Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: 100 gallons of oil spilled into harbor Tuesday

July 5, 2018 — Residents living along the coast of New Bedford harbor and those enjoying a day in the water may have noticed the odor of diesel fuel to accompany their Fourth of July celebration as crews from Frank Corp work to clean about 100 gallons that spilled into the harbor on Tuesday.

The spill occurred in the area of Pearse Park boat ramp Tuesday night at around 8 p.m., according to the Coast Guard. Fairhaven Fire and EMS said the spill affected from the fishing vessel Pacific Capes, which is owned by Atlantic Capes Fisheries. The spill extended from Linberg Marine to the Seaport Inn Marina.

Fairhaven Fire and EMS was hopeful that as the temperature increased on Wednesday, the oily sheen would dissipate.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

East and West Coast NCFC Members: ‘H.R. 200 Will Create Flexibility Without Compromising Conservation’

June 25, 2018 — WASHINGTON — Today, East and West Coast members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities (NCFC) submitted a letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in support of H.R. 200, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, which would update the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

The letter, which was also sent to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Emeritus Don Young, and other top Congressional officials, states that H.R. 200 will “create flexibility without compromising conservation.”

“We want a Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) that allows for both sustainable fisheries management, and the long-term preservation of our nation’s fishing communities,” the groups wrote. “We firmly believe that Congress can meet these goals by allowing for more flexibility in management, eliminating arbitrary rebuilding timelines, and adding other reforms that better take into account the complex challenges facing commercial fishermen.”

The letter does not include support from the NCFC’s Florida, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic members, which supported the legislation from the beginning, but withdrew their support due to a late change to the Manager’s Amendment that would negatively impact their region. The NCFC’s East and West Coast members continue to support the bill on its overall merits, but share the concerns of Gulf and South Atlantic fishermen over this late alteration.

Organizations affiliated with the NCFC do not accept money from ENGOs, and represent the authentic views of the U.S. commercial fishing industry.

The letter signers represent the American Scallop Association, Atlantic Red Crab Company, Atlantic Capes Fisheries, BASE Seafood, California Wetfish Producers Association, Cape Seafood, Garden State Seafood Association, Inlet Seafood, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, Lund’s Fisheries, North Carolina Fisheries Association, Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, Seafreeze Ltd., Town Dock, West Coast Seafood Processors Association, and Western Fishboat Owners Association.

Read the full letter here

 

Atlantic Capes installs massive IQF scallop tunnel in $5m plant upgrade

May 23, 2018 — Atlantic Capes Fisheries (ACF), one of the largest scallop firms on the US East Coast, has completed the primary phase of a $5 million investment in a plant in Fall River, Massachusetts, the company’s CEO told Undercurrent News.

The investment at ACF’s IQF Custom Packing plant includes an individual quick frozen (IQF) tunnel which is the largest of its kind in the US scallop sector, from Iceland’s Skaginn3X.

Also, ACF has installed a Skaggin3X slurry ice and delivery system, a new Hayssen Bagger, and new scallop grader in the plant.

Before the end of the year, ACF plans to complete the next phase of the IQF Custom Packing upgrade, Danny Cohen, ACF’s CEO, told Undercurrent.

This will see more value-added packing equipment, two truck loading bays, an expanded production office and automatic box making equipment added to the plant.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Sea Star crew thanks Coast Guard for rescue

February 21, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The fishermen aboard the vessel Sea Star, which sank last week, expressed their appreciation Tuesday to those who rescued them as they returned to work.

Chad Maguire, the managing member of Old Testament Fisheries, sent his “sincere and very heartfelt thanks” to the Coast Guard through a news release.

“Without the outstanding response by these brave Coast Guard men and women, the crew of the Sea Star may have had a much different experience,” the release said.

Aircrews from an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and HC-144 Ocean Sentry arrived about 18 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard to find the Sea Star taking on water on Feb. 15.

The Coast Guard ordered the four fishermen to abandon and a rescue swimmer pulled each person up to the helicopter.

“Old Testament Fisheries is elated that the crew were quickly and safely reunited with their families,” the release said. “It is clear the significant impact that the crew’s drills instruction training played in their successful rescue.”

