Saving Seafood

Efforts with scallops and oysters paying off in NJ

August 19, 2019 — Fisheries management has provided a model for how people can adjust their impact on the natural world to benefit themselves and the environment. Scallops have made New Jersey a leader in East Coast seafood landings, with Cape May the region’s No. 2 port behind New Bedford, Connecticut. And oysters, while slowly growing into a robust and lucrative industry, now also promise to clean coastal waters and help reduce flooding.

Years of federal fisheries managers allowing Atlantic sea scallops to thrive by limiting their harvest have yielded an abundance of this shellfish delicacy.

New data shows their harvest last year reached more than 58 million pounds, the highest since 2011 and the fifth highest since record keeping began in 1945.

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City

REPORTER: U.S. Scallop Supply Increases 3rd Year In A Row

July 3, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — With a combined approach of effort limitation and rotating harvest areas, the Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) is one of the most valuable fisheries in the United States, and is the most valuable wild scallop fishery in the world. It’s managed by the New England Fishery Management Council in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council under the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fisheries Management Plan, which maximizes scallop yields while protecting beds of young scallops.

According to the NEFMC Council Report, Framework Adjustment 30 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop FMP, which contains catch specifications for the 2019 and 2020 (default) fishing years, has been approved by NMFS for implementation. The most likely scenario includes seven 18,000 lb. access area trips and 24 days-at-sea. These allocations are projected to result in landings of about 60 million pounds of scallops in FY 2019.

Scallop Trade

Scallop imports into the United States increased 12.4%, or 5.1 million pounds in 2018 compared to the previous year. However, this increase was largely due to the abundant volume rushed in from China in December 2018, ahead of the 25% tariff increase originally set for a January 1, 2019 implementation, which was later postponed. China continues to be the largest scallop supplier to the United States, accounting for about 46% of the 46.5 million pounds of scallops imported into the U.S. Shipping fewer scallops to the U.S. are Argentina (-13.6%) and Japan (-33%), while China (15.4%), Canada (5.5%), Mexico (2394.7%) and Peru (190.1%) have shipped more in 2018 than the previous year (Chart 1).

Export activity declined year-overyear. January to December exports totaled 14.1 million pounds, 14% fewer than the 16.4 million pounds shipped out in 2017. Canada remains our largest export destination, accounting for roughly 29% of annual exports; other significant destinations for U.S. production are the Netherlands, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

The Markets 

More imports, larger landings, and a decline in exports, resulted in an increase in net supply. Our net supply calculation suggests an annual total of nearly 87 million pounds compared to 75 million in 2017; a 16% improvement (Chart 2).

The market for U.S. origin sea scallops fell as seasonally expected at the start of the new season, but strengthened throughout the end of the year amid little to no landings of larger domestic U/10 sized sea scallops. The market held somewhat of an unsettled undertone as varying inventory positions broadened  the range of wholesale offerings available to customers. Those with thin inventories reported higher premiums, while those with more stable inventory holdings were able to offer a lower price. The average price paid for a domestic dry U10 in 2018 was $12.18, down 20% from the previous year average of $15.25/lb. Similarly, dry 10/20 count scallops decreased by 4.6%, averaging $10.30/lb. compared to $10.80 in 2017.

The market for Canada origin sea scallops saw premiums developing during 2018 Q4. Frozen inventory levels were not as abundant compared to previous years and one factor contributing to this were fewer exports from Japan into Canada. In 2018, while Japan harvested the same number of scallops as expected, the harvest was of a smaller size, attributing to about 25% less product available for export. Less exports paired with strong domestic demand in Japan was one of the factors attributing to the Canadian wholesale market strengthening at the end of their calendar year season.

The average price paid for a 10/20 count Canadian sea scallop in 2018 was $11.91/lb., down 12.8% from the previous average of $13.66/lb. in 2017.

Looking Forward

Conservation efforts have been strong resulting in productive years for fisherman. The outlook for this year is that with an increased net supply, prices could continue to fall, attracting a wider consumer base at the restaurant and retail levels this summer, once again. However, while landings thus far in the 2019 season have been abundant, the quality is being noted as “medium” with a higher than favorable percentage of splits and pieces. Will quantity outweigh quality and keep prices down? The coming months will tell…

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

NEFMC Scallops: Amendment 21 Comments; Framework 32; RSA Priorities

June 13, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its June meeting in So. Portland, ME, the New England Fishery Management Council made several decisions related to the Atlantic sea scallop fishery.

Amendment 21: The Council reviewed summaries of both oral and written comments gathered during the public scoping process for Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Council then cast several votes to help guide further work on the amendment.

Framework Adjustment 32: The Council is working on this action to develop: (1) specifications for the 2020 scallop fishing year; (2) default specifications for 2021; (3) measures to reduce impacts on Georges Bank yellowtail flounder; and (4) options to utilize the dense biomass of small scallops in the Nantucket Lightship South “Deep” Area.

Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program: The Council approved research priorities for the 2020-2021
scallop RSA award cycle.

Read the full release here

New York’s Prized Sea Scallop Faces Off Against Offshore Wind

May 23, 2019 — Developers pushing to install massive wind turbines in the waters off New York and New Jersey have run into a delicate yet mighty foe: the Atlantic sea scallop.

Prized for their sweet and tender meat, scallops are abundant off Long Island and the Jersey Shore. That happens to be where the Trump administration wants to auction leases for offshore wind farms for what’s envisioned to be a $70 billion U.S. industry.

Efforts by fishermen to block the projects could have sweeping implications for both seafood lovers and the push to bring clean energy to the most densely populated corner of America. The area in the Atlantic, which could fit enough windmills to power all of New York City, is home to some of the world’s richest scallop beds. And erecting turbines nearly as tall as the Chrysler Building could make mollusks much harder to harvest.

