Saving Seafood

WASHINGTON: Leading US Seafood Industry Trade Groups Call for Independent Review of Washington DNR Decision

November 16, 2022 — The following was released by National Fisheries Institute:

In response to the November 14 announcement that the State of Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will not renew the leases for Cooke Aquaculture Pacific’s steelhead farms in Washington waters, three leading US trade groups–the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA), National Fisheries Institute (NFI), and the National Aquaculture Association (NAA) are calling for an independent review of DNR’s decision by one or more third parties such as the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

“This was not a decision based on science,” said NWAA President and CEO of tribally owned Jamestown Seafood, Jim Parsons. “If that were the case, we would be seeing a very different decision. In terminating Cooke’s marine net pen leases, the DNR has ignored the best available science from NOAA, a state Supreme Court ruling, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Washington Department of Ecology, to name just a few of the countless scientific studies from other regions demonstrating that marine aquaculture does not harm endangered species or wild fish stocks.”

Parsons added, “The DNR decision will have devastating consequences for our rural communities where living-wage jobs are scarce, while at the same time taking healthy protein off American plates. This will result in a great loss to local economies and public health.”

NOAA recently issued a five-year strategic plan to develop a strong US aquaculture sector. The United States currently ranks 18th in the world in aquaculture production, according to NOAA.

“Washington state has apparently decided to ignore the enormous body of science that shows marine aquaculture, as it is practiced today, has a negligible impact on other fish species or on the environment,” Parsons said.

“We fail to understand why, at a time when we are beginning to see massive layoffs in the tech sector, a government agency would willingly and knowingly destroy a job-creating industry, one that in other regions has brought living-wage employment and economic development to hard-hit rural areas. Additionally, we find it puzzling that an agency whose mission is to protect our natural resources would target one of the most climate-friendly and environmentally beneficial food sectors. We are also at a loss to understand why DNR would choose to ignore the science that shows marine aquaculture to have a negligible impact on the water—particularly compared with other marine water users,” Parsons said.

“Aquaculture has the ability to sustainably and affordably increase the availability of the healthiest animal protein on the planet, while also producing jobs—an impressive combination,” said Gavin Gibbons, Vice President for Communications at the National Fisheries Institute. “At a time when important efforts to grow the US aquaculture sector are underway, this decision is disappointing,” he said.

“The US aquaculture farming community recognizes the value and benefits of regulations to protect the public, environment and farming operations,” commented Sebastian Belle, President of the National Aquaculture Association.  “In this instance where science is ignored, which is so very critical to achieving excellence in governance and finding a balance between man and nature, no one benefits. We strongly support an independent review by objective scientists and hope the citizens of Puget Sound will agree.”

NFI Names Lisa Wallenda Picard Incoming President and CEO

November 1, 2022 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Today the National Fisheries Institute named Lisa Wallenda Picard as incoming President & CEO of the association. Picard joins NFI from the National Turkey Federation (NFT) where she is the Senior Vice President for Policy, Trade and Regulatory Affairs.

In January of this year, NFI’s President & CEO John Connelly announced plans to retire in early 2023, prompting a nationwide search. The President Search Committee was chaired by Kim Gorton, President and CEO of Slade Gorton Inc., and NFI’s Vice Chair of the Board.

“Following a robust search, Lisa emerged as the clear choice to propel NFI into the future. She is a dynamic leader with expertise in food safety and trade relations, as well as a thorough understanding of the complex policy issues affecting center of the plate proteins,” said Gorton.

Picard joined NTF in 2011 and previous to that appointment was the Chief of Staff for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Prior to joining FSIS in 2002, Picard served as National Director of Public Relations for Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus. She also spent several years lobbying on animal welfare and agriculture issues.

“On behalf of the NFI Officers, we are excited to welcome Lisa to NFI. We are looking forward to a smooth transition with NFI’s Board, membership and staff,” said Gorton.

Picard will join NFI in mid-December. She will be introduced to the NFI membership at the NFI Global Seafood Market Conference, January 17-19, 2023, La Quinta Resort, Palm Springs, CA.

