Saving Seafood

Lund’s Fisheries Offering Fair Trade Certified Scallops

March 12, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Lund’s Fisheries has announced that they are now offering Fair Trade Certified scallops, a first in the United States for an Atlantic sea scallop fishery.

“Ethically and sustainably harvested seafood is increasingly demanded by consumers. It is the right thing for the environment and the right thing for people,” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. “We are proud to sell a product that’s as good for our fishermen as it is for the consumer.”

Lund’s Fisheries received approval from an independent certification group to be able to sell their scallops using the Fair Trade label. The label was designed to show consumers that the product meets the highest standards for environmental sustainability, social responsibility and fair labor practices.

“We are excited to welcome Lund’s fisheries to the Fair Trade family of certified suppliers as they expand their commitment to sustainability by bringing the benefits of Fair Trade certification to the fishermen and processing workers who are an integral part of their success,” added Julie Kuchepatocv, Seafood Director at Fair Trade USA.

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

 

Northern Wind and Bristol Seafood Celebrate One Year of Fair Trade Scallops; Give Back to Fishing Communities

March 9, 2018 — The following was released by Northern Wind and Bristol Seafood:

Northern Wind and Bristol Seafood are celebrating one year of selling Fair Trade Certified scallops. A year ago, the two companies came together to form a Fair Trade fishing association called the Northwest Atlantic Sea Scallop Fisheries. As part of their participation in the program, the association commits to reinvest a portion of their Fair Trade profits back into the fishing community. Northwest Atlantic Sea Scallop Fisheries chose to dedicate a portion of the premium of their Fair Trade Certified scallops to the Fisheries Survival Fund (FSF), which represents over 250 full-time scallop fishermen.

FSF works to ensure the long-term health of Atlantic sea scallops and the scallop fishery by partnering with the industry, regulators, and scientists. It promotes sustainable management while helping to make the scallop fishery one of the most valuable in the United States. The Atlantic sea scallop fishery is the first American fishery to be awarded the Fair Trade designation.

“There is increasing demand for sustainably and responsibly harvested seafood, and we are proud to sell scallops with the Fair Trade Certified label,” said Ken Melanson, CEO of Northern Wind. “Seafood buyers need to know that the Atlantic scallop fishery meets the world’s highest standards.”

The program, operated by independent certification group Fair Trade USA, requires fisheries to meet stringent environmental, labor, and social responsibility standards. Certified fisheries must fish stocks that are sustainably managed, provide fair wages and benefits to employees, and maintain safe working conditions.

“Fair Trade certification is a key part of our commitment to promoting economically sustainable communities and environmentally sustainable fisheries,” said Peter Handy, CEO of Bristol Seafood. “Supporting the work of the Fisheries Survival Fund helps us to continue to safeguard the future sustainability of the scallop fishery.”

The Northwest Atlantic Sea Scallop Fisheries vessels participating in the Fair Trade program are the Hear No Evil, Let It Ride, Bountiful 2, Diligence, Sandra Jane, Concordia, Contender, Ambassador, Sea Ranger Vanquish and Vantage. The participating vessels land their Fair Trade scallops at Tempest Fisheries, Ltd. in the Port of New Bedford. 

“We’ve loved working with Bristol Seafood and Northern Wind over the past year,” said Ashley Apel, Senior Seafood Program Manager at Fair Trade USA. “We look forward to continuing to strengthen the livelihoods of fishermen and improve the wellbeing of fishing communities here in the U.S.”

About Northern Wind

Northern Wind is a direct off-loader, processor, and distributor of fresh and frozen scallops, along with additional seafood offerings. Founded in 1987 by Ken Melanson and Michael Fernandes, Northern Wind has since grown to a team of 100 full-time employees and operates a state-of-the art BRC facility on New Bedford’s historic waterfront. Since the very beginning, the Northern Wind Team has always dedicated themselves to consistently supplying customers with high quality products at superior service levels and competitive prices.

About Bristol Seafood

Bristol provides quality seafood to people who care about what they eat. Founded in 1992, the company enjoys a nationwide following due to steadfast adherence to its uncompromising Maine standards. Bristol pairs efficiency-building technologies with finishing done the old-fashioned way – by hand. In 2016, Bristol reported record sales for the second consecutive year, and shipped more than six million pounds of seafood from its facility on the Portland, Maine fish pier. The company is the first and only processor of mussels, scallops, or fillets in the state of Maine to earn a Safe Quality Food Institute certification, and the first company to introduce a Fair Trade certified seafood item harvested in US waters.

