Saving Seafood

Local Catch Network kicks off campaign raising awareness for local fisherman, seafood harvesters

August 23, 2022 — A social media campaign is kicking off this week to raise awareness for community-based fisheries across North America.

“It’s a campaign to promote local and regional values-based small scale seafood businesses across North America,” said Paloma Henriques, a graduate assistant at the University of Maine.

This is the second year of the campaign that started after researchers found the pandemic highlighted the need to build resilient local and regional seafood systems.

“The global supply chains really faltered and struggled. If you’re looking at seafood, it’s one of the most highly traded commodities. A fish can be caught in one country processed in another and consumed in a third country,” Henriques said.

Read the full story at WABI

 

Fish will migrate as temperatures warm, putting fisheries at risk

June 5, 2017 — Morley et al. 2018, a paper published May 16, 2018 in PLOS one (open access) projects how warming ocean temperatures will affect the geographic distribution of 686 commercially important species around North America. We already know that species across the globe are migrating due to climate change: organisms that require cooler environments are moving towards the poles while species that tolerate warmer conditions find themselves with more space to live.

Species migration and shifting home ranges have serious implications for natural resource management, particularly fisheries. Fishing boats may have to travel further to find fish, using more time & fuel; fishing communities and livelihoods could be lost as fish move away; or fish in one country’s jurisdiction (EEZ), may move to another country’s. The key management issue is the uncertainty. Fishers need to know how fish will be distributed in the future to adapt to warming temperatures and preserve their income and livelihoods.

The recent study should help fishery managers, fishers, and other stakeholders prepare for the future as it contains the most comprehensive projection of fisheries migration under climate change to date. Using over a hundred thousand data points from U.S. and Canadian fishery surveys over the past 50 years, researchers examined the relationship between temperature, depth, and habitat to establish home ranges for 686 species on the North American continental shelf; then used several climate models to see how home ranges would change under different emissions scenarios (representative concentration pathways—or RCPs).

Read the full story at Sustainable Fisheries UW

Can ‘Slow Fish’ Help Save America’s Small-Scale Fishermen?

March 14, 2016 — You can’t find a more intimate relationship between humans, food and nature than fishing, says Michele Mesmain, international coordinator of Slow Fish, a seafood spinoff of the Italy-based Slow Food movement. Think of all the thousands of boats at sea, catching wild creatures to haul back to shore and eat. “It’s our last source of widely eaten, truly wild food,” she says.

Held every odd-numbered year in Genoa, Slow Fish attracts about 50,000 chefs, fishers, scholars, activists and eaters to promote small-scale fishing, marine biodiversity, cooking and eating neglected seafood species. This year, organizers added a U.S. event — in New Orleans — to highlight fisheries in the Americas and threats to Louisiana’s vanishing independent fishermen.

The New Orleans event was born last year when New Orleans Slow Food chair Gary Granata and Carmo restaurateurs Dana and Christina Honn presented in Genoa. Granata says he spoke about Louisiana’s coast washing away due to erosion, “and Dana and Christina cooked Louisiana seafood in sauce piquant, and we said: ‘Come to New Orleans!’ ”

They meant it. To fund Slow Fish 2016, the group held “Trash Fish Happy Hours,” where customers could eat seafood — like porgy, small squid and whiting — that’s normally considered unwanted bycatch. Though the New Orleans Slow Fish gathering came together as an “all-volunteer, DIY sort of thing,” Granata says, it was far from unambitious. Alongside panel discussions about fisheries throughout the Americas, the hosts planned a full-on festival with a lineup of live, local music and chefs cooking Louisiana seafood, plus added delicacies from around North America.

Read the full story at New York Now

2016 Seafood Expo North America Excellence Awards Finalists Announced

March  7, 2016 — The following was released by the Seafood Expo North America:

The 12 finalists for the 2016 Seafood Excellence Awards, the prestigious best new products competition at Seafood Expo North America, have been announced. Winners of the competition will be presented during the Seafood Excellence Awards ceremony, which will take place on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 3:30pm in the Demonstration Theater during Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America in Boston, USA.

