Seafood Headlines January 30, 2017

Warehouse at L.D. Amory & Co. destroyed following fire in downtown Hampton

A warehouse at L.D. Amory & Co. was destroyed after a fire Sunday morning.

Fire units were dispatched to a fire alarm activation at a warehouse located at 101 S. King Street at 8:18 a.m. While crews were responding, the call was upgraded to a commercial fire. To read the full article click here. Source ABC news.

Alaska commercial halibut fishermen get big boost in catch limit

More Pacific halibut will be going to market this year due to an overall boost in harvests for the West Coast, British Columbia and Alaska. The coast-wide limit of 31.4 million pounds reflects a 5.1 percent increase and, for the first time in decades, not a single fishing region faces a decline its allowable catch.

The heartening news was released Friday by the International Pacific Halibut Commission, overseer of the stocks since 1923. To read the full article click here. Source ADN.

Kitty Simonds responds to 8 Scientists talk about Marine Protected Areas

The following comment was written by Kitty Simonds as a response to our “8 scientists talk about marine protected areas post” (you can see it in the comment section here). The introduction of that post is followed by Simonds’s response.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been a central topic in fisheries news and policy in recent months. In November 2015 a paper by Jane Lubchenco and Kirsten Grorud-Colvert advocated for more “strongly protected” MPAs, and that a goal of 10% protection of coastal marine areas by 2020 suggested at the Convention on Biological Diversity was “too loosely defined”. (Discussed in more detail here by CFoodUW). More recently, President Obama created the largest ecologically protected area on the planet when he expanded a national marine monument in his native Hawaii to encompass more than half a million square miles. Perhaps most significantly, the IUCN World Conservation Congress passed (by a large margin) a motion to protect 30% of global oceans by 2030. To read the full article click here. Source CFood.

How sustainable is that certified seafood?

A blue check mark from the Marine Stewardship Council is meant to signify to consumers that seafood has been sustainably harvested. The organization works with hundreds of scientists throughout the world and uses United Nations guidelines on certification. Kerry Coughlin, MSC's regional director for the Americas, told PRI's Living on Earth, "it's a very rigorous process."

A chorus of experts, however, disagrees. A recent opinion piece in the journal Nature says the MSC is "failing to protect the environment and needs radical reform." The article's author, Jennifer Jacquet, told Living on Earth, "the rules of the MSC for certification are too loosely worded, and can be loosely interpreted by third-party certifiers, the ones who actually come in and do the certifying." To read the full article click here. Source PRI.

Fish board nixes Tanner crab season

An attempt at salvaging a Tanner crab fishing season in the Bering Sea failed last week when the Alaska Board of Fisheries deadlocked in a 3-3 vote at a meeting in Kodiak.

Voting in support of opening the bairdi Tanner fishery were Reed Moritskey, Robert Ruffner, and John Jensen. Opposed were Israel Peyton, Orville Huntington, and Al Kain, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Mark Stichert in Kodiak.

The fish board is composed of seven members, and four "aye" votes are required to approve an action. One board member who could have cast a tie-breakding vote, Susan Jeffrey, recused herself, and abstained from voting citing a conflict of interest because a family member owns individual fishing quotas, Stichert said. To read the full article click here. Source The Bristol Bay Times.

FDA warning: Iceland’s Fisk Seafood still trying to get it right

Fisk Seafood in Iceland has not yet resolved all of its issues with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA inspected the seafood processing facility on Sept. 12 and 13, 2016, finding serious violations of the U.S. seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations.

FDA issued a Form-483 report on its inspection observations and Fisk Seafood on Oct. 4 responded by email with documentation and photographs of its corrective actions. However, in a warning letter dated Jan. 11, FDA informed Fisk Seafood that those measures were “not adequate.” The letter gives Fisk Seafood 15 additional working days to make further required corrections. To read the full article click here. Source Food Safety News.

Migrants petition Thai seafood giant on wages

More than 2,000 migrant workers at a major Thai seafood exporter called Monday for higher wages and better working conditions, a rare stand in a country where foreigners are banned from forming trade unions.

Leaders representing 2,243 Myanmar employees at processing factories owned by Sea Value Group submitted a petition "requesting increased welfare benefits and change of work conditions", the Migrant Worker Rights Network said in a statement. To read the full article click here. Source The Peninsula.

