REPORT: "Major Outbreak" of COVID-19 at Pacific Seafood's Warrenton Plant

Clatsop County, Oregon's Public Health Department is reporting a "major outbreak" at Pacific Seafood's Warrenton Plant. According to a news release put out by the county, 77 out of the plant's 159-member night shift tested positive for the illness.

"The Oregon Health Authority is taking the lead in arranging for quarantine of the affected individuals, and conducting tracing of family and other contacts of those workers," the Clatsop County Public Health Department wrote in a press release Thursday...

Alaska Fishing Updates for September/October

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – As salmon season ends more fisheries get underway.

Salmon numbers continue to trickle in but the total catch won’t add up to much more than the 113 million fish taken so far. That’s about 85 percent of what state managers expected for the season.

Of that, over 45 million are sockeyes and 58 million are pinks. Landings of about two million cohos are the lowest since the mid-1970s and a 7.5 million chum salmon harvest is the weakest since 1979...

Seafood Dealers Allowed Delayed Reporting in Some Areas Due to Hurricane Sally

The National Marine Fisheries Services has relaxed electronic reporting requirements through Oct. 31 for seafood dealers in some counties in Alabama and Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally's destruction.

The category 2 Hurricane Sally made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Sept. 16, and caused catastrophic conditions in Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama and Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Leon, Jefferson and Taylor counties in Florida, according to NMFS.

The agency said that any federally permitted ...

Collier Out, Shively Back In as Pebble CEO to “Advance Through Regulatory Process”

One day after the release of video tapes showing him describe his close and politically beneficial relationships with elected leaders and regulatory officials in Alaska, Tom Collier offered his resignation to the board of Northern Dynasty Minerals, parent company of the Pebble Limited Partnership.

Northern Dynasty’s CEO Ron Thiessen, who was also caught on video discussing those relationships and Pebble’s intentions to expand the mine once permitted, offered an apology to “all Alaskans.”

“Collier’s comments embellished both his and the Pebble Partnership’s relationships with elected officials and...

Consumers Itching for Night Out but Restaurants Limited with Winter Weather on the Horizon

As consumers grow weary of eating at home and ordering takeout or delivery, restaurants in some of the states hit the hardest by the coronavirus are beginning to allow indoor dining, providing a glimmer of hope for operators as they look for a return to normalcy.

At the same time, many restaurants are limited by occupancy regulations and lack of real estate for outdoor dining capabilities. Plus, the cooler weather will be less appealing in the coming weeks...

FDA, European Commission Take Steps to Resume Shellfish Trade for the First Time in 10 Years

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Commission (EC) took a step toward opening the market for the sale of molluscan shellfish — a big deal considering that it has been 10 years since the U.S. has engaged in shellfish trade with Europe.

On Wednesday the FDA published a notice in the Federal Register on "Food and Drug Administration Equivalence Determination Regarding Implementation by Spain and the Netherlands of the European Union System of Food Safety Control Measures for...

Alaska's Salmon are Getting Smaller

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch…Alaska’s salmon are smaller. How might that affect markets?

Since 2010 Alaska salmon have been getting smaller. That conclusion is based on 60 years of measurements from 12.5 million salmon across Alaska, excluding pinks. A study by Nature Communications has compared average body lengths before 1990 and after 2010. Chinook salmon have shown the most size reduction, averaging an eight percent decline, reductions in per fish egg production by16%,  nutrient transport down 28%, a 21% decline in fisheries value and a...

JAPAN: Laboratory Grown Octopus Reaches 500 Grams in Six Months

The Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency announced on the 18th that it has succeeded in growing octopus to the shipping size at an onshore facility. As a result of breeding in a small aquarium that avoids cannibalism, more than 40% survived, and 90% of them reached a shipping size of 500 grams or more in half a year. With ten months of breeding, some individuals weigh more than 1 kilogram, and land-based octopus farming is likely to be a significant step toward becoming a reality...

Cermaq iFarm Project Reaches Big Milestone With First Smolt Transfer

Cermaq confirmed that their iFarm project has hit a major milestone when the first smolt was transferred last week.

"This is a very exciting and important phase in the project, now we will see how the fish behave in the actual iFarm environment, and whether our modelling and predicted outcomes for behavior are accurate," said Karl Fredrik Ottem, Cermaq's project manager for iFarm.

According to the company, the iFarm works by keeping the fish lower in the system using a net roof...

Russian Federation Lifts Restrictions on Imports From Chile's Ventisqueros

Chile's National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service, Sernapesca, announced this week that the restriction on exports to the Russian Federation of products made by Ventisqueros has been lifted.

Ventisqueros was part of a group of establishments that were under temporary restriction due to the detection of non-conformities. Back in February the Director of Sernapesca met in Moscow with her Russian counterpart to provide guarantees of safety and the gradual lifting of the restriction.

"This is the continuation of a work that we have...

Bumble Bee Responds After Trump's Comments About Throwing Tuna

Bumble Bee Seafoods issued a brief and simple statement after President Trump name dropped the tuna company during a speech Tuesday night: "Eat em. Don't throw em."

