Saving Seafood

New report combines data of five leading sustainability NGOs for first time

June 13, 2019 — A new report released during the 2019 SeaWeb Seafood Summit, (SWSS19) has united data from five of the leading seafood sustainability NGOs, giving a comprehensive look at the sustainability of the world’s oceans.

“Sustainable Seafood: A Global Benchmark” has brought together the data and expertise of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Fair Trade USA, Marine Stewardship Council, Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program, and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. Together, the collective data has formed a report looking at the sustainability of different seafood sectors, and the priorities that should be focused on moving forward.

The report is thanks to the Seafood Certification and Ratings Collaboration, which launched in 2015.

“Through the collaboration, we aim to increase our impact by coordinating our tools and leveraging our extensive data on the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture,” the report said.

The report, and the compiling of the data of the various NGOs, has been a goal of the collaboration and regular updated analysis are planned in the future.

“This first edition is intended as a benchmark, illustrating the current level of performance and identifying the improvements needed going forward,” the report said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

RAY HILBORN: Keep eating fish; it’s the best way to feed the world

June 3, 2019 — This week, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) is convening Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington, D.C. Additionally, President Trump has declared the month of June “National Ocean Month” in recognition of the importance of the ocean to the economy, national security, and environment of the United States.

For the duration of Ocean Week, Saving Seafood will share materials related to the sustainable and economically vital U.S. commercial fishing and seafood industries, including information tied directly to events being organized as part of the NMSF conference.

To kick off the week, Saving Seafood is sharing the following article on the importance of eating fish to global food security and the environment. It was written by renowned fisheries scientist Dr. Ray Hilborn and published by the Oxford University Press Blog last week:

The famous ocean explorer, Sylvia Earle, has long advocated that people stop eating fish. Recently, George Monbiot made a similar plea in The Guardian – there’s only one way to save the life in our oceans, stop eating fish – which, incidentally, would condemn several million people to starvation.

In both cases, it’s facile reasoning. The oceans may suffer from many things, but fishing isn’t the biggest. Earle and Monbiot’s sweeping pronouncements lack any thought for the consequences of rejecting fish and substituting fish protein for what? Steak? That delicious sizzler on your plate carries the most appallingly large environmental costs regarding fresh water, grain production, land use, erosion, loss of topsoil, transportation, you name it.

Luckily for our planet, not everyone eats steak. You’re vegan, you say, and your conscience is clean. An admirable choice – so long as there aren’t too many of you. For the sake of argument and numbers, let us assume that we can substitute plant protein in the form of tofu, made from soybeans, for fish protein. Soybeans need decent land; in fact it would take 2.58 times the land area of England to produce enough tofu to substitute for no longer available fish. That extra amount of decent arable land just isn’t available – unless we can persuade Brazil, Ecuador and Columbia to cut down more of the Amazon rainforest. We would also add 1.71 times the amount of greenhouse gases that it takes to catch the fish.

And, again for the sake of argument, were we to substitute beef for fish, we would need 192.43 Englands to raise all that cattle and greenhouse gases would rocket to 42.4 times what they are from fishing.

But aren’t there alternatives that we can eat with a clean conscience? It depends. First, we must accept the inescapable truth that everyone has to eat. You and I and another few billion humans right down to the single cell organisms. The second inescapable truth arises from the first but is often ignored, is that there is no free lunch. The big variable in this business of eating is deciding the appropriate price to the environment.

Read the full opinion piece at the Oxford University Press (OUP) Blog

5 Innovations In Aquaculture Worth Catching On To Now

May 30, 2019 — Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing forms of food production in the world and the fastest growing sector in the livestock industry. In a $140 billion market, startups in seafood and aquaculture technology raised $193 million in 2016, which marked a 271% increase from the two years prior combined. The latest group of innovations in agtech could very well come from the water, as something we could call “aquatech.”

Yet there are many areas in this industry that are in dire need of innovation. Today, I will focus on my top 5: disease prevention, vaccine delivery, fish meal replacement, sustainability solutions (including closed-loop farming) and supply chain management.

Tremendous opportunity exists right now for those interested in investing in the solutions to these issues. Let’s take a look at the five key areas mentioned, and how several forward-thinking companies are meeting them head on.

Disease prevention is a critical aspect of aquaculture. Changing ocean temperatures and water quality make animals and plants more stressed and susceptible to disease, yet innovation is lacking in prevention compared to land-based agriculture. Terrestrial food animal farmers can easily deploy dozens of vaccines and preventive solutions, while aquaculture has less choice and significant delivery challenges (more on this below). Vaccines are still administered by hand, and there simply aren’t good preventive measures for many infestations.

