Saving Seafood

National Fisherman: No privacy, please

March 8, 2018 — As the north coast of California finally opened its Dungeness crab season this year, we saw yet again that diversity in fisheries is the key to sustaining infrastructure.

About 3,000 miles away from Crescent City, Calif., where buyers put crab boats on 3,000- to 6,000-pound limits when the season opened, Maine fishermen know exactly what it’s like to lose fishery landings and value prospects to a loss of infrastructure.

The California processors were claiming they couldn’t move product quickly enough because the season has been hindered for several years running. That has led them to consolidate, cut staff and trim the fat on trucking infrastructure. In Maine, the boom and bust winter shrimp fishery is mostly busted. Decades of quota extremes led the dwindling number of onshore processors to cut back on their commitment to the fleet (when it was running).

Some communities and individuals developed programs around direct marketing the catch in Maine. But just as they were getting established, the fishery went bust again and hasn’t been back since. When it does come back, who will be able to take the shrimp? And beyond the processors, what will the market be?

Lucky for Maine fishermen, local shrimp carries a certain mystique. When it comes in, coastal communities gather round to buoy the fleet and enjoy the fruits of the sea. But California’s Dungeness is a premium product, closer to Maine’s lobster in quality, flavor and demand. It is also sold live. What would Maine look like if its lobster fleet suffered a similar fate to that of California crabbers? It would not be pretty.

Read the full opinion piece at National Fisherman

 

US suppliers in love with ‘seafood speed dating’

March 8, 2018 — The meeting Steve Costas had with a South Korean buyer at Food Export-Northeast’s 2017 “seafood speed dating” event, in Boston, Massachusetts, lasted just 20 minutes, scarcely more than a brief flirtation.

But less than a year later Marder Trawling, the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based supplier for which Costas is an account executive, wound up selling the Korean company a container filled with a mix of its wild-caught fish products.

Of course at seafood speed dating, there’s also the chance that the object of your affection will be swept away by another suitor.

“It’s always a friendly event and I believe there is a camaraderie amongst the suppliers even though you know in 30 minutes your customer or a potential customer will be meeting with a competitor who in most cases will be offering them the same species,” Costas told Undercurrent News.

Costas is back again in Boston, Massachusetts, this week along with representatives for no less than 17 seafood suppliers from the northeastern US, all hoping to move containers of fish and, fingers crossed, establish long-term relationships with one or more of the 15 buyers from no less than 13 countries also there.

South Korea will be represented again, as will China, Japan, Colombia, Spain and the United Arab Emirate to name a few. Almost all of the buyers are looking to acquire scallops and lobsters, though some also come from countries where dogfish, monkfish and skate are in demand, all products sold by Marder Trawling using its recently acquired dock in Chatham, Massachusetts.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Maine fleet keeps an even keel despite lower lobster landings

March 7, 2018 — As expected, Maine lobster landings dropped in 2017. The fleet landed 110.8 million pounds, a 16 percent decline in volume from 2016’s 132.5 million pounds, according to preliminary data released my the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

Value was down as well, by $106 million from 2016’s all-time record value of $540.4 million to $433.8 million (the average price per pound dropped from $4.08 to $3.91).

Despite marking the largest single-year decline in the fishery’s history, the 2017 season still ranks as the sixth highest volume and fourth highest value in the state’s history.

The season also marks the seventh year in a row with landings over 100 million pounds, which had never happened prior to 2011.

“The past year has underscored what I’ve been saying for years now — that change is inevitable and we must be prepared,” DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher said in a press release. “This year’s decline in lobster landings is by no means a signal that the sky is falling. But it does highlight the need to make sure our management measures adapt to change. This is true for all fisheries. It is the best way to ensure resilience of our marine resources and opportunity for future generations.”

Zooming in on Maine’s lobster zones, the most significant landings decline came in Zone F, where lobstermen caught 25 percent less than the previous year, catching 10.95 million pounds compared to 2016’s haul of 14.67 million pounds. Landings dropped about 17 percent in Zones C, D and G; 15 percent in Zone E; 13 percent in Zone A; and 12 percent in Zone B.

