Saving Seafood

US suppliers in love with ‘seafood speed dating’

March 8, 2018 — The meeting Steve Costas had with a South Korean buyer at Food Export-Northeast’s 2017 “seafood speed dating” event, in Boston, Massachusetts, lasted just 20 minutes, scarcely more than a brief flirtation.

But less than a year later Marder Trawling, the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based supplier for which Costas is an account executive, wound up selling the Korean company a container filled with a mix of its wild-caught fish products.

Of course at seafood speed dating, there’s also the chance that the object of your affection will be swept away by another suitor.

“It’s always a friendly event and I believe there is a camaraderie amongst the suppliers even though you know in 30 minutes your customer or a potential customer will be meeting with a competitor who in most cases will be offering them the same species,” Costas told Undercurrent News.

Costas is back again in Boston, Massachusetts, this week along with representatives for no less than 17 seafood suppliers from the northeastern US, all hoping to move containers of fish and, fingers crossed, establish long-term relationships with one or more of the 15 buyers from no less than 13 countries also there.

South Korea will be represented again, as will China, Japan, Colombia, Spain and the United Arab Emirate to name a few. Almost all of the buyers are looking to acquire scallops and lobsters, though some also come from countries where dogfish, monkfish and skate are in demand, all products sold by Marder Trawling using its recently acquired dock in Chatham, Massachusetts.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Seafood Icon Northern Wind® Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary in Business

February 16, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The following was released by Northern Wind: 

Northern Wind, an industry leader as a direct off-loader, processor and distributor of fresh and frozen scallops is proud to announce that the company is celebrating its 30th year in business. Since its founding in 1987 by Ken Melanson and Michael Fernandes, Northern Wind has established itself as one of America’s fastest growing seafood processing and distribution companies, providing its customers with a wide variety of premium scallops and seafood from across the globe. Northern Wind prides itself in providing their customers with the freshest seafood products that have been responsibly harvested using sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. With three decades of business relationships throughout New England and across the globe, Northern Wind is a top direct-off loader, processor and distributor of fresh and frozen scallops.

“Over the last thirty years, Northern Wind has not only remained strong throughout many economic ups and downs, but we’ve grown the business and we now serve well over 500 customers across the globe,” said Ken Melanson, Founder & Chairman of Northern Wind. “First, our expertise at delivering top quality, responsibly sourced and sustainable scallops and fresh seafood is paramount in our success. Secondly, is our employee’s hard work and dedication to providing superior customer service which has enabled us to attract and retain hundreds of loyal customers.”

Northern Wind’s seafood products include fresh and frozen scallops, Ahi tuna, North Atlantic lobster, monkfish, headfish, skate and value-added seafood offerings. Northern Wind’s 70,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility is certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce Seafood Inspection Program for packing of USDC Grade A fresh and frozen scallops. Northern Wind was the first scallop producer in the nation to receive Fair Trade™ Certification and during the 2017-18 fishing season purchased over 1 Million pounds of Fair Trade scallops. In addition, Northern Wind’s start-of-the-art processing facility is BRC and MSC certified.

The company has also launched a new line of high quality premium scallops under the Five Star Premium Scallop brand name which was introduced at last year’s Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Ma. The company has also redesigned its Captain’s Call, Mariner’s Choice and Sea Spray scallop product lines to better portray Northern Wind’s leadership position in the seafood industry.

“The first 30 years have been an incredible ride. We’ve been blessed to have employees who are dedicated to quality and providing excellent customer service. I can’t wait to see what the next 30 years bring,” stated Michael Fernandes, Founder & President of Northern Wind.

Since the beginning, the Northern Wind team has always dedicated themselves to consistently supplying their customers with the highest quality seafood products and providing them with superior customer service and competitive prices.

View the release in its entirety here.

 

For sustainable fisheries, try eating ‘underloved’ fish

January 4, 2018 — Eating a wider variety of fish, including species like hake, skate, and cusk, would help keep overall fish stocks strong, according to chef and author Barton Seaver. Diversifying in this way would help ensure that people can keep eating plenty of fish—an important source of nutrients—as well as ensure economic stability for fishermen and coastal communities.

In a December 18, 2017 interview with Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air, Barton, director of the Sustainable Seafood and Health Initiative at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discussed sustainable fishing and other fish-related topics, such as fish farming and tips for buying quality fish.

Seaver said that just three species—tuna, salmon, and shrimp—account for 65% of total fish consumption. But overexploitation can decimate species, he said. For example, a boom in popularity of sea bass that began in the 1990s led to overfishing and depleted stocks.

