Saving Seafood

Dramatic Increase in Whales in NJ/NYC Raises Safety Concerns

August 9th, 2019 — The number of humpback whale sightings in New York City and northern New Jersey has increased dramatically in recent years, by more than 500 percent, as a result of warmer and cleaner waters, raising the risk of dangerous interactions between the huge marine mammals and humans, according to a Rutgers University-New Brunswick researcher.

The increase in sightings near one of the world’s busiest ports is a safety concern for both whales and humans, especially with a new wave of migration headed close to shores this fall, said Danielle Brown, a doctoral student in ecology and evolution in Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biology Sciences and the lead humpback whale researcher and naturalist for Gotham Whale, a New York-based nonprofit that studies and advocates for whales.

Since Gotham Whale started documenting humpback whale sightings in the New York Bight apex – the Atlantic Ocean area from New York harbor east to Fire Island and south to the Manasquan Inlet– the number has increased to 272 last year up from five in 2011. Many of the sightings have occurred less than two miles from the shore.

Read the full story at Rutgers Today

How lobster went from the ‘poor man’s protein’ to the delicacy we eat today

July 15, 2019 — Following is a transcript of the video.

Narrator: It’s no secret that lobsters are pricey. And a standard lobster dinner in a restaurant can set you back $38 or more. Lobsters are considered a gourmet dish today, but there was a time when they were known as the cockroaches of the sea and even served to prisoners. So when did lobsters become such a delicacy? And why are they so expensive? There are a lot of species of lobster, but we’re interested in the recognizable, clawed lobsters you might see on the menu: Homarus americanus and Homarus gammarus, better known as American and European lobster. These two species are very similar. The biggest difference is their color. We went to Ed’s Lobster Bar in New York City to speak to someone who has a lot of experience buying, preparing, and cooking the crustacean.

Ed McFarland: So, one of the hardest things about working lobster is, truthfully, it’s the price range of lobster, and it fluctuates greatly and from year to year, and the price increases. And the yield when you clean a lobster is very low. So you could buy a pound-and-a-half lobster, I think this is what most people don’t understand, is in a pound-and-a-half lobster, there’s probably only 4 ounces of meat out of a hard-shell lobster. So there’s not much yield that comes out of the lobster. So when you’re cleaning the lobster yourself to make lobster rolls, it really turns into a very, very expensive product.

Narrator: To fully understand what makes lobster so expensive, we need to take a look at its history, because it wasn’t always as revered as it is now. Lobster’s history varies across the world, but, for a long time, it was a source of food for many of the poorest in society.

During the Viking era, lobsters as food became much more popular in northern Europe as boats more suited to deep-sea fishing became available. And by establishing meat-free days for certain religious holidays, the church also increased the demand for seafood, including lobster.

Across Europe, lobsters became associated with status and a lavish lifestyle. And they were often featured in paintings to show wealth. But the value of lobster remained low in North America. Native Americans used lobsters as fishing bait and crop fertilizer, a practice that European colonists later copied.

Read the full story at Business Insider

Whale sightings and ship strike danger surge off New York

May 31, 2019 — Humpback whales are seen much more often around the approaches to New York Harbor, and with them comes the potential for more deadly encounters with vessels, according to a new study.

“Whales feed in close proximity to the entrance of the Port of New York and New Jersey, creating potentially dangerous situations for both vessels and whales. Documenting humpback whale presence and identifying the risks are crucial for both short- and long-term management,” wrote researchers at George Mason University in Virginia and Gotham Whale, a nonprofit group in New York City.

Published in the journal Marine Policy, authors Danielle M. Brown, Paul L. Sieswerda and E.C.M. Parsons report humpback whale sightings – along with strandings of dead whales – have substantially increased around the apex of the New York Bight since 2011. The team makes a case for stepping up whale monitoring in the Bight, for both conservation and the safety of mariners and whales.

A humpback whale and vessels near New York. Tugs and tows travel at lower speeds but can still be at risk of collision with whales feeding close to shore, according to a new study.

Read the full story at WorkBoat

June 2019 MAFMC Meeting Agenda

May 10, 2019 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s meeting to be held June 4-6, 2019 in New York, NY. The meeting will be held at the Yotel New York, 570 Tenth Ave (at W 42nd), New York, NY 10036, Telephone 646-449-7700.

Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/june-2019 as they become available.

