Saving Seafood

Recent U.S. fishing years marked by economic gains, milestones in sustainability

July 28, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA:

Two announcements today from NOAA Fisheries offer a ‘snapshot in time’ of the population status of U.S. federal fisheries in 2019, and the economic performance of commercial fishing, recreational fishing, and related businesses in 2017. Scientists find that the vast majority of U.S. fish stocks continue to be strong, successful and achieving long-term sustainability goals. Data from these reports help governments, communities, fishery managers, and many others assess the state of the U.S. fisheries management system and plan ahead for future years.

“It’s important we acknowledge the achievements in sustainable fisheries made in recent years by fishermen, industries, scientists, managers, and conservationists across our Nation. These updates are a testament to their outstanding work,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “To that end, President Trump has announced the availability of $300 million to support U.S. fishing communities that have been particularly hard-hit by COVID-19. The Department of Commerce stands with U.S. fishermen and coastal industries as we work to increase America’s competitiveness in the seafood industry and protect our seafood supply chain.”

The 2019 Status of U.S. Fisheries Report outlines the status of 461 managed stocks or stock complexes in the U.S. to determine which stocks are subject to overfishing, are overfished, or are rebuilt to sustainable levels.

A stock is on the overfishing list when the harvest rate of that species is too high, and for 2019, scientists find that list reached a record low. Of 321 stocks for which a determination can be made, 299 (93%) are not subject to overfishing. Conversely, a stock is on the overfished list when the population size of a stock is too low. That list rose slightly in 2019; one stock was removed from the overfished list in 2019 (Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder), but four were added. Stocks added to the list this year include ones that continue to experience poor reproduction despite closed fisheries (Pacific sardine/northern population), stocks that we now have improved scientific understanding of fishing impacts (Atlantic Coast bluefish), and stocks for which there are ongoing efforts to accurately estimate stock size (Gulf of Maine white hake and George’s Bank winter flounder).

Additionally, two once-overfished species have been rebuilt. Those stocks include American plaice, a right-eyed species of flounder native to the Gulf of Maine, and Southern California cowcod, an orangish-colored rockfish now the ninth recovered West Coast groundfish species. This brings the number of rebuilt stocks to 47 since the year 2000. Once stocks are rebuilt, expanded market opportunities often follow, as catch limits are increased.

Also available is key economic data from the 2017 Fisheries Economics of the U.S. Report, which provides an update on the economic performance of U.S. fisheries. The numbers illustrate fishing as a positive economic driver for our nation, with combined commercial and recreational fishing generating $244 billion in annual sales (up 11%), contributing $111 billion to the gross domestic product (up 8%), and supporting 1.74 million jobs (up 3.3%). The full report will be made available later this year.

View the 2019 Status of U.S. Fisheries Report and 2017 Fisheries Economics of the U.S. key economic data.

MSC announces new research funding to improve fishery observer safety

July 23, 2020 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

New funding to support research into fishery observer safety and welfare, has been announced by the Marine Stewardship Council today. The global not-for-profit organisation – which sets an environmental standard for sustainable fishing – said it hoped to accelerate progress in safeguarding observers who carry out a vital role in protecting our oceans.

The move follows the first death of an observer on a vessel fishing for MSC certified catch in the Western Central Pacific. The shocking and tragic death of Eritara Aati Kaierua on board the Win Far 636 in the Pacific in March 2020, is still under police investigation in Tarawa, Kiribati but there have been persistent reports of the dangers facing observers globally. 

Observers play a vital role ensuring the monitoring, compliance and surveillance of commercial fishing activities. Mandated by fishery management organisations, their work focuses on collecting data to enable effective regulation of marine activity. However, according to the Association of Professional Observers, the isolated and sometimes contentious nature of their jobs can lead to attempts at bribery, intimidation and violence.

MSC does not require fisheries to work with observers as a part of its certification requirements – but in practice many fisheries rely on observers to collect the essential evidence needed for sustainable fisheries management – especially in remote parts of the world.

MSC wholly condemns any violence or intimidation of observers. As part of its contribution to the collective efforts of the industry, human rights NGOs, governments and regulators to improve observer safety, MSC is allocating £100,000 of funding for projects and initiatives aimed at improving observer safety at sea.

The funds will be deployed through its Ocean Stewardship Fund in the next round which opens for applications in September 2020. This tranche of funding will also support initiatives focussed on the use of electronic monitoring and other technologies designed to support observers and deliver assurance of fishing operations.

