Saving Seafood

International & Trade

Peru’s political turmoil has anchoveta industry on edge

December 16, 2022 — On Thursday, 15 December, Peru’s government instituted a national state of emergency, responding to outbursts of violence from protesters unhappy over the 7 December ousting of the country’s left-leaning president, Pedro Castillo, and the swearing in of then-vice president Dina Boluarte as Peru’s new head of state.

Castillo was facing allegations of corruption, with an estimated 50 separate cases pending with Peru’s Public Ministry. In an attempt to avoid impeachment over those allegations, Castillo illegally moved to dissolve congress and rule by decree, and was subsequently arrested and jailed. Peru’s Supreme Court of Preparatory Investigation is evaluating a federal prosecutor’s request for 18 months of preventive detention for Castillo and the former prime minister, Aníbal Torres. Castillo will remain jailed until that request is resolved, according to Reuters. Judge César San Martín said that if Castillo is found guilty of the crime of rebellion and conspiracy against the state, he would face a sentence of no less than 10 years.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Shark-fishing gear banned across much of Pacific in conservation ‘win’

December 10, 2022 — Industrial-scale fishers will no longer be able to use two types of shark-fishing gear in the western and central Pacific Ocean after the international body in charge of tuna fisheries there agreed to ban the devices.

The measure, adopted last week at the annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), is seen as a major and potentially precedent-setting win for conservationists who say urgent action is needed to stave off extinction for many shark populations. Shark numbers in the open ocean have plunged by an estimated 71% in the past half-century, with humans thought to kill 100 million of the animals each year.

“The science was on our side,” Kelly Kryc, the head of the U.S. delegation to the WCPFC, which co-proposed the measure with Canada, said in an interview after the meeting concluded. “By taking these steps, the conservation gains are quantifiable and measurable for vulnerable shark populations like oceanic whitetip and silky sharks.”

The first type of banned gear, shark lines, helps longline fishing vessels hook the ocean predators as opposed to other kinds of fish.

The second type, wire leaders, increases the likelihood of retaining a shark once it’s caught on the line. The animals’ sharp teeth can easily bite through a nylon or monofilament leader (a short segment of line attaching a hook to the main fishing line) as opposed to a leader reinforced with wire.

While the two devices were already outlawed in some countries’ territorial waters, last week’s decision marked the first time that one of the main bodies overseeing tuna fishing in international waters had outright banned their use. The decision may pave the way for other regional fisheries management organizations, or RFMOs, to do the same.

The WCPFC previously outlawed the simultaneous use of wire leaders and shark lines, but vessels could still deploy one or the other. A similar proposal to ban them was not adopted at last year’s meeting.

Read the full article at Mongabay

Ukraine’s seafood industry beginning to recover from worst of war’s impact

December 1, 2022 — The Association of Ukrainian Fish and Seafood Importers was established in 2013 as a non-governmental organization with the purpose of protect the rights and interests of seafood importers. It currently has 27 member-companies

In an interview with independent journalist Viktor Sagaydak, the organization’s head, Dmitry Zagumenny, discussed how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected the country’s seafood industry and the biggest challenges the industry currently faces.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ICCAT agrees to measures for Atlantic bluefin, mako sharks

November 25, 2022 — The International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) wrapped up its 23rd special meeting with agreements on bluefin tuna and shark conservation.

At the meeting – held in a hybrid live and online format in Vale do Lobo, Portugal from 14 to 21 November – ICCAT member-states agreed to establish a management procedure for Atlantic bluefin and set a catch quota for the Southern Atlantic mako shark population.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Illegal bottom trawling widespread inside Mediterranean marine protected areas

November 23, 2022 — The Mediterranean Sea isn’t the source of plenty it once was. It now contains some of the most ecologically degraded marine areas in the world, and has been the site of dead zones and fish stock collapses in recent decades. Populations of countless species are in decline, including sharks, seagrasses and marine mammals. The sea is “on the verge of ‘burn out,’” WWF has declared.

Overfishing and destructive fishing practices, including bottom trawling, are part of the problem. Bottom trawlers drag fishing nets weighted down with heavy “doors,” and they often damage the seabed, destroying coral and sponge habitats, and catch unintended species at a high rate. Conservationists have pushed the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) and no-trawl zones, but these are only effective if managed and regulated well, and reports in recent years have indicated that, in the Mediterranean, this isn’t the case.

Now the Med Sea Alliance (MSA), an umbrella group of NGOs and environmental advocates, has launched an “atlas” showing widespread illegal bottom trawling in the Mediterranean. The atlas, an interactive online map, shows thousands of days of apparent bottom-trawling activity in areas where it is banned, in 2020 and 2021. The atlas uses data from transponders that fishing vessels carry, as well as 169 confirmed infractions based on coast guard records and media reports.

“It’s the first time such an atlas [has been] released,” Anne Rémy, MSA’s movement coordinator, told Mongabay. “It can appear like a very scientific map, but behind this map, you have a very interesting story about the lack of enforcement and transparency in the Med, which is the most overfished sea in the world.”

Rémy stressed that the marine areas in question were especially ecologically sensitive.

“We are seeing the worst cases that could happen. Because it’s not bottom trawling [just] anywhere, it’s bottom trawling in areas which should really be protected,” she said.