Public Comments: Written comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 to be included in the briefing book. Comments received after this date but before 5:00 p.m. on May 30, 2019 will be posted as supplemental materials on the Council meeting web page. After that date, all comments must be submitted using an online comment form available at http://www.mafmc.org/public-comment.

Webinar: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/june2019.

Agenda: Click here for a detailed meeting agenda.

Amazon, Walmart lead new pilot e-commerce program in US

April 24, 2019 — Amazon and Walmart are participating in a United States government pilot program that allows Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to buy groceries online.

The two-year test, which recently launched in New York, allows online purchasing by SNAP households with electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards issued in New York.

Amazon and Walmart will participate in the initial pilot launch on 23 April with ShopRite joining early next week. ShopRite and Amazon are providing service to the New York City area and Walmart is providing online service in upstate New York locations.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

International Collaboration Sheds Light on Ocean Acidification’s Impact on Shellfish

April 10, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Emilien Pousse has been fascinated by the sea since learning to scuba dive with his father. He wasn’t always as keen on computer programming.

Yet here he is, a post-doctoral researcher from France, working to calibrate a computer model that describes the energy budgets of two commercially important shellfish – oysters and surfclams.

But first, he must know more about the consequences of ocean acidification on the metabolism and shell development of these creatures. He’s in the process of conducting those experiments with shellfish experts at the NEFSC Milford Lab.

Back in France, Emilien pursued his master’s degree with a math professor who required students to learn computer modeling skills. While some students enjoyed it, initially Emilien did not. Despite this, his internship advisor convinced him to apply for a Ph.D. project in the marine ecology doctoral program at Université de Bretagne Occidentale in Brest, France, though the project also involved modeling.

After conducting experiments for his dissertation, Emilien persevered in learning computer programming and discovered the dynamic energy budget theory on which his shellfish model is based.

“Little by little, I understood computer modeling,” Emilien says. When he began to see it as a tool to understand how oysters function, learning became easier. “I needed to learn some new skills to understand computer modeling, but it allowed me to learn more about the physiological processes of oysters and other marine animals,” Emilien reflected.

Oysters are a major industry in France. In 2012, a large bloom of Alexandrium minutum, a toxic algae known to cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, caused the oyster fishery in the Bay of Brest to close for several weeks during the summer and led to considerable economic disruption.

This algal bloom inspired Emilien’s doctoral work, which focused on modeling the accumulation of paralytic shellfish toxins in oysters. His dissertation was part of a multidisciplinary project, which engaged marine biologists, policy experts and researchers studying food safety.

While he was wrapping up his dissertation, a group of collaborators from the Milford Lab, led by lab director and shellfish expert Gary Wikfors, visited the university to conduct an experiment. The lab has a 25-year long (and counting) collaborative relationship with researchers in France. A colleague who had previously conducted research in Milford introduced Emilien to the group. Research chemist Shannon Meseck mentioned that she was looking for a post-doctoral researcher to work on a modeling project with shellfish, which was exactly the opportunity that Emilien had been looking for.

While driving home from that meeting, he weighed whether to apply for the job. The opportunity would mean moving thousands of miles away from home for two years. Ultimately, the excitement of coming to the United States and working with scientists in Milford won out. Emilien knew the project would allow him to grow as a researcher, flex his computer modeling skills, and expand his knowledge to understand the effects of ocean acidification. He was also excited to experience American culture and live close to New York City.

Although Emilien is currently studying the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, a native of the US East Coast, he admits his favorite oyster to eat is the European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis. No matter the species, he likes to eat oysters on the half shell, with a little bit of vinegar and shallots. Emilien hopes the results of his research will help shellfish growers plan and be resilient in the face of a changing ocean.

Story originally posted by NOAA Fisheries 

The ocean is full of drifting DNA. The United States needs to collect it, researchers say

January 23, 2019 —  U.S. government agencies monitoring fisheries, endangered species, and environmental impacts ought to leverage the DNA present in every drop of seawater, say the organizers of a conference on marine environmental DNA (eDNA), held at Rockefeller University in New York City in November 2018. Biological surveys based on eDNA are reliable and poised to cut costs and save time, they argue in a report released last week.

The report calls for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other government agencies that survey marine life to add the technology to their standard palette of assessment techniques.