Read the full story at the National Fisherman

 

Gear is in wrong place for right whales, scientists say

March 7, 2018 — ROCKPORT, Maine — Last summer, at least 17 endangered North Atlantic right whales died during their northwards migration from their spawning grounds off the coast of Florida and Georgia. Of those, 12 were found dead in Canadian waters, while five were found off the coast of the United States.

Besides the whales that died last year, several more were found entangled in fishing gear, and at least one more whale died in January of this year.

Now scientists and fisheries regulators are working to find ways to reduce the risk of entanglement. They may implement changes in fishing rules that have an enormous impact on Maine’s lobster industry.

The NOAA Fisheries Large Whale Take Reduction Team recently established separate working groups to study two proposals to reduce the risk of entanglement: splicing several 1,700-pound breaking strength “weak link” sleeves into vertical lines such as those that connect lobster buoys to traps; and removing those ropes altogether by requiring the use “ropeless” fishing gear.

Those working groups will focus on whether either solution is technologically feasible, whether it will actually work for fishermen, and whether it can be cost effective for fishermen.

According to scientists from NOAA Fisheries and the New England Aquarium in Boston, the evidence suggests that the already tiny right whale population is declining.

Read the full story the Mount Desert Islander

 

Maine: Marketing lobsters, harvesting crabs on agenda at fish forum

March 5, 2018 — ROCKPORT, Maine — The social event of the year in the world of Maine fishing is coming to a close in Rockport.

Saturday is the final day of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum for 2018. The event began on Thursday at the Samoset Resort. It takes place every year and is a trade show for the commercial fishing industry that also includes numerous seminars, a banquet and other events.

Saturday’s events will touch on everything from how to effectively market Maine lobster to how to prioritize the goals of the New England herring fishery.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Seattle Times

 

Maine: 2017 commercial fishing landings are fourth highest ever

March 2, 2018 — AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine commercial fishermen once again landed more than a half-billion dollars worth of marine resources in 2017.

At $569,173,089, the total value stands as the fourth highest ever and marks only the sixth time that Maine harvesters have surpassed $500 million.

“Maine’s commercial harvesters have again established our state as a leader in the sustainable, responsible management of marine resources,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “Not only do they contribute greatly to our state’s economy, they consistently deliver the best seafood in the world.”

Lobster landings in 2017 were the sixth highest on record at 110,819,760 pounds, despite declining by 16 percent from 2016. Value also dropped from $4.08 a pound in 2016 to $3.91 a pound for an overall value of $433,789,855, which still represented the fourth highest landed value for Maine’s iconic fishery. When accounting for bonuses paid to harvesters by 15 of 20 co-ops, the overall landed value of lobster was $450,799,283.

According to National Marine Fisheries Service data, American lobster was the species of highest landed value in the United States in 2015 and 2016, and Maine’s landings accounted for approximately 80 percent of that landed value in 2016.

Herring, the primary bait source for the lobster industry, again represented the second most valuable commercial fishery at $17,993,786 on the strength of a record per-pound price of 27 cents. Harvesters landed 66,453,073 pounds, most of which was harvested from the in-shore Gulf of Maine area known as Area 1A.

Despite a drop of nearly 4 million pounds landed and a dip of $3.8 million in value, Maine’s softshell clam industry remained the third most valuable commercial fishery at $12,363,328.

Read the full story at the Ellsworth American 

 

Maine lobster fishing group to replace longterm leader

February 28, 2018 — The largest commercial fishing industry group on the East Coast will elect a new leader this Friday for the first time in 27 years.

Kristan Porter, a Cutler fisherman, is expected to take the reins of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association at the end of its annual meeting in Rockport. Porter, however, said it is “not a done deal” that he’ll become the group’s next president.

Porter, 47, would take over for South Thomaston lobsterman David Cousens, who is stepping down as MLA president after having held the post since 1991. Porter said he knows of no other board member who has expressed interest in the job but that other names might be submitted for nomination at the meeting.

“I don’t know if it’s set in stone,” Porter said Monday.

The MLA was founded in 1954 and, with 1,200 members, bills itself as “the oldest and largest fishing industry association on the East Coast.” It holds its annual meeting each year at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, a three-day commercial fishing conference held every March at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

If Porter is elected as MLA president, he said, “I’m not going to be on the 27-year plan like Dave was.”

