Saving Seafood

Save the Date – Stakeholder Engagement Day, November 8 – American Fisheries Society, Baltimore, MD

August 12, 2021 — The following was released by the American Fisheries Society:

Monday, November 8, is Stakeholder Engagement Day at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. This one-day event allows commercial and recreational fishing and aquaculture industry stakeholders to learn about relevant research, contribute to presentations and panel discussions, and attend an evening networking event with fisheries scientists and managers. Stakeholders who are interested in attending this part of the AFS Annual Meeting are invited to apply for a reduced one-day registration rate of $50 (reduced from the $380 full rate).

Online applications must be submitted by Friday, October 29. Applicants will be notified within two weeks of submission if their application for reduced registration has been approved based on their involvement with the commercial fishing, recreational fishing, or aquaculture industries, as well as their potential involvement with cooperative research or events for Stakeholder Engagement Day. Upon notification, successful applicants will be provided with additional information about Stakeholder Engagement Day. If your application is not approved, you may still attend the meeting at the standard registration rate.

Event Schedule

While daily schedules are under development, a preliminary list of the meeting’s symposia highlights the research that will be discussed at the full meeting.

Scientist-Industry Networking Event

Stakeholder Engagement Day attendees will be invited to attend a joint scientist-industry networking event following the meeting. This social will be co-sponsored by the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists (AIFRB) and other partners. Please keep an eye on this webpage for additional details.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Some scientific and fishing organizations have generously offered financial or other (e.g., merchandise, seafood for networking event) support for Stakeholder Engagement Day to facilitate industry participation. Please reach out to our subcommittee co-chairs if your organization would like to contribute to the success of Stakeholder Engagement Day.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, or would like more information about opportunities to participate in panels, present on your fishery or collaborative research partnership, or potential financial assistance to support your attendance at the meeting, please contact one of the co-chairs (email contact info below) of our subcommittee on Stakeholder Engagement.

Sub-Committee on Stakeholder Engagement

  • Max Appelman (NOAA)
  • Dave Bard (NOAA Affiliate)
  • Mark Chandler (NOAA): mark.chandler@noaa.gov     Co-Chair
  • Dr. Willy Goldsmith (American Saltwater Guides Association)
  • Catherine Krikstan (NOAA Affiliate)
  • David Sikorski (Coastal Conservation Association – Maryland)
  • Jeffrey Vieser (NOAA Affiliate):  jeffrey.vieser@noaa.gov      Co-Chair
  • Dr. Douglas Zemeckis (Rutgers University): zemeckis@njaes.rutgers.edu     Co-Chair

National Fish & Seafood revived under new ownership, new name

May 24, 2019 — The assets of Gloucester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based National Fish & Seafood (NFS) have been purchased by NSD Seafood, which said in a 22 May announcement it planned to restart production of NFS’ Matlaw’s stuffed clam line and other products.

NFS abruptly closed its doors on 10 May. SeafoodSource first broke the story on 20 May that an unnamed buyer wanted to acquire NFS and resume the company’s operations. On 22 May, NSD Seafood agreed to purchase all of National Fish’s assets and rename the company Atlantic Fish & Seafood, according to the Gloucester Daily Times. The operations team is hoping to begin production within a week at NFS’s former 60,000-square-feet facility in Gloucester.

Nicholas M. Osgood, a principal in NSD Seafood, along with two other partners from the NSDJ Real Estate company that owns NFS’s 159 E. Main St. facility, acquired NFS’s assets, according to the Gloucester Daily Times.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

NEW JERSEY: Aquaculture to take centre stage at Atlantic City event

August 16, 2018 — Aquaculture will be the main focus of this year’s meeting of the American Fisheries Society (AFS), with presentations on breeding, rearing, and harvesting of aquatic organisms in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments.

Some eight hours of the AFS event, which will take place in Atlantic City, New Jersey on 21-22 August, will be dedicated to exploring aquaculture policies, protections, and management.

“AFS has been a leader in the science, practice, and policy of aquaculture since our founding in 1870 as the American Fish Culturists’ Association. Aquaculture is a fundamental part of how we manage fisheries resources, recover imperiled species, and satisfy growing demand for seafood. The programming planned is a continuation of our members’ work to make aquaculture effective, efficient, and aligned with the principles of natural resource stewardship,” said incoming AFS President Dr Jesse Trushenski.

Globally, the shellfish aquaculture industry is experiencing a period of rapid growth. In 2014, US production of clams, oysters, and mussels exceeded 40 million pounds and was valued at $300 million. Shellfish aquaculture can be a source of sustainable seafood, an important contributor to local economies, and provide ecosystem benefits to the coastal environment. These sessions at the AFS annual meeting will provide a forum for discussing current aquaculture research and policy in the United States and abroad.

Dr Daphne Munroe, leading scientist at the Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, explains why this science is crucial: “As aquaculture continues to grow, it is important that science and data collection keep pace. We are learning more and more about how to monitor and manage aquaculture, and we must ensure that we develop data-informed policies, backed up by the best possible science if we want to foster sustainable growth. Conversations like the ones we will have at AFS are one way that we as researchers, put our science in the hands of policy-makers and managers.”

Read the full story at The Fish Site