Saving Seafood

NEW JERSEY: Conflict boils over baitfish harvest off Sandy Hook

September 20, 2018 — A tug-of-war over menhaden baitfish has been playing out for the last half-dozen years in quiet library meeting rooms and hotel lobbies from Maine to Florida.

Now it’s taken to the high seas.

Twice in three weeks, a pair of industrial-size reduction boats from Reedsville, Virginia came within sight of Sandy Hook to net the bait, removing nearly 3 million pounds of the fish from the water on the two trips.

A sum equal to one-tenth of one percent of all the menhaden in the ocean.

The boats were within their legal right but a social media dust-up ensued with whale watchers and conservationists who homed their cameras in on the boats. See the above video.

They then blasted their pictures and videos on the web, clamoring the boats took the fish out of the mouths of hungry humpback whales.

“The simple sight of our vessels sets them off. They don’t say anything about the bait guys who take 70 million pounds of fish,” said Ben Landry, spokesman for Omega Protein, the company that owns the boats.

Omega Protein operates the lone fish reduction industry on the East Coast. The company’s name is a reference to menhaden’s rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids.

The company’s workforce is made up of multi-generational fishermen who have been harvesting the menhaden for years and raising their families on the fish.

But some want them to slow down, if not stop completely, and leave more menhaden in the water to feed big marine mammals like whales and game fish.

Menhaden, also known as bunker, play a vital role in the ecosystem as filter feeders that turn plankton into fat and protein.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

Sustainable Omega 3 Consumption: A Positive Trend Set to Increase

September 5, 2018 — The following was released by Friend of the Sea:

The size of the global omega 3 supplement industry has grown enormously in recent years. Evidence from the market shows that more and more consumers worldwide are demanding fish oils and nutrients which are not only healthy and of high quality, but are also respectful of the marine environment. After decades of campaigns by environmental activists and enlightened industry operators, the message has finally reached a rising number of eco-conscious individuals and households globally.

Friend of the Sea Standard for Omega 3

Back in 2010, Friend of the Sea (FoS), an independent certification scheme set up two years earlier to assess the environmental sustainability associated with seafood from fisheries and aquaculture, felt the urgent need to introducing a specific standard for producers of fish oil, fishmeal, fish feed and omega-3 supplements. According to this, accredited third-party certification bodies certify that the oil originates only from fisheries are compliant with Friend of the Sea sustainable fishing requirements, including good fishery management, selective fishing gears and social responsibility, and that a full chain of custody is in place throughout the supply and the production chain.

The fish contained in certified omega 3 products can be traced back to certified fisheries which have been independently assessed to meet Friend of the Sea’s widely recognised standard for sustainable wild fishing. These fisheries are well managed and their impacts on the environment minimized so that seafood supplies are safeguarded for future generations.

The origin of certified fish oil

Today, 439 companies adhere voluntarily to Friend of the Sea standard for fish oil, fishmeal, fish feed and omega-3 supplement, an increase of around 477% compared with 2015 when there were only 76.

“As the leading globally recognised standard program for sustainable seafood, we are enthusiastic about scoring and sharing the positive change in attitude towards environmental sustainability and social accountability occurring also in the nutraceutical sector,” claims Paolo Bray, Founder and Director of Friend of the Sea. “Consumers worldwide can now have wider access to sustainable products on the shelves and we are convinced of an even brighter future for the sector.”

Certified oils originate mostly from approved Peruvian anchovy fisheries and fleet – Engraulis ringens – (29%), Antarctic krill – Euphausia superba – (22%), European sardine – Sardina pilchardus (8%), European anchovy – Engraulis encrasicolus – (7%), Chub mackerel – Scomber japonicus (7%), Atlantic cod – Gadus morhua – (3%). The remaining 24% derives from various species such as salmon, tuna and squid which are equally certified, processed and usually refined and blended.

Read the full release here

US fishmeal producers left exposed by China’s 25% tariff blow

August 16, 2018 — US fishmeal producers — including the US’ largest fishmeal producer Omega Protein — are “certainly in some trouble” after China announced last week it would impose 25% tariffs on imports from the country, said a fishmeal industry analyst.

Jean-Francois Mittaine, an analyst with 30 years’ experience in the sector, told Undercurrent News Omega Protein and others in the sector will struggle to find new markets as Chinese importers turn to alternative sources. This will hit both the menhaden fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and the pollock fishmeal industry of Alaska.