ISA outbreak confirmed at Los Fiordos farming centre

The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) has confirmed the existence of an outbreak of ISA in a farming centre in the Aysen Region.

This is the Gertrudis 1 centre, owned by company Los Fiordos, which is located to the northeast of the island of the same name in the region of Aysen.

The centre had already been categorized as suspicious on Tuesday 24 January, after the company reported signs consistent with infectious salmon anaemia virus. To read the full article click here. Source FIS.

Interactions between microalgae prove to be crucial in red tides

Researchers from the Department of toxic microalgae at the IEO's Vigo Oceanographic Centre determined that competition between toxic and non-toxic microalgae species that inhabit the Canaries seabed can have both positive and negative effects.

The team has published the results of a research focused on the study of benthic dinoflagellates (living on substrates), a group of microalgae that is usually related to harmful algal blooms. To read the full article click here. Source FIS.

Iceland Seafood International hf.: SFS and Fishermen's Union Negotiations

As a leading player in the Icelandic and European seafood sector the company believes it is incumbent upon them to make a statement regarding the above subject matter.

As has been widely reported, negotiations between Fisheries Iceland (SFS) and the various Fishermen's unions broke down earlier this week, leading to uncertainty on when fishing of larger boats/vessels will recommence. The small boat fleet in Iceland has continued supplying the markets throughout this period. To read the full article click here. Source Globe Newswire.

Improving European aquaculture by advancing selective breeding to the next level for the six main finfish species

14 well-recognised RTD participants in Europe on aquaculture breeding will collaborate in a five year comprehensive research project with 7 SMEs, 4 large industries and 1 NGO throughout Europe.

A mixture of low and high-tech technological advances will be developed to move the breeding programmes of the six main fin fish species to the next level. This step-change advance will facilitate balanced and sustainable breeding programmes applying a wide set of traits, breeding tools and technologies. To read the full article click here. Source Nofima. Additional information may also be found on the European Commission website here.

Surge in illegal online seafood sales in Northland

A surge of online seafood for sale has seen poachers in Northland taking orders before they collect seafood and illegally sell their catch through social media.

The summer months have seen an increasing number of people offering a smorgasbord of seafood for sale on Facebook pages and fisheries officials in Northland are calling on members of the public to help stem the tide.

Paua, pipi, mullet, snapper, kina and crayfish have all been up for grabs - for a price - on various Facebook sites in the past few months. to read the full article click here. Source NZ Herald.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has announced three research projects conducted in collaboration with partners to support the Quebec fishing industry and mariculture

The Government of Canada is committed to reinvesting funds in support of science programs to help protect the health of fish stocks and support responsible and sustainable aquaculture in the coastal regions of Canada. The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, has announced three new collaborative research projects, designed to improve our knowledge of the aquatic species populations that are harvested in Quebec. To read the full article click here. Source Market Wired.

Firth of Thames fish farm tenders open

The Waikato Regional Council is calling for tenders to occupy up to 240 hectares of fish farming space in the Firth of Thames.

The space is in the Coromandel Marine Farming Zone which is about 10 kilometres west of Coromandel Town, and once operational, will be the first fish farming zone off the North Island.

Fish would be farmed in sea cages and the regional council believes the 300 hectares zone could eventually support the production of about 8000 tonnes of farmed fish – roughly comparable to the production of farmed salmon in the Marlborough Sounds. To read the full article click here. Source Sun Live.

Man dupes Shrimp Basket workers out of 80 pounds of seafood, police say

A man is behind bars in Gulf Shores after he posed as a Shrimp Basket restaurant employee and stole 80 pounds of seafood in the last month, according to police.

The Gulf Shores Police Department arrested Maurice Morrissette, 42, of Mobile on Thursday and charged him with one count of third-degree burglary, resisting arrest, attempting to elude police, failure to obey a police officer, and reckless endangerment and use/possession of marijuana. To read the full article click here. Source Al.com.

Reduce customs duty on chilled & frozen sea food and poultry to 10% & 20% respectively: ASSOCHAM plea

New Delhi, Jan 28 (IBNS): Apex industry body ASSOCHAM has urged the Union Government to reduce customs duty on chilled and frozen sea food from present level of 30 per cent to 10 per cent to bring down food inflation and satiate high demand for sea food in India.

