Saving Seafood

National Fisheries Institute Statement on the Safety of Seafood from the United States

June 22, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Seafood from America is safe.  The World Health Organization, United National Food and Agriculture Organization, and all major national food safety agencies report there is no connection between seafood and COVID-19.  Simply stated, people cannot get COVID-19 from eating seafood.  Specific to imported seafood that Chinese families enjoy, experts at the Chinese National Health Commission stated, “There’s no evidence so far showing salmon are the origin or intermediate hosts of the coronavirus.”

Consumers in China and in other countries should be aware that seafood portioned and prepared in America must comply with the rules and regulations of the United States Food and Drug Administration to ensure safe food.  Importantly, the systems that seafood companies in the United States have implemented for more than 20 years now serve as a model for other countries and foods.  Companies must also keep their workers safe by following the directives of the United States’ Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
 
Since the onset of COVID-19, members of the National Fisheries Institute, the major seafood trade association in the United States and many of whose members export American seafood to China, have also implemented the laws of numerous states, and the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, industry  best practices, CODEX Alimentarius, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Health Organization, and the recommendations of academics and other public health experts. 
 
NFI member companies have strict protocols in place to prevent, detect, and isolate any spread of COVID-19 on their boats or in their processing plants, and follow sanitary transport rules to prevent contamination of seafood being exported to China.  American seafood remains safe and healthy for Chinese families.

Alaska’s salmon industry contends with a rumor from China that you can get COVID-19 from seafood

June 19, 2020 — China has stopped imports from European salmon suppliers due to fears of a connection between salmon imports and coronavirus, according to a report by Reuters. State-run newspapers in China reported the coronavirus was discovered on chopping boards used for imported salmon at a market in Beijing. The initial cluster of infections came from the same market, and some fear the discovery of virus there indicates a second wave of the coronavirus in China.

Several fisheries organizations are pushing back against those reports. The National Fisheries Institute compiled statements on Tuesday  from health professionals and agencies like the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration saying there is no connection between seafood and COVID-19.

Fish marketing experts are assessing how the rumors could affect Alaska salmon’s image in the world. If people think eating salmon could put them at increased risk of contracting the virus — even if that information is incorrect — that could harm markets.

“Any time there’s information or misinformation, we have to wait and see how consumers respond to that,” said Andy Wink, executive director of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

Read the full story at KTOO

Canada’s $62.5 M Seafood Stabilization Fund Opens for Seafood Sector Applications on Monday

June 19, 2020 — Canada’s Seafood Stabilization Fund, a $62.5 million federal disaster fund for Canada’s fishery and seafood sector that passed Parliment last April will be open for applications on Monday, June 22, 2020. The funds are intended for Canadian processors and aquaculture operations who are coping with the impacts of COVID-19.

The funds are eligible for costs related to increasing storage capacity, including finding storage solutions for live, frozen or processed products; plant operations such as new investments in equipment, materials or services to protect workers, adapt plant operations, products or packaging, or increase efficiency; and meeting new market demands, including responding to new consumer needs, finding new markets, and delivering to them.

Read the full story at Seafood News

MASSACHUSETTS: UPDATE: Moulton calls for extension of monitor waiver

June 19, 2020 — Two Massachusetts congressmen are urging NOAA Fisheries to extend the waiver that removed at-sea monitors from commercial fishing vessels in the Northeast fisheries as a continued protection against the COVID-19 virus.

In a letter to Neil Jacobs, an acting undersecretary at the Department of Commerce, U.S. Reps. Seth Moulton and Bill Keating said a continuation of the at-sea monitor waiver is “critical to both protect the health and welfare of fishermen who are working to sustain their operations and to maintain our region’s seafood supply during the continued COVID-19 pandemic.”

On March 24, NOAA Fisheries implemented the at-sea monitor waiver and took the observers off the boats. It has extended the waiver at least twice. Moulton said the agency informed his office on June 12 that the waiver would be withdrawn, possibly as early as July 1, and at-sea monitors would return to assigned vessels.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Survey sheds light on what worries Alaska’s fishermen

June 19, 2020 — Alaska’s fishermen are worried about lost income, spreading COVID-19 to coastal communities and weary of policy decisions made amid a pandemic, according to a recent survey of nearly 800 commercial fishermen.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, SalmonState, an Alaska-based nonprofit, surveyed 779 fishermen throughout the state to gauge their primary concerns from before and after the coronavirus outbreak.

Lost income, preventing spread of the coronavirus and “bad policy decisions while fishermen are distracted” were the three most prevalent COVID-19-related concerns, according to the survey that was conducted between April 14 and May 3. Those concerns were shared by 77%, 70% and 59% of respondents, respectively.

Read the full story at the Peninsula Clarion

US restaurants look to Father’s Day seafood promotions for boost

June 19, 2020 — While United States restaurants continue to feel the pain of having dining rooms closed for several months, many are counting on seafood promotions to boost sales for Father’s Day.

Restaurants are creative with their promotions, knowing that some customers will be comfortable dining in – restaurants are in different phases of re-opening, depending on the state – and some will prefer take-out.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Congress urged to back aquaculture

June 19, 2020 — The letter, sent via the umbrella organisation Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS), highlights the opportunities presented by the industry – which is poised for growth that can be expanded here in the US through passage of legislation introduced earlier this year.

It follows the introduction of the bipartisan AQUAA Act in March by Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Steven Palazzo (R-MS), and May’s executive order from the White House which included instructions for the creation of aquaculture “opportunity zones”.

“As millions of Americans are reeling from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the seafood community, like many others, is hurting. But Congress has a unique opportunity to build an American seafood future that can bring us through this challenging time and support a diverse workforce, enhance sustainable ecosystems and guarantee healthful, locally-sourced protein for American consumers while providing opportunities for other US industries, including the agriculture industry,” the letter states.

“At present, the US lags far behind the rest of the world in farmed seafood production. The single biggest reason for that is the lack of a clear regulatory pathway for permitting new projects, a challenging reality that has forced many American businesses to invest in other countries,” it continues.

Read the full story at The Fish Site

Norway Wants To Resume Salmon Sales After China All-clear

June 18, 2020 — Norway said Wednesday it wanted to resume exports of its salmon to China after Beijing appeared to rule it out as a possible source of COVID-19.

Norwegian salmon came under scrutiny after a recently discovered cluster of new coronavirus cases was reportedly traced to the Xinfadi meat market in Beijing and a chopping board used for cutting up imported salmon.

However, Norwegian and, crucially, Chinese health officials appear to have now given the salmon the all-clear.

“We currently have no evidence that salmon is a carrier or an intermediate carrier of the coronavirus,” the deputy director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shi Guoqing, said on Tuesday.

Stressing that no case of contamination by food had been reported, the authorities responsible for food safety in Norway said their salmon was fit for consumption.

Read the full story at the International Business Times

All systems are ‘go’ for near-shore Alaska fisheries, state officials say

June 18, 2020 — All systems are go for keeping close tabs on fish and crab stocks in waters managed by the state, meaning out to three miles. While constraints from the coronavirus resulted in nearly all annual stock surveys being cut in deeper waters overseen by the federal government, it’s “closer to normal” closer to shore.

“While it’s not business as usual, we are conducting business in as close to normal fashion as we can,” said Forrest Bowers, deputy director of the commercial fisheries division of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

“We have kept all of our area offices open and all of our field projects in place to monitor salmon stocks around the state this summer, as well as our projects and support for other fisheries,” Bowers said, adding that Fish and Game has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic “very seriously” and has had strict protection plans in place since March.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News