Saving Seafood

US shrimp importers forced to unscramble COVID-19 Rubik’s Cube

March 31, 2020 — Like the product they specialize in selling, US importers of warmwater shrimp are “frozen” on how to sort out the market puzzle created recently by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, according to Travis Larkin, president of the Seafood Exchange, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Foodservice establishments around the country have been ordered to stay closed altogether or are operating under strict limitations, while retail businesses — by contrast — are scrambling to replace their shrimp inventory after a few weeks of panic buying.

“What are importers to do in response?” Undercurrent News asked.

“I don’t think anybody really knows,” answered Larkin, a longtime industry veteran who joined Seafood Exchange in 1997. “You would think that with something of this magnitude, there would be some drastic outcome that we all would predict will come to pass. But I think this is so stunning and so preposterous compared to what we ever thought could happen, that it almost feels like everything is frozen in time and I really haven’t seen any direction in any sense.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

North Carolina’s seafood leaders use data collected pre-pandemic to go to bat for fisheries

March 30, 2020 — The effects of covid-19 in North Carolina are widespread and touching all aspects of the fishing industry, including seafood harvesters, wholesalers, retailers and processors — all currently operating their businesses at a fraction of their normal production or in many cases, closed for business.

“It’s affecting everyone,” said Brent Fulcher, of Beaufort Inlet Seafood and B&J Seafood and Fish Market in New Bern, N.C. “No one knows if this will last two more days, two more months or all year.”

As restaurants and retailers close across the country, markets for fresh seafood are quickly drying up. The severe cutbacks are particularly tough on small operators like Keith Bruno, owner of Endurance Seafood in Oriental, N.C.

“It’s difficult, if not impossible, to sell anything right now. We won’t be putting any more pots overboard. And with Virginia and Maryland opening, I doubt any North Carolina crabs will be sold,” said Bruno. “Right now, I just don’t see any light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.”

Making matters worse is the closure of restaurants and fish markets up and down the coast. New York, Boston and Baltimore are shutting down, following government mandates to help slow the spread of the virus.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Fishermen, seafood dealers work through industry changes due to outbreak

March 19, 2020 — With restaurants in North Carolina closed to dining in and fishing charters losing reservations, commercial fishing is feeling the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.

N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order Tuesday closing restaurants and bars to dine-in service. Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance recommending people avoid large gatherings and to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a result, commercial fishermen, including for-hire and charter fishermen, have been “significantly impacted,” according to N.C. Fisheries Association President Glenn Skinner.

The NCFA is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the state seafood industry. Mr. Skinner, who is also a commercial fisherman, said in an email to the News-Times Wednesday the association hopes “that representatives in Raleigh and (Washington) D.C. keep the fishermen in mind as they assess the impacts of this unprecedented event.

“Restaurant closures across the country have eliminated many of the markets for N.C. seafood,” Mr. Skinner said. “While it’s too early to predict the long-term impacts, it appears they will be devastating if the current situation continues for any length of time.”

Mr. Skinner said for-hire and charter fishermen are also “feeling the pinch” from the outbreak. He said clients have been canceling fishing trips booked in advance.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

Wind farm off the coast of North Carolina getting closer to reality

March 5, 2020 — The possibility of a wind farm off the Carolina outer banks is closer to being a reality as the company behind the first leased tract has taken a big step forward.

Three years after submitting the winning bid for what’s known as the Kitty Hawk tract off the coast, Avangrid is ready for the next round of paperwork.

Company spokesman Paul Copleman confirmed the news, calling it a great step that “enables us to move forward with the next round of data gathering and resources assessment, including deploying a buoy to gather meteorological and ocean data.”

Read the full story at WSOC

$7.7M Secured for North Carolina Fisheries Assistance

March 4, 2020 — Gov. Roy Cooper has secured $7.7 million in federal fisheries disaster assistance, part of a $65 million appropriation by Congress for fishery disasters nationwide in 2019, his office announced Friday afternoon.

State fisheries experts will work with federal fisheries authorities to create a spending plan for the $7.7 million once more details on the timing of the grant funds is finalized by the federal government.

When Hurricane Florence hit in September 2018, the storm poured 3 feet of rain on Eastern North Carolina over a four-day period, causing widespread flooding that disrupted fishing and destroyed boats, gear, and buildings critical to fishing businesses.

The 2019 Hurricane Florence Fisheries Damage Assessment report states that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries estimated $38 million in damages to vessels and business and $56.5 million in lost revenues.

