Saving Seafood

UMaine-led research team making new frozen foods from squid fins

January 13, 2024 — Squid has become a staple menu item and ingredient in many seafood restaurants, whether it’s fried, baked, grilled or served raw. In North American markets, however, only about half of each squid is used for culinary applications.

To reduce food waste and open new markets, a University of Maine-led team of researchers and students will devise new frozen food products that can be created from squid fins, one of their byproducts. The project is supported by $229,376 from the NOAA Fisheries Saltonstall-Kennedy Competitive Grants Program.

The group, led by UMaine professor of food science Denise Skonberg, will devise and develop several frozen food prototypes at the Dr. Matthew Highlands Food Pilot Plant in Hitchner Hall using processed fins from North Atlantic longfin and shortfin squid. Possible goods, which will be designed for preparation at home or in restaurants, may include frozen appetizers, entrees, nuggets and sliders. Researchers will recruit people to sample their prototype food products at the UMaine Sensory Testing Center and evaluate them based on appearance, texture, aroma and flavor.

As part of their initial work, UMaine researchers recently invited local chefs to prepare various dishes with squid fins, some of which they may be able to freeze. Those dishes included meatballs, egg rolls and dumplings, all made from squid fins.

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

Squid processors help new Northeast science center study

September 24, 2021 — Researchers from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center have installed a new electronic data collection system at five shortfin squid processing facilities across the region, a project that NMFS officials say will help “support good management of a burgeoning fishery.”

With a lot of squid available to measure, researchers hope this pilot project will show that processors can help increase the amount of real-time data on this relatively short-lived species.

The Squid Electronic Size Monitoring Pilot Project is new, and was developed by a team of science center researchers including:

• The Cooperative Research Branch, which specializes research with industry partners.

• The Information Technology Division, which manages and develops data and information gathering systems.

• The Population Dynamics Branch, which studies the distribution, abundance, and population dynamics of commercial species like the shortfin squid.

This team worked alongside industry to design the system. The goal is to create a standardized data stream of northern shortfin squid size and weight provided by processors. The northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) is fast-growing and lives for less than a year. At any given time, there are multiple cohorts (groups of similarly aged squid) in the population with a wide range of body sizes and weights.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

 

Illex Squid Assessment Stakeholder Session Reminder

July 9, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Research Track stock assessment for Illex (shortfin) squid, includes a virtual stakeholder listening session on July 13th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Agenda:

  1. Welcome, introductions, meeting purpose

  2. Brief overview of the assessment, key Terms of Reference, and an update on where the Working Group is in the process

  3. Questions/ideas regarding progress already made, or work yet to be done

  4. Additional input and/or broader questions

  5. Wrap-up and next steps

To join this session, please register using this RSVP link no later than July 12th. If you are unable to attend but would like to add a question or comment, you can submit one in the RSVP link.

Once you have registered, a WebEx meeting link will be sent to the email address you provide.

Additional information can be found on the Illex Working Group webpage

We hope that you can join us.

Read the full release here

China to pause squid fishing in Pacific, Atlantic breeding grounds

June 29, 2021 — China has announced a temporary ban on its fishing fleet — the world’s biggest — from catching squid in parts of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans after overfishing pushed populations to the brink of collapse.

China reels in as much as 70 percent of the global squid catch, and its vessels sail as far as West Africa and Latin America to sate the growing appetite for seafood in the country.

But Chinese vessels will suspend operations in major global squid spawning grounds in the southwest Atlantic near Argentina from Thursday until September 30, and parts of the Pacific from September to November, the agriculture ministry said Monday.

The ban follows an international backlash against China’s giant overseas fleet, with claims that they are overfishing and damaging fragile marine ecosystems.

Areas covered by the moratorium are breeding grounds for two of the most popular squid varieties — the Argentine shortfin squid and the Humboldt squid.

Populations of the Argentine shortfin have been low in recent years, with the average catch by Chinese vessels in the southwest Atlantic only 50 tonnes in 2019 compared with up to 2,000 tonnes previously, according to the China squid fishing association.

Read the full story at MSN

Oceana reports Chinese, Spanish squid vessels ‘going dark’ off Argentina

June 4, 2021 — A South Atlantic shortfin squid fishery is dominated by distant-water fleets off Argentina, primarily Chinese vessels that account for an estimated 69 percent of fishing activity, according to a new report by the environmental group Oceana.

From Jan. 1, 2018 to April 25, 2021, the group documented more than 800 foreign-flag vessels logging more than 900,000 hours of apparent fishing activity, based on analysis of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data.

That analysis also showed vessels regularly “went dark” – apparently turning off their AIS transponders – effectively dropping out of sight for 600,000 hours in all. Some 66 percent of those outages involved Chinese vessels, raising the possibility of masked illegal fishing, such as intruding into Argentina’s exclusive economic zone, according to Oceana researchers.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Regulators to allow increased squid fishing this year

August 11, 2020 — Federal fishing regulators are allowing increased harvesting of a species of squid this year because of reports that the species can withstand it.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it’s increasing the accepted biological catch of shortfin squid from about 57 million pounds to about 66 million pounds. Fishermen bring the squid to shore in New England and the mid-Atlantic states for use as food by humans.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

Seafreeze Limited, Sea Fresh USA nab MSC certification for loligo, illex squid

June 30, 2020 — Seafreeze Limited and Sea Fresh USA, both based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S.A., have achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for their loligo and illex squid fisheries.