Read the full story at the Harvard School of Public Health

 

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule for Northeast Skate

October 20, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries seeks public comment on a proposed rule to modify the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan.

Framework 4 would alter effort controls and possession limits to help reduce the risk of the skate bait fishery closing down as it did in fishing year 2016. Several measures are proposed to de-couple the skate wing and bait accountability measures, control catch, and provide a more consistent supply of skate bait to the lobster fishery. We propose to:

  • Reduce the Season 3 (November through April) bait skate possession limit from 25,000 lb to 12,000 lb;
  • Reduce the Season 3 bait skate in-season possession limit reduction threshold trigger from 90 to 80 percent;
  • Establish an 8,000-lb incidental possession limit for skate bait when a seasonal threshold trigger is reached; and,
  • Close the skate bait fishery when 100 percent of the quota is projected to be harvested.

To get all the details on these proposed management measures, read the proposed rule as published in theFederal Register today and the background documents available on the Regs.gov website.

We are accepting comments through November 6.

Please submit comments either through the online e-rulemaking portal or by mailing your comments to: John Bullard, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA, 01930.

Please mark the outside of the envelope, “Comments on the Proposed Rule for Skates Framework 4.”

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel at 978-281-9175 or jennifer.goebel@noaa.gov.

Skates: New England Council Approves 2018-2019 Fishery Specifications and Proportional Barndoor Skate Possession Limit for Wing Fishery

September 28, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

With one exception, the New England Fishery Management Council has approved Framework Adjustment 5 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The framework contains specifications for the 2018 and 2019 fishing years, including total allowable landings (TALs) for both the skate wing and skate bait fisheries, as well as measures to allow the landing of barndoor skates.

Once approved and implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the framework will allow the landing of barndoor skates in the wing fishery. Barndoor skate landings will be capped at 25% of the total wing possession limit allowed per season.

The Council adopted a 31,327 metric ton (mt) acceptable biological catch (ABC) for the skate complex based on advice from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). Under the skate plan, which covers seven species of skates, the annual catch limit (ACL) is equal to the ABC. Deductions from the ACL are made to account for: (1) management uncertainty; (2) projected dead discards; and (3) projected state landings, all to achieve the TAL for the overall federal fishery.

NAFO EXEMPTION

On September 27 during its meeting in Gloucester, MA, the Council voted to add measures into the framework to consider exempting vessels that fish exclusively within the NAFO Regulatory Area on a given trip from Skate FMP regulations that pertain to permit, mesh size, effort control, and possession limit restrictions, similar to exemptions that already exist within this area for Northeast multispecies and monkfish. NAFO is the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization.

The Skate Plan Development Team (PDT) now will develop a range of alternatives for this NAFO area exemption. The Council discussed an expedited process for selecting its preferred alternative with the goal of having Framework 5 implemented as close to May 1, 2018 as possible. This date marks the start of the new fishing year for skates.

Read the full release at the New England Fishery Management Council

Pier to Plate Brings Sustainably Harvested, ‘Under-Loved’ Fish to New England Diners

September 8, 2017 — Every summer, tourists flock to Chatham Pier on Cape Cod, Massachusetts to watch commercial fishermen unload their catch. And for hundreds of years, it was cod that fishermen hauled into Chatham’s storied harbor—and cod that gave this coastal region its name.

Today, however, it’s dogfish and skate the fishermen are hauling, as warming waters, prior bad management, and a host of other factors have made cod increasingly hard to find in New England’s Gulf of Maine.

The fishermen are paid pennies for their catch—literally 20 cents per pound for dogfish—and the majority of the fish is whisked off to markets in Europe and Asia, where higher demand fetches better prices.

Tired of telling Chatham Pier’s tourists, “You have to go to Europe!” when asked what their catch was and where it could be bought, a group of fisherman launched Pier to Plate, a Cape Cod effort to shift the market away from cod and toward the lesser-known species that are more readily available in the New England waters, says Nancy Civetta, a spokesperson for the Cape Cod Commercial Fisherman’s Alliance.

“Pier to Plate is a way for the public to support local fishermen,” said Civetta. “The truth is, what used to be the bread and butter for Cape fishermen has changed. Now it’s dogfish and skate.”

Launched this year, the initiative provides the fish for free to chefs at participating restaurants, an idea that came from the fishermen themselves. “We all sat around and brainstormed, and the fishermen said, ‘Just give it away for free,’” Civetta said, at least until the effort gets off the ground. “Chefs still need to experiment with the fish, but they’re not going to do it out of pocket.”

