March 5, 2024 — After months of anticipation, it is time once again for the Seafood Expo North America / Seafood Processing North America – the largest gathering of seafood professional on the continent – to take over Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
The 2024 iteration of the expo kicks off this Sunday, 10 March, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and will continue through Tuesday, 12 March.
March 4, 2024 — The following was released by Cooke Aquaculture Inc:
St. George, New Brunswick, Canada – The Cooke family is deeply saddened to announce the death on March 3, 2024, of Gifford Cooke, co-founder with his sons Glenn and Michael Cooke in 1985 of Cooke Aquaculture Inc.
“On behalf of the Cooke family and our employees, I would like to express our gratitude for the immense contributions Gifford has made to rural coastal communities in Eastern Charlotte, New Brunswick, and throughout Atlantic Canada and the globe,” commented Joel Richardson, Vice President of Public Relations. “Over the decades, Gifford and his children, Glenn, Michael and Debbie built a local family company into a global seafood leader with fully integrated facilities, product lines and distribution networks. Cooke provides careers to nearly 13,000 employees in 15 countries and is passionate about supporting community and conservation projects.”
Gifford was a marine mechanic for much of his career in Blacks Harbour. At Cooke Aquaculture, he worked alongside the employees to modernize the company’s freshwater salmon hatcheries, vessel fleet, and led countless construction projects.
Gifford’s outgoing personality, robust work ethic, friendly sense of humour and steadfast faith will leave a void not easily filled. The global Cooke family will miss him greatly. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Marjorie, family, and his many friends.
March 2, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
The joint 25th Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Expo and 43rd Milford Aquaculture Seminar was held in Providence, Rhode Island, January 10-12, 2024. This year’s conference had its largest ever showing with 634 attendees and 236 presenters during 42 sessions over 3 days. In addition, 59 students received support to attend and present their work.
Keynote speaker Danielle Blacklock, the Director of the NOAA Office of Aquaculture, shared her personal experiences with seafood and stories of aquaculture businesses. She also talked about the importance of domestic aquaculture to the American economy and national food security. This was followed by industry updates from states from Maine to Virginia, as well as the Canadian Maritime provinces.
The Office of Aquaculture also held an interactive public listening session. Aquaculture growers, seafood industry workers, researchers, coastal community members, and the public shared their views on the future of aquaculture at NOAA Fisheries. This included which aspects of NOAA’s science and services are of most value to the public.
“Engaging with the public, fostering open and collaborative conversation, is critical as we chart the course for the future of aquaculture at NOAA Fisheries,” said Danielle Blacklock, director Office of Aquaculture. “The energy and ideas brought to this conference will help inspire and shape our vision moving forward.”
Information about upcoming listening sessions can be found on the Office of Aquaculture website.
While the aquaculture community is growing, many have attended this meeting for years. “Information about what we do can be hard to come by, and this is the place to find it. Everyone is here—shellfish growers, NOAA Fisheries, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and many more,” shared Thomas Henninger, owner of Madeleine Point Oyster Farms in Yarmouth, Maine, and former commercial fisherman. “It’s a chance to see people you don’t see very often—like my version of a school reunion, and it’s a blast. Everyone who I asked questions to when I was first starting to grow shellfish is here. How can you miss that?”
The conference is jointly organized by NOAA Fisheries Milford Laboratory, which conducts science to inform management for the sustainable expansion of aquaculture, and the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, an organization dedicated to developing socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable aquaculture opportunities in Maine. It was sponsored by 17 additional organizations, including:
The conference brings together:
February 28, 2024 — As a commercial fisherman based in Provincetown, Massachusetts, Michael Packard is accustomed to bringing home the bounty of Cape Cod’s waters. One of the few remaining (if not the very last) of the area’s diving lobstermen, instead of setting traps, Packard dons a wet suit, mask, fins and oxygen tanks to pursue his quarry by hand where it lives on the ocean floor.
But in June 2021, there was a dramatic reversal of fortune when Packard, the predator, became Packard, the prey, as he was hunting for lobsters. That’s when a humpback whale came upon the fisherman and scooped him up in its massive jaws. Packard’s world suddenly turned pitch black as the whale closed its mouth around him. From the deck of Packard’s boat, the Ja’n J, Josiah Mayo, his first mate and friend, had no idea what had happened — until the moment he saw Packard get spat out by the whale and launched through the air. Though he had been inside the whale for roughly 30 seconds, for Packard, it must have felt like an eternity.
Packard’s trip inside the whale made international news. To many, it sounded like an unbelievable fish story, and the modern day Jonah had serious doubters and detractors. But Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker David Abel was not one of them. He believed Packard, and in his story, which he wrote for The Boston Globe, he also saw the makings of a documentary film.