“Local fisheries will not get affected by imports because sea food availability in India is much lower than its demand,” highlighted ASSOCHAM in its pre-budget memorandum (indirect taxes) submitted to the Centre. To read the full article click here. Source India Blooms.

Commercial Rock Crab Season Extended From Half Moon Bay to the Mexican Border

California's commercial rock crab season was extended today to include the entire coastal area from Pillar Point Harbor in San Mateo County all the way to the Mexican border, according to state Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

Previously, it was open from about the Pillar Point lighthouse to the Mexican border, a difference of roughly 25 miles, according to Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Jordan Traverso. To read the full article click here. Source Half Moon Bay Patch.

UNCW Announces Shellfish Workshop, Initiative For Businesses

Entrepreneurs involved with developing a sustainable shellfish industry in the southeastern United States will have an opportunity to enhance their business practices and expand their networks at a Wilmington workshop in March. The three-day event, to be held March 15-17, will also help participants learn how to approach potential investors most effectively, according to a news release Thursday from University of North Carolina Wilmington.

 Hosted by UNCW and the Wilmington-based Marine Bio-Technologies Center of Innovation (MBCOI), the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast Shellfish Workshop is open to startups and established businesses from 11 states and Washington, D.C. that are involved in any aspect of the shellfish industry, the release stated. It will also prepare interested ventures to apply for the Fish 2.0 Competition be held in November at Stanford University. To read the full article click here. Source Wilmington Biz.

Encouraging start for the squid season

The first week of the squid season (Illex argentinus) ended with encouraging results so far for the jigging fleet that operates south of the 44th parallel.

According to reports from the fishing zone, some 45 vessels operating between 44° and 46° SL have been catching around 20 tonnes per jigger and day, with similar proportions of sizes S and SS, Pescare reported. To read the full article click here. Source FIS.

Climate warming may up mercury levels in sea food: study

Rising temperatures may boost levels of mercury – one of the world’s most toxic metals – in fish by up to seven times the current rates, say scientists. Researchers found that extra rainfall drives up the amount of organic material flowing into the seas.

This alters the food chain, adding another layer of complex organisms which boosts the concentrations of mercury up the line. According to the World Health Organisation, mercury is one of the top ten threats to public health. To read the full article click here. Source The Indian Express.

Myanmar-Japan venture to farm eels for export 

Myanmar is set to increase its exports of farmed eels to Japan, the world's biggest consumer of the fish, under a joint venture between companies from the two countries.

Under an agreement between Myanmar's Anawa Devi Fishing & General Trading Co-op Ltd and Daiichi Koutsu Sangyo Co, a major Japanese taxi operator which has diversified into real estate, finance and other businesses, the firms will farm level-finned eels, which are consumed domestically but have not been cultured commercially yet, said Toe Nandar Tin, chairperson of the Myanmar company. To read the full article click here. Source Bangcock Post

EU Preliminary Agreement To Modernize Fishing Vessels Legislation

The European Council, led by the Maltese presidency, reached a preliminary political agreement on Thursday with the European Parliament on a draft regulation defining the specifications of fishing vessels.

The new rules repeal and recast Council regulation No 2930/86 in line with the European Union’s commitment to simplify and clarify EU law in order to make it clearer and easier to understand. To read the full article click here. Source Eurasia Review.

Sonora declares sanitary closure for molluscs due to red tide

The Sonora Department of Health, through the State Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (COESPRISSON), has declared a sanitary precautionary ban in the Upper Gulf of California for bivalve molluscs, due to the presence of a toxin.

According to the state government, the red tide currently present in the Gulf of California has reached historic levels of toxicity due to the presence of the biotoxin called saxitoxin, which contaminates bivalve molluscs and endangers the health of people consuming these products. To read the full article click here. Source FIS.

Salmon company to invest USD 1.5 million to increase production

Salmon company Fiordo Blanco plans to invest USD 1.5 million to expand the biomass of the Porcelana salmon fattening centre, located in the commune of Chaiten, in Los Lagos region.

The concession has an authorized area of 18.54 hectares.

According to the Environmental Impact Statement that the salmon company presented to the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA), the project seeks to extend the authorized biomass from 4,590 tonnes per year to 5,500 tonnes, which will be done from smolts. To read the full article click here. Source FIS.