Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: The future of fish is frozen: How the seafood industry is adapting to COVID-19

May 18, 2020 — Jared Auerbach first saw the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in early January, when seafood orders from Boston’s Chinatown — and Chinatowns across the country — slowly stopped coming in.

At first, the founder of Red’s Best, a Boston-based seafood distributor, wasn’t too worried.

“The second week of March, we were down about 20 percent,” he said. “Things were starting to get a little weird. We got through the weekend and I lost some sleep over the weekend, but I felt good.”

On March 17, restaurants in Mass. were ordered to shutdown, and Auerbach, who founded Red’s Best in 2008, saw his business fall out from under him as he made the difficult decision to furlough the vast majority of his staff. For someone who spent years intently focused on balancing the supply of the sea with the demand of the public — many of them restaurant chefs — he now wondered: “What’s our contingency plan?”

Read the full story at Boston.com

Blue Harvest believes it’s time again to look at locally sourced and processed seafood

May 15, 2020 — The following was released by Blue Harvest Fisheries:

Did you know that approximately 80% of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported?  Most of the imported seafood comes from China, and much of the rest from other developing countries in Asia and Latin America. By comparison, of all the other types of food consumed in the U.S., only 13% is imported.

We believe it’s time to take another look at local, sustainable groundfish from New England. Why?

SHORTER, SAFER SUPPLY CHAIN AND SMALLER CARBON FOOTPRINT

Locally harvested and processed seafood usually travels through fewer steps in the supply chain to get to your plate. Meanwhile, imported seafood travels great distances by air travel and generates far greater carbon emissions along the way. Seafood that is locally caught, processed and shipped has a substantially smaller carbon footprint.

For instance, Blue Harvest’s groundfish are harvested by our own vessels from local fisheries off the New England coast. These fisheries are all near our processing plant in New Bedford, MA and the major shipping facilities of nearby Boston. Not only does this provide for a short, sustainable supply chain, but it also allows us to maintain tight control over every step of the supply chain process. This meticulous management ensures our products meet the highest standards for quality and safety.

STRONGER LOCAL COMMUNITIES

When you support local harvesters and processors, you also help support an entire industry of small local businesses and suppliers. A strong commercial fishing industry helps keep our local economies strong and our communities healthy and vibrant.

HEALTHIER, SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

U.S. fisheries are among the best managed in the world. Blue Harvest’s vessels target underfished and underutilized groundfish from MSC-certified sustainable fisheries in the New England waters of Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine, which are some of the most closely monitored and tightly regulated fisheries in the U.S.

Blue Harvest is also MSC Chain of Custody Certified. The Standard ensures an unbroken chain of custody and that our certified seafood is identifiable, segregated and traceable.

HEALTHIER, BETTER TASTING SEAFOOD

Many seafood products from China or Europe have been twice frozen and/or treated with additives. While this helps reduce costs, it may also change the natural flavor and texture of the fish. Blue Harvest groundfish are once frozen and processed without any additives. And all our groundfish are processed in our own, modern waterfront plant located in New Bedford, MA.

Learn more about our amazing New England fishery and Blue Harvest products here, and follow us on Facebook for our latest updates!

Senators Markey and Warren, and Reps. Moulton and Keating React to $28 Million in Fisheries Disaster Aid for Massachusetts

May 8, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.):

Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced its plan for distributing $300 million of fisheries disaster funds appropriated in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. NOAA announced that each fishing state, territory, and tribe would receive a maximum allocation of $50 million and a minimum allocation of $1 million. Massachusetts received $28 million, the third-highest award. In 2018, $647.2 million of seafood was landed in Massachusetts, the second-highest amount of seafood landed in any state. For 19 consecutive years, New Bedford has been the highest grossing port in the country. Massachusetts is second to only California with more than 87,000 jobs in the commercial fishing and processing industry and 10,000 jobs in the recreational fishing industry

“The $28 million in aid for Massachusetts should only be the beginning. With Massachusetts’s position as home to the highest grossing port in the country, additional aid will be needed to address and match the critical role the Commonwealth plays in our fishing economy,” said Senator Markey. “While the amount allocated for Massachusetts is lower than anticipated and requires explanation, it will help out struggling fishermen who are suffering during the pandemic. I will continue to fight for more support for this historic and robust industry in upcoming coronavirus relief packages.”
 