“For the Americans it is a problem,” said Mittaine. “I don’t see what they’re going to do with their fishmeal.”

Last Wednesday, China’s Ministry of Commerce said it would impose an additional tariff on imports of US fishmeal of 25% (HS code 23012010). The ingredient used in animal and fish feed was among 333 US goods worth $16 billion in annual trade targeted.

The Chinese counter-move will take effect immediately after the US imposes tariffs on the same amount of Chinese goods on Aug 23.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

For Infants With Rare And Scary Disorder, FDA Approval Of Fish Oil Could Be Life Saving

August 7, 2018 — The following is excerpted from a story published by WGBH:

The FDA approved a drug last month that provides nutrition to children born with a scary condition. That approval is the result of 16 years of work by doctors and researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston.

When Gib Brogan’s daughter Ellie was born, he says at first everything seemed perfect. But things changed quickly.

“Soon after she was born, early, early one morning, she got very ill. She started vomiting dark green,” Brogan said.

Ellie was rushed to the neonatal ICU, where doctors quickly realized something was very wrong.

“They told us she had short bowel syndrome. She was missing 90 percent of her small intestine and 30 percent of her large intestine,” Brogan said.

The NIH says short bowel syndrome affects about three out of every million people. Ellie had surgery to connect her intestines, but there wasn’t enough there to really work right.

“On that first day the surgeon told us that she can be fed by I.V., but there is a bit of a race that comes when you feed an infant through an I.V.,” Brogan said.

That race is to get them eating regularly as soon as possible. Because while you can feed newborns through an I.V, over an extended period of time, the fat that they’re given, which comes from soybean oil, can damage their livers, meaning they’ll likely need a transplant.

By the time Ellie was transferred to Boston Children’s Hospital, at just a few weeks old, she already had the yellowed skin and eyes of jaundice — a sign of liver damage.

“And one day we were sitting at Children’s and a doctor knocked on the door and he came in and said, ‘My name is Dr. Mark Puder. I have something I’d like to talk to you about,'” Brogan remembered.

“And I approached the family,” Puder said, “because we had developed something in the laboratory that we’d already given to some patients and had reversed that liver injury.”

“He sat down and he told us that there were a little over 20 kids that they tried using fish oil with,” Brogan said, “and that in that limited number of kids they had seen great things with their livers — that the damage had not progressed, and in some cases it had cleared up.”

The Brogans agreed to be part of the trial. And it worked.

Read and listen to the full story at WGBH

Fish oil supplements help ease cancer treatment pain, study suggests

June 6, 2018 — Fish oil supplements may help alleviate the painful side effects of some cancer treatments, research suggests.

Two separate studies, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, show Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce discomfort caused by certain therapies.

The benefits were seen in some breast and bowel cancer patients, with the supplement thought to reduce inflammation.

Dr Andrew Epstein, speaking as an expert for ASCO, said: “It’s adding to the evidence base that nutritionally supplemental therapies like Omega-3 may have a place in supporting patients as they go through their cancer care.”

Around half of women taking aromatase inhibitors, a common drug for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer, experience joint pain.

The hormone treatment is usually taken for between five to 10 years after surgery.

However an estimated 25% of patients stop within two years because they cannot endure the side effects, lead author Dr Sherry Shen, of the New York Presbyterian Hospital, said.

“This is a real problem, the joint pain,” she told the Press Association.

“And it’s really preventing women from taking these medications that are designed to prevent them getting a recurrence of their breast cancer.”

An analysis of a 2015 study of 249 patients found Omega-3 helped relieve symptoms among obese women taking the drug, who are more likely to experience joint pain.

Those with a BMI above 30 – around 140 patients – recorded an average “worst pain” score of seven out of 10 before taking the supplement or a placebo.

Read the full story at ITV

Breakthrough in omega-3 understanding could revolutionize feed industry

May 31, 2018 — A new study, led by the University of Stirling in Scotland, has led to a major discovery about the way in which omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are produced in the ocean.

According to lead scientist Oscar Monroig from the university’s Institute of Aquaculture, the breakthrough challenges the generally held principle that marine microbes, such as microalgae and bacteria, are responsible for virtually all primary production of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for human health, and have been proven to be particularly useful in combating and preventing cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.

