July 23, 2021 — Rising seafood prices due to inflation continue to cause concern among the entire industry, including retail and foodservice buyers.
Frozen seafood prices experienced the biggest gain in the second quarter of this year – up 9.2 percent versus the same quarter in 2019 to USD 6.96 (EUR 5.95) per pound on average in U.S. grocery stores and mass retailers, according to IRI and 210 Analytics. Frozen prices also grew 3.2 percent in the quarter versus 2020.
June 4, 2021 — U.S. seafood suppliers, processors, and wholesalers are facing a major labor shortage, transportation price hikes, and increased costs of seafood, packaging, and other supplies that are complicating their operations, just as the country looks set to emerge from the yearlong COVID-19 crisis.
National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly said the labor shortage is the latest in a long line of challenges that have beset the industry since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 7, 2021 — Santa Monica Seafood suffered tremendous losses at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic – similar to other distributors and processors that primarily relied on the foodservice channel. But the tide has turned in the past year, according to Santa Monica Seafood President and CEO Roger O’Brien.
Due to restaurant closures beginning last March, the Rancho Dominguez, California, U.S.A.-based company saw some of its foodservice customers unable to pay its bills. Others shifted from 30-day payments to paying 60 days out from delivery. Santa Monica was forced to lay off around 25 workers, but kept on more than 750 employees, according to O’Brien.
March 24, 2020 — Sea Pact, a collaborative association of 11 leading American and Canadian seafood companies, has issued an appeal to the industry, urging it to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to work together on supply chain issues.
Sea Pact, which counts Inland Seafood, Seattle Fish, Fortune Fish and Gourmet, and Santa Monica Seafood as members, is calling on the North American seafood industry to work together to “face the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 global crisis,” the organization said in a press release.
May 5, 2017 — Albertsons Companies today announced that it has expanded its Fair Trade Certified™ seafood program and its commitment to responsible sourcing by becoming the first major grocer to carry Fair Trade Certified™ scallops.
The Fair Trade Certified™ program addresses the social and environmental needs of fishing communities across the globe by protecting fundamental human rights of workers, preventing forced and child labor, establishing safe working conditions, regulating work hours and benefits, and enabling responsible, sustainable resource management.
“Albertsons Companies takes our commitment to socially and environmentally responsible seafood seriously,” said Buster Houston, Group Director of Seafood at Albertsons Companies. “By providing Fair Trade Certified™ seafood, we are able to support the domestic industry, provide our customers with the highest quality product, and support the health of ocean ecosystems and communities that depend upon them.”
The new product, Santa Monica Seafood® Signature Sea Scallops, is sourced from the Port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, an iconic fishing village with a rich history of American seafood production. These large scallops are not only responsibly sourced, but are also recognized worldwide as having unparalleled texture and flavor. Santa Monica Seafood® Signature Sea Scallops are available at Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions stores in Southern California and will be available at Safeway stores in Northern California this summer.