“Massachusetts fishermen were struggling long before the pandemic hit, and this much-needed relief is an important first step toward keeping our fishermen and their families afloat as they confront this crisis and grapple with the economic slowdown it has brought to the fishing community,” said Senator Warren. “This allocation will be helpful to our fishermen during this difficult time, and I’ll keep fighting alongside my delegation partners to support the fishing and seafood industry.”
 
“Like all small businesses, the men and women of the Commonwealth’s fishing industry have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Keating. “This disaster assistance will begin to assist the industry as they recover from the effects of the pandemic, and I will continue to fight in the House as we look to further aid the fishing industry and the thousands of Massachusetts families it supports in the coming months.”  
 
“Fishermen are hurting. Things were already tough because of the trade war and they got a lot tougher when restaurants closed because of the pandemic,” said Rep. Moulton. “Government’s strength is measured by the ability to serve the people it represents. I hope this brings some peace of mind to the state’s fishermen.”
 
The Massachusetts lawmakers, led by Senator Markey, have championed the swift, equitable, and transparent allocation of financial aid to fishery participants and secured a $20 million USDA procurement of Atlantic seafood. On April 29, Senators Markey and Warren led a letter demanding immediate release of federal guidance on how fishery participants can access this $300 million in CARES Act funds, and identifying bureaucratic inefficiencies that were behind the failure to issue this guidance in a timely manner. On April 2, Senators Markey and Warren led a letter urging the Department of Commerce and NOAA to act swiftly, equitably, and transparently in allocating fisheries disaster assistance funding. On March 23, Senators Markey and Warren, and Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan called on Senate leadership to include support for the fishing industry in coronavirus economic relief packages. Also on March 23, Rep. McGovern led Chairman Richard Neal (MA-01), James P. McGovern (MA-02), and Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) in calling on House leadership to include fishing disaster assistance in relief packages.

Massachusetts Fishing industry hurting, congress looking to help

May 5, 2020 — Things have been slow at the Port of New Bedford.

The fishing industry is hurting since restaurants have been shut down. Local fisherman estimate nearly 70% of seafood consumed in the country is done so in restaurants.

“We’re probably scaled down at this point about half of where we would be historically from a head-count perspective,” explained Keith Decker, president and CEO of Blue Harvest Fisheries in New Bedford.

Decker says many of New Englands biggest exports — like lobster and scallops— are not being bought, and prices are way down.

Massachusetts congressional delegation secured $300 million for it’s fishing industry through the Cares Act in late March, but that money hasn’t hit the docks yet.

“We’re proud of the money we got put in the Cares Act,” said Representative Seth Moulton, (D) MA.

Read the full story at ABC 6

MASSACHUSETTS: Blue Harvest implements covid-19 safeguards

May 4, 2020 — Blue Harvest Fisheries adopted new safeguards to help protect workers from covid-19, including plexiglass enclosures on the processing line in its New Bedford, Mass., plant.

The company said Thursday that no workers have contracted the illness on the job, but two had tested positive for covid-19 over an 11-day period after apparently contracting it outside of work. The company reported those cases to the city Board of Health.

The company says it had already adopted a 25-point protocol for covid-19 “based on emerging best practices and had arranged for an independent company to conduct deep cleaning and disinfecting even before the anticipated closure order arrived.”

After closing at the end of business April 23, Blue Harvest staff working around the clock over the weekend installed three-sided plexiglass separations between workers’ stations on the  line, to improve social distancing on the plant floor before operations resumed Monday.

Common surfaces in the plant are cleaned frequently, followed by regular deep cleaning of the entire facility, according to Blue Harvest. All employees are required to wear facemasks and face shields on the production floor.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

MASSACHUSETTS: Blue Harvest Implements Comprehensive New COVID-19 Protection Measures; Offers Employees Hazard Pay

May 1, 2020 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The following was released by Blue Harvest Fisheries:

Blue Harvest Fisheries is committed to the safety and well-being of its employees, and to the safety and quality of its seafood products, above all else. In addition to existing precautions the company initiated, which were in compliance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and other Federal agencies, Blue Harvest has implemented a series of comprehensive new precautionary measures. Additionally, although there is no evidence that any employees have contracted the COVID-19 virus on the job, Blue Harvest will offer its hourly workers an additional $1.00-per-hour hazard pay for the duration of the state of emergency as declared by the Governor of Massachusetts.