Atlantic Capes Fisheries owns the Sea Star through which it charted it to Old Testament Fisheries. A spokesperson for Old Testament Fisheries said it’s a common practice for companies to finance vessels acting as a bank for fishermen.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Atlantic Capes Fisheries debuts ‘game-changer’ in scallops

February 8, 2018 — FALL RIVER, Mass. — A new blue package at Atlantic Capes Fisheries is being called a “game-changer” for the scallop industry.

In partnering with Maxwell Chase, an Atlanta-based innovative packaging company, Atlantic Capes began shipping some of its scallops in its new Blue SeaWell container, which the companies say will double the life of fresh all natural scallops to about 10 days.

“It’s really exciting,” said Carl Achorn, a salesperson at Atlantic Capes Fisheries Inc. “Because of this new technology, it’s the opportunity to show people what real fresh scallops from New Bedford are like way out in Michigan, way out in Ohio.”

Shipping with the Blue SeaWell technology began last week. Atlantic Capes shipped 10 containers holding 5 pounds each. By the end of the week, the company filled 1,000 containers.

“It’s a product we believe in,” Operations Manager Chris Brown said. “Again, if we’re in Montana and we wanted scallops just like we’re fortunate enough to take home here, how would we want them packed? This is the way we want them packed because the results have proven themselves.”

The scallops are packed into the blue container without any preservatives added. The innovation begins at the bottom of the container where a semi-transparent fabric covers 12 wells, which look like an enlarged ice cube tray. The the fabric is specifically made to allow any fluid that a scallop excretes to cipher through. A unique recipe of a sand-like substance sits at the bottom of each well and helps absorb any fluid, which allows for a fresh scallop.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Atlantic Capes Fisheries Launches ‘Honest Scallops’ Campaign, featuring ‘Game Changing’ Packaging

February 1, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Atlantic Capes Fisheries Inc. has new packaging that will be a “game changer” for scallops.

The New Bedford, MA, based harvester has entered into an exclusive partnership with Maxwell Chase Technologies to develop the Atlantic Capes “Blue” SeaWell Tray for scallops. The tray is a “game changer” for the scallop industry, allowing Atlantic Capes to offer “Fleet Direct Sea Scallops” fresh from their vessels to their customers.

The tray, which is part of the company’s “Honest Scallops Have Arrived” campaign, features technology that preserves the “fresh scallop taste as if it were just shucked on the boat.”

According to a press release, the ACF “Blue” SeaWell tray extends the shelf life of both fresh and frozen scallops” by reducing growth of aerobic bacteria and the growth of coliforms and yeast and mold, as well as absorbing odors and improving texture and color. The packaging also easily fits into existing kitchen line coolers. Atlantic Capes hopes the new technology will allow them to expand their offerings internationally.

Right now the ACF “Blue” SeaWell tray is available in a foodservice pack of fresh or frozen scallops in 4lb or 5lb sizes. The company will also be launching a 1lb pack for retail.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

 

Massachusetts: Divers recover bodies of 2 missing men from sunken fishing boat

December 19, 2017 — Divers have recovered the bodies of the two missing crewmen of the Misty Blue, a fishing boat that sank 10 miles off the coast of Nantucket on Dec. 4, authorities said Monday.

The first body was recovered at 10:30 a.m. and the second at 4:20 p.m., State Police spokesman David Procopio said. Relatives of the two men expressed gratitude to those involved in the search. In a statement, the Saraiva family thanked “everyone involved in helping to find and bring their son Jonathan and Mr. Roberts home.”

Michael Flynn, a lawyer for Roberts’s widow, said their “thoughts and prayers go out to” Saraiva’s family.

“Mrs. Roberts looks forward to moving through the grieving process and trying to move forward,” he said.

Danny Cohen, president of Atlantic Capes Fisheries, the New Bedford-based seafood company affiliated with the Misty Blue, said the company was “thankful and saddened” that the men’s bodies had been recovered.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe

 

An emotional day for family, friends of lost Misty Blue crew

December 6, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Authorities believe they have located the Misty Blue underwater but not the two crew members who went missing after the 69-foot surf clam harvester overturned Monday night, according to Chad Brayton, the vessel manager for Atlantic Capes Fisheries Inc.

