Other News

May 13, 2014 — Last week, while most of my colleagues were covering Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, I had the privilege of attending the first of four sessions of the 2014 Future Leaders program, presented by the National Fisheries Institute.

Future Leaders has been a growing success since it was launched in 1998. Last year’s attendee count of 38 was a pleasant surprise that set a record; this year’s class has 43. The program has offered new players in the seafood industry and even the occasional seasoned veteran a chance at professional development via a hands-on look at the inner workings of the seafood industry.

I spent 6 to 8 May in the Southeastern United States, in Jacksonville, Fla., and on the islands off the southern coast of Georgia. Much of the time we were on Jekyll and St. Simons Islands. With a history dating back to the American Civil War (a long enough time for us Yankees), the islands today are popular resort spots full of plenty of Southern culture and food.

Read the full story at Seafood Source 

 

May 9, 2014 — Despite some behind-the-scenes wrangling for ownership of the event, The Great American Seafood Cook-off is still on for 1-3 August, with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board (LSPMB) remaining the popular event's sponsor.

Every year, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) awards funding to an organization to put on the event. For the past 10 years, the funds have been awarded to the LSPMB. However, after the LSPMB switched from Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to the state’s Department of Tourism last year, the funds were not awarded to the LSPMB.

Instead, NOAA awarded funds to the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission in late March. The GSMFC, in turn, said it would partner with the Gulf Seafood Institute, the Louisiana Restaurant Association, the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, and the GSAFF’s marketing arm, the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition, to hold the event.

Read the full story from SeafoodSource

May 7, 2014 — Serendipity has played a major role in Gulf Seafood Institute’s (GSI) board member Bob Gill’s life and career. His first attempt at forestry and wildlife management studies at the University of Maine ended in his second year when he decided to pack his bags and head to the Great Northwest to work on Mt. Hood for the U.S. Department of Forestry.

Gill left Maine, but not his serendipitous lifestyle. On a day off from his job on the mountain, on a lark he decided to visit a Navy recruiting office to find out how to enter the Naval Academy.

Both fate and luck again sided with Gill when New Jersey Senator Harrison Williams, one of those convicted for taking bribes from the Abscam sting, gave him his appointment.

After graduating from the Naval Academy with a degree in engineering, he did tours of duty on various vessels and in shipyards for ten years. During this time, Gill was selected to continue his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he obtained degrees of Ocean Engineer and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

After leaving the Navy, he joined Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS to outfit and deliver the USS David R. Ray, a Spruance Class destroyer. Subsequently, he helped design and promote marine gas turbine propulsion systems worldwide for General Electric’s Marine Gas Turbine Unit.

Read the full story from the Gulf Seafood Institute

SEATTLE — May 5, 2014 — Billy Frank Jr., a tribal fisherman who led the "fish wars" that restored fishing rights and helped preserve a way of life for American Indians in the Northwest four decades ago, died Monday at 83.

The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and the Nisqually Tribe near Olympia, Washington, confirmed his death. The cause was not immediately known.

Frank was arrested more than 50 times for "illegal fishing" between boyhood and middle age, during what came to be known as the fish wars. Initially driven to fish at night and hide his canoe to avoid authorities who regarded them as poachers, he and others took their fight public in the 1960s, inviting observers to witness their sometimes violent arrests.

Patterned after the sit-ins of the civil rights movement, the campaign was part of larger, nationwide movement for American Indian rights, including better schooling, free speech and legal protections.

"He was a selfless leader who dedicated his life to the long fight for the rights of our state's native people," Gov. Jay Inslee said in a written statement. "Billy was a champion of tribal rights, of the salmon, and the environment. He did that even when it meant putting himself in physical danger or facing jail."

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

 

May 6, 2014  — The following was released by the organizers of the Pacific Marine Expo:

The Pacific Marine Expo is seeking topic proposals and speaker recommendations for the 2014 Conference Program. The program is taking place at the Pacific Marine Expo on November 19-21, 2014, at the CenturyLink Field Event Center, Seattle, WA.

Your suggestions are crucial to discovering topics that are relevant to the industry today. Issues affecting the industry now or within a year of the show will be given the highest preference as conference topics.