The Seafood Excellence Awards annually recognize the product leaders in the North American seafood market. Each year, exhibitors have the opportunity to submit their new products for consideration. Products are evaluated by three seafood industry experts based on their uniqueness and appropriateness to the market, taste profile, packaging, market potential, convenience, nutritional value and originality.

The 2016 finalists were selected from nearly 60 entries in the exposition’s New Product Showcase and compete for two awards: Best New Foodservice and Best New Retail Product.

The finalists for the 2016 Seafood Excellence Awards are:

Absolutely Lobster®, Booth #3014
Absolutely Lobster® Homemade Tomato Sauces

 

Alaskan Jack’s Seafood Corporation, Booth #2305

Frontier Harvest Alaskan Jack’s Gold Premium Pineapple-Teriyaki Sockeye

 

Aqua Star, Booth #2005

Crab & Shrimp Seafood Feast

 

Azuma Foods International Inc., USA, Booth #321

Tobikko Umami

 

Bantry Bay America Inc., Booth #2957

Mussels in a Creamy Stout Sauce

 

French Creek Seafoods, Booth #2833
Kickin’ Seafood Chili
High Liner Foods, Booth #1005
Simply Sauce Seafood Bites

 

Phillips Foods, Booth #959
Shrimp Toast

 

Premier Marine Canada, Booth #2981
Waterview Market Shrimp with Sauce

 

Santa Barbara Smokehouse, Booth #2310
Honey Glazed Oak Roasted Salmon

Trident Seafoods, Booth #805
SeaFusions™ Pacific Cod Bites

 

Vinh Hoan Corporation, Booth #2742

Char Marked Barramundi

 

Each finalist’s product will be showcased during the three-day event in Boston.

The Seafood Excellence Awards serves as the North American extension of the Seafood Excellence Global Awards competition, held at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium. Both Seafood Excellence Awards and Seafood Excellence Global are organized by Diversified Communications, producers of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global and Seafood Expo Asia.

View all of the entries of the Seafood Excellence Awards.   
SeafoodSource.com, a publication of Diversified Communications is the official media for Seafood Expo North America & Seafood Processing North America. As the global leader in seafood industry news and information, SeafoodSource.com will extensively cover the event.

Seafood-industry buyers and processors can learn more about Seafood Expo North America & Seafood Processing North America and register to attend by visiting the exposition’s website, seafoodexpo.com/north-america.

About Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America

Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America, formerly called the International Boston Seafood Show and Seafood Processing America, is North America’s largest seafood exposition. Thousands of buyers and suppliers from around the world attend the annual, three-day exposition to meet, network and do business. Attending buyers represent importers, exporters, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and other retail and foodservice companies. Exhibiting suppliers offer the newest seafood products, processing and packaging equipment, and services available in the seafood market. The exposition is sponsored by the National Fisheries Institute. SeafoodSource.com is the official media. The exposition is produced by Diversified Communications, the international leader in seafood-industry expositions and media. For more information, visit: www.seafoodexpo.com/north-america

About Diversified Communications

Diversified Communications is a leading international media company providing market access, education and information through global, national and regional face-to-face events, digital products, publications and television stations. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine and business management. The company’s global seafood portfolio of expositions and media includes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia and SeafoodSource.com. Diversified Communications, in partnership with SeaWeb, also produces SeaWeb Seafood Summit, the world’s premier seafood conference on sustainability. Based in Portland, Maine, USA, Diversified has divisions in the Eastern United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Thailand and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit: www.divcom.com

View a PDF of the release

New Faces on the Docks: NOAA Hires Uniformed Enforcement Officers

January 5, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

This year NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement in the Northeast Division hired seven new uniformed enforcement officers in an effort to increase patrol presence with a focus on compliance assistance and education.

“OLE will continue to bolster its enforcement officer staff across the country over the next several years,” said OLE Deputy Director Logan Gregory. “Fair and effective law enforcement is critical toward protecting the commercial and recreational fishing industries, and the sustainability of our living marine resources.”