When Blue Harvest learned that two employees had tested positive for COVID-19 over an 11-day period, having apparently contracted the illness outside of the workplace, Blue Harvest voluntarily reported this information to the New Bedford Board of Health. Prior to this, Blue Harvest had already created and began implementing a 25-point protocol for COVID-19 based on emerging best practices, and had arranged for an independent company to conduct deep cleaning and disinfecting even before the anticipated closure order arrived.

The company closed at the end of the workday last Thursday. Working around the clock over the weekend, Blue Harvest staff built 3-sided plexiglass separations to improve social distancing measures on the plant floor. Operations resumed as normal on Monday.

Read the full release here

Seafood prices have dropped, but Southcoast fishermen still fish amid pandemic

April 29, 2020 — Though the coronavirus pandemic has limited some seafood markets and lowered prices, SouthCoast fishermen are still going out on trips when the stormy weather isn’t keeping them ashore.

“We’re still going out, everything’s running right along for us,” groundfisherman Antonio Cravo and co-owner of F/V United States said on Monday.

Cravo, who is based in New Bedford, said the prices have dropped and he’s getting less money for the fish he catches, but it’s still worth going out on trips.

“We offloaded last night and just got paid today, the prices dropped, but it’s still worth it to keep going,” Cravo said,“We still get a paycheck, not as much, but we still get a paycheck to keep up with our bills.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Blue Harvest Responds to COVID-19 Situation; Plans to Reopen Monday

April 24, 2020 — In an interview with SeafoodSource, Blue Harvest President and CEO Keith Decker said the first employee tested positive on 14 April, having gone on medical leave on 3 April. A second employee tested positive 20 April in what Decker called an unrelated case. A third case is suspected but not confirmed, Decker said.

In response, Blue Harvest “immediately notified the city and Board of Health proactively,” Decker said.

“We have been in close contact throughout the week, and it’s standard protocol to notify the board of health if you have a positive diagnosis,” he said.

Blue Harvest had already arranged for a third-party contractor to sanitize the facility prior to the issuance of a cease and desist letter, and that cleaning took place Thursday, 23 April. The plant is scheduled to reopen on Monday, 27 April, Decker said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford fishermen navigate waves of uncertainty in age of coronavirus

April 24, 2020 — On the ocean, fishermen know the uncertainty they’re up against on each trip: Mother Nature. They face brutal weather and, at times, a bad catch. However, it’s on land right now that they’re currently navigating an uncharted sea of uncertainty.

Danny Eilertsen owns Nordic Inc., a fleet of six scallop boats docked at Fish Island in New Bedford.

He said they fish for scallops all year, but the scallop season really begins April 1. Ironically, he said, right now is great at sea — a healthy catch and cold waters. Yet when they come back with tens of thousands of pounds of scallops, they’re selling to a completely different market in the age of coronavirus.

“Scallops on the menu at restaurants now are a staple, they’ve been a staple for quite a few years. Pretty much every restaurant you go to has scallops, and that’s just stopped. So the fresh market for us is gone and that’s probably where the value has lost so much this last month, couple of months here,” Eilertsen said.

He says now, they’re selling at auction at 30 to 40 percent lower costs, and most of the product is put in the freezer to be sold at supermarkets or other markets around the world.

Read the full story at WPRI

Commercial fishing industry in free fall as restaurants close, consumers hunker down and vessels tie up

April 8, 2020 — Kenny Melanson has managed not to furlough or lay off employees at his seafood company, but all nonessential workers have been sent home. Now it’s core staff, hair-netted and suited up, spreading fat sea scallops across a mechanized belt and running them through two brine tanks and two washes and then a quick-freeze. There’s a wall of pallets, hundreds of boxes labeled “fresh seafood,” all of it enveloped in sheets of plastic wrap. Waiting for what’s next.

He runs Northern Wind in New Bedford, Mass., contracting with 74 fishing vessels and employing 125 people. In business 33 years, the company sells about 15 million pounds of scallops and about 6 million pounds of ahi tuna a year.

In the absence of sales, Melanson is running 150,000 pounds of sea scallops a day through individual tunnel freezers, banking them for when the pandemic is over. But cash flow is getting tight. And he worries that when regular life resumes, a glut of scallops will mean tanking prices.

“We could obviously tell our suppliers we would prefer if you don’t fish for the next 30 days,” Melanson said. “But I’m very concerned and nervous about the 28- and 29-year employees and the crews we’ve built up to produce these quantities. They all live paycheck to paycheck.”

Read the full story at The Washington Post