Saving Seafood

Blue Harvest tipped as likely buyer of Carlos Rafael’s groundfish fleet

August 22, 2019 — Blue Harvest Fisheries, a US scallop and groundfish supplier backed by private equity Bregal Partners, is believed to have moved to the front of the pack in the chase to nab the 32 groundfish permits and 19 related draggers owned by Carlos Rafael in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Quinn Fisheries, a longtime area scalloper, appears a lock, meanwhile, to land Rafael’s 11 scallop permits and related vessels, as previously reported.

The competition is on to acquire Rafael’s sizable commercial fishing operation following the civil settlement announced on Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Massachusetts: Senate candidate Geoff Diehl talks with SouthCoast fishing industry

February 28, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Geoff Diehl cruised around the Port of New Bedford in an RV Tuesday that maneuvered in and out of small entrances and exits. The red, white, and blue mobile home featured the slogan of the Republican U.S. Senate candidate, “The Real Diehl,” as he looked to learn the reality of the fishing industry in the area.

“If I’m going to be voting on any legislation that affects any industry,” Diehl said, “I better darn well be listening to the people who work in that field.”

Diehl made four stops in the area, which began with Mayor Jon Mitchell and concluded with a meeting with three members on the board of Sector 9 as well as the sector’s lawyer.

He spoke with the sector for more than a half hour as the members provided details of ban installed by NOAA that’s prevented about 80 fishermen from groundfishing since November.

“This thing that happened here showed how tragic it is for the support businesses,” Tor Bendiksen, manager of Reidar’s Trawl Gear and Marine Supply, said.

Diehl questioned what incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Warren has done to facilitate discussions between NOAA. The sector said it’s only met with U.S Rep. Bill Keating’s office, while it’s incurred challenges trying to meet with the Warren and Sen. Ed Markey.

“This is one of the most important industries in Massachusetts,” Diehl said before promising to look into the issue immediately.

Following Diehl’s meeting with Mitchell, the current state representative serving Plymouth’s 7th District stopped at New England Marine Engineering and Supply Inc. There, he spoke with President Paul Nosworthy, who emphasized that fishermen aren’t destroying the ocean.

“They’re blaming it all on the fishermen,” Nosworthy said. “But when you stop and you think about what the chemical companies and the sewer treatment guys, what they’re putting in the ocean is killing, literally killing (marine life).”

From North Front Street in New Bedford, Diehl crossed the the port and even waited in a bridge closure delay before discussing commercial fishing with Patrick Hughes II at Blue Harvest Fisheries in Fairhaven.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

 

Prices diving for largest US scallops

May 12, 2017 — US fishing vessels have been landing lots of larger scallops since fishing started in March, bringing prices down rapidly.

So far, landings have been largely U10s and 20/30s, a source with a large New Bedford, Massachusetts-based buyer told Undercurrent News.

“At today’s auction we saw a lot of U10s. Daily catch rates have started high and with plenty of large scallops,” the source said.

Prices at the New Bedford auction illustrate this.

Early in April (April 10), prices were as follows, according to information seen by Undercurrent:

U10s caught in the Nantucket Lightship scallop access area went for an average $16.96 per pound; U12s from the same grounds for $16.66/lb; 10/20s from the Elephant Trunk flex access area sold at $9.63/lb; and 20/30s from the Mid-Atlantic access area went for $9.38/lb.

By April 26 these were down across the board: U10s down 4% at $16.31; U12s down 8% at $15.38/lb; 10/20s down 6% at $9.07/lb; and 20/30s down 6% at $8.80/lb.

However the real drop has come in May. On May 11 these corresponding prices were down, compared to April 10:

U10s by 19%, to $13.70/lb; U12s by 25% to $12.50/lb; 10/20s by 22%, at $7.51/lb; and 20/30s by 20%, at $7.47/lb.

“The catch rates have been outstanding,” a second source, who works at a fishing company, told Undercurrent. “So, people are trying to figure out if we are going to have 50-55 million pounds, which is a lot more than we have been getting.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Price spread between U10, 20-30 US scallops likely to widen

January 19, 2017 — SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — More smaller-size scallops are set to be landed in the 2017/2018 US fishing year, which could widen the price gap between U10s-10/20s and 20/30s, according to one executive on the shellfish panel on Wednesday at the Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC).

Although the US landings are forecasted to increase 15% to 46 million pounds in 2017/2018, the quantity of U10s is not expected to rise.

“We think it will be static on U10s. They [U10s] are unlikely to increase as a percentage of the fishery,” said Sean Moriarty, vice president of sales with Blue Harvest Fisheries, one of the largest US scallop catching companies, during the 2017 GSMC in San Francisco, California.

While some of the new open areas for the fishery are likely to yield more large scallops, the southern areas are producing less.

According to price data up to September last year presented by the panel, U10s are on the increase and have been over $20 per pound, but 20/30s have been sliding.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News