Saving Seafood

Coronavirus ‘no-contact, no-handshake policy’ at Seafood Expo in Boston

March 2, 2020 — Organizers for the upcoming Seafood Expo North America in Boston are encouraging attendees to follow a “no-contact, no-handshake policy” because of coronavirus concerns.

The Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America trade event — at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in the Seaport, from March 15 to 17 — will also have significantly fewer visitors from Asia because of the highly contagious disease.

“Due to travel restrictions into the United States, we are expecting to see an impact from Mainland China, which annually represents 5% of the combined visitor and exhibitor attendee base and 9% of the exhibit space,” a spokeswoman for the expo said in a statement. “Despite the situation, we have more than 1,100 companies that are still planning on exhibiting this March.”

About 80% of the expo visitors come from the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Read the full story at The Boston Herald

Blue Harvest rolls out frozen groundfish, scallop line just in advance of Boston show

February 28, 2020 — Fresh from its acquisition of a dozen groundfish vessels, Blue Harvest Fisheries is rolling out a new line of branded retail products to be sold quick frozen and packaged in 16-ounce re-closable bags.

The new products, which include wild-caught Atlantic scallops, pollock, ocean perch and haddock, arrive just in time to be showcased at the Boston, Massachusetts, seafood show.

Blue Harvest, which is based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, 59 miles south of the city hosting Seafood Expo North America, March 15-17, says its new offerings meet “the growing demand by consumers for all-natural, sustainably caught and locally harvested wild seafood”. They are to be sourced from Marine Stewardship Council-certified fisheries “in local US waters” and “100% traceable from fleet to table”.

And even better, they are to be processed in the US, as Blue Harvest plans to rely on its newly completed SQF-certified, 160,000 square foot plant on New Bedford’s waterfront. The company spent millions to build the facility, which comes with six high-capacity processing lines, direct offload capability, two cold storage areas and 700 feet of dock space.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

MASSACHUSETTS: Gloucester landings down 8%, value static in 2018

February 28, 2020 — The Fisheries of the United States 2018 report recently released by NOAA Fisheries highlighted a recurring annual trend nationally of overall commercial landings declining while the overall value of those landings increased.

In 2018, total landings at U.S. ports declined 5.3% to 4.3 million metric tons as compared to 2017. The value of those landings, however, rose 2.8% to $5.6 billion in 2018.

The port of Gloucester didn’t precisely mirror that trend in 2018.

While landings here declined 7.8% to 59 million pounds as compared to 2017, the value of those landings remained at $53 million — the same as 2017 and a $1 million increase from 2016

Massachusetts saw its landings decline 0.3% to 109,442 metric tons in 2018, but the statewide value of those landings — $647.2 million — was second only to Alaska’s catch value of $1.78 billion. The 2018 value of Massachusetts landings represented a 6.9% increase from 2017.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Seafood Expo North America prepared for coronavirus impacts

February 28, 2020 — Diversified Communications, the company that organizes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America (SENA) each year, said it is prepared for potential impacts to the event caused by COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus.

The Expo, which will take place from 15 to 17 March, has been the subject of speculation regarding the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Rumors that the Expo could be cancelled, or that the event has been heavily impacted, are ”simply not true,” according to Mary Larkin, president, Diversified Communications USA.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Carlos Rafael’s boats set to sail again with new owners

February 27, 2020 — Several boats once owned by disgraced fishing mogul Carlos Rafael, infamous in the region for being nicknamed the “Codfather,” will once again set sail, thanks to new management.

Blue Harvest Fisheries has bought several of the boats that became disused due to Rafael’s conviction for ignoring fishing quotas and limits, as well as smuggling profits overseas. Rafael was sentenced to four years in prison and can never run a fishing operation ever again.

The company says its acquisition will help keep locals employed on the New Bedford waterfront and maintain the tradition that made it the Whaling City for generations of fishermen.

“Our goal here is to create jobs and opportunities for New England fisheries,” Blue Harvest CEO Keith Decker said. “Everyone, in general, is very excited about what this means to the greater New Bedford area.”

Read the full story at WPRI

Boston Seafood Show Organizers Recommend ‘No-Contact, No-Handshake Policy’

February 26, 2020 — There will be a lot of waving going on at Seafood Expo North America in Boston next month. Diversified Communications, the organizers of the Boston Seafood Show, released yet another update for attendees and exhibitors who are concerned about the coronavirus and the upcoming event.

The latest recommendation from Diversified? “No-contact, no-handshake policy.”

Read the full story at Seafood News

Fisheries of the United States, 2018: New Bedford by the Numbers

February 25, 2020 — According to NOAA’s Fisheries of the United States report for 2018, New Bedford is once again the port with the highest value of seafood landed. This is the 19th consecutive year that the Massachusetts port has held the title.

For 2018, New Bedford’s value of seafood landed totaled $431 million. The port truly leads the pack when it comes to value. In the number two spot is Naknek, Alaska, with an overall value of 195 million pounds, which isn’t even half of the value of New Bedford – and Naknek lands 77 million more pounds of seafood than New Bedford.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Blue Harvest Launching First Line of Branded Retail Products at Boston Seafood Show

February 25, 2020 — So far 2020 has been a big year for Blue Harvest Fisheries. Last week the New Bedford-based company completed the acquisition of 12 vessels and 27 fishing permits previously owned by Carlos Rafael. This week Blue Harvest Fisheries announced the launch of their first branded retail product line.