While at a campaign rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, Trump made comments about protesters in Minnesota and Chicago who were using cans of food as weapons.

"They go out and buy tuna fish and soup. You know that, right? Goya. Goya, he's great, isn't he? Good guy. They go out and buy Goya because they throw it. They throw it, it's the perfect weight...

ANALYSIS: July Imports Boast New Tilapia Record

Imports of frozen tilapia fillets increased in July with volumes jumping 32.8 percent from the previous month. Compared to the same month a year ago, volumes have increased 53.4 percent. Import volume for July totaled 34.1 million pounds, the highest July on record, while also the highest month on record since December 2018 when product was being rushed into the U.S. prior to the original start date of the 25% tariff on the market, which was ultimately postponed until May 2019. On a YTD basis...

If Fishermen Can’t Flush a Head in Cook Inlet, Why Should Hilcorp Be Allowed to Dump Toxic Waste?

As the fishing season hit its stride this summer, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Jason Brune sent a letter to commercial fishermen about the hazards of dumping raw sewage close to shore.

And while sewage management - especially on smaller boats - can be a challenge, Mr. Brune was right. It’s illegal to dump raw sewage within 3 miles of the coast because it’s unsafe, it’s unhealthy and no one wants raw sewage floating through their nets or in the waters where...

Brrrr! Charleston Ice Plant Starts Serving Commercial Vessels; Some Dock Work Still on Tap

Roughly nine months after a devastating fire, the Charleston Ice Plant is open for business.

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay said the plant started serving commercial vessels on Sept. 12. Port crews are awaiting the arrival of additional components for the service delivery system to accommodate smaller vessels, so only commercial vessels are being allowed at the plant right now, the Port said in a recent report. Additionally, no on-dock truck service will...

Japan’s Yellowtail July Exports Fell 46% From Last Year

The Ministry of Finance announced that the export volume of yellowtail in July was 508 tons, a decrease of 46.3% from the same month of the previous year, and the value was 909 million yen ($8.65 million), a drop of 47.0%. The mainstay frozen yellowtail's export volume was 449 tons, which recovered 2.5 times from the drop to 179 tons in May but fell by 44.7% from the same month of the previous year. The amount was 804 million yen ($7.65 million), down 45.4%...

Moves for NZ's First Seaweed Farms Begin in Hauraki Gulf

Seaweed could soon become NZ’s next big industry – and it could get its start in the Hauraki Gulf.

Plans are underway to create the country’s first commercial seaweed farming industry, that will see farmers earn a living and oceans restored.

With scientists, farmers, and buyers in the bag, and ocean space already secured, the first line of seaweed could be in the water by 2021.

The initiative has even prompted philanthropist and potential investor Sir Stephen Tindall to urge main players to press on with the concept...

Omega Protein Raises Over $5,000 For Hurricane Laura Assistance

Omega Protein announced last week that they have partnered with the Cameron Parish Lions Club and their charitable organization, the Cameron Educational and Charitable Endeavors, to raise money for Hurricane Laura relief and recovery efforts in Cameron, Louisiana. In the week since launching a GoFundMe, Omega Protein has been able to raise over $5,000.

Hurricane Laura made landfall in Cameron on August 27, with sustained winds of 150 mph. Omega has deep ties to the area, having previously operated a fishing facility there from the mid-1960s through...

Fishing Sector of Russian Kamchatka on Verge of Big Changes 

The fishing sector of the Russian Kamchatka is on the verge of big changes, which is mainly due to the recently announced plans of its newly elected governor Vladimir Solodov to create conditions for a significant increase of its output and the overall weight in the country’s fishing industry.  

As Solodov said in an interview with the Russian Expert business paper, as of now the Kamchatka territory accounts for almost a third of the total fish and seafood output in Russia and there is a high possibility these figures will...

Pebble Opponents Ask for Halt to Mine, Some Want Lasting Protection for Alaska’s “National Treasure”

In the wake of a dozen secret tapes released earlier this week showing Pebble CEO Tom Collier and Northern Dynasty’s CEO Ron Thiessen contradict public statements they’ve made to media, stakeholders, and in federal permit applications, stakeholders are calling for an immediate halt to the federal permitting process. 

“The ‘Pebble Tapes’ completely contradict the scope of the proposed Pebble Mine project reviewed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and underscore the lack of consideration given to foreseeable, cumulative environmental impacts – an aspect ...

Agricultural Consultant Michelle Klieger Breaks Down the Needs and Wants of Today's Consumer

For decades, agriculture’s mantra has been to provide safe and affordable food. This dual-mandate resulted in a highly concentrated and specialized agricultural system that constantly improves efficiency and increases output throughout the supply chain. With this yardstick, agriculture has achieved its goal. In developed countries, food is widely available and takes up a smaller percentage of the average household budget than ever before. Yet, it’s too soon for agriculture to declare victory.