“It’s an insane amount of ocean to occupy, and it will leave a trail of destruction,” said Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association.

Read the full story at Bloomberg

Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Awards announced by NOAA, NEFMC

May 22, 2019 — The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) recently announced its awards for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program for the 2019-2020 cycle, addressing resource studies, dredge efficiencies, bycatch reduction, fishery impacts on loggerhead turtles, and potential offshore energy impacts on early lifecycle scallop transport.

Thirteen projects will be supported by the program that centers on scallop research priorities identified by the NEFMC, which ranked resource surveys as the highest priority.

Collectively, these awards are expected to generate more than USD 14 million (EUR 12.5 million), according to the council. This includes an estimated USD 2.8 million (EUR 2.5 million) to fund the research and USD 11.4 million (EUR 10.2 million) to compensate industry partners who harvest set-aside quota. No federal money is involved, making this an entirely industry-funded program, the NEFMC said.

The NEFMC approved research priorities last summer for the 2019-2020 projects announced this month. The council will develop a new list at next month’s meeting for 2020-2021 projects. The organization established the scallop RSA Program to address research questions that support management of the scallop resource. Each year during the specification-setting process, the council “sets aside” 1.25 million pounds of scallops to carry out RSA projects.

The work is a collaborative effort between fishermen and scientists.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Scallops sales to fund ocean research on East Coast

May 10, 2019 — The federal government says a program that sells scallops to pay for marine science will include a study of how shellfish harvesting impacts sea turtles in this year’s projects.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside will help pay for 13 projects in 2019 and 2020. Regulators use the program to set aside more than a million pounds of scallops, which generates millions of dollars for the science projects.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Gloucester Daily Times

ANALYSIS: Unsettled 2019 Scallop Season Start

April 18, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The market for U.S. origin Atlantic sea scallops remains unsettled at the start of the 2019 fishing year which began on April 1, 2019. With consecutive days of landings over the 200,000 lb. mark, the industry is split. Some are taking a step back, allowing for the raw material market to stabilize before adjusting their prices, while others promote discounts with the abundant landings typical of the season opening.

Inventory holdings play a key role when determining price adjustments at the start of the season. Those with healthier inventory levels with product purchased when prices were higher will be slower to discount at the first sign of the market softening.

The graph below illustrates how the most dramatic discounts are typically seen in the first two months of the season, before the market begins to stabilize through the end of the year.

In looking at our current season, while the daily catch rates have been ample, the scallop quality is characterized as ‘medium’, with splits and pieces taking a higher percentage rate than favorable, resulting in weaker boat prices. The weeks ahead will reveal if the 2019 season will follow seasonal trends or create its own path.

The following story was published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Fishing Year 2019 Atlantic Sea Scallop Management Measures Go Into Effect April 1

March 27, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The management measures for the Atlantic Sea Scallop fishery for the 2019 fishing year go into effect on April 1, 2019.

Framework Adjustment 30 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan:

  • Sets specifications for the scallop fishery for fishing year 2019, including Days-at-Sea (DAS) allocations, Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs), and sea scallop access area trip allocations. These allocations are similar to those set in the 2018 fishing year. This action also sets precautionary default 2020 specifications, in case we implement the next framework after the April 1, 2020 start of the 2020 fishing year;
  • Allocates effort into three rotational access areas (Mid-Atlantic, Nantucket Lightship-West, and Closed Area 1). Scallop landings allocated to Closed Area 1 are flexible and can be landed from any available access area;
  • Sets a 205,000 lb Northern Gulf of Maine total allowable catch for 2019 that will be split as 137,500 lb for the Limited Access General Category (LAGC) and 67,500 lb for the limited access fleet;
  • Standardizes default specifications for Limited Access DAS and LAGC IFQ allocations; and
  • Standardizes the approach used to set the number of access area trips available to the LAGC IFQ fleet.

Read the final rule as published in the Federal Register, and the permit holder bulletins for the Limited Access and Limited Access General Category scallop vessels available on our website.

Read the release here

New measures proposed for Gulf of Maine scallops

February 13, 2019 — Federal fishery regulators are considering new measures for the Atlantic sea scallop management plan and have scheduled a series of public hearings from Maine to Virginia to collect public comment.

The public hearings, which include an April 3 session at the state Division of Marine Fisheries’s Annisquam River Station on Emerson Avenue in Gloucester, will touch upon three primary issues contained in Amendment 21 currently being developed by the New England Fishery Management Council:

* Measures to support a growing scallop fishery in the federal waters of the northern Gulf of Maine.

* Increasing the individual fishing quota possession limit of 600 pounds for those fishing with a limited access general permit.

* Measures that would allow limited access vessels to transfer quota to vessels fishing on a limited access general permit.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

 

Scallops hold steady for New England, but sizes could shrink

December 7, 2018 —  The New England Fishery Management Council yesterday released information on the upcoming scallop season, including an estimated 60 million pounds in landings.

The council approved Framework Adjustment 30 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which still needs to be approved by NMFS before the season kicks off on April 1, 2019.

Peter Handy, president and CEO of Bristol Seafood, speculated that a reduction in trips to Nantucket Light Ship South and Closed Area 1 may also reduce the volume of U10 and U12 product on the market.

Last season, about half the catch in these areas were larger scallops.

“Overall, it looks like the trips to areas that have the most plentiful big scallops was reduced from two down to one,” Handy reported in a press release. However, he added, it is important to note that scallop sizes can change year to year within the same area.

The Northern Gulf of Maine TAC increased about 5,000 pounds to 205,000. However, last year the council’s prediction for the 2019 season was 135,000 pounds. The default for 2020 is set at 170,000.

Read the full story at National Fisherman