Read the full article at Mongabay

Cooke Inc. acquires Tassal Group Limited

November 21, 2022 — The following was released by Cooke Inc:
Cooke Inc. (“Cooke”), parent company of Cooke Aquaculture Inc. of New Brunswick, Canada, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Tassal Group Limited (ASX: TGR) (“Tassal”) of Australia, under which Cooke (via a wholly-owned Australian subsidiary) has acquired all outstanding shares of Tassal for AUD $5.23 per share in cash by way of a scheme of arrangement (“Scheme”) or a total enterprise value of approximately AUD $1.7B (CAD $1.5B). This follows a Tassal shareholder vote held on November 3, 2022, with voting majorities that overwhelmingly approved the Scheme. Final approval of the Scheme was ordered by the Supreme Court of New South Wales on November 8, 2022.
 
With over 36 years’ experience, Tassal is Australia’s largest vertically integrated seafood producer and Blue AgTech business. Its footprint spans from Southern Tasmania to the North of Queensland. Tassal annually harvests 40,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon in five marine farming zones supported by four land based freshwater hatcheries and four processing facilities. The company also farms 5,500 tonnes of Australian Black Tiger Prawns from two hatcheries, three pond farms and processing facilities. 
 
The company domestically and internationally distributes and processes salmon, prawns and other seafood in fresh, smoked, and frozen categories. Tassal is recognised by Australians as a leading household seafood brand and also distributes products under the company’s brands include Tropic Co – The Aussie Prawn, De Costi Seafood, Superior Gold, and Tasmanian Smokehouse.
The Tassal purchase is Cooke’s first investment in Australia and the largest-ever for the family-owned seafood and nutritional products company since it first began in 1985 in New Brunswick.
 
“We are thrilled to be joining the Tasmanian aquaculture industry and look forward to welcoming Tassal’s 1,700 employees to the Cooke family of companies,” says Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke Inc. “Over the last few months, myself and members of our global management team have had the opportunity to visit Tassal’s operations and have been so impressed by the team’s dedication to what they do and their communities. We’re looking forward to working with Tassal’s employees and customers to ensure that we continue to produce high quality, sustainable seafood for the Australian market and beyond.”
 
Like New Brunswick, Tasmania’s isolated coastline, natural environment and cool climate make it the primary location for Australian aquaculture of cooler water species.  Species farmed by Tasmanian producers include Atlantic salmon, oysters, mussels, abalone, seahorses and seaweeds. Marine farming is now one of the State’s major employers with thousands of Tasmanians working in the industry. Australia’s aquaculture industry is actively supported by government and industry partnerships. The National Aquaculture Strategy, in collaboration with state and territory governments, aims to double aquaculture production in Australian waters to an annual value of $2 billion by 2027.
 
“Producing healthy and nutritious seafood comes with great responsibility. Whether we are farming prawns on land or salmon in the sea, our commitment is to be a responsible business respecting our people, the environment and communities we operate within as we deliver our vision of sustainably feeding tomorrow which aligns perfectly with Cooke’s core purpose,” says Mark Ryan, CEO of Tassal. “We’re looking forward to becoming part of the Cooke family of companies and sharing the best of what our industry has to offer.”
 
Cooke’s core purpose is to ‘cultivate the ocean with care, nourish the world, provide for our families, and build stronger communities. Cooke believes Tassal will be a major contributor in furthering its commitment to the continuous improvement of animal husbandry, biosecurity, environmental management, and sustainable farming practices.
 
In order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says aquatic foods offer highly accessible and affordable sources of animal proteins and micronutrients, playing a vital role in the food and nutrition security of many people across the world, particularly vulnerable coastal populations.
 
Aquaculture farming is one of the healthiest and most efficient ways to feed the global population with a minimal environmental impact and the lowest carbon footprint of any animal protein. The aquaculture industry works closely with world-renowned scientists from academia, government and the private sector to develop rigorous standards and implement best practices for fish health and environmental protection.
 
Cooke is grateful to The Australian Trade and Investment Commission and The High Commission of Canada to Australia for their ongoing support facilitating trade and investment between our Commonwealth realm countries. Australian investment bank Kidder Williams acted as buy-side financial adviser for Cooke. Australian law firm Allens acted as legal counsel for Cooke.

100 states committed to the UN FAO’s Agreement on Port States Measures

November 21, 2022 — The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has increased commitment to its Agreement on Port States Measures (PSMA) by reaching 100 states committing to the agreement  to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The FAO estimates that globally, one in every five fish caught annually is from IUU fishing. Combatting IUU fishing aids national, regional, and global efforts for sustainable fisheries and is part of achieving the U.N.’s sustainable development goals. The PSMA is an international agreement that denies port access to foreign vessels seeking entry to a port other than their own state.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Brexit case for UK seafood industry was overstated, APPG study finds

November 8, 2022 — U.K fishermen were promised the results of Brexit and leaving behind the European Union’s common fisheries policy would enable the country to regain control of its waters. A fisheries white paper also guaranteed a historic opportunity to do things better.

However, a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group titled “Brexit: Voices of the U.K. Fishing Industry” shows the rhetoric turned out to lack substance. In reality, Brexit left the fishing industry and the wider seafood sector crying foul in the wake of unexpected and unwelcome detrimental impacts on livelihoods, business turnover, labor, exports, and access to fishing areas and quota. Report contributors expressed fears for the long-term viability of individual businesses, fishing fleets, processors, and transporters, following significant and ongoing financial losses.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource