Saving Seafood

Aquaculture’s Role in Nutrition in the COVID-19 Era

July 14, 2020 — Aquaculture, the relatively young but fast-growing industry of farming of fish and other marine life, now produces around half of all seafood consumed by humans.

A new paper from American University published today examines the economics of an aquaculture industry of the future that is simultaneously environmentally sustainable and nutritious for the nearly 1 billion people worldwide who depend on it for health and livelihoods.

Of the scenarios the paper discusses, included are two approaches that illustrate what aquaculture might look like if nations refocus inward for food and nutrition security in the COVID-19 era.

“Seafood is essential to meeting global food and nutrition security goals,” said Jessica Gephart, the paper’s primary author and an assistant professor of environmental science at American University. “Under what circumstances, and with what policies, can we maximize aquaculture for its nutrition benefits and sustainability for all who rely on seafood?”

This is a challenging question to answer, especially in the COVID-19 era. As the pandemic is still unfolding, the full scope of long-term damage to food systems is unknown, the paper notes. Yet, the aquaculture industry is suffering major setbacks, as some exports are being halted, workers are being laid off, demand has dramatically decreased, production units are incurring large losses and some countries are reconsidering their reliance on foreign seafood. The authors note that such setbacks “can be particularly long-lasting for a budding sector, with many young farms that potentially lack the capital to weather the storm and the political clout to secure sufficient recovery aid.”

The demand for seafood is expected to increase significantly by 2050, the paper notes, if historical trends in income and population growth, urbanization, and diets are maintained. This has prompted researchers to contemplate the future role of aquaculture in meeting demand and supporting nutrition needs. “Nutrition sensitivity” refers to the multiple benefits derived from diverse foods, including improving nutrition, valuing the social significance of food, and supporting livelihoods.

Read the full story at Environment Coastal & Offshore

Health & Economy: The Eat Oregon Seafood Initiative

July 14, 2020 — The #EatOregonSeafood initiative is intended to give the coastal seafood economies a boost as they recover from restaurant closures and other issues related to COVID-19.   

A rich source of lean protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B-12 and D, iron, and minerals like zinc and iodine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that non-vegetarian adults consume two, four-ounce servings of seafood per week.   

Amanda J. Gladics, Assistant Professor of Practice at Coastal Fisheries Extension at Oregon State University, says that just about “any seafood is good for you.”  

In addition to the health benefits of seafood, choosing Oregon-caught seafood supports small businesses and the regional economy. Additionally, many Oregon coast fishers use sustainable fishing methods.  

Read the full story at The Corvalis Advocate

ALASKA: Bristol Bay sockeye running strong as markets remain murky

July 14, 2020 — After a slow start to the season, Bristol Bay, Alaska – home to the world’s largest sockeye run –is seeing fish hit hard and fast, with a string of historically strong days spiking catch numbers and overloading processors.

The run lagged several days behind schedule, with slow fishing across all four major districts into July dragging down statewide salmon numbers. The season has also had a rocky start as preparations for the season were impacted by COVID-19, in some instances leading to calls for the season to be closed entirely in the first months of the pandemic’s arrival in the United States.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Seafood Harvesters calls on NOAA Fisheries to apply observer waiver consistently for all regions

July 14, 2020 — Seafood Harvesters of America is calling on NOAA Fisheries to develop a more consistent policy in issuing waivers for observers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bob Dooley, the organization’s president, and Leigh Habegger, its executive director, signed a letter sent Monday, 13 July, calling for NOAA to rethink the agency’s current policy regarding at-sea observer coverage. The letter – which was sent to Dr. Neil Jacobs, the acting undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere in the U.S. Department of Commerce; Chris Oliver, NOAA Fisheries’ assistant administrator; and two other NOAA Fisheries officials – is calling for the federal agency to amend the “inconsistent and unequal” process of applying waivers by extending them to all regions where observers and at-sea monitors are mandatory.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Help for Hawaii’s Fishing Industry

July 14, 2020 — When it comes to Hawaii’s homegrown food sustainability, farming operations usually come to mind. But beyond farm aid, fish aid can’t be forgotten. That’s particularly true in Hawaii, the source of coveted quality catches such as tuna, billfish (swordfish and marlin), and open-ocean fish (mahimahi, ono and opah).

