Saving Seafood

National Fisheries Institute Statement on the Food and Drug Administration’s Strategy to Ensure the Safety of Imported Seafood

March 22, 2023 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) newly released report, “Activities for the Safety of Imported Seafood,” illustrates a continued commitment to seafood safety. The report outlines a comprehensive approach that takes advantage of “smarter, more efficient technologies and processes” to enhance an already effective system.

FDA’s work doesn’t simply rely on optimized inspections, it strengthens surveillance, improves predictive analytics, and even includes a pilot program using artificial intelligence.  In fact, the bulk of the agency’s work is focused on prevention. Imported seafood is required to meet the same safety standards as seafood produced in this country and this work demonstrates how that is achieved.

This report shows FDA understands food safety needs are ever evolving and its work to meet those challenges is too.

 

Lisa Wallenda Picard

President & CEO

National Fisheries Institute Crab Council Statement on the Passing of Dr. Abdul Ghofar

March 15, 2023 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Dr. Abdul Ghofar was an accomplished fisheries biologist whose contribution to global Blue Swimming Crab work was renowned. He was a tireless advocate for science and sustainability, but he was far more than that for the NFI Crab Council. He was our advisor, our guide, and he was our friend.

Dr. Ghofar had a gentle way, a kind heart, and a commitment to do the right thing. His thirst for knowledge drove him as a scientist and as an author, but his insistence on finding ways to apply research to real-world applications made him stand out. His vision and practicality combined to form an ideal envoy who, for nearly a decade, coordinated effortlessly between industry-led initiatives, scientific research, and crab harvesting communities.

Aside from his impactful work and clear fisheries legacy, Dr. Abdul Ghofar was quietly generous in ways many will never know. The NFI Crab Council salutes not only his work but his spirit.

National Fisheries Institute Statement on the Food and Drug Administration’s Draft Labeling Guidance

February 24, 2023 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) newly issued draft guidance to help ensure appropriate labeling of plant-based beverages, marketed as milk alternatives, is a solid step in the right direction for regulators and consumers.  Highly processed, plant-based products masquerading as seafood for too long have contributed to consumer confusion and openly flouted existing regulations. Guidance for these products should mirror those now under consideration for “milk” products.

 
In the case of “milk,” FDA explains that use of the term “plant-based” does not exempt the producer from describing the actual plant source as part of the product name. This is in lockstep with prevailing policies on Statement of Identity. The guidance further affirms labels that promote things solely as “vegan shrimp” or “plant-based fish alternatives” do not accurately provide American consumers and families with the labeling information they need to make buying decisions.
 
What’s more, simply adding “fish-less” or “fish-free” would be a further violation of the labeling principles outlined in this guidance. FDA writes, “the term ‘dairy-free milk’ is not an adequate name for any plant-based milk alternative.”
 
We look forward to FDA releasing draft guidance for plant-based seafood alternatives that aligns with the structure it has applied to milk in this draft guidance. Enforcing long-standing regulations and preventing consumer confusion is of paramount importance.
 
Lisa Wallenda Picard
President & CEO

We Did Consumer Reports Work for Them

February 9, 2023 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

When we challenged reporter, Lauren Kirchner and her team at Consumer Reports, to release all their mercury-in-canned-tuna testing data and put it in perspective with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) “action level” and “level of concern,” we thought it was a pretty simple request. Apparently, it wasn’t because rather than a full clarification of the facts we got… nothing but crickets.

So, in order to help folks understand exactly what Consumer Reports found we were able to piece together the raw data from 19 of the 30 tests conducted as part of its How Worried Should You Be About Mercury in Your Tuna? article. The results are below and speak for themselves.

Read the full release at National Fisheries Institute

NFI calls latest Consumer Reports mercury in tuna claims “embarrassing failure of journalistic ethics”

February 9, 2023 — The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) is calling on Consumer Reports to disclose the full details of its research into allegations of mercury contamination in canned tuna.

The article by Consumer Reports, “How Worried Should You Be About Mercury in Your Tuna?” is the latest in a string of similar stories the publication has released dating back to 2014. The new story warns pregnant women to avoid canned tuna altogether due to some cans potentially having “higher levels” of mercury.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Here we go again: Consumer Reports Loves a Good Scare Story

February 8, 2023 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute: 

NFI has learned that Consumer Reports magazine is preparing to release a “story” that documents its efforts to test mercury in canned tuna. A story the outlet has repeatedly produced over the years:

Dating all the way back to 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blasted the magazine saying its report, “focus(ed) exclusively on the mercury levels in fish without considering the known positive nutritional benefits attributed to fish. As a result, the methodology employed by Consumer Reports overestimates the negative effects and overlooks the strong body of scientific evidence published in the last decade.”

