Saving Seafood

Milestone reached as China assigns first on-board observers to distant-water fishing vessel

April 19, 2021 — Five Chinese government-appointed observers have departed a Chinese port onboard a reefer, in what is potentially a major development for China’s governance of its distant-water fleet.

The five observers, appointed by China’s Agriculture Ministry, are the first such observers to travel on Chinese fishing vessels, according to the ministry. They are now travelling on the transport ship to the Pacific and Indian oceans to ensure that “no illegal catches” are taken, according to a statement from the ministry.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ALASKA: Kodiak Fisheries Adjust to Tariffs, Pandemic and Climate Change

April 15, 2021 — For the first time in 20 years, China is not a viable market for U.S. seafood suppliers due to increased tariffs between the two countries, as well as complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This uncertainty has raised concerns among Kodiak processors, harvesters and industry leaders.

In an effort to keep processors working, the trawl industry had requested that the rockfish season begin on April 1, one month earlier than is typically authorized.

Read the full story at Seafood News

China’s dietary advisory body calls for more seafood consumption to improve health

April 14, 2021 — China’s national dietary advisory body has suggested the country needs to eat more seafood in order to reduce chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, which are on the rise.

In its annual report on national dietary problems, the China Nutrition Society, a research group attached to the ministry of civil affairs, said the national average daily intake of seafood of 24.3 grams was low by international standards and should rise to 40 grams. It also called for a reduction in sodium and sugar intake, which it blames for a rise in diabetes and coronary artery disease in China.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Swelling demand intensifying challenges facing China’s seafood processors

April 13, 2021 — Chinese processing factories are suffering “a lot” from rising costs related to heightened inspections and delays on seafood being shipped into China, according to a supplier of processing equipment to the industry.

Wang Yunfeng, the CEO and founder of Shanghai AUS Food Technology Co, which imports fish processing machines from Europe to China, said those costs are exacerbating troubles already faced by the industry, which is in the midst of a seismic shift from production for export to feeding domestic demand for seafood.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

China Blue Joins GSSI

April 7, 2021 — The following was released by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative:

The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative is pleased to announce China Blue Sustainability Institute has joined GSSI as an Affiliated Partner.

China Blue is a Chinese NGO that works in close collaboration with Chinese academia, government, and industry for Chinese fishery and aquaculture’s transformation towards sustainability.

“China is an important player that no one would ignore when talking about business sustainability. To tackle the sustainability challenges for China’s seafood industry of high diversity and complexity, we need more creative technology and systematic solutions. We believe working with GSSI is a strategic choice for China Blue to align the local efforts with global initiatives”, said Han Han, Founder and Executive Director, China Blue Sustainability Institute.

Read the full release here

Leaked US intelligence document calls for support of South American countries’ fight against Chinese IUU

April 1, 2021 — A leaked document originating from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis – part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – has recommended the creation of a multilateral coalition with South American nations led by the U.S. to challenge China’s illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and trade practices.

The document was obtained by news service Axios and revealed in an article published 23 March.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

WHO, USDA reports refute Chinese concerns over COVID-19 traveling via cold chain

March 30, 2021 — A World Health Organization (WHO) team studying the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak has released a report saying its spread to humans from the packaging of “cold-chain” food products is possible, but not likely.

According to the Associated Press, which obtained an advanced copy of the report, the WHO team – working in conjunction with Chinese researchers – determined COVID-19 can travel through the cold chain, but that the risk of transmission is much lower than through human-to-human transfer.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

U.S. urged to join South America in fighting China fishing

March 23, 2021 — The U.S. should consider leading a multilateral coalition with South American nations to push back against China’s illegal fishing and trade practices, a U.S. intelligence agency has recommended in a document obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: China’s illegal fishing industry is the largest in the world. Beijing has made distant-water fishing a geopolitical priority, viewing private Chinese fishing fleets as a way to extend state power far beyond its coasts.

  • A senior U.S. administration official confirmed to Axios that several agencies across the government are “taking a look at this in light of the president’s priorities,” which include “deepening cooperation with allies and partners on the challenges we face to our economy and national security.”

What’s happening: Huge fleets of hundreds of Chinese vessels have had boats fish illegally in the territorial waters of South American countries, including off the Galapagos Islands.

  • The activity has depleted stocks and disrupted food chains, in a practice referred to as illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU) fishing.
  • South American nations say these fleets are a challenge to their economic and environmental security, but their navies often lack the resources to effectively monitor and patrol their own waters.
  • Last year, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru stated they would join forces to defend their territorial waters from incursions by Chinese vessels.

Read the full story at Axios

GOV. DUNLEAVY: Secretary Blinken, protect Alaska’s fisheries

March 18, 2021 — Dear Secretary of State Blinken,

In light of your imminent meeting with Chinese officials in Alaska, I write to impress upon you the international challenges faced by our commercial fishing industry.

Perhaps no group of Alaskans has been impacted more severely by the global economic collapse than our fishers and processors. Both coped admirably with the logistical challenges of running businesses that rely on the free movement of labor, but neither escaped the pain of demand shock that rippled outward from shuttered restaurants, reductions in consumer spending, and the partial collapse of many export markets.

However, not all of the industries’ woes can be traced back to the pandemic. Many are preexisting conditions stemming from hostile decisions made by China and Russia during the previous decade.

In July 2018, China’s government imposed retaliatory tariffs on Alaska seafood, decimating our market share in the world’s largest and fastest-growing seafood market. Today, these tariffs have reached an outrageous 30-40% on top of several extreme and unproven COVID-mitigation measures intended to slow the importation of Alaska seafood.

Read the full opinion piece at the Juneau Empire

Huawei Pivots to Fish Farms, Mining After U.S. Blocks Its Phones

March 15, 2021 — Six months after the Trump administration dealt a crushing blow to Huawei Technologies Co.’s smartphone business, the Chinese telecommunications giant is turning to less glamorous alternatives that may eventually offset the decline of its biggest revenue contributor.

Among its newest customers is a fish farm in eastern China that’s twice the size of New York’s Central Park. The farm is covered with tens of thousands of solar panels outfitted with Huawei’s inverters to shield its fish from excessive sunlight while generating power. About 370 miles to the west in coal-rich Shanxi province, wireless sensors and cameras deep beneath the earth monitor oxygen levels and potential machine malfunctions in mine pit — all supplied by the tech titan. And next month, a shiny new electric car featuring its lidar sensor will debut at China’s largest auto show.

Once the world’s largest smartphone maker, the Chinese corporation has seen a series of U.S. sanctions almost obliterate its lucrative consumer business. With the Biden administration keeping up the pressure on Huawei, billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei has directed the company to grow its roster of enterprise clients in transportation, manufacturing, agriculture and other industries. Huawei is the world’s leading supplier of inverters and it’s now banking on growing those sales alongside its cloud services and data analytics solutions to help the 190,000-employee business survive.

Read the full story at Bloomberg News