“Leading NFI for nearly 20 years has been tremendously rewarding for me, as I know it will be for Lisa.” said Connelly, “I want to thank the Search Committee for the time and energy they put into the search for NFI’s new President and CEO.”

Picard earned her master’s degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University and her bachelor’s degree in communications from Flagler College in St Augustine, Fla. She is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School for Executive Education. Picard is a native of Sarasota, Fla. She resides in Virginia with her family.

NFI, incorporated in 1945, is the largest seafood trade association in the United States. Picard will be the association’s fourth president.

National Fisheries Institute Statement on the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health

September 28, 2022 — The following was released by National Fisheries Institute:

We applaud the White House for hosting today’s conference on ending hunger and increasing healthy eating so that fewer Americans experience widespread diet-related diseases.  Federal programming and education that clearly and consistently support advice to eat more seafood – fresh, shelf-stable, and frozen – must play a central part in this ambitious goal.

Low seafood intake is responsible for about 84,000 American lives lost to heart disease each year, which makes seafood deficiency the second-biggest dietary contributor to preventable deaths in the U.S.  The 2020-2025Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) encourage Americans to eat 2-3 servings of seafood each week starting at age six months and continuing throughout life.  However, an alarming 94% of children and 80% of adults currently do not eat the recommended amount of seafood.  This means most Americans are missing out on important health benefits – from improved baby brain development to reduced risk of heart disease to bone and muscle strength in older age – that seafood offers.    

One proposed strategy to increase consumption of healthful foods, including fish, is making sure that foods labeled as “healthy” align with current nutrition science and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  To complement the actions outlined in the strategy document, the National Fisheries Institute and its members publicly commit toprovide nutritious and sustainable seafood meals to underserved families; empower consumers by raising awareness of seafood recommendations; and fund seafood science and communication research.

We are pleased to see the White House taking the lead in promoting the role nutritious food plays in combatingdiet-related diseases, disabilities, and deaths. Today’s conference was a good first step and one that we hope will lead to demonstrable public health benefits.

The Global Seafood Market Conference Returns to California in 2023

August 22, 2022 — The following article was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC) –seafood’s leading conference – returns to California in 2023 with a focused agenda including premier panels, insightful guest speakers, and unmatched opportunities to collect data. 

“GSMC differentiates itself from other conferences with its content and this year will be no different,” said the National Fisheries Institute’s Programs Director, Richard Barry. “Macroeconomic indicators, menu trends, inflation issues, post-COVID strategies to hold onto seafood consumption growth, trade disruptions — if it’s an issue in your seafood business we will have an expert examining it.”

Specialists from IRI, Datassential, Rabobank, Wells Fargo, and more will offer their expert perspectives. 

“This year, we’ll also have a new set of presentations,” said Barry. “Think of it as GSMC speed dating, one section featuring multiple panels that are shorter but cover things like emerging species, developing challenges, and growing trends. That’s in addition to the large category mainstay panels like shrimp, shellfish, value finfish, and salmon. Industry issues are evolving and so is GSMC.”

 The GSMC program runs from January 17-19 at the La Quinta Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, California. The week kicks-off with the annual pickleball tournament and meetings on January 15. For more, see the full agenda here.   

 NFI members should look out for GSMC content previews on the SoFISHticated podcast and remember the Early Bird rates are available now.  And don’t forget the GSMC Webinar Series will continue in 2023 with a look at supply chain developments and strategies for tackling operational issues.

Registration for GSMC 2023 is now open.

NFI, National Aquaculture Association Respond to TIME Story on Farmed Salmon

July 28, 2022 — The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and National Aquaculture Association are not staying quiet about a recent story published by editorial giant TIME about farmed salmon.

The story in question is entitled “3 Reasons to Avoid Farmed Salmon,” and was written by investigative journalists Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins, a husband and wife team who recently published a book titled “Salmon Wars: The Dark Underbelly of our Favorite Fish.” The book claims that salmon are “crammed into parasite-plagued cages and fed a chemical-laced diet.” And in their story for TIME, the authors lead the reader to believe that farmed salmon is not healthy, not sustainable, and on top of that is harming the environment.

