Saving Seafood

ASMFC: 2019 Issue of Habitat Hotline Atlantic Now Available

December 20, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The 2019 issue of Habitat Hotline Atlantic is now available here.

In This Issue

Marine Aquaculture Along the Atlantic Coast and Beyond
Aquaculture and the Needy Fish: An Introduction to the Fishy Aspects of Farming the Sea — 1
Restorative Aquaculture: Can Farming Shellfish and Seaweed Provide Habitat Benefits? — 3
Combining Shellfish and Seaweed Aquaculture in Bioerxtraction of Nutrients in Long Island Sound — 4
Growing Innovative Aquaculture in the Waters of Hawaii — 5
Aquaculture and ASMFC — 15 
Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Update
Massachusetts DMF Eelgrass Team Receives the 2019 Melissa Laser Fish Habitat Conservation Award — 8
Updates from Around the Coast
New Hampshire — 9
Massachusetts — 9
Rhode Island — 10 
New York — 11 
New Jersey — 11 
Delaware — 13 
Maryland — 14 
Virginia — 14 
North Carolina — 16 
South Carolina — 17 
Florida — 18
 
Prior issues of Habitat Hotline Atlantic can be found at http://www.asmfc.org/search/%20/%20/Habitat-Hotline.

Social unrest in Chile led to USD 656,000 in delayed salmon exports, official says

December 18, 2019 — Social protests and violence that erupted in Chile mid-October, including mobilizations at the salmon-farming area of Quellón and at ports used to move harvested salmon, cost around CLP 500 million (USD 656,485, EUR 589,076) in delays, according to Francisco Muñoz, the economy minister for southern Chile’s Los Lagos region.

The protests caused a 7 percent delay in volume with respect to the contracts that needed to be filled, Muñoz told SeafoodSource. Los Lagos represents 34 percent of all of Chile’s salmon breeding, while the region’s processing plants handle more than 70 percent of the salmon harvested.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Canada PM Justin Trudeau outlines goals for increasing MPAs, moving to land-based aquaculture

December 16, 2019 — Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a slate of ministerial mandate letters on 13 December, outlining the priorities he wants his Cabinet to pursue.

In his letter to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard Bernadette Jordan, Trudeau called for an increase in the country’s marine protected areas to cover 25 percent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, and a further increase to 30 percent coverage by 2030. Currently, just under 14 percent of Canada’s waters are designated MPAs.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

In Maine, Hawaii, technical education programs zero-in on aquaculture

December 13, 2019 — When Kingfish Zeeland announced plans to build a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) yellowtail farm in Jonesport, Maine, U.S.A., the company was met with overwhelming support from town officials and residents.

The Maiman’s Kats, The Netherlands-based firm is planning to build a 15- to 20-acre, state-of-the-art RAS facility on a 90-acre waterfront site east of town. The decision comes alongside two larger RAS projects – those of Whole Oceans and Nordic Aquafarms – that have decided to settle in coastal Maine.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Plastic pollution from aquaculture less than that from fishing

December 10, 2019 — Plastic litter is a serious problem affecting the marine environment, with current estimates indicating there is anywhere from 27 to 66.7 million metric tons of plastic currently in the world’s oceans and rivers. That number now grows every year by more than 12 million metric tons, notes environmental consultancy Eunomia – and the resulting ecological, social, and economic costs are considerable.

Three-quarters of marine plastic litter (74 percent) originates from land, 9.4 percent from fishing litter, 7.8 percent from primary microplastics, and 4.9 percent from shipping litter, Eunomia reports.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Cooke opens new AC Covert seafood distribution centre and retail outlet in Nova Scotia

December 3, 2019 — The following was released by AC Covert:

AC Covert, one of Canada’s largest seafood suppliers, is hosting an open house for the local community on Dec. 4th from 2-6pm at it’s new distribution centre and retail outlet at 390 Higney Avenue, located in the Burnside Business Park, Dartmouth, NS.

Since 1938, AC Covert has been the fishmonger supplier of choice for the finest retailers and food service professionals in Atlantic Canada. AC Covert delivers the freshest responsibly sourced and prepared fish to fine dining restaurants, hotels, gastro pubs, professional caterers and retailers locally and across North America.

AC Covert distributors was purchased by the Cooke family in 2008 and now offers over 400 different fresh and frozen seafood products to customers including smoked salmon, lobster, halibut, scallops and much more. The open house on Dec. 4th will feature seafood product samples, special offers and prizes.

“AC Covert now employs 30 people and Cooke spent $5.2 million constructing this new two-story, 26,000 square foot distribution centre and retail outlet where 6 delivery trucks operate from six days a week,” said Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke Inc. “This expansion is an integral part of our growth plan and we are part way through investing $112 million in Nova Scotia.”

