Saving Seafood

NOAA Office of Aquaculture appoints Danielle Blacklock as new director

March 17, 2020 — Danielle Blacklock is starting her new role as director of NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Aquaculture on Monday, 16 March.

Blacklock will oversee the aquaculture component of NOAA’s sustainable seafood portfolio and provide the strategic vision for developing a stronger aquaculture industry in the United States, according to NOAA. Specifically, Blacklock will lead the office’s work on several distinct priority areas including regulation and policy, science, outreach, and international activities in support of U.S. aquaculture.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

SFP launches new directory of aquaculture improvement projects

March 17, 2020 — The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) has launched the Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) Directory to support the seafood supply chain’s engagement with aquaculture improvement projects.

The new AIP Directory currently lists five active aquaculture improvement projects that cover three countries (China, Indonesia, and Thailand) and two species (shrimp and tilapia). Other active AIPs are invited to register on the website for free. The website also includes a range of resources and tools to support those looking to start new projects.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Coronavirus increasingly impacting Scotland’s salmon exports

March 16, 2020 — The controls that have been imposed in various markets to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic have made it difficult for some of Scotland’s salmon exporters to get products to customers, and the trade situation is likely to deteriorate before improvements are seen, the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) has said.

U.S. President Donald Trump extended a European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland on Saturday, 14 March. Cargo remains exempt from the ban, but the number of trans-Atlantic flights has dropped as a result, significantly reducing bellyhold cargo capacity from the market, according to Air Cargo News.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

US seafood suppliers, organizations forge ahead with Boston plans

March 13, 2020 — The Global Aquaculture Alliance and other companies and nonprofits involved in the seafood industry have rescheduled events originally planned for Seafood Expo North America to online meetings and webinars.

The GAA Stakeholder Update Meeting will take place as a webinar on 19 March at 11 a.m. EST. GAA board and committee meetings, which are closed to the public, will also be held online.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Bill pushing for US offshore aquaculture development reintroduced in House

March 12, 2020 — A bill designed to develop and support offshore aquaculture in the United States is getting a second chance at passing in the U.S. House of Representatives this week.

U.S. Representatives Steven Palazzo (R-Mississippi) and Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota), House Agriculture Committee Chairman, reintroduced the bipartisan Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act on Wednesday, 11 March.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Tesco: We need harder, faster progress from aquaculture

March 12, 2020 — If seafood is to realize its full potential as a global food security solution – providing healthy, sustainable, and affordable protein and meeting shifting consumer expectations, then the aquaculture sector must accelerate its progress hard and fast. That’s the message from one of the U.K.’s leading retailers, delivered at the North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) 2020 by Tesco Responsible Sourcing Director Giles Bolton.

Addressing delegates at the business conference in Bergen, Norway, Bolton said the food industry has to change, as too much of it is unsustainable.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Maine regulators to make decision on large salmon farm

March 10, 2020 — Maine regulators plan to make a decision about a large salmon farm after they take the last of the public comments about the proposal.

Norway-based Nordic Aquafarms wants to build the land-based farm, which would produce tens of millions of pounds of salmon per year. The Maine Department of Marine Resources has hosted public hearings about the proposal that have garnered some criticism of the project from residents.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

A new all-in-one website for Aquaculture Improvement Projects

March 9, 2020 — The following was released by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership:

The AIP Directory (www.aipdirectory.org) is a new website that serves as an independent, online platform to showcase active aquaculture improvement projects (AIPs). It was developed by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) as an open platform for information sharing for anyone active or interested in AIPs.

Although less established than the more familiar fishery improvement projects (FIPs), AIPs are increasingly important as a mechanism for the supply chain to support better sustainability practices in aquaculture industries. Until now, there was no online resource to allow those actively involved or interested in AIPs to learn where and how these improvements were taking place or what progress was being made on specific projects. The launch of the AIP Directory will meet these needs.

“AIPs are an important tool to drive sustainability – whether participating farms have certified responsible management practices in place or not. It is important for ensuring impact and credibility that projects have a clear set of goals and a defined workplan, and that they are publicly reporting on progress,” Seafresh Group Director of Sustainability Dominique Gautier said. “The AIP Directory gives project managers a mechanism to tell the world about their progress, and buyers and funders greater insight into what improvement projects are underway and how they can get involved.”

The AIP Directory currently lists five active AIPs that cover three countries (China, Indonesia, and Thailand) and two species (shrimp and tilapia). Other active AIPs are invited to register on the website for free. The website also includes a range of resources and tools to support those looking to start new projects.

“The AIP Directory really is a one-stop shop for all stakeholders in the supply chain,” SFP’s Aquaculture Director Anton Immink said. “As a buyer, you can find active projects; as an AIP implementer, you can showcase your project and report progress. If you can’t find a project that fits your needs, there are tools and resources on how to start a new AIP.”

AIPs are multi-stakeholder efforts that aim to utilize the power of the private sector to promote positive changes toward sustainability, seek to make those changes endure through policy change, and improve performance at the farm and zonal scale. The characteristics of an AIP mirror the core attributes of a FIP: public supply chain commitments, published needs assessments, workplans with time-bound objectives, and regular reporting of progress.

Maine to Take Final Comments on Belfast Salmon Farm Proposal

March 4, 2020 — Maine officials are taking the final comments on a proposal to build a large, land-based salmon farm in Belfast.

Nordic Aquafarms of Norway wants to build the facility, which would produce tens of millions of pounds of salmon per year.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources hosted a public hearing about the proposal on Monday night, and the state is taking comments on it until March 12. The proposal has been contentious in the community because of the scope of the project, which would use tanks to grow the fish.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at NBC Boston

MAINE: Nordic Aquafarms completes permit hearings

March 3, 2020 — Nordic Aquafarms (NAF) has completed the last hearing for state-level permitting required for the company to complete its planned USD 500 million (EUR 447.9 million) salmon recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Belfast, Maine.

The hearings, which occurred on 2 March, were for a state-level permit for the removal and disposal of subtidal excavation material and the company’s plans to ensure local fisheries aren’t impacted. The removal of material is part of the company’s plan to locate inlet and outlet pipes for the facility in the nearby Penobscot Bay.

Read the full story at Seafood Source