OLE’s sworn personnel are comprised of enforcement officers and special agents, each with their own distinct roles.

Enforcement officers focus on improving compliance via face-to-face interactions with industry. Through patrols enforcement officers increase NOAA’s presence, provide information about regulations directly to the fishing industry, and at-sea enforcement in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard and state partners. Enforcement officers focus on directly engaging with fishermen to help ensure they understand fishing regulations. Additionally, EOs handle patrol-level investigations such as landing fish in excess of possession limits or prohibited and undersized species, fishing in closed areas, illegal fishing gear and reporting issues.

 

Special agents conduct more complex and long term investigations in area such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, fraudulent mislabeling of seafood, smuggling or trafficking of threatened or endangered marine animal parts such as sperm whale teeth; and the intentional harm or attempt to harm protected marine animals such as whales, seals, and turtles.

With the area of responsibility spanning more than 3 million square miles of ocean, 85,000 miles of U.S. coastline, 13 National Marine Sanctuaries, and four Marine National Monuments, OLE has an extensive mission. OLE’s Northeast Division expects to hire and train seven additional enforcement officers in 2016. This strategic shift in staffing will increase the visibility of OLE’s programs and provide greater outreach, emphasizing prevention of unintentional violations, and education as a means to improve voluntary compliance.

“Most fishermen and seafood dealers are honest, hardworking individuals, with difficult jobs in a highly regulated industry,” said Gregory. “We are committed to helping them understand the regulations they must abide by. Increasing our patrol presence will strengthen our ability to ensure compliance assistance and education is available, while helping to ensure a level playing field for the industry.”

Meet the New Enforcement Officers

Eric Provencher, Lieutenant, North East Supervisory Enforcement Officer

Lt. Provencher began his law enforcement career in 1996 with the National Park Service, where he last served as the Deputy Chief Ranger at Delaware Water Gap before joining OLE.

Jason Berthiaume, Enforcement Officer, Gloucester, MA

Before graduating the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2005, Officer Berthiaume realized his interest in marine law enforcement and quickly began his career as a Fisheries Observer. From there he was hired as a Marine Patrol Officer for the state of Maine where he worked closely with the lobster industry in Stonington and other local ports. In 2009 Berthiaume transitioned to the NOAA Sustainable Fisheries Division, where he was involved with policy and regulatory development. This year he joined OLE for the face-to-face interactions with local fishermen and opportunity to help the industry navigate and comply with the complex regulations in the Northeast.

Kevin Swiechowicz, Enforcement Officer, New Bedford, MA

After completing a degree in wildlife conservation at the University of Massachusetts Officer Swiechowicz became a Wildlife Inspector for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This position afforded him the opportunity to work alongside USFWS Agents who were regulating the international and interstate trade in wildlife products. Swiechowicz became involved with investigations covering topics from sport hunted trophies originating in Zimbabwe to smuggled corals from Indonesia. Swiechowicz made the jump to OLE to assist in leveling the playing field for all industry partners.

Mark Kerr, Enforcement Officer, Portland, ME

Officer Kerr began his law enforcement career with the National Park Service in 1995, working as a Ranger at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in West Virginia and Catoctin Mountain Park in Thurmont, Md.  Kerr served in law enforcement positions at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells, Maine, and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, Mass. Through these positions, Mark gained experience and expertise in wildlife law enforcement, while cooperatively working with state and local entities in the conservation field.  Kerr saw the opportunity to join OLE as a way concentrate on the preservation of marine environment.

Wynn Carney, Lieutenant, Mid-Atlantic Supervisory Enforcement Officer

Lt. Carney holds an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and a graduate degree in public administration from Georgia Southern University. He began his law enforcement career 15 years ago and has served as a Game Warden, a municipal police officer, a special agent, and Park Ranger.

Conservation of the nation’s fisheries has been a primary focus of Carney’s law enforcement career. He considers fisheries conservation to be one of his passions and views his career as much more than just a job. Carney believes his role in keeping marine resources healthy and sustainable for future generations is of the utmost importance.

