Saving Seafood

National Fisheries Institute Statement on the Confirmation of Dr. Robert Califf as FDA’s new Commissioner

February 15, 2022 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The National Fisheries Institute welcomes Dr. Robert Califf as the Food and Drug Administration’s new Commissioner.

Many parts of the seafood value chain have been impacted by the pandemic and associated lockdowns over the course of two years. During that time the FDA has been rightly focused on various scientific aspects of protecting public health and we salute the agency for its work.

We ask Dr. Califf to quickly focus FDA’s food safety resources on challenges that are important to the seafood community. Prompt action on things like proper labeling, standards of identity and economic integrity are of critical significance. A lack of attention to these priorities undermines the importance of  FDA’s vital food focus.

We look forward to working with Dr. Califf.

John Connelly
President

NFI President John Connelly Announces Planned 2023 Retirement

January 18, 2022 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

John Connelly discussed with the NFI Board of Directors today his intention to retire from NFI in February 2023.  He has served as NFI President since February 2003.

“I very much appreciate working with member company leaders and an excellent and dedicated staff in creating the strong foundation on which NFI can build,” Connelly said.  “The NFI Officers have emphasized over the past two years the importance of an orderly transition and thoughtful succession planning. Announcing this decision now allows NFI leadership the necessary time to engage NFI members to gain critical input as we choose a new president for the future.”

Kim Gorton, President and CEO of Slade Gorton and Company, will lead a Search Committee.  “I am pleased that the Board today approved a search committee comprised of  leaders from various member companies who represent a wide range of experiences and viewpoints,” said Gorton. An important part of this process will be to hear the views of NFI membership regarding NFI’s mission and key objectives over the next decade, and in particular, how NFI can continue to create value for its members. We want to ensure we select the right leader for what NFI members expect and need in the coming years, and not just based on where we are now in 2022.”

“In addition to NFI’ s ongoing technical, communications and advocacy work, this year we have the opportunity to think about the future.  The Board looks forward to working with Kim and John to ensure a robust and smooth succession process,” said NFI Chair Mike Breivik.

Search Committee members include Kim Gorton (Slade Gorton), Joe Bundrant (Trident Seafoods), Ellen Clarry (Ruby Tuesday), Justin Conrad (Bay Hill and Libby Hill), Jeff Stern (Central Seaway), Jan Tharp (Bumble Bee Foods), and Sylvia Wulf (AquaBounty)

 

JOHN FIORILLO: Are plant-based seafood labels really misleading? Judge for yourself.

November 4, 2021 — Imitation may be the sincerest form flattery, as the proverb says, but when it comes to plant-based seafood look-alikes, imitation is nothing but controversy.

The seafood industry does not find the continued growth of plant-based seafood alternatives, which the seafood industry says are intentionally masquerading as fish and shellfish to fool consumers, flattering in any way. Rather, it is outright fraud, say seafood producers.

The issue was thrust back into the spotlight last week when the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the leading US seafood trade association, stepped up its call to stop plant-based seafood manufacturers from labeling their products as seafood and gaining an “unfair marketing advantage.”

NFI President John Connelly, speaking at the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) annual meeting, said the issue is among the most frustrating he has dealt with in the seafood industry over the past five years.

I certainly agree that transparent and accurate labeling is a must for any product, and for sure many companies dance that fine line of marketing and misleading messaging.

Read the full opinion piece at IntraFish

Seafood price hikes underway as suppliers face major labor shortage

June 4, 2021 — U.S. seafood suppliers, processors, and wholesalers are facing a major labor shortage, transportation price hikes, and increased costs of seafood, packaging, and other supplies that are complicating their operations, just as the country looks set to emerge from the yearlong COVID-19 crisis.

National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly said the labor shortage is the latest in a long line of challenges that have beset the industry since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

New Netflix Movie is Propaganda not Documentary

March 9, 2021 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Netflix’s long history of providing a platform for oft over looked documentaries is being called into question with its promotion of vegan activist propaganda.

Seaspiracy, the seafood sister to the vegan activist film, Cowspiracy, will premiere on Netflix in March.

“A vegan? To each their own. But when you’re producing a ninety minute vegan propaganda piece and calling it a ‘documentary’ that’s disingenuous,” said NFI President John Connelly.

The National Fisheries Institute has written to Netflix citing the litany of the hyperbole, half-truths and mischaracterizations associated with the producer’s previous animal and food related productions.

