Saving Seafood

Crab prices explode along with rising demand

June 24, 2021 — Crab has been one of the hottest commodities since the COVID-19 pandemic forced people in 2020 to buy and cook seafood at home, and demand is even higher this year.

Crab is now perceived as being more affordable when compared to the cost to enjoy it at restaurants, said global seafood supplier Tradex, and prices continue to soar.

That’s how it’s playing out for Dungeness crab at Kodiak and hopefully, at Southeast Alaska where the summer fishery got underway on June 15.

Kodiak’s fishery opened on May 1 and 76,499 pounds have been landed so far by just eight boats, compared to 29 last year. The Kodiak price this season was reported as high as $4.25 per pound for the crab that weigh just more than two pounds on average. That compares to a 2020 price of $1.85 for a catch of nearly 3 million pounds, the highest in 30 years, with a fishery value of nearly $5.3 million.

The pulls are skimpy though, averaging just two crab per pot. Kodiak’s Dungeness stocks are very cyclical and the fishery could be tapping out the tail end of a peak. Managers say this summer should tell the tale.

Read the full story at the Alaska Journal of Commerce

NORTH CAROLINA: Coastal Resources Commission looks at permitting floating structures for aquaculture

June 21, 2021 — Shellfish growers may be able to use floating structures at their lease sites in the near future, once state officials create regulations for it.

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission held its regular meeting Wednesday at the Beaufort Hotel on Lennoxville Road. This was the first in-person meeting the commission has had since February 2020 due the coronavirus pandemic.

During the meeting, the commission directed the N.C. Division of Coastal Management to look into drafting regulations for permitting floating structures for shellfish aquaculture leases. DCM Director Braxton Davis said he wants to come back to the CRC with drafted permitting rules at the commission’s September meeting.

Existing CRC regulations don’t allow floating structures on shellfish aquaculture leases, and any such structures found have to be removed.

N.C. Coastal Federation assistant director of policy Ana Zivanovic-Nenadovic gave a presentation to the commission on the importance of floating structures to shellfish aquaculture Wednesday.

“The current need for the industry is to have some kind of floating structure on the lease,” she said. “Most of the states that have large (aquaculture) industries allow these structures.”

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

Farmed shellfish creates half of economic impact of shellfish in North Carolina

June 10, 2021 — Cultivated, or farmed, shellfish now represent over half of the total economic impact of shellfish in the state.

New research has found that North Carolina’s shellfish industry provides over $27 million in economic impact and 532 jobs in the state. Until 2016, the industry’s economic impact primarily came from the harvest of wild oysters and clams.

In 2019, farmed oysters contributed over $14 million to state gross domestic product and 271 jobs, according to research published by Eric Edwards of NC State University’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

The findings stem from a collaborative project led by North Carolina Sea Grant in partnership with researchers at NC State University, Appalachian State University, Duke University and the University of North Carolina Wilmington and funded by the N.C. Commercial Fishing Resource Fund Grant Program.

“The goal of the research was to better understand the economic impact of North Carolina’s seafood industry,” says Jane Harrison, North Carolina Sea Grant’s coastal economics specialist and a project lead. “The shellfish results indicate the strength of the growing aquaculture sector.”

Read the full story at The Coastland Times

Uneaten oysters provide pearl of an environmental solution during COVID-19 pandemic

June 4, 2021 — Environmental groups and oyster farmers have found a silver lining — or a pearl — amid the ravages of the pandemic.

Millions of oysters that went unsold when restaurants closed are finding a new life back in the ocean, where advocates say they’ll help the environment and help coastal communities combat climate change.

Seafood and shellfish demand crashed during the pandemic. By the time restaurants began to reopen, many oysters had grown too big to eat.

But environmental groups quickly recognized a way to use those oysters in coastal communities. The Nature Conservancy and PEW Charitable Trusts announced plans to buy millions of unsold oysters and return them to the ocean as living reefs.

“We were just sitting on top of these huge oysters, just kept getting bigger and bigger by the day, and we, we couldn’t sell them. So they came in with a program, the SOAR program, and bought a lot of oysters from these guys. And it was a real lifesaver,” said Matt Welling, the owner of Lucky 13 Oysters in Long Island, New York.

Read the full story at WSJM

Applications for aquatic farming in Alaska drop due to pandemic, and kelp is favored over shellfish

June 2, 2021 — Alaska interest in growing kelp continues to outpace that of shellfish, based on applications filed during the annual window that runs from January through April.

The number of 2021 applicants for aquatic farming dropped to just seven, reversing a steady upward trend that reached 16 last year, likely due to a “wait and see” approach stemming from the pandemic.

“We had people whose personal situations changed because of COVID. They became home-schooling parents, things like that, where they can no longer dedicate the time they thought they were going to have out on a farm site,” said Michell Morris, permit coordinator at the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. The agency partners with the Dept. of Natural Resources, which leases the lands where aquatic farming takes place.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

MASSACHUSETTS: Task force releases report on strengthening shellfish industry

May 6, 2021 — A task force released a series of recommendations this week on how to balance the growing and competing demands for shellfish resources and to strengthen an industry that supports thousands of year-round commercial fishing jobs.

The Massachusetts Shellfish Initiative, led by a 21-member task force, has created a plan that works to maximize the economic, environmental and social benefits of shellfish resources across the state.