Jed Fiske, Enforcement Officer, Wall, NJ

Officer Fiske graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. in Recreation Management and Policy, and a Minor in Environmental Conservation. Since graduating, he has worked as a law enforcement officer for the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as regulatory enforcement for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Fiske takes pride in being able to protect our nation’s natural resources and looks forward to learning more about the commercial fishing industry.

John Ford, Enforcement Officer, Newport News, VA

Before being hired as an Enforcement Officer, Officer Ford began his career with NOAA in 2009 working on OLE’s Cooperative Enforcement Program. In his new role, Ford hopes to improve working relationships between the fishing community and marine conservation. He enjoys the opportunity to be a part of the natural resource management partnership to ensure fishing opportunities for future generations.

Read the full story from NOAA

MSC certified Pharma Marine launches sustainably sourced CodMarine Oil in North America

November 18, 2015 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

Norway’s Pharma Marine AS, a leader in the production of premium quality fish oils and omega-3 concepts, and Healthy Directions, a direct-to-consumer nutritional supplement retailer and wholly-owned subsidiary of Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ: HELE), have launched the sustainably sourced supplement, Dr. Williams CodMarine® Oil, for the first time in North America. The omega-3 sources in the oil product are fully traceable to sustainable and well-managed Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries. The MSC is the world’s most recognized certification program for sustainable, wild-caught seafood.

Pharma Marine’s CodMarine Omega-3 Fish Oil

MSC certification underscores Pharma Marine’s core values of caring for natural resources and people in a responsible and sustainable manner and supporting healthy oceans. Based on the west coast of Norway near a region where marine oil production dates back more than 130 years, Pharma Marine, an innovator in marine lipids, recently expanded its technologically advanced facility to enable the increased production of premium quality EPA and DHA products from fresh or frozen wild-caught fish. Pharma Marine’s sustainably sourced fish oil product, CodMarine, is traceable to MSC certified fisheries including North East Arctic cod, haddock and saithe.

Leif Kjetil Gjendemsjo, owner of Pharma Marine, said, “We are proud to introduce our sustainably sourced CodMarine product to the U.S. market and help consumers to make a difference and contribute to the health of the world’s oceans. The blue MSC ecolabel on each bottle provides assurance that there is complete traceability of CodMarine fish oil to sustainable and well-managed fisheries.”

Healthy Directions

Pharma Marine’s CodMarine Omega-3 Fish Oil is available in the U.S. through Healthy Directions’ Dr. Williams brand. In line with Healthy Directions’ mission of helping people to lead healthier lives through the core values of responsibility, integrity, and continuous innovation, Dr. Williams has added CodMarine Oil to his product line to offer a sustainable omega-3 fish oil solution to his customers. The expanded line of sustainably sourced supplements offers options to support cardiovascular and other health benefits.

Connie Hallquist, President of Healthy Directions, said, “We are pleased to offer Dr. Williams’ CodMarine Oil to the U.S. market as we work to ensure we are providing innovative and sustainable solutions for consumers. The blue MSC ecolabel enables consumers to make a difference by choosing fish oil that can be traced back to a sustainable fishery.”

MSC certification ensures traceability

The MSC maintains two global standards, one for evaluating the sustainability of fisheries and one for ensuring that seafood products carrying the blue MSC ecolabel are traceable to MSC certified fisheries. To ensure traceability through every step in the chain, Pharma Marine earned MSC Chain of Custody certification, which provides assurance that MSC certified seafood is not mixed with or substituted for non-certified seafood. MSC certification also ensures that seafood products that bear the blue MSC ecolabel can be traced back to a fishery that has been certified as sustainable and well managed against the global, science based MSC Fishery Standard.

“We congratulate Healthy Directions and Pharma Marine on the introduction of the sustainably sourced CodMarine fish oil supplement product to the U.S. market,” said Michael Griff, MSC senior commercial manager, Americas. “By looking for and choosing the blue MSC ecolabel, consumers are able to contribute to the health of the world’s oceans and safeguard seafood supplies for this and future generations.”