Just as farmers have been hard-hit by the months-long pandemic shutdown, so, too, have fishers and related operations. The shuttering of restaurants, seafood markets and other fish outlets have left some vessels inactive in Honolulu Harbor for 3-1/2 months, with about half of the workforce laid off. The COVID-19 lockdown has caused a 50% reduction in revenue for Hawaii longline vessels over the last four months, totaling losses of more than $20 million so far.

Read the full opinion piece at Seafood News

Seafood suppliers take another hit as California shuts indoor dining due to COVID-19

July 14, 2020 — Seafood suppliers, distributors, and wholesalers – already reeling from the plunge in foodservice business due to COVID-19 – face more grim news as California orders the closure of restaurants for indoor dining.

On 13 July, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the closure of bars, indoor restaurants, movie theaters, and many other recently reopened businesses across California, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The state’s COVID-19 cases have surged, with more than 8,000 new cases daily and 334,000 total reported cases as of 13 July.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Reminder: NOAA Fisheries needs completed surveys to enable scientists to assess COVID-19 impacts on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and seafood dealers/processors

July 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

If you received a survey from NOAA Fisheries and partner, the University of Florida, we request you take the time to complete it.  The survey takes less than 6 minutes and the information you provide is strictly confidential.  Survey participants were selected as part of a carefully designed random sample, so your response (if you received a letter) is very important to the success of this survey.

This multi-region survey will be used to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, Fishery Management Councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts that the recent economic downturn has had on the fishing industry. NOAA Fisheries will draft reports for the public detailing the revenue losses and recovery of fishing-dependent businesses over the past few months.

The survey information would have arrived by mail in a University of Florida envelope directing you to a website and contains a login code that is unique to each individual. Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the survey.

If you have further questions regarding the survey please contact:

NOAA taps new sustainable fisheries director

July 14, 2020 — On Monday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries appointed Kelly Denit as its new director of its office of sustainable fisheries.

As the new director, Denit will oversee a national office responsible for the implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the management of Atlantic highly migratory species, and promoting US seafood safety while supporting seafood-related commerce and trade.

“One of the critical aspects of this new role will be supporting our fishing businesses and communities as they navigate through the challenges of COVID-19,” she said.

Read the full story at IntraFish

MASSACHUSETTS: Kennedy throws support behind moving NOAA from Woods Hole to New Bedford

July 13, 2020 — A proposal to move the region’s NOAA Fisheries headquarters to New Bedford now has the backing of U.S. Senate candidate Joe Kennedy III.

Kennedy, currently a Democratic congressman, made the announcement in the city Friday while visiting Pier 3 alongside Mayor Jon Mitchell. He spoke with local fishermen about his new COVID-19 economic recovery plan, which calls for large-scale public works and federal hiring programs.

“Listening to local communities, recognizing those bottlenecks and then saying, ‘Hey, with you at a seat at the table, let’s actually design a policy to do that,’” Kennedy said. “The risk that we have in the midst of a shock like this is that small guys essentially get eaten up and closed.”

Fisherman Steven Palmer said he appreciated his conversation with Kennedy, during which he expressed frustration about scallop prices during the pandemic.

“Earlier this year it dropped down to $4 a pound in some spots, so it’s been tough,” Palmer said.

Read the full story at WPRI

ALASKA: After “nerve racking” slow start, Bristol Bay catch numbers rebound with 2 million plus catch days

July 13, 2020 — The Fourth of July is typically the high point in the salmon season for Bristol Bay’s commercial fishing fleet, but in a year where COVID-induced uncertainty dominated the preseason, low harvest added to anxiety in the first weeks of the season.

“It was a very, very slow start. I think the slowest in my experience every fishing. It was definitely nerve-racking,” Katherine Carscallen, a drift gillnet fishermen in the Nushagak District said. “The Fourth of July is our typical peak, and that was where I looked at my log book where I keep track of how much we’ve caught and definitely started asking myself like, ‘how is this possible.'”

Through July 4, the cumulative bay wide harvest was just over 6 million fish – 49% below the average since 2012. Then the evening of Independence day the fish arrived in massive numbers.

“By the fifth of July it was just hard hitting for the fifth, sixth and seventh,” Carscallen said. “We definitely increased out poundage by a whole lot in just three days, and since then it’s just kinda been going steady.”

Read the full story at KTUU