 

Lund’s Fisheries Now Offers Fair Trade Certified Scallops

March 9, 2018 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries:

Lund’s Fisheries is pleased to announce that starting next week at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, the firm will offer Fair Trade CertifiedTM scallops to its customers. The independent certification group Fair Trade USA has granted Lund’s provisional approval to sell scallops using its Fair Trade label.

The Atlantic sea scallop fishery is the first in the United States to be Fair Trade Certified, and Lund’s is the fourth seller to offer Fair Trade Certified scallops. Lund’s was audited by independent third party certifier SCS Global Services earlier this year. Lund’s is currently working to complete the process and earn final certification.

“Ethically and sustainably harvested seafood is increasingly demanded by consumers. It is the right thing for the environment, and the right thing for people. Our scallops are at the forefront of that effort, ” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. “We are proud to sell a product that’s as good for our fishermen as it is for the consumer.”

The Fair Trade designation ensures that products sold under its label meet the highest standards for environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and fair labor practices. Seafood that is Fair Trade Certified lets consumers know that the product they are purchasing comes from a responsible supplier of sustainable products.

“We are excited to welcome Lund’s Fisheries to the Fair Trade family of certified suppliers as they expand their commitment to sustainability by bringing the benefits of Fair Trade certification to the fishermen and processing workers who are an integral part of their success,” said Julie Kuchepatov, Seafood Director at Fair Trade USA.

The Fair Trade Certified label for Lund’s is the latest signal to consumers that U.S.-caught scallops are ethically and sustainably harvested. The Atlantic sea scallop fishery has been previously certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. The Fair Trade designation is part of Lund’s Fisheries commitment to meeting the seafood industry’s most stringent standards for environmental and social responsibility.

About Lund’s Fisheries

Since 1954, the Lund’s Fisheries’ brand and products have inspired trust and confidence worldwide. With locations on both the east and west coasts of the United States, we are able to offer our customers a wide range of high-quality fresh and frozen seafood products produced by our company-owned fishing vessels and the many independent vessels we deal with. Lund’s is a leader in cooperative fisheries research and management to ensure we have a long-term sustainable supply of products for our customers. We believe that fisheries must be managed based on sound science and work hard to be sure our resources are available for generations to come. Never satisfied or complacent about setting a standard, our team works continuously to improve and raise the quality of our products for the benefit of our customers.

About Fair Trade USA

Fair Trade USA is a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable livelihoods for farmers, fishermen, and workers, protects fragile ecosystems, and builds strong, transparent supply chains through independent, third-party certification. Its trusted Fair Trade Certified™ label signifies that rigorous standards have been met in the production, trade and promotion of Fair Trade products from over 80 countries across the globe. Recognized as a leading social venture by the Clinton Global Initiative, the Skoll Foundation and Ashoka, Fair Trade USA also provides critical capacity-building programs at origin, and educates consumers about the power of their purchase. Visit www.FairTradeCertified.org for more information.

About SCS Global Services

SCS is a global leader in third-party quality, environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, testing, and standards development, and a leader in fishery certification worldwide. Through auditing, certification, testing, life cycle assessment, training and strategic consulting services, SCS empowers organizations to affirm and communicate their sustainability success stories. SCS is a chartered benefit corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.

 

Legit Fish rolls out the first cloud-based traceability technology for Massachusetts scallop and groundfish

March 8, 2018 — The following was released by Legit Fish:

Legit Fish (www.legitfishinc.com), a provider of advanced seafood logistics and traceability technology, today announced a deal with BASE New England who operates the largest seafood auction in New England and is based in New Bedford and Gloucester MA.

Legit Fish Inc. developed and is implementing this first of its kind, end to end logistics and traceability solution with Atlantic Coast Seafood Inc. (Boston MA). This innovative cloud-based software application provides the domestic seafood industry with operational efficiencies as well as new cutting-edge marketing tools, linking off-loading, government reporting, inventory management, sales, accounting and an industry leading traceability system. The traceability application utilizes a patient pending system which offers the retail trade an unmatched level of traceability based on verification against the official government harvest records.

On March 8th 2018, Legit Fish Inc. signed a contract to further develop this system with BASE New England. In addition to the software application developed in Boston, Legit Fish Inc. will be expanding this system by creating a custom Auction application which will offer a high level of versatility and functionality. The application runs on the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform. This technology solution provides auction participants with the ability to use their mobile devices to purchase seafood products on the Auction platform and allow vessels to transmit hail information direct into the software via a multi language voice response app. These advancements for BASE New England will allow them to clearly monitor “on the water” hail information as well as product sales compared to dealer reported federal records. These third-party compliance tools have positive implications for BASE New England and the port of New Bedford in their effort to reopen the New England Groundfish Fishery Sector IX. Considering NOAA’s requirement for increased accountability measures to the operations plan of Sector IX, this revolutionary app provides a substantial technological improvement for the fishery and the sector.