“In the Whale,” Abel’s new documentary, recounts the fantastical events surrounding Michael Packard on that June day in 2021. But the documentary also delves into the humble seafaring life of the lobsterman and his family, detailing what they had been through, both before and since that fateful day. “In the Whale” will have its Long Island premiere at 7 p.m. this Saturday at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. Abel, a New York native, will be on hand to take part in a Q&A and discussion following the screening.
Abel has been a reporter for 25 years at The Boston Globe, where he covers climate change and environmental issues. Stories on New England’s fisheries, like the one about Michael Packard, are also firmly part of his beat. But in recent years, Abel has also become an accomplished filmmaker, and he explained in a recent interview how that part of his career came into focus.
Read the full article at 27 East
February 20, 2024 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
The National Fisheries Institute is pleased to announce the formation of the NFI Sushi Council. A pre-competitive stakeholder group, the Sushi Council is made up of harvesters, processors, distributors, and end-users at retail and foodservice working to enhance sushi product integrity and promote industry-led food safety.
“Sushi has achieved household status and is a major contributor to U.S. seafood consumption,” Chairman Michael McNicholas, of Culimer USA LLC, said. “The surge in popularity of raw and ready-to-eat products needs to be met with a similarly robust industry voice that advocates and advances the highest standard of handling and preparation for seafood destined for the sushi market.”
The NFI Sushi Council will develop and distribute food safety guidance tailored to sushi’s specialized supply chain. A working group combining industry, government, and academia has formed under the Council’s direction to detail hazards and needed control measures. The resulting guidance will draw on existing compliance documents and stakeholder expertise to produce plainspoken and accessible resources for seafood professionals working in every step of the value chain from fish farms and processing facilities all the way to the sushi counter.
“We rely on strong partnerships throughout sushi’s global supply line,” said Council Executive Committee member Daryl Gormley of AquaMar. “Our goal is to maintain a superior product from harvest to final preparation, and we’re recruiting partners to join this effort now.”
The NFI Sushi Council will next meet in Boston at the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) on Sunday, March 10, at 8:30 a.m. NFI Sushi Council’s Executive Committee will host a panel on March 11 at 2:45 p.m. during the SENA Conference Program to discuss U.S. sushi market dynamics and the council’s food safety mission.
Companies joining the NFI Sushi Council before April 1, 2024, will receive the designation of Founding Council Members. Current founding members include Aquamar, BlueNalu, Blue Ocean Mariculture, Culimer USA LLC, Eastern Fish Company, Red Shell Sushi, Shinkei Systems Corp and True World Foods.
Those interested in Council membership and in attending the Council’s SENA events can contact NFI Sushi Council Liaison Richard Barry, rbarry@nfi.org.
February 15, 2024 — The following was released by the Ocean Outcomes:
Poised for continued delivery and growth of work across Northeast Asia
and Latin America in both small- and large-scale fisheries — the Ocean Outcomes Executive
Search Committee has selected industry veteran Kelly Harrell to inherit leadership of a team that
is poised for significant impact over the coming years.
“We could not be more excited that Kelly will be leading O2 as our next Executive Director,”
said Board Chair, Gael Almeida. “Her experience and knowledge align well with the vision,
goals, and different projects of O2 and we are sure she will contribute immensely to continuing
the growth and footprint of the organization.”
This experience includes leadership positions in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors with an
emphasis on conservation, fisheries-dependent communities, food systems, and supply chains.
This has given her a deep appreciation for — and ability to thrive in — the nexus at which
fisheries, economies, food systems and communities intersect.
“My career has provided me with diverse experience in fisheries and seafood supply chains;
from fisheries monitoring to seafood quality, working waterfront infrastructure, ecosystem
impacts, fisheries access, market opportunities, and beyond,” noted Kelly. “I am looking forward
to applying this experience and lessons learned from working in fisheries in Alaska and North
America to the global geographies in which O2 is active.”
Her appointment comes at an opportune moment — Ocean Outcomes has just begun
implementation of its new three year strategic plan, and the team is well-funded, adding multiple
new positions in 2024 to support its shared organizational culture and growing programmatic
work.
“O2 has an outstanding team, committed partners, a compelling programmatic portfolio, strong
values, and a robust organizational foundation on which to build,” added Kelly. “It will be my
distinct honor to leverage the incredible work to date and help chart the future course for impact
as the next Executive Director at O2.”
Kelly’s prior positions include Executive Director of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council,
Director of Fisheries and Coastal Communities at Ecotrust, Chief Fisheries and Sustainability
Officer at Sitka Salmon Shares (now Sitka Seafood Market), and most recently, Senior Manager
at Saltwater Inc. She possesses advanced education in environmental policy and business
including graduate studies in fisheries at the University of British Columbia and an M.B.A. with
an emphasis on seafood business from the University of Alaska.