“A recent column in TIME about farmed salmon appears to have attracted little or no editorial oversight as it was rife with inaccuracies masquerading as opinion,” NFI said in response. “This is not the first time this once vaunted publication has botched reporting on seafood.”

There is a war being waged against science by activists that would prefer decisions be based on politics, anecdotes and shameless misrepresentations and the authors deliver on this approach by basing their arguments on false factoids pulled from the news or discredited old studies in place of real facts. Here are just a few examples: 

FALSE: Salmon are raised in “crammed” cages. 

FACT: Salmon are grown in sea cages that contain less than 4% fish and more than 96% water. 

FALSE: Salmon are “doused with antibiotics”. 

FACT: Salmon are raised with little or no antibiotics under the watch of veterinarians. Farmers have a stewardship responsibility to care for the animals they raise. Farm-raised salmon receive the least medicines out of all the most popular animal proteins we buy at the grocery store. 

FALSE: “A single meal per month exceeds contaminant levels set by the World Health Organization”. 

FACT: Farm-raised salmon is very low in contaminants and meets or exceeds standards established by the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization. Salmon is one of the world’s best sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and is welcome on the menu of every G7 country, the European Union and across North America. 

FALSE: “A toxic stew [under farms] drives away marine life”. 

FACT: Salmon farmers know that pristine marine cage conditions are essential for high-quality salmon. Farm locations are carefully selected to ensure the ocean bottom is protected from significant nutrient loading by placing the farm in deep and fast-moving water. Farmers use underwater cameras to properly disperse feed, they carefully monitor the ocean bottom, and, like a farmer’s field, sites are given time to rest before being used again. 

FALSE: “Salmon die at a rate of 15 percent, much worse than 5 percent for chickens.” 

FACT: Wild salmon have a 5% survival rate. Farm-raised salmon have an 85% survival rate over the two-year period in which they are raised. Broiler chickens live for less than two months before being placed on a rotisserie, making this comparison a misrepresentation at best. 

Read the full article at Seafood News

America’s Fishing Industry Is Getting Caught Up in the Trade War

July 20, 2022 — The American fishing industry is caught in the middle of the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China—hooked by tariffs imposed on both sides of the Pacific.

As a result, U.S. exports of seafood have fallen to their lowest levels in a decade. That’s in large part due to the tariffs that have made the industry “less competitive and less affordable,” according to a filing by the National Fisheries Institute, an industry group, to the International Trade Commission (USITC) ahead of a hearing scheduled to take place on Thursday.

When the Trump administration imposed those tariffs in 2018, lawmakers from states with large fishing industries sounded the alarm but were ignored. “It has clearly rattled my state,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R–Alaska) said in a 2018 Senate hearing exchange with then-U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. “​​Our seafood industry is the number one private industry in terms of the jobs and the economic opportunity it brings.”

Tariffs on seafood have hit Alaska in particular, Alaska’s fishing industry generates over $5 billion dollars in economic activity and creates nearly 70,000 jobs in the state, making it a vital lifeline for the state. Over 40 percent of U.S.-caught Alaskan salmon and one-third of all seafood from Alaska is exported to China each year. Much of it is processed in China and then re-imported to the United States for sale in grocery stores.

Read the full article at Reason

 

Shrimp starring on summer menus as restaurant sales rise

June 27, 2022 — Many U.S. restaurant operators are choosing shrimp to be the start of their summer menus, thanks to its steady pricing and availability compared to other seafood species.

Shrimp sales to the U.S. foodservice sector rebounded in 2021 from a significant drop in 2020 that was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Roughly 275 million pounds of shrimp was sold to foodservice channels in 2021, up by 50 million pounds from 2020, according to data shared during the National Fisheries Institute Global Seafood Market Conference in January 2022.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource