Saving Seafood

Cape scientists forge ahead with right whale research

April 7, 2020 — Over the past week, New England Aquarium scientist Philip Hamilton, manager of the right whale identification catalog at the aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, has received photos of about 30 right whales taken by people walking the shoreline around Race Point and off Nahant.

Unfortunately, researchers hoping to see them from the air and sea during what they consider the epicenter of right whale migration into Cape Cod Bay essentially have been grounded by weather and coronavirus.

“We lost 22 days there,” said Charles “Stormy” Mayo, a senior scientist and director of the Right Whale Ecology Program at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown.

COVID-19 fears forced the New England Aquarium to close March 13. Admission fees account for 80% of their $3.5 million in annual operating expenses, and the aquarium announced layoffs and furloughs last week to cut costs.

The Center for Coastal Studies did not lay off anyone, spokesperson Cathrine Macort said, but its offices and lab are closed. The center is watching expenses and applying for federal payroll aid.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

Massachusetts lawmakers call on government to help New England fisheries during COVID-19 crisis

April 6, 2020 — Members of Massachusetts’ congressional delegation are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to give New England fisheries a needed boost as they battle through the COVID-19 outbreak.

U.S. senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with U.S. representatives William Keating and Seth Moulton, on 2 April sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue asking him to use part of the USD 9.5 billion (EUR 8.8 billion) earmarked for agricultural producers – from the USD 2.2 trillion (EUR 2.0 trillion) CARES Act Congress passed in late March – to help seafood processors and other companies.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Endangered right whales spotted in Cape Cod Bay during spring feeding season

April 6, 2020 — An increasing number of endangered North Atlantic right whales have been spotted feeding off of Massachusetts’ coast in recent weeks, a sign that spring is finally here, researchers at the New England Aquarium said.

The right whales live in shallow waters off the southeastern United States during late fall and winter, the aquarium said. After pregnant whales give birth to their calves while living with juvenile and male whales in the region during those months, the whales migrate to Cape Cod Bay during the spring to feed before heading further north.

“In a time when so much is changing around us, I find the appearance of right whales feeding in these waters as they have for hundreds, if not thousands, of years reassuring. Some ancient behaviors remain,” said Philip Hamilton, a research scientist with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the aquarium.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America New Dates Announced

April 6, 2020 — The following was released by Seafood Expo North America:

Today, Diversified Communications, organizer of the annual Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, announced the new dates for its 2020 event. The expo will take place at the Boston Exhibition and Convention Center this September 2020, with an exhibit hall open on September 23rd and 24th, and a conference program that will start on September 22nd.

In the last few months and weeks, the seafood industry and community, along with the rest of the world, have been experiencing some of the most tumultuous, emotionally and economically challenging times. “While navigating this unprecedented situation, we know there is a need for business continuity and are committed to providing a platform that will bring back together the industry suppliers and buyers who, due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, were prevented from meeting in March as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Liz Plizga, Group Vice President, Diversified Communications.

The September dates were carefully chosen in consideration of the recent escalating situation with COVID-19, the venue availability, as well as feedback from customers and high-volume retail and foodservice Key Buyers from North America.

“It is fair to say that this year’s event will not be like any other years,” added Plizga. “However, the Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America team is dedicated to delivering a high-quality event and services that are as similar as possible to what our customers have come to expect over the years.”

The September edition will feature a solutions-driven conference program led by industry experts covering today’s most relevant topics. The exhibit hall, which will be held in Halls B and C, will highlight special programs like the New and Featured Product Showcases where buyers can identify the latest seafood product, equipment and services, innovations and trends.

In the coming weeks, Diversified Communications and its official partners, will reach out to exhibitors, buyers and other seafood professionals to provide further details about the September event. New information will be included at seafoodexpo.com/north-america.

The 2021 event is scheduled during the same time frame as in past years: March 14-16, 2021.

Read the full release here

Keating Pushes USDA to Buy American Seafood Under CARES Act

April 6, 2020 — U.S. Rep. William Keating, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Massachusetts, joined some of his Capitol Hill colleagues today in urging the USDA to include U.S. seafood companies in a $9.5 billion program designed to help farmers affected by the coronavirus.

Keating, Rep. Seth Moulton, and Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren wrote to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and said the federal government should take steps to buy American seafood through the CARES Act agricultural assistance program.

