Saving Seafood

US outlook for retail seafood sales strong, despite consumer pricing concerns

September 7, 2021 — A new survey of U.S. consumers is showing some pushback on the recent increase in seafood prices.

Food prices continue to rise across most categories, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index and several recent consumer surveys. The U.S. consumer price index soared 5.4 percent in July 2021, compared to July 2020, and 95 percent of consumers noticed an increase in retail prices over the past month, according to data firm Numerator.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

US Northeast groundfish market in flux due to pandemic, labor shortages

September 7, 2021 — In 2019, the U.S. state of Maine’s total commercial groundfish landings were valued around USD 4 million (EUR 3.4 million). In 2020, fleets in Maine landed just 58,730 pounds of cod, averaging USD 2.55 (EUR 2.16) per pound at the dock for a total value of USD 149,844 (EUR 126,926), whereas 15.2 million pounds had been landed a decade before.

A 2021 NOAA status update reported that in New England, 13 commercial species are currently considered “overfished,” including Atlantic cod (considered collapsed), yellowtail flounder, Atlantic halibut, winter flounder, and Atlantic herring.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

MARYLAND: Nearly 80% of commercial fishermen stopped work during COVID. Relief on way for industry

September 2, 2021 — A seafood industry recovering from a pandemic just got additional support thanks to $3.4 million in relief funds announced in August  by Gov. Larry Hogan.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 doubles down on financial assistance for the industry previously provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, for those who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has slowed our sales down because people aren’t buying our products like before,” said Harry Phillips, owner of Russell Hall Seafood LLC in Fishing Creek. “Due to lack of (employees) in restaurants and being only at half capacity, that’s why sales have been down. It’s actually possibly getting worse, but we haven’t received assistance like this because our sales were strong last summer.”

Read the full story at Delmarva Now

USTR announces, then suspends, 25 percent tariffs on goods including seafood from multiple countries

June 3, 2021 — U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced, and then immediately suspended, new Section 301 tariffs on goods from multiple countries as part of its one-year investigation of digital service taxes (DSTs).

The new tariffs, which will be set at 25 percent if reinstated, are in response to taxes levied by Austria, India, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom on revenue generated by “non-resident” companies offering digital services – including the sales of software-as-a-service products. The USTR investigation began in June 2020 and found the practices of the countries discriminatory in January.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NORTH CAROLINA: Nothing fishy about it: Seafood saves lives

May 13, 2021 — Fish literally saves lives: A North Carolina statewide public relations campaign will focus on promoting the health benefits of eating local seafood.

The campaign explores the health benefits of eating local seafood that directly affect the consumer, backed by well-documented scientific data from respected health professional and scientists.

The Science Behind Your Local Seafood uses a website and digital billboards to promote fish as among the healthiest foods on the planet, emphasizing its nourishment for both body and brain. This data will be used to educate con-sumers across generations.

For example:

  • Scientific Review indicates an average 7.7 IQ point gain in children whose mothers ate seafood during pregnancy compared to mothers who did not.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

China’s dietary advisory body calls for more seafood consumption to improve health

April 14, 2021 — China’s national dietary advisory body has suggested the country needs to eat more seafood in order to reduce chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, which are on the rise.

In its annual report on national dietary problems, the China Nutrition Society, a research group attached to the ministry of civil affairs, said the national average daily intake of seafood of 24.3 grams was low by international standards and should rise to 40 grams. It also called for a reduction in sodium and sugar intake, which it blames for a rise in diabetes and coronary artery disease in China.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

6 Reasons to Add Seafood to Your Menu

March 25, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

1. Support Sustainable Fisheries

The United States has some of the largest and most sustainable fisheries in the world—both wild-caught and farmed seafood. Any U.S.-harvested seafood in the marketplace is inherently sustainable based on 10 national standards.

2. Support Our Fishermen

U.S. fishermen work hard to follow robust regulations and only catch what they are allowed within sustainability limits. When buying seafood from U.S. fishermen, you’re supporting their families and coastal communities as a whole. U.S. fisheries also make a significant contribution to the economy and the broader seafood supply chain. They provide jobs and recreation, and keep our coastal communities vibrant.

3. Boost Your Health

Seafood provides a variety of benefits to your diet. It is a healthy source of low-fat protein and high in omega 3s which are good for your heart and brain.