Read the full story at Civil Eats

 

NEFMC Approves Framework 4 to Adjust Skate Bait Fishery

June 21, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council today approved Framework Adjustment 4 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The framework revises the threshold trigger and possession limits in the skate bait fishery. The measures are expected to help keep the bait fishery open throughout the fishing year while minimizing the risk of fishermen exceeding their annual total allowable landings (TAL) limit. The framework also effectively eliminates the link between the skate wing fishery and the skate bait fishery regarding incidental possession limits. This move was requested by industry since the two fisheries operate very differently.

During the 2016 fishing year, the bait fishery was subject to an essential closure when the incidental possession limit was implemented in Season 3 and then was further reduced to 1,135 pounds to match the whole weight equivalent of the 500-pound limit imposed on the skate wing. This made it uneconomical to pursue the bait fishery. Once approved and implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Framework 4 will:

  • Give the bait fishery its own incidental limits;
  • • Keep the commercial bait per-trip possession limit at 25,000 pounds for Seasons 1 and 2 with a 90% trigger, meaning when 90% of the seasonal TAL is projected to be reached, the bait fishery will be subject to an 8,000-pound incidental limit unless the annual TAC is not expected to be achieved;
  • Reduce the possession limit in Season 3 to 12,000 pounds and impose an 80% TAL trigger unless the annual TAL is not expected to be achieved; and
  • As a hard backstop, close the fishery when 100% of the annual TAL is projected to be reached.

The Council approved Framework 4 based on a recommendation from its Skate Committee, which considered input from industry members in developing the new measures. Skate bait fishermen proposed the 12,000-pound Season 3 possession limit as a compromise to enhance the likelihood of keeping the fishery open at a lower but still functional level during the final portion of the fishing year. Committee members considered the provision to close the fishery when 100% of the TAL is reached to be an important safeguard against the TAL being exceeded.

Read the full release here

Fishing group wants people to eat more dogfish, skates

June 1, 2017 — A Cape Cod commercial fishing group is promoting an effort to get more consumers to eat locally caught dogfish and skates in restaurants.

The Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance is supporting “Pier to Plate” by working with more than 20 restaurants and markets on Cape Cod to get dogfish and skates to customers.

The alliance says commercial harvest of the two fish is high, but nearly all of the catch goes to Europe and Asia. Spiny dogfish are caught from Maine to North Carolina on the East Coast, and the catch grew from less than 4 million pounds in 2005 to nearly 19 million pounds in 2015.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Jersey Herald

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishermen’s Alliance to Launch Program to Promote Dogfish, Skate

May 16, 2017 — The Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance is launching a new program Memorial Day weekend to create demand for “under-loved” fish species caught in area waters.

Pier to Plate will see small-boat fishermen give free skate and dogfish throughout the summer to 20 restaurants, a fish market and catering company on the Lower Cape to serve to customers.

“This program is actually giving the fish to the restaurants for the summer to experiment with, play with, and serve to their clients,” said Nancy Civetta, the communications director for the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance. “And that way we are hoping to just make them very popular because people will be more familiar with them if they find them on restaurant menus and in fish markets.”

The skate and dogfish, or Cape shark, are caught in abundance off Cape Cod and are mostly shipped overseas to be used in restaurants in Europe and Asia.

The goal of Pier to Plate is to make a consistent supply of these species available locally in an effort to support sustainable fishing on Cape Cod and familiarize residents, visitors and chefs with the fish swimming off the shore.

“We just aren’t landing as much cod and other groundfish as we used to here on Cape Cod,” Civetta said. “It’s a changing ecosystem out there. It’s still full of fish. It’s just different fish than we are used to eating.”

Civetta said the program is receiving support from the restaurant community as the Alliance has met with many around the Lower Cape.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

NEFMC Considers Adjusting Skate Bait Trigger, Possession Limit

April 18, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has initiated a framework adjustment to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to consider alternatives for adjusting the skate bait threshold trigger and possession limit.

The Council’s Skate Committee recommended the action, and the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) will provide assistance in developing the document. The framework will be narrowly focused, addressing only the trigger/possession limit issues. The Council anticipates taking final action at its June meeting and, if all stays on schedule, NMFS is aiming to implement the new measures in December.

Complications with this winter’s fishery led the Council to pursue a framework adjustment. On January 30, NMFS reduced the commercial per-trip possession limits for both the skate wing and skate bait fisheries to the following “incidental” levels:

Read the full release here