November 11, 2020 — Redfish, specifically of American origin, has become popular in Japan.
Japanese Customs data for 2019 shows imports of 10,780,663 kilograms of the genus Sebastes with a total value of JPY 3.3 billion (USD 31.6 million; EUR 26.6 million). Of this, the U.S. was the leading supplier, responsible for 7,861,104 kilograms valued at JPY 2.1 billion (USD 20.2 million; EUR 17 million).
November 10, 2020 — Maine’s fishermen are concerned about potential closure of fishing grounds under new federal rules being considered for right whale protections.
“Anytime you talk about closing areas, there are profound impacts to the fishing communities and the ecosystem,” Ben Martens, Executive Director of The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) told The Center Square.
“You could put it in an area that could decimate an entire community.”
Maine Public Radio recently posted documents from the Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR), including a letter from MDMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher that details concerns about closing Lobster Conservation Management Areas (LCMA) to fishing.
“These lobster zones are among the most productive and lucrative areas in the Maine lobster fishery,” Keliher wrote.
November 10, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
A trait fishermen and scientists share is adaptability: the trait required to think on your feet, be comfortable with uncertainty, and repurpose resources when necessary.
“Adaptable” is a word that perfectly describes Marsden Brewer, a third-generation commercial fisherman, who is also a scallop farmer and owner of PenBay Farmed Scallops. Brewer’s business is the result of his 20-year effort, as well as techniques learned through Maine’s enduring friendship with its sister state, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. His three-and-a-quarter acre Stonington, Maine, farm is the first of its kind in Penobscot Bay.
“Princess” Scallops: A New England Locavore’s Delight
The Atlantic sea scallop fishery is one of the most valuable in the United States. While wild caught scallops have shells four inches across or larger and you only eat the adductor muscle, Brewer sells a smaller, whole-animal product. He offers three sizes:
Whole scallops are a delicacy prepared by chefs at restaurants in Maine and as far away as Colorado and Arizona. Brewer is not competing with the wild scallop fishery, but bringing a new local seafood to market. He has led other fishermen to farm scallops as a way to diversify their income in a changing environment.
November 10, 2020 — Maine’s scallop fishermen will be able to harvest the same amount of scallops under the rules for the coming season.
Fishermen in Maine harvest scallops by diving or by boat every winter. This year, they will be allowed to possess up to 15 gallons per day along most of Maine’s coast and up to 10 gallons per day in the Cobscook Bay area, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said.
The fishing season runs from late November to April. Fishermen harvested more than 400,000 pounds of Maine scallops in 2019. That was the lowest number since 2012.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the San Francisco Chronicle
November 9, 2020 — The deadline is approaching for Maine fishermen to apply for help via the federal CARES Act.
The application period closes on Monday, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said. Assistance is available for fishermen in addition to aquaculturists and seafood dealers and processors.
The marine resources department said applications need to have been licensed to participate in their sector of the industry during 2019 to be eligible. The department said payments are expected to be made in December.
The coronavirus pandemic has hurt Maine’s seafood industry in part because of the hit taken by restaurants, which are critical customers for the industry.
November 5, 2020 — If you work in Maine’s marine industry, this is the final week to apply for the CARES Act Fisheries Relief fund.
The Department of Marine Resources says it contacted eligible applicants last month by both mail and email, but wants to make sure anyone who can receive the aid is aware of the application process.
The federal funding relief is for licensed commercial fishermen, aquaculturists, seafood dealers and processors as well as for hire guides impacted by the pandemic this year.
November 4, 2020 — Fisheries regulators in Maine are extending the period to apply for a scallop fishing license until the end of the week.
The state holds lotteries for licenses to harvest scallops by diving or by drag boats. The deadline to apply for a place in the lottery is Friday at 4:30 p.m.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources said it extended the deadline by a week because of concern that the lotteries might not have been as widely publicized as intended.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Bangor Daily News
November 3, 2020 — Tuesday, 3 November is Election Day in the United States, and the results of the national election could have a significant impact on the nation’s seafood industry and the global economy.
Thus far, the tenure of U.S. President Donald Trump – who is up for reelection to a second and final four-year term – has been marked by both positives and negatives for the seafood industry. The Trump administration instigated an ongoing trade war with China by placing tariffs on Chinese goods in July 2018, a move that China reciprocated by placing its own tariffs on U.S. goods – including seafood. Those tariffs had drastic impacts on certain parts of the seafood industry, such as Maine’s lobster industry, which saw an 84 percent drop in exports to China. Total estimates of the impact in 2018 found the trade war cost U.S. seafood exporters USD 350 million (EUR 299 million) that year alone.
November 3, 2020 — Fisheries regulators in Maine are extending the period to apply for a scallop fishing license until the end of the week.
The state holds lotteries for licenses to harvest scallops by diving or by drag boats. The deadline to apply for a place in the lottery is Friday at 4:30 p.m.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources said it extended the deadline by a week because of concern that the lotteries might not have been as widely publicized as intended.
Read the full story from the Associated Press from the Caledonian Record
October 29, 2020 — The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) has announced the launch of a new online portal, “The Maine Aquaculturist,” designed to help aquaculture operations in the U.S. state of Maine access resources in the state.
The new portal was created in response to the growing number of aquaculture operations that are either already in business or are planning to establish locations in the state, according to GMRI. In the past few years, companies including Whole Oceans, Nordic Aquafarms, The Kingfish Company, Aquabanq, and American Aquafarms have all announced proposals for either land-based or net-pen aquaculture operations in various locations throughout the state. Those primarily finfish operations are additions onto the existing – and growing – shellfish aquaculture operations in the state, farming oysters in locations up and down the coast.