Despite that admonishment, they’re at it again — taking precious time away from rating vacuum cleaners and air fryers to play an unqualified role in making public health recommendations.

However, here’s the real part of the narrative that will not surprise you. NFI found out Consumer Reports was testing cans of tuna in early January, and we reached out to them to be a resource. Not surprisingly, they didn’t sound thrilled to hear from us.

From the findings, we were privy to, we noted to Consumer Reports that the mercury levels they apparently found do not raise consumption concerns. Additionally, to suggest precautions to consumers based on those results would be hyperbolic and borders on embarrassing, tabloid journalism.

We pointed out that in the sample of results we saw, it appeared the highest level of mercury found in a “light” can was .58 ppm and the highest level of mercury found in an “albacore” can was .66 ppm. The FDA’s action level, or the limit for mercury in fish is 1.0ppm. Neither of these levels begin to even approach this limit and are completely safe to consume.

However, more importantly, we explained to Consumer Reports that to be totally accurate they would need to put these numbers in complete context with the FDA’s own explanation of the 1.0ppm “action level” and then explain the fact that the FDA’s 1.0ppm level includes a 10-fold safety factor:

“FDA’s action level of 1.0 ppm for methyl mercury in fish was established to limit consumers’ methyl mercury exposure to levels ten times lower than the lowest levels associated with adverse effects.”

— Food and Drug Administration

Cans that include tuna with mercury levels of .58ppm or .66ppm are nowhere near the absolute lowest levels FDA itself associates with “adverse effects.” Any reporting by Consumer Reports that suggests otherwise and does not include a thorough explanation of the FDA’s safety factor would be disingenuous at best and or deceptive at worse.

The report is scheduled to come out tomorrow Thursday, February 9th. Keep in mind, at that point Consumer Reports will have been fully aware of the FDA’s testing metric and threshold for concern for nearly a month. Deceiving readers by omitting accurate and scientific FDA perspective in search of sensational headlines is more than an embarrassing failure of journalistic ethics it is, simply put, wrong.

Seafood industry should prepare for millennials to take top spot in consumer spending power

January 19, 2023 — A “changing of the guard” is coming where younger consumers begin to change the grocery landscape, according to IRI Senior Vice President for Protein Practice Chris Dubois.

Speaking during the opening plenary of the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Market Conference – running from 15 to 19 January in Palm Springs, California, U.S.A. – Dubois predicted the grocery store landscape is going to shift dramatically as younger consumers get older and become the dominant buying bloc in the U.S.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Looming beef shortage could be boon for seafood industry

January 18, 2023 — Widespread droughts in 2022 resulted in a looming shortage to the beef supply, and could leave billions of consumer dollars looking for a different protein to purchase.

Speaking during the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC), running from 15 to 19 January in Palm Springs, California, U.S.A., Performance Food Group President of Protein Brands Steve Sands showcased how beef has heavily outperformed all other proteins. According to USDA data, U.S. consumers expenditures for beef has been greater than pork and chicken combined.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

National Fisheries Institute Statement on the Passing of Hans “Harry” Frisch

January 17, 2023 – The following was released National Fisheries Institute:
Harry Frisch, Chairman of Beaver Street Fisheries, was a seafood legend who grew a small retail fish shop in Jacksonville, Florida into one of the largest seafood processors and distributors in the U.S. His influence is outsized, and he will be missed.
 
He built his business with a focus on family, integrity, and a drive to ensure his customers had a consistent supply of seafood.  In an industry so often focused on just-in-time inventory, he famously emphasized thinking 5 years not 5 days ahead.
 
Harry Frisch was 99 years old. Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family and his Beaver Street colleagues. 
 
Lisa Wallenda Picard
President & CEO

WASHINGTON: Letter to the Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz & Governor, Jay Inslee

December 8, 2022 —  The following was released by National Fisheries Institute:

Dear Commissioner. Franz:

We, the undersigned, wish to express our collective concern regarding Commissioner’s Order #202211, dated November 17, 2022, directing Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff to “develop necessary changes to agency rules, policies, and procedures to prohibit commercial net pen aquaculture on state-owned aquatic lands” in the state of Washington, and to demand a third-party review of the science upon which this Order is based.

We represent a broad range of US national, state, and species-specific trade associations whose members either produce or harvest seafood that is destined for both domestic and international markets. Signers also include fisheries scientists, resource economists, veterinary medicine professionals, and other industry stakeholders who —in addition to being concerned about the lack of historical data and peer-reviewed science that would support your Order—are equally concerned about the apparent unilateral and unsupported exercise of government power that does not demonstrate thoughtful, constructive thinking and fairness.