Kelly officially starts with Ocean Outcomes on March 1, and is working closely with the O2
team, Board and current Executive Director Rich Lincoln to ensure a smooth and efficient
transition. Rich remains committed to the growth and success of Ocean Outcomes and will
continue to support O2 as a Strategic Advisor.
Kelly and her Ocean Outcomes colleagues will be attending the upcoming World Fisheries
Congress in Seattle and Seafood Expo North America in Boston, at the beginning of March —
we look forward to connecting with many of our partners and clients there.
Media Contact: Perry Broderick | perry@oceanoutcomes.org | +1-503-758-6893
February 14, 2024 — The following was released by the Seafood Nutrition Partnership:
Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) has launched a new digital program to help consumers have
greater access to high-quality seafood wherever they live in the country. SNP’s Fall In Love With
Seafood campaign is rolling out to retailers across the country and now to seafood companies that
deliver seafood directly to consumers. The goals of the campaign are to help consumers eat seafood
at least twice a week for improved health and to bring awareness to amazing online seafood
companies. This multi-media initiative aims to promote direct-to-consumer companies and brands
through web, email, and social platforms and drive consumers to shop directly through participating
companies’ online stores.
“90% of Americans are not meeting the Dietary Guidelines recommendation to eat seafood at
least twice a week and missing out on important health benefits. We want to provide
consumers with easy access to seafood wherever they live in the United States,” said Linda
Cornish, SNP founder and president. “Consumers and health influencers often ask us where
to buy high-quality sustainable seafood. We recommend buying from their favorite retailers
and restaurants and now we can share a list of companies that ship seafood directly to them.”
The newly designed page on SNP’s website will showcase seafood companies with product
and page shout-outs with one company highlighted monthly in a featured section. The
selected brand will also have a monthly spotlight in SNP’s consumer and registered dietitian
newsletters, and reach consumers through paid social media posts and targeted Google Ads.
“We want families everywhere to eat high-quality seafood and enjoy easy access to the
healthiest protein on the planet from their favorite physical or online stores. We are happy to
support SNP in launching the FILWS Shipped Direct program,” added Bill Hueffner, vice
president of marketing and development at Pacific Seafood.
Pacific Seafood, Sitka Seafood Market, FultonFishMarket.com, and Bakkafrost are the
seafood companies that support SNP with the launch of this new program. Please contact
Linda Cornish at lcornish@seafoodnutrition.org to join this D2C program.
February 13, 2024 — Captain Dave Marciano from the National Geographics reality television show “Wicked Tuna” has spent the last few weeks on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaii. Though the Northeast-based star was on vacation with his family at the time, he was eager to re-spark an initiative that brought together local commercial fishermen and marine biologists, and it had stopped due to the pandemic and lack of funding over the past years.
The Ahi Satellite Tagging Project is an initiative that roughly began around 2014, where participating fishermen attach $4000 pop-up satellite archival tags (PSAT tags) to live ahi, also known as Pacific yellowfin tuna. The fish is released quickly after it is tagged and then able to be tracked through its journey through the Pacific Ocean. 14 PSAT tags were placed on yellowfin ranging from 100 to 180 pounds.
Many experienced Hawaii longline and Kauai-based captains assisted in the tagging efforts. The project was funded through a NOAA Cooperative Research grant that allowed placing more PSAT tags in adult ahi. The work of these fishermen resulted in a research paper back in 2020, revealing the substantial distances that these fish travel.
The paper’s coauthor, Dr. Molly Lutcavage, a tuna researcher who splits her time between Lawa’i, HI, and Gloucester, MA, shares, “No one knew what the ahi did because there was no research on the movements of adult ahi from the main Hawaiian Islands on such a scale. Despite being so ubiquitous in the Hawaiian culture and economy, there’s still much to learn about them.”
February 8, 2024 — The 30th edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will be the largest version of the event in its history, according to Portland, Maine, U.S.A.-based organizer Diversified Communications on Thursday, 8 February.
For the event’s third edition at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain, taking place from 23 to 25 April 2024, Diversified Communications has sold more than 50,530 square meters of exhibit space, following up on previous records set at the 2023 events.
February 6, 2024 — McDonald’s, Walmart, and Cargill are among the hundreds of U.S. food brands whose production processes have been tied to prison labor by a recent Associated Press investigation.
The AP report, published 29 January, traced at least USD 200 million (EUR 215 million) worth of sales of farmed goods and livestock to products grown by U.S. prisoners over the past six years. The products include soy, corn, and wheat bought by aquafeed producers and suppliers Cargill, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Archer Daniels Midland, and Consolidated Grain and Barge directly from U.S. prisons. Products made from those raw materials are frequently exported, including to China, according to the AP.