Legit Fish Inc. will be attending the 2018 Boston Seafood Show and will be available for both product demos and detailed explanations of this new innovative technology.

About Legit Fish Inc.
Legit Fish Inc. provides Seafood off-loaders a complete cost-efficient ERP solution. Our innovative cloud-based application can be integrated with various other systems and provides an industry leading traceability system that is verified to the official government harvest records. This new system offers supply chain participants and retailers complete confidence in the origin of their products as well as a new innovative solution to market products. Further information can be found at www.legitfishinc.com.

 

US suppliers in love with ‘seafood speed dating’

March 8, 2018 — The meeting Steve Costas had with a South Korean buyer at Food Export-Northeast’s 2017 “seafood speed dating” event, in Boston, Massachusetts, lasted just 20 minutes, scarcely more than a brief flirtation.

But less than a year later Marder Trawling, the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based supplier for which Costas is an account executive, wound up selling the Korean company a container filled with a mix of its wild-caught fish products.

Of course at seafood speed dating, there’s also the chance that the object of your affection will be swept away by another suitor.

“It’s always a friendly event and I believe there is a camaraderie amongst the suppliers even though you know in 30 minutes your customer or a potential customer will be meeting with a competitor who in most cases will be offering them the same species,” Costas told Undercurrent News.

Costas is back again in Boston, Massachusetts, this week along with representatives for no less than 17 seafood suppliers from the northeastern US, all hoping to move containers of fish and, fingers crossed, establish long-term relationships with one or more of the 15 buyers from no less than 13 countries also there.

South Korea will be represented again, as will China, Japan, Colombia, Spain and the United Arab Emirate to name a few. Almost all of the buyers are looking to acquire scallops and lobsters, though some also come from countries where dogfish, monkfish and skate are in demand, all products sold by Marder Trawling using its recently acquired dock in Chatham, Massachusetts.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Seafood Icon, Northern Wind® to Introduce Its New Rebranded Captain’s Call Scallop Product Line at Seafood Expo North America

March 6, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The following was released by Northern Wind:

Northern Wind, an industry leader as a direct off-loader, processor and distributor of fresh and frozen scallops announced today it will be unveiling its new rebranding of its iconic Captain’s Call product line at Seafood Expo North America. The new identity includes a new brand logo, 1 lb. retail bag, 5 lb. foodservice bag, 5 lb. foodservice box and a 8 lb. fresh container. The rebranding also includes new product sell sheets and shipping boxes. Northern Wind has recently concluded a complete company wide rebranding that will be showcased at Seafood Expo North America that better reflects the many recent changes the company has undergone as well as its vision for the future.

Captain’s Call Scallops signify the most prized item…the best of the fisherman’s catch. That’s why Northern Wind named these scallops Captain’s Call; for all of those hard-charging seaworthy captains who make them their #1 choice. The new logo signifies that and is proudly displayed front and center in the re-designing of the packaging for both the retail and foodservice product lines.

“We wanted our new Captain’s Call brand identity to reflect our leadership position within the industry and our commitment to be the very best at what we do for our customers,” said George Kouri, CEO of Northern Wind.

Founded in 1987, and headquartered on the historic New Bedford, Massachusetts waterfront, Northern Wind’s state-of-the-art facility is certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce Seafood Inspection Program for packing of USDC Grade A Fresh and Frozen Scallops. Northern Wind was the first in the nation to receive Fair Trade™ Certification and during the 2017-18 fishing season purchased over 1 Million pounds of Fair Trade scallops. In addition, Northern Wind’s start-of-the-art processing facility is BRC and MSC certified.

Northern Wind offers a variety of different graded scallops under the Five Star Premium, Mariner’s Choice and Sea Spray brands. Northern Wind has seen explosive growth during the past three years increasing their market share among leading chain restaurants and through the mainstream supermarket channel.

As a direct off-loader of scallops, Northern Wind never compromises on the quality and safety of their scallops. Northern Wind’s state-of-the-art facility is the most advanced in the industry and was designed to meet today’s manufacturing regulatory demands, quality control and product traceability to ensure years of future growth.