To maximize the food production system, resiliency and optimization were sacrificed...

RRPK Has No Concerns Regarding Expulsion of Association of Pollock Producers

Russian Fishery (RRPK), one of the country’s largest fish producers and processors, has confirmed its plans to apply to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) and other law enforcement agencies in Russia to protect rights, which were damaged after its expulsion from the local Association of Pollock Producers (ADM).   

As the company said in an exclusive statement, "It currently continues preparations of appropriate appeals, that will be sent to relevant Russian state bodies shortly."

RRPK has also said that it does not depend on ADM in its work...

World's First ASC-MSC Certified Seaweed Products Go on Sale in Korea

Customers in Korea can now buy the world's first ASC-MSC certified seaweed products.

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) announced this week that Gijang products have become the first in the world to be labeled as certified against the ASC-MSC Seaweed Standard. Certification can only be achieved by sustainable producers that are minimized their environmental and social impacts.

"We have a few certified seaweed producers now but seeing the label on products in store is a really exciting moment, because it means that consumers can now...

U.S. Coast Guard, Royal Bahamas Defense Force Seize More Than 12,000 lbs. of IUU Fishing Catch

A joint effort between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force resulted in the interception of two Dominican Republic-flagged ships who were illegally fishing off Diamond Point, Great Bahama Bank.

Watchstanders from the Coast Guard's Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos operation center coordinated with the Royal Bahamas Defense Force crew too board the two vessels, the El Ship and Angel Gabriel. Once on board the Royal Bahamas Defense Crew seized more than...

USDA Signals Expansion of Commodity Buys With $4.4 M Award To Blue Harvest For Atlantic Groundfish

New Bedford, MA — The USDA Commodity Procurement Program has granted Blue Harvest Fisheries a $4,425,480 purchase award for haddock, ocean perch and Atlantic pollock to schools, food banks, and households across the United States.

The award signals an expansion of the program to East Coast producers for the first time in decades. The purchase will be used to distribute Blue Harvest’s all-natural, IQF groundfish to schools, food banks, and households across the United States.

Deliveries will start on October 1 and ...

Photo Courtesy: Blue Harvest Fisheries

Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association Wins $600,000 Match from U.S. EDA Build to Scale Grant

Alaska has won a federal economic development grant to accelerate innovation in the state’s world-class ocean economy. The Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association (BSFA) secured the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build to Scale Grant for $600,000; with match funding from program partners, a $1.2 million infusion to benefit ocean-based entrepreneurship and innovation in Alaska.

BSFA's Alaska Ocean Cluster program partnered with the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Arctic Domain Awareness Center at the University ...

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 Now Available for Aquaculture Operations

The Maine Department of Marine Resources sent a bulletin to all aquaculture facilities in the state yesterday announcing an expansion of USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to include eligible aquaculture producers. 

President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced CFP 2 on September 17, 2020. It will provide producers, including eligible aquaculture operations, with financial assistance that gives them the ability to absorb some of the increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

CFAP 2 follows the first round of CFAP, which closed its application ...

FFAW Calling For Halt of Royal Greenland's Acquisition of Quinlan Brothers

FFAW-Unifor is once again speaking out about Royal Greenland's acquisition of Quinlan Brothers.

In mid-March the owners of Quinlan Brothers Limited announced the proposed sale of the company to Royal Greenland A/S. Quinlan Brothers said its intention, and that of Royal Greenland, are to keep things status quo in the province. However, FFAW immediately raised an alarm over the proposed sale.

"Harvesters and plant workers alike are rightfully concerned that fewer companies will exacerbate the cartel-like behavior exhibited in recent years...

Kodiak Could See a January 2021 Tanner Crab Fishery 

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Kodiak crabbers could get a winter Tanner fishery.

They are still crunching the numbers from the summer survey, but Kodiak crab biologists believe there could be a small Tanner fishery in January.

“ Some of the preliminary info we're getting suggests that we're going to be potentially above threshold in the east side, Southeast and southwest sections in Kodiak.”

Nat Nichols is area shellfish manager at the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game in Kodiak...

Vietnam's Pangasius and Bivalve Mollusk Exports Decrease 

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers is reporting a decrease in exports of pangasius and bivalve mollusks.

According to the association, as of mid-July, the total value of pangasius exports to the ASEAN market reached US $73.1 million, a decrease of 32.4% over the same period from last year. The main driver was a 32.2% drop in exports to one of their largest markets, Thailand.

Thailand was Vietnam's biggest market for pangasius at the beginning of the year, accounting for 41% of the total export value to...

Southstream Seafoods Adds Ricardo Febles to Sales Team

Southstream Seafoods, based out of Warwick, Rhode Island, announced on Tuesday that they have expanded their sales team. Ricardo Febles will be joining the company as a senior sales representative.

Febles is bringing 10 years of restaurant sales experience to the company, having previously worked for Prime Source Foods and Sysco. His prior experience will allow him to provide insight into initiatives, metrics and decisions to enhance customers support levels.