Saving Seafood

National Fisheries Institute Statement on Seafood Expo North America

April 6, 2021 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Diversified Communications continues its long run of connecting the seafood community through innovative events across various platforms. Today, Diversified announced that the next in-person Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America will be held in March, 2022. This comes in response to current COVID venue capacity limits, which prevent the ability to plan and execute the event in July 2021. Diversified looks forward to bringing the seafood community back together March 13-15, 2022 in Boston, MA.

NFI is excited for the return of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America in 2022. We encourage all NFI members and partners to plan now to meet their peers then.

The pandemic has reminded us that in-person contact is vital to the human spirit in both our personal and business relationships. Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America is an example of what we have missed – and all we are looking forward to in the future.  We look forward to seeing you all safely in Boston.

Expert cautions against participating in voluntary FDA records requests

March 25, 2021 — U.S. imports expert and FDAimports.com Founder and CEO Benjamin England said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may try new tactics related to records and documentation in place of actual inspections in order to regulate the seafood industry.

Speaking at a panel during Seafood Expo North America Reconnect, England said he’s seen increased activity from the FDA on records requests. Key to that, he said, is the FDA’s attempts to continue to conduct inspection activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NOAA’s Paul Doremus: Seafood aligns well with Biden’s sustainability goals

March 22, 2021 — Senior officials from NOAA Fisheries speaking at the Seafood Expo North America Reconnect event on Thursday, 18 March, said U.S. President Joe Biden’s emphasis on action on climate change could align well with support for the domestic seafood industry.

The new administration has not even been in office for two month and still have several political appointments waiting to be confirmed. However, NOAA Fisheries Acting Assistant Administrator Paul Doremus told the audience numerous synergies exist between the fishing industry and climate interests in Biden’s “building back better” resiliency plan.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Pandemic pushes North American seafood suppliers to explore local supply, B2C revenue streams

March 17, 2021 — Almost exactly a year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the North American seafood industry to confront an ultimatum: adapt or risk perishing. By and large, seafood suppliers on the continent chose the former, opting to transform their businesses to succeed in a drastically changed market, according to a panel of industry insiders, speaking at this week’s Seafood Expo North America Reconnect.

Ocean Wise Conservation Association Fisheries and Seafood Director Sophika Kostyniuk, who moderated the panel session “Prioritizing Responsible Seafood in Uncertain Times,” said the industry had to act reflexively as COVID-19 and its new social order riddled supply chains with “challenges, uncertainties, and unknowns.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

SENA Reconnect: New US seafood-buying trends here to stay

March 17, 2021 — Given one word to explain the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic for seafood retailers, “chaos” is what Publix Seafood Category Manager Guy Pizzuti immediately names.

Speaking during a panel at Seafood Expo North America Reconnect, Pizzuti – who was joined by Hy-Vee Vice President of Meat/Seafood/Delicatessen Jason Pride, Meijer Seafood Buyer David Wier, and Food Marketing Institute Vice President of Fresh Foods Rick Stein – said the initial days of the pandemic came as a huge surprise for the entire industry.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

SENA Reconnect panel: Innovative flavors will boost restaurants’ sales in a post-COVID world

March 16, 2021 — Not only are Americans eager to get back out to eat, they’re also hankering to try something different when they do, according to Datassential Director of Customer Success Mark DiDimenico.

Adding unique and portable seafood dishes to menus will help restaurants and other foodservice outlets increase spending averages and make up for some of the declines experienced in the industry over the past year, DiDimenico and other chefs and experts said during a Seafood Expo North America Reconnect panel on Monday, 15 March.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Pandemic buying shifts prove a boon for direct-to-consumer online seafood subscription services

March 16, 2021 — Almost exactly a year ago, Ian Amin, the senior director of supply chain for Home Chef, a Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.-based meal kit and food delivery company, was driving to pick up a new puppy in Wisconsin when he received a call from his boss that would change the trajectory of his entire year.

Kroger, which bought Home Chef in 2018, was facing an acute food shortage as a result of panic-buying driven by the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the United States.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Economist Lindsey Piegza to break down COVID-19 impacts in SENA Reconnect keynote

March 15, 2021 — Stifel Financial Corp. Senior Economist Lindsey Piegza thinks USD 10 trillion (EUR 8.4 trillion) might just be enough stimulus to get the global economy through the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s the figure Piezga estimates the collective government response has been globally to the crisis. And while the total amount spent thus far is staggering, the United States and many other Western governments are still in recession and there are many problems money alone cannot solve, Piezga told SeafoodSource.

Read the full story at Seafood Source