Porter, who currently holds the post of first vice president, said he expects he would serve as president for only a few years and then step aside so a younger fisherman could take on the leadership role.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

Are North Atlantic Right Whales Becoming Extinct? Experts Warn About Declining Fertility

February 27, 2018 — The North Atlantic right whales may soon become extinct as no new births have been recorded, experts have warned.

According to a report in the Guardian, the scientists who observed a whale community off the U.S. coast have not recorded any new births in the right whale population. The report also stated that a huge number of right whale deaths were recorded in 2017.

Scientists have, therefore, said that a blend of the rising mortality rate and the declining fertility rate is resulting in the extinction of the right whales. They predicted that at this rate, the whales would become extinct by 2040.

“At the rate, we are killing them off, this 100 females will be gone in 20 years,” Mark Baumgartner, a marine ecologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts said adding that the North Atlantic right whales will be functionally extinct by 2040 if no action is undertaken to protect them.

Speaking of North Atlantic whales, Baumgartner said the population of these whales was quite healthy about seven years ago. However, it soon began to decline after lobster fishermen began fishing in the waters.

Read the full story at the International Business Times

 

Maine: Harvesters ready to talk lobsters at Fishermen’s Forum

February 26, 2018 — ROCKPORT, Maine — The largest fishermen’s convention in New England is scheduled to take place this week in Rockport, Maine.

The Maine Fishermen’s Forum is scheduled for March 1 to 3 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. The event brings fishermen, lobstermen and clammers together with other members of the industry to discuss the biggest issues in commercial fishing.

The forum is also typically when Maine fishing regulators announce the state’s total lobster catch for the previous year. Lobstermen have set records in terms of volume of catch for several years in a row and are anticipating this year’s announcement.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Haven Register

 

Seafood Icon Northern Wind® Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary in Business

February 16, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The following was released by Northern Wind: 

Northern Wind, an industry leader as a direct off-loader, processor and distributor of fresh and frozen scallops is proud to announce that the company is celebrating its 30th year in business. Since its founding in 1987 by Ken Melanson and Michael Fernandes, Northern Wind has established itself as one of America’s fastest growing seafood processing and distribution companies, providing its customers with a wide variety of premium scallops and seafood from across the globe. Northern Wind prides itself in providing their customers with the freshest seafood products that have been responsibly harvested using sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. With three decades of business relationships throughout New England and across the globe, Northern Wind is a top direct-off loader, processor and distributor of fresh and frozen scallops.

“Over the last thirty years, Northern Wind has not only remained strong throughout many economic ups and downs, but we’ve grown the business and we now serve well over 500 customers across the globe,” said Ken Melanson, Founder & Chairman of Northern Wind. “First, our expertise at delivering top quality, responsibly sourced and sustainable scallops and fresh seafood is paramount in our success. Secondly, is our employee’s hard work and dedication to providing superior customer service which has enabled us to attract and retain hundreds of loyal customers.”

Northern Wind’s seafood products include fresh and frozen scallops, Ahi tuna, North Atlantic lobster, monkfish, headfish, skate and value-added seafood offerings. Northern Wind’s 70,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility is certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce Seafood Inspection Program for packing of USDC Grade A fresh and frozen scallops. Northern Wind was the first scallop producer in the nation to receive Fair Trade™ Certification and during the 2017-18 fishing season purchased over 1 Million pounds of Fair Trade scallops. In addition, Northern Wind’s start-of-the-art processing facility is BRC and MSC certified.

The company has also launched a new line of high quality premium scallops under the Five Star Premium Scallop brand name which was introduced at last year’s Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Ma. The company has also redesigned its Captain’s Call, Mariner’s Choice and Sea Spray scallop product lines to better portray Northern Wind’s leadership position in the seafood industry.

“The first 30 years have been an incredible ride. We’ve been blessed to have employees who are dedicated to quality and providing excellent customer service. I can’t wait to see what the next 30 years bring,” stated Michael Fernandes, Founder & President of Northern Wind.

Since the beginning, the Northern Wind team has always dedicated themselves to consistently supplying their customers with the highest quality seafood products and providing them with superior customer service and competitive prices.

View the release in its entirety here.