The certification was granted by SCS Global Services for the company’s catches of loligo or longfin squid (Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii) and Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus), following a 10-month assessment. The certification is good through 2025, subject to annual audits to ensure the MSC standard continues to be met.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

USA Continues to be a Leader in Sustainable Squid

June 30, 2020 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

Longfin squid (Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii), also known as loligo, and Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) caught by Seafreeze Limited and Sea Fresh USA off the U.S. East Coast achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification today. The accomplishment firmly places the USA as a global leader in the production of certified squid, as the only two MSC-certified sustainably managed fisheries occur in U.S. Atlantic waters. Certification was granted by independent certifier SCS Global Services based on the MSC sustainable fisheries standard following a 10 month assessment, and will remain certified through 2025. The fishery will undergo annual audits during that timeframe to ensure the MSC standard continues to be met.

“The U.S. being a leader in certified sustainable squid is a testament to the hard work by the fishermen and shows important leadership by the companies,” said Brian Perkins, regional director for the Americas at the Marine Stewardship Council. “Congratulations to Seafreeze Limited and Sea Fresh on achieving MSC certification and demonstrating their commitment to sustainability, helping ensure squid are available and the ecosystem is healthy for generations to come. With more certified sustainable squid products easily available around the world, customers can feel good about the squid they’re sourcing and selling.”

The majority of U.S. Illex squid products have historically been sold as bait for other fisheries such as crab, cod and swordfish. In more recent years, Illex has been produced for food service and distributed around the U.S., Europe, and Asia, whereas longfin squid has predominantly served a domestic food service market.

“MSC certification of longfin and Illex squid from the NW Atlantic is something that customers here in the US and overseas have been eager to see in our New England fishery for some time. We are excited to be able to offer MSC certified squid of both species to existing and future customers,” said Chris Lee, Director, Sea Fresh USA, Inc. “Adding the MSC certification confirms, for customers near and far, that they are purchasing from a sustainably harvested resource. As demands on the world’s natural resources intensify, it is important for our customer base to understand what we already knew, that these fisheries are sustainable, well managed US Fisheries.”

Chris Joy of Seafreeze Limited said, “Earning MSC certification for our Atlantic squid harvests is an important milestone for Seafreeze. We have always been committed to providing the highest quality, most responsibly harvested squid available to our customers. This certification is a result of that focus on quality and will be a great benefit for our customers worldwide. The certification of our U.S. Atlantic squid, along with the global reach in squid of our parent company, Profand, and U.S. partner Stavis Seafoods, allows us to offer our customers one of the industry’s most diverse squid inventories. Our goal is to be the industry leader in the species, and the MSC certification is a great step in that direction. ”

When a fishery is successfully certified against the MSC fisheries Standard, its certified catch can be sold with the MSC blue fish label if the entire supply chain is also certified, indicating to customers that it comes from a sustainable, traceable source.

The MSC fishery standards are based on three core principles that every fishery must meet:

  • Sustainable fish stocks: Fishing activity must be at a level which ensures it can continue indefinitely.
  • Minimizing environmental impact: Fishing operations must be managed to maintain the structure, productivity, function, and diversity of the ecosystem.
  • Effective Management: The fishery must comply with relevant laws and have a managementsystem that is responsive to changing circumstances.

The first-ever squid fishery to achieve MSC certification came in 2017, with a second species following in 2019

China Imposes its First Closed Season for Distant-Water Fishing Fleet

June 22, 2020 — In early June, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries announced plans for two closed seasons on squid fishing in parts of the south-west Atlantic and eastern Pacific, to give two species a better chance of reproducing.

The closed seasons cover what are believed to be the main spawning grounds of the Humboldt squid, in waters to the west of Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, from July to September, and of the Argentine shortfin squid, off Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, from September to November.

This is the first time China has voluntarily imposed a closed season on the high seas. Some experts regard it as an important step forward in China’s management of distant-water fishing (DWF), and crucial for protecting the squid fishing industry. But others say the impact will be limited and that stronger oversight of fishing vessels is needed, or even a new fisheries management body specifically for squid.

Read the full story at The Maritime Executive

US squid catchers turn to innovation, MSC in push to boost consumption

May 13, 2019 — The US’ two largest squid catchers and suppliers are taking a similar tack when it comes to plans to boost consumption of their species: product innovation at home targeted at millennials, and the recent Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of their fisheries to open up new markets, particularly in Europe.

The companies –Narragansett, Rhode Island-based The Town Dock and Cape May, New Jersey-based Lund’s Fisheries — recently teamed up to receive MSC approval for the US Northwest northern shortfin squid (Illex Illecebrosus) fishery. This comes nearly a year after obtaining the MSC’s stamp for the US Northeast longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) bottom trawl fishery last year, the world’s first MSC certification for a squid species. The two firms also catch California market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens) and harvest or procure a wide range of other squid and fish species.

Americans don’t consume a lot of squids — in 2015, the average US consumer ate around four ounces per year, roughly equivalent to a serving of fried calamari rings. That’s where the opportunity lies, Jeff Reichle, Lund’s president, told Undercurrent News.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News