Saving Seafood

Court orders FDA to assess environmental impact of GM salmon

November 6, 2020 — A federal court judge ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday to conduct an environmental assessment of genetically modified salmon that he said was required for the agency’s approval of the fish.

But the judge did not vacate the FDA’s approval of the salmon for human consumption in the meantime, because he said the risk for near-term environmental harm is low.

“The FDA has to go back to the drawing board and do its homework,” said George Kimbrell, legal director for the Center for Food Safety, one of the groups that filed suit challenging the agency’s approval of the genetically modified salmon.

The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco centers on AquaBounty’s salmon, which are genetically modified to grow faster than normal salmon. In 2015, the fish became the first genetically modified animal approved for human consumption in the U.S. After clearing other regulatory hurdles. AquaBounty began growing the fish in indoor tanks at an Indiana plant last year.

Read the full story at The Washington Post

AquaBounty announces Kentucky as next planned GE salmon farm site

October 30, 2020 — AquaBounty Technologies announced that Mayfield, Kentucky, U.S.A., has been selected as its favored site for a future 10,000 metric ton (MT) land-based salmon farm.

The new farm would be the first large-scale commercial facility for the company’s AquAdvantage salmon – a proprietary genetically engineered Atlantic salmon. The new location would be eight times the size of the company’s existing farm in Albany, Indiana, which currently has a production capacity of 1,200 MT.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Gulf of Maine Research Institute launches new aquaculture knowledge portal

October 29, 2020 — The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) has announced the launch of a new online portal, “The Maine Aquaculturist,” designed to help aquaculture operations in the U.S. state of Maine access resources in the state.

The new portal was created in response to the growing number of aquaculture operations that are either already in business or are planning to establish locations in the state, according to GMRI. In the past few years, companies including Whole Oceans, Nordic Aquafarms, The Kingfish Company, Aquabanq, and American Aquafarms have all announced proposals for either land-based or net-pen aquaculture operations in various locations throughout the state. Those primarily finfish operations are additions onto the existing – and growing – shellfish aquaculture operations in the state, farming oysters in locations up and down the coast.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

How aquaculture’s pivot to direct distribution could go beyond pandemic

October 28, 2020 — Like wild fisheries, Maine’s aquaculture industry felt an enormous impact early in the pandemic with the shutdown of restaurants, the industry’s largest market and the setting where most seafood, wild and farmed, is consumed.

Mainebiz asked Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association in Hallowell, how the industry is faring now and what the outlook is going forward.

Here’s an edited transcript.

Mainebiz: How has the pandemic impacted the aquaculture industry?

Sebastian Belle: The impact was enormous, particularly when the restaurant sector shut down. It was a big shock to everybody, how quickly that impacted sales.

MB: What have seafood farmers done since then?

SB: You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand we have to figure out a way to get seafood to consumers. The pandemic has forced an evolution of some of the industry’s distribution channels at an accelerated rate. Those changes were happening anyway, but the pandemic sped it up. Historically, the farmer sells to a local wholesaler, which then ships to a regional wholesaler, then to wholesaler in another region, then to a retail outlet. We saw individual farmers being very innovative in terms of figuring out other ways to sell their product. In particular, I’m thinking about direct distribution to consumers and retail.

Read the full story at MaineBiz

NWAA fires back at Patagonia’s anti net-pen aquaculture video

October 27, 2020 — The Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA) has pushed back against a video by clothing company Patagonia titled “Take Back Puget Sound,” which focuses on net-pen aquaculture.

The new video focuses specially on Washington state, and opens with footage of a net-pen collapse suffered by Cooke Aquaculture, with speakers involved calling net-pen aquaculture “a dirty industry.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NOAA Seeks Public Input on New Aquaculture Opportunity Area Initiative

October 23, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

  • NOAA Fisheries is seeking public input on the identification of areas within the Gulf of Mexico as Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) and on what other areas in the nation NOAA should consider for future AOAs.
  • An AOA is a small defined geographic area that has been evaluated to determine its potential suitability for commercial aquaculture. NOAA will use a combination of scientific analysis and public engagement to identify areas that are environmentally, socially, and economically appropriate for commercial aquaculture.
  • Identifying AOAs is an opportunity for NOAA to use best available global science-based guidance on sustainable aquaculture management, and support the “triple bottom line” of environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

On May 7, 2020, the White House issued an Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth (E.O. 13921). The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Commerce to identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, other appropriate Federal officials, and appropriate Regional Fishery Management Councils, and in coordination with appropriate State and tribal governments. This includes:

Within 1 year of the Executive Order, identifying at least two geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture;

Within 2 years of identifying each area, completing a National Environmental Policy Act, programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for each area to assess the impact of siting aquaculture facilities there;

For each of the following 4 years, identifying two additional geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture and completing a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for each area within 2 years of the dates they are identified.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:

Public input is a critical component of the process of identifying AOAs in the Gulf of Mexico. On October 23, 2020, NOAA Fisheries published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register (85 FR 67519), requesting interested parties provide input on potential areas in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico that may be suitable for AOA development. Please refer to the “Supplementary Information” section of the RFI for specific questions NOAA seeks input on and the “Addresses” section for how to submit comments.

In addition to the RFI, national and regional listening sessions have been scheduled to provide opportunities for the public to learn more about the AOAs process. Information on national and regional (Gulf of Mexico) listening sessions are below:

  • National Listening Session: November 5, 2020, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
  • Gulf of Mexico Listening Session: November 17, 2020, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern
  • National Listening Session: November 19, 2020, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern

Links and toll-free phone numbers for each webinar can be found here.