“The pandemic-driven closure of restaurants and other businesses has devastated the New England seafood industry, as about two-thirds of seafood is consumed in restaurants and outside the home. Fishermen and processors that supply restaurants and local food systems need support,” the letter reads.

Read the full story at WBSM

With restaurants closed, New England fishing industry grinds to a halt

April 6, 2020 — Over the past few months, Tim Linnell has spent countless hours and thousands of dollars installing dredges and other expensive equipment on his steel dragger, preparing with hundreds of other fishermen across the region for the upcoming season.

Then the market for his catch cratered, like so many other businesses in recent weeks.

Now, the 52-year-old fisherman — saddled with mortgages on his two boats, hefty docking fees, and a host of other expenses — has nowhere to sell the mussels he would have caught.

“This is just going to be an economic disaster for us,” said Linnell, who has been fishing from Chatham for 30 years and whose three sons, fishermen all, face similar pressures. “I’ll probably be put out of business soon.”

With restaurants throughout the world closed due to the coronavirus, the region’s lobstermen, scallopers, and others who land much of the nation’s $5.6 billion commercial catch are facing economic devastation, with many forced to tie up or store their boats in dry dock until the market rebounds.

“No market equals no fishing,” said John Pappalardo, chief executive of the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance. “Markets are disintegrating daily.”

In a recent letter to President Trump and congressional leaders, representatives of the commercial fishing industry said the closure of much of the nation’s economy has put tens of thousands of jobs in jeopardy, including those who process, package, distribute, and cook fish.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

MASSACHUSETTS: Cape fishermen navigating stormy seas

April 3, 2020 — Late last week Zack Dixon, co-owner of Holbrook Oyster, in Wellfleet, was spending his time filling out a small business loan application and fielding phone and text orders for what he hopes will be a successful new undertaking.

Everything had come “screeching” to a halt on March 15, when Gov. Charlie Baker said restaurants could only do take-out.

“That’s not a figure of speech,” said Dixon. “Sales went to zero. I had deliveries set up for the next day and they were like, ‘No’.”

Restaurants, no longer allowed to serve patrons inside, are taking a beating from the Covid-19 pandemic, and businesses like Holbrook, which has grown oysters since 1995, are heavily dependent on people eating out.

Holbrook, started by the Dalby brothers, who are sixth generation Wellfleetians, quickly switched to a new model, mainly to keep as many people working as they could and to spread some community cheer in the form of the nutritious bivalve.

With the new model, people place an order and Holbrook delivers, anywhere from Provincetown to Orleans free of charge, farther for a small fee. (If you’re interested in this service, call 774-722-1788 or email zack@holbrookoyster.com)

Read the full story at Wicked Local

NFI Statement on the Rescheduling of Seafood Expo North America

April 3, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

During a time of such upheaval and uncertainty for all it is exciting that the forward-looking planners at Diversified rescheduled Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America for September 22-24, 2020 in Boston.

There is an old adage that action cures anxiety.  In these anxious times a date-certain allows the global seafood community to begin planning for a new and exciting Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America 2020 where we will all reconnect and look toward the future of seafood sales.  NFI looks forward to working with Diversified to provide a unique opportunity for NFI members and the broader seafood community to plan collaboratively for the future. 
 
We look forward to seeing our members and friends exhibiting in Boston. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy.

September dates announced for Seafood Expo North America

April 2, 2020 — New dates have been selected for Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, the continent’s largest seafood industry exhibition.

The 2020 event will comprise an exhibit hall open 23 and 24 September at its regular home in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A, and a conference program that will begin on 22 September.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Seafood suppliers, traders forced to adapt quickly to shifting demand

April 2, 2020 — Facing a marketplace that has been drastically changed in the span of less than two months by the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. seafood suppliers, distributors, restaurants, and wholesalers are adapting by switching up their sales methods.

A number of larger seafood companies have moved further into retail sales. Others are urging greater industry collaboration and a joint “Buy American” marketing effort. On the more local level, small- to medium-sized seafood suppliers have shifted to a much more significant online presence, offering to ship orders directly to Americans’ homes. Online marketing data group eMarketer projects direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce sales to surge 24.3 percent to USD 17.8 billion (EUR 16.3 billion) in 2020.

Read the full story at Seafood Source