“We are exploring all pathways to get the critical information of what animals are where and how many there are,” says conference attendee Michael Weise, who manages the Office of Naval Research’s Marine Mammals and Biology program in Arlington, Virginia. “We are already developing our capabilities using eDNA and we will continue to push that forward. There are gaps and challenges, but I think they are surmountable in the near term.”

Read the full story at Science

The FDA Warns One of New York’s Most Expensive Restaurants over Seafood Import Violations

October 26, 2017 — SEAFOOD NEWS — One of New York’s most expensive restaurants is in some trouble with the Food and Drug Administration over its fresh fish.

Masa, which earned three Michelin stars for its $595 tasting menu (before drinks and tax), received a warning letter from the FDA dated Oct. 16 alleging violations of federal rules that govern seafood imports. “Your fresh trevally and fresh Katsuwonus pelamis (Katsuo), also known as skipjack tuna or bonito,” the agency wrote in a letter published online this week, “have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health.”

“We take FDA regulations very seriously and, of course, food safety is always a priority. We are working closely with our purveyors in Japan to get this resolved quickly,” said Tina Clabbers, a representative for Masa, in an email.

While the the FDA doesn’t typically regulate individual restaurants, the agency has jurisdiction over seafood importers. Inspectors visited Masa on June 22, according to the letter, which redacted the name of the restaurant’s fish supplier.

The letter doesn’t specify the precise nature of the violation, and a spokesperson in the FDA’s New York district office was not available for comment.

The regulation for which Masa was cited requires fish importers to ensure that foreign suppliers meet the same standards for safety that domestic processors must adhere to. The FDA warning letter says the restaurant “must implement an affirmative step” to comply with the seafood import rules but failed to do so for the aforementioned fresh trevally and Katsuo.

Affirmative steps could include getting records from foreign suppliers about their compliance with FDA standards, inspecting the foreign facility or other actions to verify that the fish is up to code.

High-end sushi chefs have clashed with regulators before over rules that require that fish intended for raw consumption be frozen before serving. The freezing process is intended to kill pathogens. Masa’s 20-plus course omakase menu uses ingredients “only in their freshest most delicious state,” according to its website.

New York City health inspectors gave Masa an A grade in July 2016. The health department did not cite any violations regarding fresh fish.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

 

Increased whale sightings in New York City waters a sign of cleaner waters

July 6, 2017 — New video shows a diver off the coast of Tasmania coming face to face with a whale recently in a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

But you don’t have to travel to Australia to see these marine giants–they’re now in the waters off New York City.

Though the Hudson River was once a national symbol for pollution, humpback whales have become a more common sight around New York and New Jersey, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.

A whale sighting may look like an acrobatic display with its fluke set against the city’s skyscrapers, but they’re actually lunge feeding–attacking fish called menhaden.

“One of the things that brings everything together is this food chain,” said Paul Sieswerda, the president of the non-profit Gotham Whale. He says menhaden are thriving because the water is cleaner.

Read the full story at CBS This Morning

At the UN Ocean Conference, Recognizing an Unseen Pollutant: Noise

June 9, 2017 — As we mark World Oceans Day today, it is safe to say that of all the threats facing the world’s oceans in the 21st Century, the most tangible (and visible) of these is pollution. Televised images of oil spills in a once-pristine location have become the very definition of environmental disaster, while firsthand encounters with plastics and debris on a beach or floating offshore serve to remind us that no corner of the earth is completely free of human-produced refuse.

Pollution is also a major topic of discussion at this week’s United Nations Ocean Conference in New York City. The event brings together governmental leaders, conservationists, scientists, and others from all corners of the globe to focus on the ocean, its future, and sustainable development.

The discussions include efforts to conserve the world’s oceans, seas, and marine resources while minimizing threats such as climate change, overfishing, and a frightening array of pollutants ranging from solid waste runoff, hazardous chemicals, wastewater, and plastics that all flow seaward from our cities, farms, and coastal dwellings.

Some UN delegates are also focusing on another kind of pollution, one that is invisible and temporary but devastating to many marine animals: noise. Noise pollution has to be recognized as a threat to whales, dolphins, and other species, and was the focus of a specific workshop at the UN conference that my colleagues and I at Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) organized with a number of partners last February.

Whales, which live in and migrate between marine habitats (some with considerable levels of maritime transport and other industrial activities), are particularly at risk from noise. These underwater blasts can disrupt behaviors and prevent these marine mammals from finding food and communicating with one another.

Read the full story at National Geographic