The MSC action comes as there is a growing focus on this area, including campaigns on observer safety by Greenpeace and the Association of Professional Observers as well as the publication of a recent report by the organisation Human Rights at Sea.

The Chief Executive of MSC, Rupert Howes, said:

“The MSC’s mission is to end the global crisis in overfishing. This is an enormous and complex challenge, supported by the extraordinary hard work and efforts of many people – including observers.

Governments, law enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities must do more to ensure observer safety. But we recognise – as part of the wider sustainable seafood community – that MSC also has a part to play.  We want to do so in a way which is practical, by helping those who are already working in this field, pilot and test promising initiatives.

By working collaboratively with others, we believe we can help protect the human rights of observers and support them to carry out their vital work safeguarding our oceans.”

Seafood2030 hosting virtual sustainability forum in September

July 20, 2020 — Seafood2030 and SeafoodSource will be hosting a virtual event on 9 and 10 September highlighting the evolving relationship between the seafood industry and governments on the sustainability front.

The Seafood2030 Virtual Sustainability Forum will look at real-world examples where better alignment of industry and government efforts can improve the sustainability, social impacts, and economic viability of fisheries, event organizers said. It will also focus on identifying opportunities to better align sustainability efforts “to improve the global management of seafood and seafood supply-chains.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Industry leaders say transparency is key to global aquaculture sustainability

July 9, 2020 — In a recent webinar hosted by the aquaculture technology investment firm Hatch, an international panel of aquaculture leaders connected virtually to discuss the importance of sustainability in the industry and the space innovation on that front, now and in the future.

“The world now produces more than 155 million tons of seafood every year. Around 55 percent of that comes from aquaculture. As our population is growing, demand continues to rise, and within the next 50 years we will have to grow more seafood than we have ever grown in the entire existence of mankind,” said Moritz Mueller, the head of marketing and communications at HATCH. “At the same time, understanding the limits of our oceans and protecting them, in order to keep our planet healthy is an essential task. This seafood, and the feed for it, will not come from our wild stocks, but it has to come from aquaculture. And only an industry that is sustainable will be able to shoulder such a responsibility.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

BRIAN PERKINS: A new wave of sustainable seafood to feed generations to come

July 6, 2020 — Seafood is having a moment.

Fish, especially canned and frozen options, increasingly have become a go-to choice for Americans during the pandemic as they stock their pantries and freezers; seek out new immune-boosting meal ideas; and look for alternatives to meat due to shortages and health concerns over meat processing. For example, U.S. shelf-stable tuna sales were up 31.2 percent over last year in March, according to Nielsen data.

While increased seafood consumption may be good short-term news for the U.S. seafood industry, it also is combating other major challenges, such as severely decreased foodservice and export business due to the pandemic. We must look at the flexibility and long-term viability of the seafood industry globally to prepare for the long-term implications of the current crisis.

Earlier this month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020” (SOFIA) report, which indicates more than a third of fisheries (34.2 percent) globally are operating at unsustainable levels. Compare that to 10 percent in 1990, and it becomes an abundantly clear global issue we must quickly and sustainably address, even as the industry is plagued with pandemic challenges.

While these numbers seem perilous, efforts by the U.N., the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), fisheries and conscious consumers already have led to stock recoveries for skipjack tuna, Alaskan pollock and Atlantic cod. The industry must look to these examples to enact changes that will ensure seafood is around for generations to come.

Read the full opinion piece at GreenBiz

ASMFC May/June 2020 issue of Fisheries Focus Now Available

June 26, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announces the release of the 16th publication in its Habitat Management Series, entitled Aquaculture: Effects on Fish Habitat along the Atlantic Coast. The document provides a broad description of current and common marine aquaculture (mariculture) practices, siting considerations, and some potential effects on fish habitats. It’s intended to serve as an introduction to the topic and facilitate a discussion on the intersection between aquaculture planning and fishery habitat conservation.

Mariculture is an important source of sustainable seafood production and a growing industry that creates jobs, supports communities, and promotes international trade. The U.S. aquaculture and mariculture industry was valued at $1.4 billion and produced 627 million pounds of meat and 1.2 million jobs in 2015. As the human population continues to grow, there will be an ever-increasing demand for seafood. Aquaculture and mariculture can help meet that demand.