Instead, an international team of scientists from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Japan, and Australia found that omega-3s can be created by many marine invertebrates.

“Our study provides a paradigm shift in understanding, as it demonstrates that a large variety of invertebrate animals, including corals, rotifers, molluscs, polychaetes and crustaceans, possess enzymes called ‘desaturases’ of a type that enable them to produce omega-3, an ability thought previously to exist almost exclusively in marine microbes,” Monroig said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

What are the benefits of eating more fish?

August 14, 2017 — Jane DeWitt and Sabrina Lombardi are clinical nutrition coordinators of Food and Nutrition Services for Hackettstown Medical Center and Newton Medical Center at Atlantic Health System, respectively.

Q. What are the benefits of eating more fish?

A. Fish: Some people love eating it, and some people do not. But its health benefits are something that everyone can agree on.

“Studies show that increasing your fish intake is good for you, especially for your heart,” said Jane DeWitt, clinical nutrition coordinator of Food and Nutrition Services for Hackettstown Medical Center. “It’s leaner than red meat and some, like salmon, arctic char and sardines, are full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for your heart.”

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids for human health, can help reduce inflammation as well as the risk for heart disease, notes DeWitt. The American Heart Association recommends up to two servings of fish per week, up to 8 ounces total. Omega 3 fatty acids are also beneficial for brain health as well help with memory, performance, and cognition.

Read the full story at the New Jersey Herald

How to Tell If That Fish Behind the Counter Is Actually Fresh​

March 16, 2017 — You know fish is good for you, but shopping for it is dicey. Much of the fish behind the counter is mislabeled, or not exactly fresh. And even if you can trust the labels, there are just so many of them: Should you buy American or Chilean? Wild-caught or farmed? Follow these six steps to guarantee you bring home the freshest, tastiest, and healthiest filet.

1. Buy American
A fish’s country of origin must be disclosed; it’s an FDA rule. Stick to USA seafood: Reports have revealed worker exploitation and unsanitary processing and storage methods in Asian fisheries, says Norah Eddy, cofounder of Salty Girl Seafood. Also look for the phrase “processed in the United States.” Some Alaskan salmon is sent to China for processing, a journey that can take more than two weeks before you buy the fish, Eddy says.

2. Keep the Skin On
Fish such as salmon, mackerel, and lake trout bring a healthy dose of omega-3s to the table. (Here’s why you need those good fats.) Skip the skin and you’re not maxing out on these good fats, says dietitian Robert Lazzinnaro, R.D. Chef Tenney Flynn of GW Fins in New Orleans crisps the skin this way: Melt butter in a pan over medium high. Scale the fish and score the skin in a crosshatch pattern; season both sides. Start skin side down; cook 3 to 4 minutes. Flip. Repeat. Eat.

Read the full story at Men’s Health

Heart failure patients may benefit from fish oil

March 14, 2017 — A new American Heart Association report says people with heart failure may live longer by taking omega-3 fish oil supplements because they seem to reduce the heart disease death rate by almost 10 percent.

The association had previously concluded that such supplements may prevent death from heart disease in people who have already had a heart attack, but warned there is no solid evidence that fish oil can prevent heart disease in the first place, primarily because the issue hasn’t been studied.

“Reducing mortality by 10 percent would be important from a personal level and a population level,” coauthor Dr. David Siscovick said about the new advice for people with heart failure.

The scientific advisory published in the association’s journal Circulation updates a 2002 guidance with data from 15 newer studies. It comes at a time when about 19 million Americans – nearly 8 percent of the U.S. population – are already taking the supplements, many of whom may not be getting any real value from them.

Read the full story at Reuters

Health Benefits Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, According To Science (+15 Best Omega-3 Foods)

March 1, 2017 — You may have heard about Omega-3 fatty acids before but you may not quite understand what it is or why we need it. Omega-3 is an essential fat the body is incapable of making naturally. That means that we have to get it from the foods and supplements that we put into our body.

Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fat, which basically means that it is one of the “good fats”. Polyunsaturated fats are natural and healthy whereas saturated fats or “bad fats” are found in highly processed foods and can lead to unfavorable health complications when consumed in large amounts and over a long period of time.

Read the full story at Jen Reviews