In addition, we find it troubling that the Order:

  1. Fails to cite any credible, peer-reviewed analysis or analyses:
  2. Fails to refer to an independent third-party (or even other State agencies) supporting the Order;
  3. Ignores the recommendations in the April 2022 Washington Department of Ecology document fulfilling a requirement of House Bill 2957 (2018) ordered by the Washington state Legislature, “Commercial Marine Finfish Net Pen Aquaculture in Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca: Guidance and Risk Management” (Publication number 22-06-008);
  4. Fails to acknowledge the 40+ years of science that federal and state agencies, including the DNR, have conducted regarding marine aquaculture—science which exists to help inform decision-makers on how to strike a balance between environmental conservation and aquatic food production.

 

We do not argue that aquaculture is without impact or risk. Zero impact or zero risk is an impossible standard that no food production system can live up to. At the same time, however, marine aquaculture from domestic production helps reduce the carbon footprint from imports.

Given the fact that the commercial net pens affected by this Order occupy approximately .0004% of total state-owned aquatic lands, we believe that a third-party review is needed to show that the Order has no basis in scientific fact and is, in essence, an unsupported action by a government agency.

There are several possible candidates for conducting such a review, and we sincerely hope you and your staff have sufficient confidence in either the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and/or the NOAA National Center for Coastal Ocean Sciences as capable of examining an action that most of the US seafood industry believes to be just plain wrong.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully,

 

Jeanne McKnight, Ph.D., Executive Director

Northwest Aquaculture Alliance

 

Jim Parsons, CEO

Jamestown Seafood

President, Northwest Aquaculture Alliance

 

 

Linda A. Chaves, M.S.

Senior Advisor on Seafood and Industry Issues, NOAA (Retired)

NOAA National Aquaculture Coordinator (Retired)

 

John Dentler, Esq.

Chairman, Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship Foundation

President Emeritus, Northwest Aquaculture Alliance

 

Walton W. Dickhoff, Ph.D. 

NOAA Fisheries Senior Scientist (Retired)

University of Washington Professor of Fisheries (Retired)

 

John Forster, Ph.D.

Stolt Sea Farm Washington – General Manager (1984-1994)

Columbia River Fish Farms – Co-Owner (1994-2001)

 

 

 

 

 

Frederick Goetz, Ph.D.

NOAA Fisheries Biologist (Retired)

Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

 

Robert N. Iwamoto, Ph.D.

Northwest Fisheries Science Center – NOAA (Retired)

 

Don Kent, M.S. 

President/CEO – Hubbs Sea World Research Institute

 

Hugh Mitchell, M.S., DVM

Aquatic NW Veterinary Services

 

John Moehl, Ph.D.

Senior FAO Aquaculture Officer (Retired)

Aquaculture Specialist – Realized Expectations/AFFIRM

 

Stephen G. Newman, Ph.D.

President/CEO – Aquaintech Inc.

 

Gil Sylvia, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Department of Applied Economics – Oregon State University

Director, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (Retired)

 

US State and National Trade Associations

 

Tony Vaught, President

California Aquaculture Association

 

Robert Rheault, Ph.D., Executive Director

East Coast Shellfish Growers Association

 

Tiffany Conner, Education Coordinator

Florida Aquaculture Association

 

Paul Hundley, Founding Director

Florida Marine Aquaculture Coalition

 

Brian Perkins, CEO

Global Seafood Alliance

 

Ronald P. Weidenbach, President

Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association

 

 

 

 

 

Sebastian Belle, Executive Director

Maine Aquaculture Association

 

Dan Vogler, President

Michigan Aquaculture Association

 

Paul Zajicek, Executive Director

National Aquaculture Association

 

Gavin Gibbons, Vice President

National Fisheries Institute

 

Clinton Bentz, President

Oregon Aquaculture Association

 

Bill Lynch, President

Ohio Aquaculture Association

 

Fritz Jaenike, President

Texas Aquaculture Association

 

Mark Ely, President

US Trout Farmers Association

 

 

Cc:

Governor Jay Inslee 

Senator Andy Billig, Senate Majority Leader

Senator John Braun, Senate Republican Leader

Representative Laurie Jinkins, Speaker of the House

Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, House Majority Leader

Representative J.T. Wilcox, House Republican Leader

Senator Kevin Van De Wege, Chair – Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee

Senator Judy Warnick, Ranking Member

Representative Mike Chapman, Chair – House Rural Development, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Committee

Representative Bruce Chandler, Ranking Member