Read the full release here

Packard Foundation tracks the seafood industry’s sustainability progress in its latest report

June 23, 2020 — The David and Lucille Packard Foundation has published the sixth edition of its “Progress Towards Sustainable Seafood – By the Numbers” report, assessing the impact of global sustainable seafood initiatives as a new decade begins.

First published in 2008, the June 2020 report is intended, like its predecessors, to track and monitor the effects of sustainable seafood initiatives, according to the foundation. This latest report, which is hosted on the Our Shared Seas website, focuses on six different areas in its analysis: the water, specifically stock and management trends; producer-level progress, including certification, fishery improvement projects (FIPs) and human well-being focused programs; consumption and trade dynamics; business relationships and supply chain engagement; conditions for business change, which entails fraud and mislabeling, as well as traceability and transparency; and policy change.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

ISSF Welcomes SAPMER as New Participating Company

June 11, 2020 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

SAPMER is the latest seafood company to join in the conservation efforts of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). ISSF participating companies work with the Foundation to advocate for sustainable tuna fishery management and encourage the adoption of responsible fishing practices.​

“SAPMER‘s decision to become an ISSF participating company is an important commitment to science-based fishery stewardship,” said ISSF President Susan Jackson. “We welcome SAPMER’s engagement with our conservation measures to make progress on sustainable tuna fishing practices.” 
 
All ISSF participating companies are independently audited annually to assess their compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures, the results of which are published in the ISSF compliance report and the ISSF annual report. ISSF also publishes individual compliance reports for each ISSF participating company. View SAPMER’s compliance report here. 
 
ISSF launched in 2009 with eight participating companies and today has 26 industry partners, including well-known brands produced and sold in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Pacific Islands and Asia.
 
PT Avila Prima, formerly an associate ISSF participating company, was recently terminated by the Foundation.

The Rising Tide Of Seafood: Opportunities And Prospects

June 11, 2020 — In the past few decades, particularly since the start of the 21st century, global seafood consumption has seen a steady uptick, fueled by an international boom in hatcheries and improved techniques in fish farming and aquaculture. An improvement in preservation and processing methods has also allowed for longer storage of raw fish and shellfish, boosting international trade of the same. Mounting recognition of the health benefits of seafood as compared to other forms of meat has led to a notable spike in seafood consumption in many countries, and the United States is following the same pattern, albeit a little slowly. These are some of the reasons our trade financing company keeps a close eye on the industry.

So what is the outlook for U.S.-based importers, and how have recent developments impacted the industry?

The U.S.’s Growing Love For Seafood

According to a report released by the National Maritime Fisheries Services (NOAA Fisheries) in February of this year, Americans ate an average of 16.1 pounds of seafood per capita in 2018. This number is a very slight increase from the 16 pounds per capita consumed in 2017, but is important for the United States, given the country’s traditional preference for other meats like chicken and/or beef. As more consumers include it in their diets, the demand for fresh as well as frozen seafood is going to increase. The U.S., for the most part, continues to meet this demand from overseas markets.

The NOAA Fisheries report noted that approximately 85%-95% of seafood consumed in the United States is imported from other countries, as per NOAA Fisheries chief scientist Cisco Werner. Although a study from May 2019 noted that this figure may be significantly inflated because not all of these imports are of foreign origin, there is no denying the strong contribution of imports to the United States’ seafood consumption.

Read the full story at Forbes

Sustainable Seafood Could Feed A Billion People A Day, Says Oceana

June 10, 2020 — It might come as a surprise to hear that Oceana, the world’s largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation, would be advocating for seafood consumption, especially given that overfishing is a major driver in the decline of ocean wildlife populations. But while overfishing has caused a decline in 34.2% of the world’s fish stocks, potentially leading to the depletion of a quarter of all fish by the end of the century, sustainable fisheries, on the other hand, are beneficial for fish populations, the environment and people.

The premise of sustainable fisheries lies in the belief that fishing practices that adapt to the reproductive rate of fish and maintain the health and productivity of wild fish stocks are not only critical to the sustainable growth of fish species, but also to the health of the surrounding marine ecosystem, coastal communities and the planet.

“Seafood eaters who choose sustainably managed wild seafood can feel good about their choice,” says Jacqueline Savitz, Chief Policy Officer at Oceana. “A healthy, fully restored ocean could feed a billion people a seafood meal every day, forever.”

Read the full story at Forbes