March 11, 2022 — The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine has sent out a request to the globe’s seafood companies, asking for help replenishing Ukraine’s food stocks in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion.
In a letter released on Tuesday, 8 March, the Ukraine Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Roman Leshchenko requested seafood products to be sent to Ukraine, which is in “dire need of replenishment.”
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March 11, 2022 — U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian seafood imports on Friday, 11 March, amid a raft of new economic sanctions he’s imposing in response Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and other members of that state’s congressional delegation, who called for blocking Russian seafood imports as the country prepared to invade Ukraine, backed Biden’s move. A bill introduced into the Senate by Sullivan and fellow Alaskan GOP U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski was blocked just prior to when the invasion began in February.
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March 10, 2022 — Long John Silver’s posted its sixth-consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth, while also scoring record-breaking average unit volumes in 2021.
Despite COVID-19 pressures that pushed its sales down 30 to 40 percent at the start of the pandemic, the Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.-based operator realized a 2.5 percent increase in sales year-over-year throughout 2020 and 2021, according to the international seafood chain’s recently released its 2021 results.
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March 8, 2022 — Several major U.S. seafood restaurant chains have ceased buying seafood from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, an act of aggression that has had significant ripple-effects across the global seafood industry.
Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.-based Red Lobster has promised not to buy any products from Russia or of Russian origin, a spokesperson told SeafoodSource.
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March 4, 2022 — Seafood fraud or mislabeling is a misunderstood and thinly researched problem requiring more input from seafood companies, according to academic and ecologist Josh Donlan, the founder and director of Advanced Conservation Strategies, which describes itself as providing “design-driven solutions for people and the environment.” Splitting his time between Spain and the U.S. state of Utah, Donlan is also a research fellow at the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. SeafoodSource talked to Donlan about his research into the origins and complexities of mislabeling.
SeafoodSource: What are the key difference and similarities in the E.U. and U.S. approach to tackling mislabeling and seafood fraud?
Donlan: The U.S. government’s approach to tackling mislabeling is evolving, with the latest policy being SIMP [Seafood Import Monitoring Program] and even more recent dialogue about implementing changes to the SIMP. In general, the E.U.’s approach is more progressive, both in terms of traceability and labeling. For example, mandatory seafood labeling in the E.U. includes the scientific name, production method, the FAO fishing area where the seafood was caught, the name of the fishing vessel or aquaculture production unit, and fishing gear [used].
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March 1, 2022 — Russia’s place in the global seafood trading market – and its strategy of growing its exports through value-added processing – have been jeopardized by the country’s invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in blowback that is already creating large-scale disruption to Russia’s seafood industry.
The world’s energy and food markets are in turmoil, with a wave of sanctions being levied by the European Union, United States, and other countries against Russia, a major producer of natural gas and wheat. And supply chain bottlenecks created by the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to worsen as a result of the conflict. Glenn Koepke, general manager at supply chain consultancy FourKites, said ocean-shipping rates could grow to USD 30,000 (EUR 26,900) per container, and airfreight costs could rise even higher.
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March 1, 2022 — The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has launched one of its largest-ever rounds of public consultation starting 1 March and running to 30 April, 2022, seeking comments on the new ASC farm standard that will align all ASC-certified species under one standard.
The new single standard will benefit farmers and auditors through greater efficiency, and make it easier for stakeholders, such as NGOs, to assess and compare the ASC’s requirements for public consultation, the ASC said. Additionally, with this single, comprehensive standard, the ASC will be able to respond to changes in markets and the industry quicker than before.
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February 28, 2022 — George H. Berkowitz, founder of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based seafood restaurant chain Legal Sea Foods, died on 20 February, 2022, at the age of 97.
Berkowitz died in his sleep at a retirement home in a suburb of Boston, The Boston Globe reported. Berkowitz is survived by his wife, Harriet (Wiskind) Berkowitz; sons Roger Berkowitz, Marc Berkowitz, and Richard Berkowitz; and several grandchildren.
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February 24, 2022 — The aquaculture industry – and the non-governmental organizations that scrutinize it – rely on complex tools to calculate the impact, effectiveness, and value of marine ingredients to the aquaculture industry.
IFFO, the international trade body that represents the marine ingredients industry, recently completed a review of the primary metrics used to analyze the sector, using the latest available data, reviewed the industry’s performance over the last 20 years.
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February 23, 2022 — American Seafoods Group, one of the largest at-sea processors of Alaska pollock and Pacific hake in the world, announced it has appointed Einar Gustafsson to take over as CEO from Mikel Durham.
The company announced the shift on 18 February, as Durham announced she was stepping down and that was looking forward to “taking a break and spending time with family.” Durham was hired in 2016 and helped turned around the company’s operations after previous debt issues. She also led the company as Bregal sought a suitor for its stake – an effort that has thus far been unsuccessful.
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