Noting the clear definitional difference between:

Documentary:  a presentation (such as a film or novel) expressing or dealing with factual events: a documentary presentation

and

Propaganda:  the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person

NFI suggested Netflix start a new “propaganda” content tab where films based on exaggeration, fabrications and conspiracy theories can be accessed.

“Keep in mind, this is the same entertainment network that brought us the whack-jobs of Tiger King. So let’s all take a breath,” said Connelly.

NFI’s John Connelly: US seafood industry faces whole new set of challenges under Biden

February 17, 2021 — Donald Trump’s presidency was a mixed bag for the U.S. seafood industry, according to National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly. Now almost a month into the presidency of Joe Biden, the industry faces a whole different set of challenges, Connelly told SeafoodSource.

Connelly is optimistic Biden will be less aggressive in the use of tariffs than Trump, and he said he’s comforted by the fact that Biden’s picks for U.S. Commerce secretary and U.S. trade representative, Gina Raimondo and Katherine Tai – both of whom are awaiting confirmation votes by the U.S. Senate – are familiar with the seafood industry. But Biden’s environmental initiatives may prove thorny for the industry, and it remains to be seen whether the administration will prioritize the reopening of the foodservice sector, Connelly said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Inaugurated as president, Biden faces host of pandemic-related woes

January 20, 2021 — As Joe Biden was sworn in as president of the United States on Wednesday, 20 January, the seafood and foodservice industries urged the incoming administration to provide additional funding for COVID-19 pandemic-related losses.

Today’s ceremony, making Biden the nation’s 46th president, capped off the tumultuous months between the November elections and Inauguration Day, marred by former President Donald Trump’s legal opposition to Biden’s election, along with a violent riot at the U.S. Capitol building earlier this month.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Commercial fishing stakeholders optimistic about Biden’s pick for Commerce secretary

January 8, 2021 — Gina Raimondo received praise from fishing industry stakeholders on Thursday, 7 January, after reports broke that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden would choose her as his Commerce secretary.

National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly called Raimondo, who is currently the governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, an innovator capable of balancing the needs of conservation and commerce.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Fishermen, Seafood Companies Come Together to Defend Their Industry

November 16, 2020 — The following was released by the At-Sea Processors Association:

Ahead of tomorrow’s House Natural Resources Committee hearing on legislation entitled the “Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act,” a coalition of more than 800 members of the seafood community say Title II of the proposed bill is not backed by science and is a direct threat to an iconic American industry.

“United States fisheries management is the envy of the world,” said Matt Tinning, Director of Sustainability and Public Affairs at the At-sea Processors Association. “Science-based management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act is a remarkable example of bipartisan policy success. It is achieving exceptional environmental outcomes, preserving vital cultural traditions, creating jobs in communities across the United States, and delivering food with one of the lowest carbon footprints of any protein on Earth. Title II of the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act will jeopardize that remarkable record of success.”

“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is among the world’s very best fishery managers,” said NFI President John Connelly. “This bill appears to ignore that expertise and process and just walls off parts of the ocean to fishing. It disregards generations of science-based work and community consensus. Drawing arbitrary lines on a map is not science, it’s politics. Lines on a map don’t actually promote sustainability but they can harm livelihoods that depend on real sustainability work.”

The proposal calls for massive Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that would prohibit all commercial fishing activity across at least 30 percent of the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2030.

“The 831 signatories of this letter hail from different regions and participate in different parts of the seafood supply chain,” said Robert B. Vanasse, Executive Director of Saving Seafood. “However, we are all united in our commitment to using defensible, quality science to ensure that our nation’s fisheries are harvested sustainably for the benefit of this and future generations. ‘30 by 30’ is a campaign slogan, not a scientific proposal. The legislation would undermine the Magnuson-Stevens Act and its fundamental principle of using the best available scientific information to inform our fisheries management decisions.”

“High-value benthic habitat, such as deep-sea corals, are important parts of the marine ecosystem and worthy of science-based protection,” said Leigh Habegger, Executive Director of Seafood Harvesters of America. The current system is working to deliver exactly those protections to hundreds of thousands of square miles of sensitive habitat through the Regional Fishery Management Council process. We should build on what is working, not create a new, parallel process.”

The coalition letter can be viewed here. The Committee hearing is Tuesday, November 17, at 12:00PM Eastern and will be live-streamed here.