“Shellfish play a vital role in our coastal waters,” said Steve Kirk, a task force member and coastal program manager at the Nature Conservancy. “They help improve water quality and provide habitat for other species.”

But climate change is rapidly changing the ocean’s chemistry, Kirk said. When there is more carbon dioxide, the ocean becomes more acidic, which makes it harder for the animals to form their shells, he said.

Read the full story at the Boston Herald

NEFMC Seeks Contractor for Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment Matrix and Species Narratives Development

May 3, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking the services of an independent contractor to develop informational products for fishery managers that integrate the results of three assessments:

  • The Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment (NHRA);
  • The Northeast Fish and Shellfish Climate Vulnerability Assessment (FSCVA); and
  • The Northeast Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment (HCVA).

This is a temporary contractor role, commencing on or about July 1, 2021, with expected completion by December 31, 2022.  The contractor will work closely with the Council’s Habitat Plan Coordinator, as well as other NHRA and HCVA investigators.  The application deadline is May 31, 2021.

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT: This project provides the New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils, which lead the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment, with an opportunity to integrate the outputs from all three of the identified assessments for use in fisheries management.  The major objectives for this project are to:

  • Refine and advance a preliminary habitat-species vulnerability matrix; and
  • Develop species narratives for prioritized managed and forage species in the region.

The matrix will summarize which species use which habitat types, by life stage, and identify habitat and species climate vulnerabilities.  The species narratives will describe how the vulnerability of habitats to climate change may impact the vulnerability of those species, with a focus on species that are highly dependent on highly vulnerable habitats.

HOW MANY SPECIES ARE INVOLVED: The objective is to complete narratives for 50 species as part of this contract, with the remaining 20 species completed if possible, as resources permit.  A table containing the full list of species is available in the solicitation announcement.

TIMELINE: The timeline for this effort is July 2021 through December 2022, though most work is expected to be completed by July 2022 to align with the end date of the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS: The Council is looking for candidates who have: (1) background in marine fisheries biology, ecology, habitat science, climate science, and/or habitat modeling, including knowledge of Greater Atlantic Region managed and forage species; (2) familiarity with the federal fisheries management in the Greater Atlantic Region, including a basic understanding of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and regulatory guidance; (3) strong writing skills and a demonstrated ability to summarize complex issues in clear, easily read documents; (4) a demonstrated ability to work well as part of a team but with considerable independence and initiative and strong interpersonal skills; and (5) the ability to research and compile fisheries habitat and scientific research with minimal supervision.

APPLICATION DETAILS: Interested professionals are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, current resume or curriculum vitae, examples of similar work completed for other organizations or publications, and a budget with expected expenses no later than May 31, 2021.

QUESTIONS: For more information, contact Executive Director Tom Nies at (978) 465-0492 ext. 113, tnies@nefmc.org, or Habitat Plan Coordinator Michelle Bachman at (978) 465-0492 ext. 120, mbachman@nefmc.org.

Clammers digging through pandemic, but shellfish are fewer

April 19, 2021 — Chad Coffin has spent the coronavirus pandemic much as he has the previous several decades: on the mudflats of Maine, digging for the clams that draw tourists to seafood shacks around New England.

But he’s running into a problem: few clams.

“There just isn’t the clams that there used to be,” Coffin said. “I don’t want to be negative, I’m just trying to be realistic.”

It’s a familiar problem experienced by New England’s clamdiggers. More New Englanders have dug in the tidal mudflats during the last year, but the clams aren’t cooperating.

The coronavirus pandemic has inspired more people in the Northeastern states, particularly Maine and Massachusetts, to dig for soft-shell clams, which are also called “steamers” and have been used to make chowder and fried clams for generations. The era of social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic is conducive to the often solitary work, said Coffin, the president of the Maine Clammers Association, which represents commercial clammers.

But the U.S. haul of clams has dipped in recent years as the industry has contended with clam-eating predators and warming waters, and 2020 and early 2021 have been especially difficult, industry members said.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

Submit a Proposal to the SOAR Resiliency Fund

April 2, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The SOAR Shellfish Growers Resiliency Fund aims to pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable U.S. shellfish industry that benefits the ocean and the communities which rely upon it.

The fund offers small awards (up to $20,000) targeted toward shellfish growers, and large awards (up to $100,000) to address systemic issues facing the shellfish industry.

The small and large funding tracks have different eligibility requirements, application and reporting requirements, priorities, and deadlines. For full details and to apply, visit the resiliency fund website.

If you have any questions, please contact SOAR Program Coordinator Christina Popolizio (c.d.popolizio@tnc.org).

Maryland oyster industry may be forever altered by COVID-19 pandemic

March 3, 2021 — The pandemic-impacted oyster season has been difficult for the industry in Maryland, causing farmers and watermen to rethink how they sell their product and changing how programs conduct oyster restoration.

After restaurants reduced their capacity and a stay-at-home order was issued last spring, restaurant sales essentially went to zero within a matter of a week, said Scott Budden, founder of Orchard Point Oyster Co. headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland.

Pre-pandemic, Orchard Point Oyster Co. would primarily sell to restaurants, either directly to the chef or through regional distributors and wholesalers. Since April, they have transitioned to directly selling to the public, through local pickups and cold shipping, Budden said.

Read the full story at Delmarva Now