American Aquafarms CEO: Local support is key to success in Maine

October 20, 2020 — The U.S. state of Maine has become a hotbed of aquaculture activity, with numerous companies announcing plans to open recirculating aquaculture system farms, including Nordic Aquafarms in Belfast, Whole Oceans in Bucksport, Kingfish Zeeland in Jonesport, and Aquabanq in Millinocket.

As of Friday, 16 October, another company has arrived in the Pine Tree State: American Aquafarms, which has invested in a site in Gouldsboro as its base for a closed net-pen salmon farm, from which it hopes to produce 30,000 metric tons (MT) of Atlantic salmon by 2024.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Bold Initiatives Chart Course for Stronger, More Resilient Seafood Sector

October 15, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We all have a stake in a stronger, more resilient U.S. seafood industry. Seafood is an important source of protein and other nutrients that are essential for strong bones, brain development, and healthy immune and cardiovascular systems. The U.S. seafood industry is a powerful economic driver—supporting 1.2 million jobs and adding $69.2 billion to the gross domestic product in 2017. And for decades, the United States has been a global leader in sustainable seafood production. In short, U.S. seafood is good for your health, good for the economy, and good for the planet.

While the pandemic has created serious, ongoing challenges, NOAA Fisheries has taken a proactive role in monitoring and adjusting to COVID-19. Our actions are driven in part by our rapid economic assessments that identified immediate and long term impacts on the seafood industry. The United States recently reaffirmed its commitment to building a stronger seafood industry. We’re taking bold steps to expand sustainable production and make U.S. products more competitive in domestic and foreign markets. In May, the President signed an Executive Order that will serve as the map for several exciting initiatives, including the creation of 10 Aquaculture Opportunity Areas.

Growing our domestic aquaculture industry is critical to expanding and stabilizing the supply of sustainable seafood in the face of environmental and economic uncertainty. Aquaculture operations diversify seafood production and provide a year-round source of high-quality jobs and economic opportunities in coastal communities. These jobs augment seasonal tourism and commercial fishing.

The first two Aquaculture Opportunity Areas will ultimately be located somewhere within the federal waters off southern California and in the Gulf of Mexico. By tapping into existing regional industry and infrastructure, each of the final 10 areas selected through 2025 will support new commercial marine farm sites.

Also under the Executive Order, the Department of Commerce is co-chairing the newly-established Seafood Trade Task Force. The group is charged with developing a comprehensive interagency seafood trade strategy that will support fair market access for U.S. seafood products. While the strategy is being developed, fishermen and other producers impacted by retaliatory tariffs can apply for direct support through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Seafood Trade Relief Program.

Read the full release here

Industry Creates Plan to Position Canada as Top Fish and Seafood Producer

October 15, 2020 — The following was released by the Fisheries Council of Canada:

Following the commitment made by the Canadian federal government in the 2020 Speech from the Thone to develop a Blue Economy Strategy, the Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) and the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) are pleased to release Canada’s Blue Economy Strategy 2040, a joint vision and action plan to capture the untapped potential of our waters.

Representing the national wild-capture and farmed seafood industries respectively, FCC and CAIA understand the proud and central role fishing plays in Canada’s identity. Recognizing the opportunity in the Blue Economy Strategy to continue to lift Canada to even greater heights and support economic recovery from the current COVID pandemic, the associations have developed this proposal to generate sustainable development through the fish and seafood industry.

“Canada is a water nation. With the longest coastline and among the most freshwater capacity in the world, communities and families across the country have built their lives and futures on capturing value from our precious waters,” said Paul Lansbergen, President, FCC. “We are ready to work with the federal government to strengthen sustainable economic growth from these waters.”

The proposal outlines a vision to position Canada to be a global top three best sustainable fish and seafood producer by 2040. FCC and CAIA are recommending the following sustainable growth targets:

  1. Double the Value of Canadian Seafood
  2. Double Economic Benefits
  3. Double Domestic Consumption of Fish and Seafood

To achieve this, FCC and CAIA have included six required actions:

  1. Identify federal department to drive sector economic development
  2. Develop specific organization with mandate to grow the seafood sectors
  3. Develop 5-year action plans for the seafood sector
  4. By 2025, through marine-based planning, ensure seafood development areas are finalized
  5. Expedite development of Aquaculture Act
  6. Completion of the new regulations under the Fisheries Act

“Canada needs to regain pride in its seafood sector, and in doing so stimulate coastal community development and job creation, sustainable food production, and Indigenous reconciliation,” said Timothy Kennedy, President & CEO, CAIA. “Our country needs improved economic opportunities as we begin to build back better from COVID-19, and we believe our industry can lead the way with a blue recovery.”

The new path outlined in this proposal can help enable the industry towards innovation and development and support Canadian entrepreneurs to “seize the podium” to produce the best, most sustainable seafood in the world. Doing so will benefit coastal and Indigenous families and communities, our nation and human and planetary health. It’s a vision worth realizing without further delay.

Aquafeed producers stress importance of shift toward sustainable supply chain

October 12, 2020 — Major aquaculture operations and retail companies are setting high targets in the next decade to push the industry’s boundaries on sustainability as it relates to novel feed ingredients, energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon emissions, and worker voice and social equity.

In a virtual Global Outlook for Aquaculture Leadership (GOAL) conference panel on Wednesday, sustainability heads from several companies came together to explain their guidelines, goals, and reasons for focusing on increasing sustainable practices in these key areas.

Read the full story at Seafood Source