Read the full story at Coastal Review Online

Researchers asks commercial fishermen to take part in economic survey

February 6, 2020 — This week, commercial fishermen will be receiving surveys in the mail, aimed to see impacts NC fishing has on the economy.

“Prior studies focused on sport/ recreational fishing in our area of the state. This would be the first study to do all commercial fishing across all of North Carolina,” explained Dr. Chris Dumas, a professor of economics and environmental sciences at UNCW and the survey project leader.

NC Sea Grant, NC State University, UNCW, and Appalachian State University are working with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries to carry out the survey.

This survey is funded by the fishermen themselves through the the North Carolina Commercial Fishing Fund.

Read the full story at WECT

NORTH CAROLINA: Paradise found

February 5, 2020 — Many of today’s small family-owned businesses struggle to survive in the shadow of big-box stores and online giants. The commercial fishing industry is no exception. Faced with an onslaught of regulations, attacks from special interest groups and an ever-growing import market, family-owned fishing businesses face a unique set of obstacles.

Some are up to the challenge.

Founded by Wayne Dunbar in 1998, Paradise Shores Seafood in Merritt, N.C., is thriving in this hostile environment. The company is the epitome of a family-owned business that has grown into a successful operation handling a variety of fish, blue crabs, soft shell crabs, shrimp, oysters, and conchs.

“It’s a good life thanks to the good Lord, my special wife and our three sons,” says Wayne. “We are a group of people who work hard and love what we do.”

The Dunbars believe there is only one sure way to grow a business — hard work, and lots of it.

“Our business has grown, starting with one crab boat and one mullet boat, to four crab boats now and four fishing boats,” says Wayne. “The only way to survive in this business is to be willing to work many long hours a day and do whatever it takes.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

ERIC BURNLEY: Commercial fishermen do not affect recreational fishing

February 3, 2020 — There is a misconception among some recreational fishermen that commercial fishermen are to blame for all the ills we suffer with a lack of flounder, bluefish, trout, striped bass, or (you name it) . Sorry, Charlie, it just ain’t so.

There was a time when both commercial and recreational fishermen could take as many fish of any size as they wanted, and we did. I have seen coolers full of flounder come off the Point at Cape Hatteras with many of those fish well below 12 inches. Blues stacked up like cordwood at Indian River when the run was on, and trout deck loaded in Delaware Bay. At the same time, commercial fishermen were filling their nets with the same fish until the market value dropped to the point where it became a losing proposition to go after them.

I was a small part of the movement to put limits on both recreational and commercial fishermen here in Delaware and in Virginia. In Delaware, I was on the Delaware Wildlife Federation’s Advisory Council, and we met regularly with state officials to try to bring some order to the fishery. The late Buddy Hurlock and his wife Rose were the driving force behind this movement.

Read the full story at the Cape Gazette

NORTH CAROLINA: Three new Sea Grant projects could have local impact

February 3, 2020 — As of Feb. 1, a new batch of research projects are underway through the N.C. Sea Grant. The research and education organization, headquartered at N.C. State in Raleigh, facilitates funding for projects up and down the coast, and considers those that will be of importance to the whole state, said Katie Mosher, spokeswoman for N.C. SeaGrant.

Among the ten new projects for 2020-2022, a few could have special importance to Southeastern North Carolina. Here are some of the questions that researchers are trying to answer.

Blue Crabs and Climate

Jessie Jarvis, a coastal plant ecologist at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, is the lead researcher taking a closer look at one way that North Carolina, which is a transition zone between temperate and tropical climates, could be affected by changing temperatures. Jarvis’ research interests include underwater grasses, or submerged aquatic vegetation. It’s predicted that subtropical vegetation species will increase their range into local waters, and the potential impacts are unknown, especially for important species such as blue crabs. She plans to look at different vegetation meadow types and how they may impact different species, which could inform how these fisheries are managed and conserved.

Read the full story at Star News

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed Measures for Private Recreational Tilefish Vessels

January 29, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries seeks comments on proposed measures for private recreational tilefish vessels that were approved in Amendment 6 to the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan. Proposed measures include requiring private recreational vessels that intend to target golden or blueline tilefish north of the Virginia/North Carolina border, to obtain a federal private recreational tilefish vessel permit through an online application on the Greater Atlantic Regional Office website. Proposed measures also include a requirement for private recreational tilefish vessels to fill out and submit an electronic vessel trip report within 24 hours of returning to port for trips where tilefish were targeted and/or retained.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal. You may also submit comments through regular mail to: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930

The comments due date is 02-28-2020.