Saving Seafood

COVID-19 fears driving medicinal interest, demand for sea cucumbers in China

February 4, 2021 — New Zealand Wild Catch Limited has reached an agreement with leading Chinese traditional medicine retailer Beijing Tongrentang for exclusive sales of dried and instant sea cucumber in New Zealand. One of the largest global retailers of traditional Chinese medicine, Beijing Tongrentang has eight stores in Auckland, New Zealand.

Chinese buyers are using sea cucumber as a home remedy to prevent infection from COVID-19, New Zealand Wild Catch Limited Co-Founder and CEO James Parfitt told SeafoodSource. The firm sells the gold tip sea cucumber (Stichopus mollis), which is native to New Zealand waters, under the Gold Tip brand.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Unalaska fish processing plant reopens after COVID-19 outbreak forces monthlong shutdown

February 3, 2021 — Unalaska’s largest fish processing plant reopened Monday after a COVID-19 outbreak forced it to shut down for almost a month.

UniSea closed its doors Jan. 5 after a handful of workers tested positive for the virus, following a New Year’s gathering in company housing.

Since then, 66 of UniSea’s more than 900 workers tested positive for the virus, according to UniSea President Tom Enlow. Seventeen of those were during their two-week entry quarantine, and 49 were non-travel related cases, he said.

“The virus has not been eliminated just yet,” Enlow said in an email. “We have active cases in isolation that we are monitoring and close contacts in quarantine that we are continuing to test. But we feel very good about our response to the outbreak and containment thus far.”

The reopening is a bright spot for the Bering Sea fishing industry, which has been hampered by COVID-19 outbreaks at multiple boats and onshore plants.

Read the full story at KTOO

Ocean-based climate solutions are an important and overlooked pathway

February 3, 2021 — For decades, warning signals sent by ocean ecosystems — such as increased sea surface temperature, sea-level rise and ocean acidification — have illustrated the urgent need to reduce global greenhouse emissions. As most global economic activity and ultimately man-made carbon emissions occur on land, abatement policies tend to focus on land-based reductions. Meanwhile, the ocean traditionally is viewed as a victim of climate change rather than a source of solutions. That needs to change.

As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made clear, limiting the damaging effects of a changing climate requires policies to incorporate an entire ecosystem approach that properly accounts for contributions from the ocean, its ecosystems and economic sub-sectors.

Recent analysis shows that ocean-based solutions could reduce the emissions gap — the difference between emissions expected if current trends and policies continue and emissions consistent with limiting global temperature increase — by up to 21 percent if the target is keeping temperature rise by 2050 to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or by about 25 percent on a 2C pathway.

Achieving such potential will rely on significant political will and clear policy signals sent to industry, financial markets and domestic agencies over the coming years. Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) can be critical tools in sending these signals and accelerating ocean-based climate action. Additionally, including ocean-based targets, policies and measures in NDCs can help coastal and island states enhance their ambition in line with the requirements of the Paris Agreement. Such ocean-based opportunities also can help governments recover and rebuild their economies following the COVID-19 pandemic. World Resource’s Institute recent publication, “Enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions: Opportunities for Ocean-Based Climate Action,” aims to provide the necessary input to assist governments on that journey.

Read the full story at GreenBiz

Millions made available for Scotland’s struggling seafood sector

February 3, 2021 — Scotland’s seafood sector is gettting a boost from the government as the industry continues to struggle with both the COVID-19 pandemic and trade issues caused by Brexit.

The new GBP 7.75 million (USD 10.4 million, EUR 8.7 million) funding package offers support to Scotland’s fishermen, seafood businesses, and ports and harbors, all of whom have been threatened by the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus as well as the United Kingdom’s exit from the E.U., the Scottish government has confirmed.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

US retailers notched record seafood sales in 2020

February 2, 2021 — U.S. retailers posted record seafood sales across the fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable categories, according to new data presented at the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Marketing Conference on 1 February.