Read the full story at Forbes

To create sustainable seafood industries, the United States needs a better accounting of imports and exports

May 28, 2019 — Global seafood trade nearly doubled in recent decades, fueled by decreasing transportation costs, advances in preservation and processing technologies, and open trade policies and is now among the most highly traded commodities. The United States is currently the world’s top seafood importer and among the top five exporters. It is often quoted that 90% of seafood consumed in the United States is imported, implying only 10% is of domestic origin. Over the past decade, this statistic has been widely shared and highlighted with more than 60 news articles quoting it annually since 2014, and it is increasingly used to support proposed policy changes. In recent years, the former US Secretary of State, current US Secretary of Commerce, and members of Congress have all cited the number to call for new policy measures addressing seafood sustainability and dependence on foreign seafood.

However, we argue that far more than 10%, likely 35–38%, of seafood consumed in the United States is of domestic origin. Precise estimates are difficult because of complex supply chains: for instance, some seafood caught in the United States is exported for processing and imported again under a different trade code for consumption in the United States. Such globalized supply chains are commonplace with many products relying on numerous foreign inputs and crossing international borders multiple times. For example, beef production between the United States and Mexico can involve multiple exchanges of calves, adults, and final products. These counterintuitive patterns are created by low tariffs and transportation costs that allow producers to optimize for favorable interest rates and low production costs across supply chains, keeping prices low for US consumers of beef, seafood, and countless other products.

Unfortunately, a dark cloud looms over seafood trade as tariffs recently imposed by the United States and retaliatory tariffs imposed by China and other countries hit US seafood exporters and importers, resulting in higher seafood prices for US consumers. Accounting for the realities of globalized supply chains is not only needed for better statistics that support evidence-based policy but is also key to supporting the US seafood industry, achieving sustainable production, and meeting consumer demand.

Read the full story from the National Academy of Sciences at Medium

Two groups studying how to make fisheries more climate-resilient

May 28, 2019 — With a growing consensus that climate change is causing drastic transformations of marine ecosystems and fish stock dynamics, two recent studies have addressed the importance of taking a more adaptive and responsive approach to their management.

The first study, published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, shows that adjusting fishing levels when fish populations change is key to making global fisheries more climate-resilient. The result of making this shift would be healthier oceans and a more stable supply of fish for consumption, according to scientists at the Environmental Defense Fund and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Their paper outlines the fact that many commercially important fish stocks are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and that managing those stocks sustainably in the future will be a large and growing challenge for fisheries scientists and managers. The paper recommends responsive harvest control rules (HCRs) that automatically reduce catch percentages when decreases in biomass are detected, and increases when biomass increases. By adopting HCRs, “inherent resilience” could be introduced into the system, reducing the adverse effects of climate change while longer-term solutions are sought to better address the negative impacts of global warming.

“Using the right harvest-control rule is like having adaptive cruise control for your fishery,” said Jake Kritzer, a senior director of Environmental Defense Fund’s Oceans program and lead author of the paper. “When you need to slow down, the system can automatically adjust to the right level. Then, when the road ahead is clear, it allows you to return to a higher level.”

Warmer waters caused by climate change are resulting in lower reproduction rates in fish and forcing them to migrate out of their natural ranges. The current system for managing fish catches is often not adaptive enough to respond to these dynamics, the report noted. In addition, current catch levels are being calculated on biomass that may be incorrect as a result of these large-scale changes, the report found.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Second squid species gains MSC certification

May 3, 2019 — A second squid fishery has been certified against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard, according to a release by the MSC.

The successful certification of the U.S. Northeast Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) makes it the second squid fishery in the world, and the region, to gain MSC certification. The assessment was executed by SCS Global Services, and was requested by Lund’s Fisheries, in Cape May, New Jersey; and The Town Dock, in Point Judith, Rhode Island. The two companies were also responsible for the first-ever MSC certification of a squid fishery, when they gained certification of the Northeast longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) fishery.

“The certification of the North Atlantic Illex fishery is very exciting for us and for sustainability-minded consumers,” Ryan Clark, CEO of The Town Dock, said in the release. “It has always been important for us to sustainably manage our squid fisheries, so a second MSC certification is welcome news. And now, we can offer our customers around the globe two certified sustainable USA squid species in Loligo and Illex.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

U.S. SHORTFIN SQUID FISHERY ACHIEVES MSC CERTIFICATION

May 2, 2019 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The U.S. Northeast Northern Shortfin Squid (Illex illecebrosus) fishery in the Northwest Atlantic has been certified sustainable against the MSC fisheries standard. The assessment, executed by independent conformity assessment body SCS Global Services and requested by Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. and The Town Dock, was part of a scope expansion following the successful certification of the U.S. Northeast Longfin Inshore Squid (Loligo pealeii) bottom trawl fishery in 2018. Illex joins Loligo as the 2nd squid species in the world to be MSC certified.

Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus), also known as Illex, is a commercially important species with a broad range that extends between the Sea of Labrador and the Florida Straits. Illex’s geographic distribution is largely influenced by water temperature and water masses. During spring, Northern shortfin squid migrate onto the continental shelf between Newfoundland and Cape Hatteras, and during late autumn, species migrate off the continental shelf presumably to an unknown winter spawning site.

“Sourcing and eating certified sustainable squid has never been easier,” said Brian Perkins, Regional Director of the Americas for the Marine Stewardship Council. “The fishery has demonstrated its hard work in sustaining the resource, and in meeting the MSC fisheries sustainability standard. We’re proud to have a 2nd responsible squid fishery join the program.”

“We are very pleased to offer certified sustainable shortfin squid to our trusted customers and America’s seafood consumers, ” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. “The Marine Stewardship Council certification demonstrates the integrity of our domestic seafood management and monitoring systems. We are working daily to sustainably manage our east coast squid fishery to the benefit of the resource, fishing communities, and calamari lovers everywhere.”

“The certification of the North Atlantic Illex fishery is very exciting for us and for sustainability-minded consumers,” said Ryan Clark, CEO of The Town Dock. “It has always been important for us to sustainably manage our squid fisheries, so a second MSC certification is welcome news. And now, we can offer our customers around the globe two certified sustainable USA squid species in Loligo and Illex.”

Larger in size and with a slightly different flavor profile than Loligo, Illex has emerged in US markets as another domestically-caught seafood option. Illex spawn year-round and migrate long-distances between inshore and offshore waters. With a lifespan of less than one year, water temperature plays a significant role in migration timing, distribution, growth and spawning. Recently, east coast squid species have reportedly been migrating further north up the coast than in previous years. They are a species that is likely to benefit from climate change, rather than be negatively impacted by it, according to current research by US fishery scientists.

The fishery is certified until 2024 and will undergo annual audits within that timeframe to ensure the MSC standard continues to be met.

ISSF Participating Tuna Company Compliance Report Shows 98.5 Percent Conformance with Foundation Conservation Measures

April 25, 2019 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has released its ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which shows a 98.5 percent conformance rate by 25 ISSF participating companies with all 27 ISSF conservation measures in effect in 2018, the audit period. Many of the world’s largest tuna processing companies participate in ISSF.

As part of its commitment to transparency and accountability, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to continuously assess ISSF participating companies’ compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures according to a rigorous audit protocol.

“It is encouraging to see the independent audit process continue to show high conformance among our Participating Companies,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “As we celebrate our organization’s 10th anniversary, these are the metrics that make a difference. Particularly in the last three years, our industry participants have collectively scored high marks on a consistent basis, meaning they’re taking seriously the science-based measures we’ve developed.”

The April 2019 annual compliance report is based on participating company activity for 2018. ISSF publishes this annual compliance report with initial audit results in the second quarter each year; in November, ISSF publishes an updated report to show any remediation of non-conformances previously reported.

The April 2019 report shows that:

  • 17 companies were in conformance with all 27 measures in effect during the 2018 reporting period.
  • 8 companies had at least one minor non-conformance, for a total of 9 instances of minor non-conformance. These typically involved instances where companies achieved some, but not full, compliance with a given conservation measure.
  • 1 company had one major non-conformance. As defined by MRAG Americas, a “major non-conformance” means a company does not comply with a particular conservation measure or commitment, and this compromises the integrity of ISSF initiatives.

ISSF conservation measures where companies achieved 100 percent conformance include: 2.1 Product Traceability; 3.1(b) Prohibition of Transactions with Shark Finning Policies; 3.4 Skipper Best Practices; 3.5 Transactions with Vessels that Use Non-entangling FADs; and 5.2 IUU Product Response. Areas for improvement include data submission to RFMOs, observer coverage on tuna vessels, and IMO Unique Vessel Identifiers.

The rate of full conformance had been mostly steady in each annual reporting period, as shown across the below compliance report publication dates. The April 2019 report audited companies against five new Conservation Measures that were not in effect during previous reporting periods.