Details of what happened remained scarce Tuesday as the Coast Guard and four fishing vessels continued scouring the waters about 10 miles off Nantucket looking for the two Misty Blue crew members.

Misty Blue’s Captain Eric Arabian, 44, and a crew member, Colby McMullen 22, were rescued by the fishing vessel Enterprise on Monday night and are “fine,” Brayton said. Arabian and McMullen were taken to St. Luke’s Hospital Tuesday evening to be checked out after the Coast Guard brought them back to shore.

The search for Michael Roberts, 44, and Jonathan Saraiva, 32, continued throughout Tuesday as the Coast Guard kept assets in the water overnight. Coast Guard Petty Officer Andrew Barresi said at first light Tuesday, the Cape Cod air station launched an ocean sentry aircraft to aid in the search.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times

 

SCeMFiS Announces Funding for Two Research Projects Impacting Fisheries Management

November 27, 2017 — CAPE MAY, N.J. — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

The Industry Advisory Board (IAB) of the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) has allocated $26,467 in funding for two research projects during the Fall IAB Meeting held October 31-November 1, 2017 in Cape May, New Jersey. The awards span the broad mission of the SCeMFiS and include research on marine mammals and continued funding for the omnibus stock assessment proposal for Atlantic herring.

Funded projects are as follows:

  • Independent Advisory Team for Marine Mammal Assessments – Phase V – this team addresses uncertainties in slow growing marine mammal populations and the interactions between marine mammals and fishing operations. PI: Paula Moreno, USM
  • Stock Assessment Team – stock assessment teams provide external support to NMFS for benchmark assessment working groups with a focus in 2018 on the Atlantic herring. PI: Steve Cadrin, UMass Dartmouth

This fall marked a trend to include industry sponsorship of social events and hold meetings close to prospective new members in an effort to attract and showcase research projects. The Cape May oceanfront provided a beautiful venue for the Fall IAB Meeting. Lund’s Fisheries Inc. and Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc. graciously provided food, beverages and evening social events on the Cape May Whale Watcher as well as Cold Spring Village/Brewery and The Grange Restaurant.

Jeff Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. commented, “It was an honor to host the Fall IAB Meeting of SCeMFiS in the port of Cape May. The fishing industry in New Jersey, both commercial and recreational, has a huge impact on our coastal communities and we are very pleased to be part of this science based organization focused on cooperative research with NMFS and other fisheries management bodies to ensure that we have healthy, sustainable fisheries now and in the future.”

The Industry Advisory Board of the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS), supported by the National Science Foundation I/UCRC Program, provides research related to major challenges in fisheries management and brings participants from industry, government, and other organizations in need of science-based solutions into contact with academic scientists capable of providing that expertise.

The SCeMFiS Industry Advisory Board is composed of members from the shellfish and commercial finfish industries and the NMFS-Northeast Fisheries Science Center. The organizational structure provided by the Center permits members to control the science agenda in exchange for financial support under the sponsorship of the NSF.

For a list of the SCeMFiS research projects already underway, please click the following link, http://scemfis.org/research.html. The Industry Advisory Board will review each of its funded projects at its next meeting to be held April 24 & 25 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

 

Federal lawsuit alleges Fall River fish plant, staffing firm, allowed sexual harassment

September 29, 2017 — A Fall River seafood processing plant and its staffing firm have been accused of allowing the sexual harassment of non-English speaking female employees in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Atlantic Capes Fisheries Inc. and BJ’s Service Co. Inc. violated federal law “by maintaining and failing to remedy a hostile work environment where female workers were subject to ongoing sexual harassment,” the commission said in a press release issued Wednesday night.

BJ’s Services Co. hired and transported workers to the Fall River facility.

In a statement issued Thursday, Atlantic Capes Fisheries accused the commission of attempting to try the case “in the court of public opinion” by releasing a statement to the media before the company was notified of the lawsuit.

Atlantic Capes denies the claims, the statement said.

After reviewing the allegations in December 2015, the company “actively investigated all sexual harassment claims as soon as they were raised,” the statement said.

“ACF is, and always has been, an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to the cultivation and maintenance of a positive workplace environment,” the company said.

Read the full story at the Boston Globe