“The past three years has been an exciting time for Northern Wind. Our customers now realize that they can capitalize on the scope and depth of our capabilities, which in turn has increased the demand for our products. This has directly led us to make new hires, implement our new branding and position us for future growth,” added Ken Melanson, Founder & Chairman of Northern Wind.

For 30 years, Northern Wind has earned its reputation for providing its customers with only the freshest All natural, wild caught and fleet harvested from the icy pure waters of the North Atlantic. Northern Wind is a member of the American Scallop Association and provides its customers with the freshest seafood products that have been responsibly harvested using sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.

Read the release here.

 

New Bedford scallop business celebrating 30-year anniversary in Boston

March 6, 2018 — Fresh and frozen scallop processor and distributor Northern Wind is celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2018, a testament to the fortitude of the fast-growing business, according to a recent company announcement.

Based out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Northern Wind was founded in 1987 by Ken Melanson and Michael Fernandes and has since established itself as one the fastest growing seafood processing and distribution companies in the United States. The company sells scallops and seafood to customers worldwide and prides itself as a leading provider of “the freshest seafood products that have been responsibly harvested using sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.”

The last three decades have seen Northern Wind build strong relationships throughout New England and around the globe, and have helped the company embrace its identity as a top direct-off loader, processor and distributor of fresh and frozen scallops, said Melanson, founder and chairman of the company.

“Over the last 30 years, Northern Wind has not only remained strong throughout many economic ups and downs, but we’ve grown the business and we now serve well over 500 customers across the globe,” Melanson said. “First, our expertise at delivering top quality, responsibly sourced and sustainable scallops and fresh seafood is paramount in our success. Secondly, is our employee’s hard work and dedication to providing superior customer service which has enabled us to attract and retain hundreds of loyal customers.”

Northern Wind deals in fresh and frozen scallops as well as Ahi tuna, North Atlantic lobster, monkfish, headfish, skate and value-added seafood offerings. The business’s 70,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility is certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce Seafood Inspection Program for packing of USDC Grade A fresh and frozen scallops, and also bears stamps of approval from the Marine Stewardship Council and BRC.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

New scallop catch limits could ease tensions in northern Gulf of Maine

March 1, 2018 — New limits on the amount of scallops that can be harvested in part of the Gulf of Maine should help ease tensions between smaller boats from Maine and larger scallop vessels from Massachusetts during the upcoming federal scallop season, which is expected to get under way on April 1.

With the new rules, fishing boats that are restricted by the number of days-at-sea they can operate — the vast majority of which are based in Massachusetts — for the first time will have to adhere to catch limits in the Northern Gulf of Maine federal fishing area, which runs from roughly three miles from shore out to about 50 miles.

Boats with federal permits that restrict the number of days they can fish but which are allowed to fish anywhere along the East Coast cumulatively can catch only 65,000 pounds of scallops this year in the northern Gulf of Maine. In addition, only days-at-sea vessels that are participating in approved research projects will be allowed to fish in the area.

Prior to this year such boats faced no catch limits for scallops in the northern gulf and did not have to participate in research projects. Smaller Maine boats permitted only for the northern gulf have been limited to catching 200 pounds a day and, as a group, 70,000 pounds a year.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

 

Maine closes more scallop areas to prevent overfishing

February 20, 2018 — ADDISON, Maine — Maine fishing regulators are shutting down more areas to scallop fishing for the season to protect the health of the shellfish.

The state shuts down scalloping areas to prevent the valuable resource from being overfished. The Maine Department of Marine Resources said it has shut down the Harrington and Pleasant rivers, including Pleasant Bay.

The state’s also shutting down the Skillings River and Taunton Bay in the Frenchman Bay area.

The scallop fishing season begins in December and can last until early April. Most Maine scallops are harvested with drag boats, but some are taken by hand by divers. The state’s scallop fishery has steadily rebuilt in recent years after suffering a collapse in the 2000s.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Bangor Daily News

 

Japanese scallop fishery on track for MSC

February 23, 2018 — Independent certification body Acoura Marine has determined that Japan’s “scallop hanging and seabed enhanced fisheries” meet the Marine Stewardship Council standard, and should be certified.

The process is now open to a 15 working day period during which a previously involved stakeholder may lodge a notice of objection to this determination.

In 2016 the fishery produced 279,823 metric tons of scallops. The species is naturally distributed in coastal, sub-Arctic areas of the eastern Pacific including the Japan Sea and southern Sea of Okhotsk, around Sakhalin Island, Hokkaido, and northern Honshu.

Japanese scallop grow relatively fast, and may reach 20 centimeters shell height and weigh 1 kilogram at ten years of age.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News