The new product line, which will be showcased at Seafood Expo North America in Boston next month, includes locally harvested and processed MSC-certified Atlantic sea scallops, Atlantic pollock (saithe), North Atlantic ocean perch (Acadian redfish) and haddock. The products in the retail line are quick frozen for freshness and sold in a convenient 16 oz. reclosable bag.

Read the full story at Seafood News

12 finalists to compete for 2020 Seafood Excellence Awards

February 25, 2020 — Twelve finalists will go head-to-head for the 2020 Seafood Excellence Awards on Sunday, 15 March, at Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America in Boston, Massachusetts, according to event organizer Diversified Communications.

Seventy entries were submitted for this year’s Seafood Excellence Awards, a prestigious competition recognizing the best new seafood products available in the North American market. The remaining 12 finalists will compete before a three-person panel of expert judges in two categories: Best New Foodservice Product and Best New Retail Product.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

New England Council Update – February 24, 2020

February 24, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Here are several timely meetings and management actions that directly relate to the work of the New England Fishery Management Council.

SCALLOPS:  The Council’s Scallop Advisory Panel (AP) and Scallop Committee both have a couple of meetings coming up.
  • Scallop AP:  The AP will meet on Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Boston.  The agenda and meeting materials are available here.
  • Scallop Committee:  The Committee will meet on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at the same hotel in Boston.  Here are the meeting materials.
  • Scallop AP and Committee:  The Scallop AP and Committee will meet again back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, March 26 and March 27, 2020 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Boston.  More information will be posted on the Council’s scallop webpage in the near future.
  • Scallop Framework Adjustment 32:  The Council signed off on Framework 32 during its December 2019 meeting.  The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries) has reviewed the document and is accepting public comments on the proposed rule through March 6, 2020.  Here is the Framework 32 webpage.
  • Of Note:  NOAA Fisheries released its Fisheries of the United States 2018 Report.  Scallops ranked fourth in the nation in the category called “highest value species groups,” coming in at $541 million.  Roughly $532.3 million of that total came from sea scallop landings and the remainder was due to bay scallops.  Scallop landings helped make New Bedford, MA the highest value fishing port in the U.S. for the 19th consecutive year.
ATLANTIC HERRING:  The Council’s Herring AP and Herring Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Wakefield, MA.  The AP will start off in the morning at 8:30 a.m. and the Committee will meet after lunch, roughly around 1 p.m.  Here’s the agenda.  Meeting materials for both the AP and Committee meeting are available here.
  • Draft Addendum III:  The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will hold a hearing on Draft Addendum III to the interstate herring plan at 11:00 a.m. on March 3 at the same location as the New England Council’s Herring AP and Herring Committee meetings.  According to ASMFC, Draft Addendum III “proposes options to better manage the Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) sub-annual catch limit under low quota scenarios.”
FISHERY DATA:  The Fishery Data for Stock Assessment Working Group has delivered its final report to the Council.  The Council established the working group to explore how fishery-dependent data can be used to inform stock abundance and explain how this information is used in stock assessments.  The group developed a number of recommendations.  Learn more about the working group’s charge and membership. 
 
ABC CONTROL RULE CONTRACTOR:  The Council is seeking an independent contractor to develop alternatives for acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules for groundfish stocks that have undergone analytic assessments as of 2019.  Letters of interest and supporting documents must be received by March 18, 2020.  Details are available at groundfish ABC control rules.  Here’s a link to the announcement.
 
SKATES – SAVE THE DATE:  The Skate AP and Skate Committee will meet jointly on Thursday, March 26, 2020 at the Fairfield Inn in New Bedford.  More information will become available shortly.  Here is the Council’s skate webpage.
  • The Council developed Framework Adjustment 8 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan to set skate wing and skate bait specifications for the 2020-2021 fishing years.  NOAA Fisheries is collecting public comment on the framework through March 6, 2020.  Documents are available on the Framework 8 webpage.
RED HAKE:  Here’s a reminder that the Red Hake Stock Structure Research Track Assessment Meeting will be taking place March 9-12, 2020 in Woods Hole, MA.  The Council is working on an action to rebuild southern red hake.  Visit the Council’s whiting webpage for future developments. 
 
EBFM – SAVE THE DATE:  The Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Committee and EBFM Plan Development Team will meet jointly on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at the Fairfield Inn in New Bedford.  More information will become available shortly.  Here is the Council’s EBFM webpage.
 
JOIN US!  MAINE FISHERMEN’S FORUM:  The Maine Fishermen’s Forum will take place March 5, 6, and 7, 2020 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, ME.  Several Council members and staff are participating in many of this year’s seminars, including a special day-long offshore wind session.  Council representatives also will be taking part in seminars about:  Groundfish Monitoring Amendment 23; changes in the federal Atlantic herring fishery; updates on the federal scallop fishery in the Gulf of Maine; an open forum with fisheries leadership; and reconsideration of Atlantic cod stock structure in U.S. waters.
  • Detailed descriptions of the seminars are available at Maine Fishermen’s Forum 2020.
  • Tables with daily at-a-glance schedules are available on the forum’s forms and schedules webpage.