  • June 2015: 79.8 percent
  • June 2016: 87.2 percent
  • November 2016: 95.6 percent
  • May 2017: 97.5 percent
  • November 2017: 100 percent
  • June 2018: 97 percent
  • November 2018: 99 percent
  • April 2019: 98.5 percent

The five new measures for which ISSF Participating companies were first evaluated during the 2018 audit period are as follows:

Measure 2.3 Product Labeling by Species and Ocean of Capture: On all product labeling, or through a publicly available web-based system by product, for all branded tuna products:

  1. Identify the species of tuna contained in the product.
  2. Identify the ocean of capture for the tuna contained in the product.

Measure 3.6 Transactions with Vessels Implementing Best practices for Sharks and Sea Turtles: Transactions only with those longline vessels whose owners have a policy requiring the implementation of best practices for sharks and marine turtles.

Measure 4.4 (C) Transshipment at Sea – Observer Coverage (Large Scale Longline): Transactions with longline vessels that conduct transshipments at sea, whether high seas, EEZ, territorial seas or archipelagic waters, only if 100% of such transshipments are observed.

Measure 7.2 Threshold Requirement for PVR Listing: All large-scale purse seine vessels owned by the same business organization shall be in demonstrated compliance with, or otherwise exempted from, Section 6 —Capacity.

Measure 7.4 Supply and Tender Vessels: For controlled supply or tender vessels that operate with purse seine vessels:

  • register all vessels on the PVR and maintain registration indefinitely;
  • ensure all are listed on the authorized vessel record of any RFMO governing the ocean area in which the tuna was caught;
  • ensure all have an IMO unique vessel identifier; and
  • ensure all are not listed on the IUU Vessel List of any RFMO.

In addition to the annual compliance reports, MRAG Americas issues individual ISSF participating company reports, published on the ISSF site, detailing each company’s level of compliance with conservation measures. Under the compliance policy, companies may be required to remediate non-conformances found during the annual audit, and MRAG will immediately issue reports for those companies that do so.

FishWise partners with major hotelier to boost responsible seafood consumption among tourists

April 23, 2019 — Sustainable seafood consultancy and non-profit FishWise has partnered with Palma, Spain-based hotel and resort chain Iberostar Group to bring education and training on responsible seafood consumption to Iberostar’s 32,000 employees, the organizations announced on 22 April.

The partnership is intended to enable Iberostar employees to speak confidently on concepts that are integral to the company’s Wave of Change movement. Launched in 2017, the Wave of Change initiative aims to establish a new, scalable business model for ocean stewardship in tourism through the active support of coastal health, plastics reduction, and seafood consumption.

“Providing responsible seafood options to our guests goes hand-in-hand with Iberostar’s tradition of gastronomic excellence,” said Megan Morikawa, the director of sustainability for Iberostar, which operates over 120 four- and five-star hotels in 18 countries. “We realize, however, that seafood is uniquely complex, and that the potential impact of Wave of Change hinges on empowering our employees to fully understand why we are taking these actions. We are excited to partner with FishWise to untangle this complexity and equip our team with the knowledge needed for success.”

FishWise plans to leverage its 15 years of helping businesses to develop and implement comprehensive seafood sustainability programs in its work with Iberostar. The partnership will be underpinned by a strong foundation of employee training that is expected to increase seafood sustainability awareness throughout the company and further embed Wave of Change as a key part of the identity and culture of the multinational hotelier, FishWise and Iberostar said.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Low consumer awareness of microplastics in fish, finds survey

April 15, 2019 — Forty percent of consumers are aware of the issue of microplastics in fish, according to a new survey conducted by land-based salmon farming company Pure Salmon. The recently-launched company’s analysis also found that 36.5 percent had knowledge of antibiotic use in sea-farmed fish.

The results are part of a survey of 2,000 consumers in the United Kingdom and United States. Consumers in each country were asked their opinions on issues ranging from microplastics in seafood to food miles and purchasing habits.

Pure Salmon said that while awareness levels around the environmental impact of sea farming were low, two-thirds of consumers in the same survey said they would be more likely to purchase fish that has been sustainably farmed. Sixty percent of those surveyed also said they would also pay more for fish with strong sustainable and environmental credentials.

The survey also found that when it comes to awareness of microplastics, U.K. consumers were ahead of the curve (55 percent awareness) compared to Americans (37 percent). Furthermore, 81 percent said it was either important or very important to understand where fish comes from when making purchasing decisions, and that 72 percent would be more likely to purchase fish if they knew it was produced close to their home, reducing food miles.

Pure Salmon was developed by investment firm 8F Asset Management Pte. Ltd.

Read the full story at Seafood Source