SUBMIT PROPOSAL
**The deadline for submissions is June 13, 2014**

If you are involved in the development of new products, issues, regulations or innovations that affect the commercial marine and commercial fishing industries, now is the time to submit your ideas!

Industry Tracks will consist of the following:

– Commercial Fishing
– Processing
– Workboat
– Boat Building
– Safety

SUBMIT PROPOSAL
**The deadline for submissions is June 13, 2014**

Your topic suggestion will be reviewed by a panel of industry experts including:

– Bruce Buls, Technical Editor, WorkBoat Magazine
– Julianne Curry, Executive Director, UFA 
– Michael Crowley, Boats and Gear Editor, National Fisherman
– Jerry Fraser, Publisher, National Fisherman
– Jessica Hathaway, Editor in Chief, National Fisherman
– Jennifer Lincoln, Director, APO
– Becky Martello, Development Director, Alaska Marine Safety Education Association
– Rod Moore, Executive Director, West Coast Seafood Processors Association

Please note: We are not looking for product demonstrations or sales presentations.

For more information please contact Megan Hall, Conference Coordinator at mhall@divcom.com or 207-842-5583.

 

May 1, 2014 — American Albacore Fishing Association (AAFA) and Western Fishboat Owners Association (WFOA) today announced the merging of their individual Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fishery certifications. The two organizations now share one certificate for North Pacific fisheries and one for South Pacific fisheries. AAFA and WFOA represent the vast majority of U.S. West Coast pole and line and troll/jig albacore fishermen. MSC certification of these fisheries, conducted by a third-party certifying body, assures buyers and consumers that the albacore tuna they consume is from a well-managed and sustainable fishery.

AAFA and WFOA are recognized leaders in sustainable fishery practices; for instance, they use the classic techniques of pole and line and troll/jig fishing, catching one fish at time, so there is virtually no by-catch on non-target species and zero interaction with marine mammals. Recent and ongoing international stock assessments by the International Science Committee and the Albacore Working Group (ISC–ALBWG) show the albacore stocks remain stable.

According to Wayne Heikkila, WFOA executive director, “The merging of the individual certifications records a renewed U.S. fleet-wide commitment to maintaining a sustainable resource base for supplying consumers worldwide with the highest quality albacore.”

Albacore tuna caught by U.S. fishermen is an excellent source of protein high in omega-3 fatty acids. Albacore caught locally by AAFA and WFOA vessels enter into “Chain of Custody” under the MSC program, which ensures that seafood products with the MSC ecolabel are traceable back to an MSC-certified fishery. All albacore deliveries by AAFA and WFOA members are tracked through processing and marketing right to the consumer.

Read the full story at the Marine Stewardship Council 

 

SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [SCOM] — April 17, 2014 — After seafood fans submitted more than 49,000 entries in a nationwide contest to christen the Chicken of the Sea mermaid — and earn a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize — one perfect name floated to the top: Catalina.

Chicken of the Sea, which turned 100 years old in 2014, challenged seafood (and mermaid) fans to name its famous blonde icon as part of its year-long Centennial celebration. The contest ran through Feb. 14 with the winning entry submitted by a contestant in Urbana, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.

Inspired by the brand’s 100 Years of Good initiative, which is awarding 100 community-minded individuals and nonprofits $10,000 each in 2014 to empower them to continue their charitable ways, Peggy L., will receive her own $10,000 Great American Gratitude Award and be encouraged to also pay it forward. Ten first prize winners will be awarded Chicken of the Sea seafood for one year and 20 runners-up will receive a Chicken of the Sea-branded prize.

“The name Catalina encompasses everything we feel represents our brand,” Chicken of the Sea Senior VP of Marketing Christie Fleming said of the name, which also is the name of a historic island 22 miles off the West Coast mainland and close to Chicken of the Sea’s headquarters in San Diego. “Along with it being a naturally beautiful name suitable for our mermaid, it connects to our rich local history, as well as the adventurous spirit and lifestyle indicative of both our brand and our Southern California home.”

This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

April 12, 2014 — The blog Good Morning Gloucester recently shared a vintage 1937 Chevrolet Newsreel that features the New England lobster fishery.