4. Strengthen Our Seafood Supply

If done responsibly, as it is in the United States, aquaculture is increasingly recognized as one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to produce food and protein. Marine aquaculture is a resource-efficient method of increasing and diversifying U.S. seafood production. It can expand and stabilize U.S. seafood supply in the face of environmental change.

5. Contribute to a More Sustainable Planet

Purchasing sustainable seafood helps support larger sustainability goals for the globe. It can help end world hunger, and provide clean water and more economic opportunities.

6. Give Your Taste Buds a Treat

Last but not least, seafood is delicious! This summer, take your tastebuds on vacation with seasonal dishes featuring fresh seafood. Try out a new recipe from FishWatch. You can also stock your freezer and use seafood swaps in burgers, tacos, pizzas, pastas, skewers, salads, and more.

Read the full release here

Sustainability experts: Systems and individual mapping key for seafood’s sustainability movement

March 19, 2021 — The sustainability movement in seafood encompasses a vast network of initiatives and individuals committed to driving lasting change.

Working within the movement can feel “like being in a galaxy,” according to Walton Family Foundation Senior Environmental Program Officer Teresa Ish, in that it inspires awe and, at the same time, a sense of uncertainty about where to turn next.

“It’s hard to see the galaxy when you’re sitting inside it,” Ish said during a Seafood2030 keynote panel at this week’s Seafood Expo North America Reconnect.

Stockholm Resilience Centre Researcher Per Olsson, who joined Ish for the session “Resilience, Innovation, and Transformation: Bouncing Beyond in a Post-COVID World,” agreed navigating sustainability systems is nuanced, expansive work. That’s why he advises seafood industry stakeholders to start out focused on creating a systems-mapping process.

“If you want to start somewhere, I think systems mapping is really important, to get a view of the system that you’re trying to change,” Olsson said. “It’s about mapping components and the interactions between them, but also where in the transformation you are. Are you before a crisis, sort of in the preparation phase? Or has the crisis happened and you’re trying to rebuild?”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

SARAH HALZACK: Something Fishy Is Going On in American Kitchens

January 25, 2021 — If you could peek inside America’s cupboards and refrigerators, you’d see tableaus that capture changes wrought by the pandemic: Towers of paper goods, loads of comfort food, caches of upmarket coffee. You might also be surprised to see an unusual amount of seafood.

Frozen seafood sales at U.S. supermarkets and other food retailers rose 26% in the four weeks ended Dec. 27 from a year earlier, according to market research company IRI, far stronger than the 6% growth for consumer packaged goods overall. Fresh seafood sales rose 25% in the same period. That strong result wasn’t just a holiday binge: Since the onset of the pandemic, seafood sales growth has tended to outpace that of the grocery store as a whole by a comfortable margin.

The seafood spending surge is an example of the hard-to-foresee ways the pandemic continues to displace and redirect consumer demand. Typically, an outsize share of Americans’ spending on seafood is at restaurants. Consumers spent $69.6 billion in 2017 on seafood at restaurants and other food-service venues, according to a U.S. government report, compared with $32.5 billion spent at stores for home consumption. But with many white-tablecloth dining rooms closed or operating at reduced capacity during the pandemic, shoppers who perhaps rarely cooked seafood before have decided to put seared salmon, shrimp scampi and steamed lobsters on their own kitchen tables.

The trend is apparent everywhere, from big-box retailers to discount chains and traditional supermarkets. Walmart Inc. has had such strong growth in both fresh and frozen seafood at its U.S. business during the pandemic that the giant expanded its fresh shellfish offering in the fall. Lidl said it had a “double-digit” increase in seafood sales in the past year, while Albertsons Cos. executives said on a January earnings call that seafood sales had delivered quarterly comparable sales growth above the company average. Conventional supermarket Stop & Shop said it is carrying a bigger selection of seafood as shoppers have increased purchases, while Whole Foods Market is experiencing “huge growth” in frozen seafood, according to Wesley Rose, the chain’s vice president for seafood. That led the upscale chain to expand its selection to include value packs of halibut, barramundi and arctic char. With fresh offerings such as red snapper also selling well, Whole Foods has added black cod and farm-raised striped bass to fish counters at most of its stores.

Read the full opinion piece at Bloomberg