Saving Seafood

Japanese tech companies aim to solve fisheries and aquaculture problems

March 25, 2022 — Japanese companies are increasingly creating high-tech solutions for problems faced in fishing and aquaculture, using things like artificial intelligence, robots, and more.

At the 24th Japan International Seafood Show – scheduled for 24 to 26 August at Tokyo Big Sight (officially known as Tokyo International Exhibition Center) – several companies plan to show off some of the new tech at a co-event called Fish Next Technology EXPO. Exhibitors will feature labor-saving technology for fishing boats, technology to achieve high-quality production, big data conversion, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of things (IoT), information and communication technology (ICT), and robots.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Hatcheries produced a third of Alaska’s salmon catch in 2021

March 22, 2022 — Salmon returning home to Alaska hatcheries again accounted for nearly a third of the statewide catch for commercial fishermen with 64 million fish in 2021. It was the eighth largest hatchery homecoming since 1977. And at a payout of $142 million, the salmon produced 25 percent of the overall value at Alaska docks.

An additional 220,000 salmon that got their start in a hatchery also were caught in Alaska sport, personal use and subsistence fisheries.

Nearly 70 million adult hatchery salmon returned last year, according to the annual salmon enhancement report by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Pinks comprised the bulk of the pack, topping 57 million, followed by chum salmon at 9.4 million.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Aquaculture Stewardship Council using new tech to combat seafood fraud

March 21, 2022 — Along with a new marketing campaign that will be the largest in its history, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council is also developing new technology to help it combat seafood fraud.

The new tech is under the umbrella of the ASC’s new campaign “The New Way to Seafood.” As part of the campaign, the ASC said, it is developing new “trace element fingerprinting,” digital tagging and tracing technology, and the implementation of chain of custody protocols.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Aquaculture Stewardship Council launching its largest public marketing campaign ever

March 16, 2022 — The Aquaculture Stewardship Council is launching its largest public-facing marketing campaign ever as the organization seeks to tell the story of sustainable aquaculture to consumers.

The new marketing campaign will have a heavy U.S. emphasis, with an emphasis on local-market promotions. The “New Way to Seafood” campaign will aim to dispel falsehoods and public misconceptions about seafood and showcase the work that the ASC has been performing since the program’s inception.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

100 lobstermen sign petition to quash proposed salmon farm in Frenchman Bay

March 8, 2022 — A grassroots group opposed to a proposed salmon farm in Frenchman Bay presented Gouldsboro selectmen last week with petitions signed by 100 local fishermen who also are opposed to the project.

Norway-based American Aquafarms proposes to lease two sites between Bar Harbor and Schoodic Peninsula to install 15 “closed pens” plus an operations barge at each site, with the goal of eventually producing 30,000 metric tons, or 66 million pounds, of salmon annually.

“This is going to take away more of our lobster fishing ground,” Jerry Potter of South Gouldsboro said in a news release.

Potter, 75, has fished in Frenchman Bay for his entire working life.

“We’re worried about disease,” he said. “And I’m very concerned it would pollute the bay and destroy the bay’s entire ecosystem.”

Read the full story at Mainebiz

US seafood pressures Congress on aquaculture expansion

March 8, 2022 — The US lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) is stepping up pressure on Congress to expand the country’s aquaculture sector.

The organisation has sent a letter to both the House of Representatives and to the Senate calling for stronger support for the industry.

It was signed by more than 60 supporters from sectors related to fish farming including seafood harvesting, production and retail.

The letter calls for a smooth passage for what is called the Advancing The Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture Act (AQUAA).

The AQUAA Act is aimed at establishing a more streamlined process of permitting marine aquaculture and create a national framework for aquaculture development.

Read the full story at Fish Farmer

Millinocket wants in on Maine’s aquaculture boom

March 8, 2022 — The U.S. state of Maine has become a hub of land-based aquaculture development, and the town of Millinocket wants in on the action.

Our Katahdin, a local redevelopment group named after the nearby landmark Mount Katahdin, is actively marketing the former Great Northern Paper Co. mill site as an ideal landing spot for a recirculating aquaculture system farm, with Our Katahdin President Sean DeWitt saying the site has many of the attributes European salmon-farming companies are looking for as they seek to expand into the United States.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Maine baby eel fishermen to start season in coming weeks

March 1, 2022 — Maine’s baby eel fishermen are hopeful for another year of high prices for the tiny fish as the season nears.

The fishing season for baby eels, which are called elvers, starts in about three weeks. They’re valuable because they’re sold to Asian aquaculture companies that raise them to maturity so they can be used as food.

Read the full story at AP News

ASC launches public consultation for new ASC farm standard

March 1, 2022 — The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has launched one of its largest-ever rounds of public consultation starting 1 March and running to 30 April, 2022, seeking comments on the new ASC farm standard that will align all ASC-certified species under one standard.

The new single standard will benefit farmers and auditors through greater efficiency, and make it easier for stakeholders, such as NGOs, to assess and compare the ASC’s requirements for public consultation, the ASC said. Additionally, with this single, comprehensive standard, the ASC will be able to respond to changes in markets and the industry quicker than before.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

NOAA Biological Opinion Concludes Marine Finfish Aquaculture Has No Adverse Impact on Salmon, Orcas, and Other Native or Endangered Species in Puget Sound

March 1, 2022 — The following was released by the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance:

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service has released a biological opinion regarding marine finfish aquaculture in Puget Sound, finding little to no negative impact on native species such as endangered salmon, Orcas, or their habitat.

The NOAA analysis was initiated in October of 2018 to analyze the effects of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of the Washington Department of Ecology’s Sediment Management Standards regarding marine finfish rearing facilities.

In its analysis, NOAA found that EPA’s approval:

  • Is “not likely to jeopardize the continued existence” of Puget Sound (PS) and/or Georgia Basin (GB) species, including Chinook salmon, PS steelhead, Hood Canal summer-run chum, PS/GB yelloweye rockfish, or PS/GB bocaccio.
  • Is “not likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of the designated critical habitats for any of the listed species.”

In response to this opinion, the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA), which advocates for the sustainable production of aquatic foods in the Pacific region, is calling on regulators and policymakers to follow the science in making key decisions regarding marine aquaculture in Washington waters.

Native Steelhead trout grown in Washington State by Cooke Aquaculture Pacific. Photo Credit: Cooke Aquaculture

“After years of meticulous research and study, the scientists at NOAA have concluded, with full scientific certainty, that net-pen aquaculture in Puget Sound is safe for the environment and safe for the endangered species that live in these waters,” said Jim Parsons, NWAA President. Parsons is also CEO of Jamestown Seafood.

“This study, along with the recent unanimous Washington Supreme Court decision upholding Cooke Aquaculture Pacific’s permit to raise native steelhead in Puget Sound, finally puts to rest one of the biggest myths of all: that fish farming has a negative impact on endangered Chinook salmon and Orcas,” Parsons said.  “As aquatic farmers, we depend on a healthy ecosystem to grow a range of aquatic food products–from steelhead trout to black cod to oysters, clams, mussels, and sea vegetables—instead of importing these foods. Sustainable aquaculture not only produces the nutritious, affordable food our world needs, but it also benefits working families in our rural communities.”

Parsons added: “Given the current world situation, it’s time for Washington to lead the way in delivering fresh, locally produced, seafood to consumers throughout the Pacific Northwest and the United States. We encourage our leaders to rely on science rather than politics or claims made by certain anti-aquaculture activist groups in making key decisions about the future of aquatic farming and the Blue Economy in Washington.”