Watch the video here

 

McLEAN, Va. — April 10. 2014 — The following was released by the National Fisheries (NFI) Shrimp Council:

Seizing the influence of wildly popular food bloggers, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) Shrimp Council and OXO recently activated an online promotion, “Shrimp Showdown,” to drive awareness about shrimp during Lent. 

The Council and OXO challenged 30 bloggers to each create a unique recipe showcasing nutritious and delicious shrimp and a select set of OXO tools.

Each blogger was equipped with five lbs. of shrimp from Eastern Fish Company (Sail® Brand Products) and a set of tools from OXO, including:

 – Shrimp Cleaner
 – Flexible Kitchen & Herb Snips
 – Silicone Steamer
 – Wooden Lemon Reamer
 – Three-Piece Bowl and Colander Set
 – 12” Tongs
 
Each blogger created a recipe showcasing shrimp and at least three of the OXO tools to highlight the ease of preparation and versatility of shrimp. The promotion began on March 24, 2014 and ended on April 4 and reached shrimp lovers across the online space from Facebook and Twitter to Pinterest and Instagram. Shrimp Showdown accounted for an astounding 148 percent increase in followers to the Council's Pinterest page during the two-week period, bringing the total number of Pinterest followers to nearly 5,000.

“Incorporating food bloggers into our communication efforts allowed us to reach a large target audience of consumers, showing these readers firsthand how easy and delicious adding shrimp into everyday meals can be,” said Judy Dashiell, Senior Vice President, National Fisheries Institute/The Shrimp Council. “Consumers gravitate to Pinterest for recipes and cooking ideas. With that in mind, we used Shrimp Showdown to give them exactly what they want…and more!”

The promotion was supported through a Shrimp Showdown Pinterest board that was featured on both the Eat Shrimp and OXO Pinterest pages. Via the blog posts, consumers had the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a set of tools courtesy of OXO and a gift card provided by the NFI Shrimp Council.

“OXO was the perfect partner for this campaign because any recipe, including shrimp, is made easier when home cooks, even experienced food writers, have the right tools,” said Dashiell. “We love that OXO products, like the Shrimp Cleaner, are comfortable and easy for any cook to use.”

Promotions such as Shrimp Showdown have contributed to the continual growth of the Eat Shrimp Facebook page since its launch in 2011. The NFI Shrimp Council is utilizing partnerships and integrated campaigns to make waves in its mission to encourage Americans to eat more nutritious and delicious shrimp at home and in restaurants.
 
The bloggers who participated in the promotion include:
 
A Kitchen Addiction
Foxes Love Lemons
My Man's Belly
A Zesty Bite
Garnish with Lemon
Natasha's Kitchen
Betsylife
girlichef
noble pig
Bonbon Break
Growing Up Gabel
Peanut Butter and Peppers
Cherished Bliss
Healthy. Delicious.
Peas and Crayons
Chocolate Moosey
Home Cooking Memories
Sarah's Cucina Bella
Coconut & Lime
Jeanette's Healthy Living
So, How's It Taste?
Cookistry
Julie's Eats & Treats
Taste Love & Nourish
Created by Diane
Kirbie's Cravings
That Skinny Chick Can Bake
everyday maven
Lemons for Lulu
WonkyWonderful
 

February 20, 2014 — Learn about successful tactics and rigs to catch striped bass with menhaden chunks at Monday’s Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association seminar. Topics such as the benefits of chumming, gear type, hooks, where and when to fish with chunks and much more will be covered.

Two local experts will address chunking for striped bass at the Mondayseminar. Capt. B.J. Silvia of Flippin Out Charters, an RISAA member who has been fishing the waters around Aquidneck Island for 30 years, and Greg Vespe, who often fishes as Silvia’s mate and who has also logged thousands of hours in local waters around Newport.

Climate Change and Marine Fisheries will also be covered at Monday’s seminar with Jonathan Hare, director of NOAA’s Narragansett Laboratory.

The event will be at the West Valley Inn in West Warwick. Optional dinner served between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. from the West Valley Inn with the seminar starting at 7 p.m. Non-members are requested to make a $10 donation to the RISAA Scholarship Fund, RISAA members attend free. Visit www.risaa.org for additional information.

Read the full story and learn more about the RISAA event at the Providence Journal