Frozen seafood sales soared 35 percent to USD 7 billion (EUR 5.8 billion), fresh sales rose 24.5 percent to USD 6.7 billion (EUR 5.6 billion), and shelf-stable rose 20.3 percent to USD 2.9 billion (EUR 2.4 billion), according to 210 Analytics Principal Anne-Marie Roerink, citing data from IRI Worldwide.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Pallone Applauds Distribution of COVID-19 Relief Funding to New Jersey’s Fishing Communities

February 1, 2021 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ):

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today applauded the distribution of COVID-19 relief funding to New Jersey’s fishing communities. New Jersey received $11 million in federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that Congress passed and was signed into law last March. The funding was allocated to aid commercial fishing businesses, charter and for-hire fishing businesses, aquaculture operations, processors, and other fishery-related businesses in New Jersey.

“Our fishing communities have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, which is why I fought so hard to include robust funding in the CARES Act and have worked to ensure that funding is distributed to those who need it most. I’m pleased to see that New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishing industry is finally receiving the help they need,” said Congressman Pallone. “The economic impacts of the pandemic have been felt deeply across our state and have been especially severe for the hardworking men and women who make our fishing industry so strong. I’ll continue to work to ensure that the fishing community in New Jersey receives the assistance it needs to weather this ongoing economic storm.”

Last April, Pallone sent a letter with the New Jersey delegation calling on the Trump Administration to fairly and quickly distribute financial aid to the fishing industries in states like New Jersey that incurred greater economic losses as a result of the pandemic. Pallone later announced New Jersey would receive $11 million in federal funding to help the state’s fishing industry. The omnibus spending bill and COVID relief package Congress passed last December and was signed into law included an additional $300 million in aid to the fishing communities.

New Jersey’s commercial fishing industry generates over $8 billion annually supporting over 50,000 jobs and has one of the largest saltwater recreational fishing industries in the United States.

MASSACHUSETTS: Community Foundation Announces Grants

February 1, 2021 — The Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation, formerly known as the Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard, has announced two new grants to Island organizations.

The MV Fishermen’s Preservation Trust received $25,000 to re-establish a commercially viable wholesale fish market in Menemsha, and the Community Ambassador Partnership was awarded $13,367 to provide medical interpretation training to better serve the Portuguese-speaking community with medical needs or questions, particularly in light of the pandemic and upcoming vaccinations for Covid-19.

“This year has highlighted the need to be flexible and nimble in responding to emerging needs,” community foundation board chair Anne Williamson said in a statement. “If we want to maintain a robust fishing industry based out of our harbors, then it’s critical to support a wholesale outlet for their catch.”

Executive director Emily Bramhall said the foundation has supported the Community Ambassador Partnership since it was formed at the beginning of the pandemic.

Read the full story at the Vineyard Gazette

ALASKA: Trident Seafoods reports 266 total virus cases at Aleutian plant plus small outbreak on vessel in Dutch Harbor

January 29, 2021 — Trident Seafoods is reporting COVID-19 cases among more than a third of the roughly 705 workers at the company’s remote Akutan processing plant, which is North America’s largest.

The company on Thursday reported 266 workers tested positive for the virus this week with nearly all testing complete.

Trident also reported a separate, smaller outbreak aboard one of its three large catcher processor vessels, the 312-foot Island Enterprise.

That vessel arrived in Dutch Harbor on Thursday with two workers exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, Trident said in a statement. Rapid testing through the night of all 125 people onboard revealed five confirmed cases and two non-positive workers reporting minor symptoms.

Trident officials say they don’t know how either of the outbreaks started. On Monday, Trident temporarily shut down the Akutan plant for at least three weeks. They plan to “re-quarantine” everyone on the Island Enterprise for at least 14 days.

This week, Trident officials said they took the unusual step of stockpiling medical supplies including ventilators in case weather grounds air ambulances. The nearest hospital is hundreds of miles away.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

New England Fishery Management Council Issues Update On Start of 2021 Scallop Fishing Year

January 29, 2021 — On Wednesday the New England Fishery Management Council signed off on Framework 33 , which includes specifications for the 2021 scallop fishing year and default specifications for the 2022 fishing year; among other measures.

Currently the scallop industry is operating under the 2020 fishing year, with the 2021 fishing year set to begin on April 1. Framework adjustment 33 will not be implemented by April 1 due to complications related to COVID-19 and the cancellation of the federal scallop survey. The Council is warning fishermen that they will be working under default 2021 measures that were established in Framework 32 as a backup.

Read the full story at Seafood News