“Nova Scotia is Canada’s number one seafood supplier and we now export to 80 international markets,” said Keith Colwell, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “We’re home to a diverse range of premium quality seafood and value-added products and it’s wonderful that AC Covert has expanded in our province to distribute products from over 30 Nova Scotia seafood companies.”

“Burnside is the largest industrial park north of Boston and east of Montreal, with almost 2,000 enterprises and approximately 30,000 employees,” said Mayor Mike Savage of Halifax Regional Municipality. “Cooke’s investment in AC Covert shows how our growing community is a beacon for attracting business investment creating local jobs.”

AC Covert is open Monday-Saturday from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Cooke settles lawsuit with NGO over 2017 collapse of Washington salmon pens

December 2, 2019 — Canada’s Cooke has reportedly paid $2.75 million to settle a lawsuit with NGO Wild Fish Conservancy, brought after the collapse of 10 Atlantic salmon pens in the US state of Washington in 2017.

The lawsuit — brought in November 2017 by the Northwest arm of the NGO — was set to go to court in Seattle on Dec. 3. On Nov. 27, myclallamcounty.com reported comments from Kurt Beardslee, executive director of the NGO, announcing the settlement. Cooke then confirmed the settlement to Undercurrent News.

“This afternoon, Cooke agreed to a settlement over the Clean Water Act violations with us. It was a $2.75m settlement,” said Beardslee. About half of the settlement will pay for legal expenses, he said.

The rest of it’s going to the Rose Foundation, which is going to be opening up to receive grant opportunities “for helping to save wild salmon and killer whales”, said Beardslee.

“Out of respect for the judicial process, we will not comment on the settlement contents given that this agreement takes effect upon entry by the court,” said a spokesman for Cooke.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Researchers to explore pre-permitting approach to aquaculture in New England

December 2, 2019 — The labyrinthine process of obtaining the proper permits to establish fish farms in federal waters has been frequently cited as a major obstacle to the advancement of the U.S. aquaculture sector.

Currently, an application to start an aquaculture operation in federal waters is reviewed by a plethora of federal agencies including the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA Fisheries, and the Environmental Protection Agency, along with a collection of state agencies if the proposed site is located near state waters. The long review process is often cited as being too complex and costly, according to Hauke Kite-Powell, a research specialist at the Marine Policy Center of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ASMFC Seeks Proposals for Regional Pilot Projects in Support of Sustainable Aquaculture: Proposals Due January 15, 2020

December 2, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission), in partnership with the NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP), seeking marine aquaculture pilot projects focused on sustainable aquatic farming techniques and regional business practices to grow U.S. domestic seafood. The geographic scope of the proposed projects is the U.S. East Coast states from Maine to Florida. The primary location of the proposed projects must be in the marine/estuarine environment. Examples of the types of pilot projects being sought through the RFP follow:

  • Research and development related to the production and distribution of shellfish seed stock.
  • Finfish, shellfish (other than oyster*), and seaweed farming systems, especially for those species new to aquaculture in the region or that use novel production systems.
  • Identification and development of Aquaculture Development Zones with pre-planning and pre-permitting for a range of aquaculture activities.
  • Resolution of issues (e.g., enforcement, water quality, public trust concerns or impacts) related to open water finfish farming in state waters.
  • Business incubators
  • Regional market and economic impact studies

NOAA Fisheries, through the Commission, is making available $625,000 for the funding period of July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. Individual proposals should not exceed $200,000 or be less than $50,000. It is anticipated that approximately 4-6 projects will be funded. Eligible applicants include researchers at U.S. academic institutions, research laboratories, forprofit companies/firms, nonprofits, and state agencies. Applicants seeking to apply to the RFP must submit, as a single file, an electronic proposal by email no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on January 15, 2020. Please see the RFP for complete proposal details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions. The RFP is available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/RFPs/ASMFC2020PilotAquacultureRFP_Nov2019.pdf.

Read the full release here

Challenges in Southeast Asia’s fisheries addressed by IFFO, GAA, and SFP in new reports

November 22, 2019 — The Marine Ingredients Organization (IFFO) and the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) have released a full report on Southeast Asian fisheries, containing data not previously released.

In 2017, IFFO and GAA commissioned a study highlighting Southeast Asian fisheries and their fishmeal relevance, producing a final report that was delivered to Fish Matter’s Duncan Leadbitter and published recently. The initial report championed “a requirement for accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date information as being of prime importance to the management of the sustainability of the aquaculture supply chain,” IFFO explained in a press release. Ultimately, the report concluded that “an integrated approach, based on the concept of collaboration” was the best route to positive impact.

Read the full story at Seafood Source