafood Expo North America has been rescheduled from March 14, 2021 to July 11, 2021.

Diversified had announced in November that they would be postponing the 2021 edition of Seafood Expo North America due to the ongoing public health and safety issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have been closely monitoring the world health situation, government regulations and travel restrictions while carefully considering the concerns that have been addressed to us by customers and attendees,” Diversified Group VP Liz Plizga said in a statement at the time...

Canadian Seafood Industry Groups Applaud New Ocean Action Agenda 

Both the Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) and the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) announced their support of the new Ocean Action Agenda released by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel).

The Panel is looking to build a sustainable ocean economy by balancing effective protection, sustainable production and equitable prosperity, which aligns with the Canadian seafood industry’s goals of its Blue Economy Strategy 2040.

CAIA President & CEO, Tim Kennedy, is a member of the Advisory Network to the Ocean Panel...

Coast Guard Searching for Man Missing Near Cape May

A search has begun for a man who entered the water when a 32-foot fishing vessel capsized near Cape May, New Jersey on the afternoon of December 3.

Watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Command Center received an alert from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon at approximately 2 p.m. Shortly after the Coast Guard received the alert a good Samaritan vessel retrieved one person from the water and reported that another person was aboard at the time of the incident...

Start-up Cultivated Meat Company Avant Raises US$3.1 Million in Funding Round

Avant, a cultivated meat start-up company based in Hong Kong, announced on Thursday that they have closed a US$3.1 million seed funding round. The funding is being backed partially by Markus Haefeli, the chairman of  Regal Springs, the world’s largest responsible tilapia producer, and will fuel the company’s first commercial product launch in 2021.

In addition to Haefeli, the funding round saw participation from prominent Greater China investors, like China Venture Capital, AngelHub and ParticleX. Western alternative protein investors, like...

ANALYSIS: Scallop Market Firms Amid Tightening Restrictions

The market for domestic caught Atlantic sea scallops is experiencing all-time record highs or 52-week highs depending on moisture content and size. During the week of Thanksgiving wholesale prices jumped as much as $1.00 on select size counts including all-natural, IQF, 10/20 count sized scallops currently averaging $15.00 per pound.

Factors contributing to the firming prices amid the current pandemic and newly emerging restrictions due to rising COVID-19 cases across the U.S. points to tighter supply...

PHOTOS: Blue Harvest Relaunches Scalloping Vessel Blue Water After Refurbishment and Restoration

Blue Harvest Fisheries has officially relaunched their scalloping vessel Blue Water. Blue Water underwent two years of extensive refurbishment and restoration, and now features state-of-the-art improvements that “set the standard for safe, sustainable fishing.”

“Over the last year we’ve made major investments in the long-term future of our company and the fisheries we work in,” said Keith Decker, President and CEO of Blue Harvest. “Blue Water is just one more example of these investments, which will help make Blue Harvest...

Haines, Alaska Hit By Record-Breaking Storm; Floods and Landslides Leave Six Missing 

After two days of relentless rain and wind that triggered a devastating series of landslides, the northern Southeast Alaska town of Haines is still in emergency mode. Yesterday, the largest landslide — estimated at 600 feet across — slid four houses down the slope across Beach Road and into Lynn Canal, a deep fjord that extends 100 miles south to the state capital of Juneau.

Mayor Douglas Olerud described some of the calamity that hit the small town in Tuesday's Declaration of a State of Emergency. 

”WHEREAS, several roads ...

Huon Aquaculture Hit Again with 'Hugely Concerning' Fish Escapement

For the second time in nearly two weeks, Huon Aquaculture announced a fish escapement. On the morning of December 2, a Huon-owned fish pen had a tear in its inner net and allowed 120,000-130,000 fish to escape.

Due to the small size of the fish (550 grams average weight) they are unlikely to survive in the marine environment, the company announced.

On November 23, Huon reported a fire that damaged one of the company’s fish pens, which led to the loss of 50,000 – 52,000 4kg fish, as SeafoodNews covered...

Icelandic Lumpfish Fishery Regain MSC Certification Following National Efforts

An Iceland-based lumpfish fishery has regained its Marine Stewardship Council certification (MSC) following improvements made in recent years to meet sustainable fishing standards.

"This was a challenge, which makes it all the more rewarding that lumpfish fisheries have passed the assessment,” Kristinn Hjálmarsson, the Project manager at Iceland sustainable fisheries, said. “It shows the commitment among Icelandic stakeholders to improve and maintain a sustainable interaction between fishing for food and all marine life. The certification is conditional, and we will continue to improve...

Nordic Aqua Partners Nets Listing on Oslo Stock Exchange’s Euronext Growth Market

Land-based salmon farmer Nordic Aqua Partners announced it is now admitted to trading on the Oslo Oslo Stock Exchange’s Euronext Growth Market.

“An IPO is absolutely crucial for a growth company like us,” said the chairman of the board Ragnar Joensen in Nordic Aqua Partners.

Nordic Aqua Partners is looking to bring a commercial Recirculating Aquaculture System farm for Atlantic salmon in China.

The company announced it raised EUR 55.1 million through issuing new shares. The placement was oversubscribed and attracted strong interest from high quality Norwegian and international investors...

Sysco Hires Tom Peck as Chief Information and Digital Officer

Food distributor Sysco announced Tom Peck will join the company as executive vice president and chief information and digital officer, effective Jan. 4, 2021.

Peck will be leading Sysco’s efforts to accelerate its business transformation through customer-facing technology solutions and will lead the company's efforts to modernize its technology infrastructure.

Peck enters his new role with over two decades of enterprise information technology strategy, services, operations, risk and cybersecurity for large global enterprises. He was previously the chief information and digital officer of Ingram Micro Inc., an approximately $50 billion global leader in technology distribution, supply chain services and cloud solutions...

NFI Releases Statement on Planned Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine

National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly released the following statement following the recommendation on prioritized allocation of the initial supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP):

“The National Fisheries Institute recognizes the hard work being done by these public health professionals and commends them on their decision to provide the vital vaccine initially to healthcare workers.

Further, we applaud the Committee’s recognition that those harvesting our fish and processing and distributing our seafood are essential...