Saving Seafood

2016 Seafood Expo North America Excellence Awards Finalists Announced

March  7, 2016 — The following was released by the Seafood Expo North America:

The 12 finalists for the 2016 Seafood Excellence Awards, the prestigious best new products competition at Seafood Expo North America, have been announced. Winners of the competition will be presented during the Seafood Excellence Awards ceremony, which will take place on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 3:30pm in the Demonstration Theater during Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America in Boston, USA.

The Seafood Excellence Awards annually recognize the product leaders in the North American seafood market. Each year, exhibitors have the opportunity to submit their new products for consideration. Products are evaluated by three seafood industry experts based on their uniqueness and appropriateness to the market, taste profile, packaging, market potential, convenience, nutritional value and originality.

The 2016 finalists were selected from nearly 60 entries in the exposition’s New Product Showcase and compete for two awards: Best New Foodservice and Best New Retail Product.

The finalists for the 2016 Seafood Excellence Awards are:

Absolutely Lobster®, Booth #3014
Absolutely Lobster® Homemade Tomato Sauces

 

Alaskan Jack’s Seafood Corporation, Booth #2305

Frontier Harvest Alaskan Jack’s Gold Premium Pineapple-Teriyaki Sockeye

 

Aqua Star, Booth #2005

Crab & Shrimp Seafood Feast

 

Azuma Foods International Inc., USA, Booth #321

Tobikko Umami

 

Bantry Bay America Inc., Booth #2957

Mussels in a Creamy Stout Sauce

 

French Creek Seafoods, Booth #2833
Kickin’ Seafood Chili
High Liner Foods, Booth #1005
Simply Sauce Seafood Bites

 

Phillips Foods, Booth #959
Shrimp Toast

 

Premier Marine Canada, Booth #2981
Waterview Market Shrimp with Sauce

 

Santa Barbara Smokehouse, Booth #2310
Honey Glazed Oak Roasted Salmon

Trident Seafoods, Booth #805
SeaFusions™ Pacific Cod Bites

 

Vinh Hoan Corporation, Booth #2742

Char Marked Barramundi

 

Each finalist’s product will be showcased during the three-day event in Boston.

The Seafood Excellence Awards serves as the North American extension of the Seafood Excellence Global Awards competition, held at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium. Both Seafood Excellence Awards and Seafood Excellence Global are organized by Diversified Communications, producers of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global and Seafood Expo Asia.

View all of the entries of the Seafood Excellence Awards.   
SeafoodSource.com, a publication of Diversified Communications is the official media for Seafood Expo North America & Seafood Processing North America. As the global leader in seafood industry news and information, SeafoodSource.com will extensively cover the event.

Seafood-industry buyers and processors can learn more about Seafood Expo North America & Seafood Processing North America and register to attend by visiting the exposition’s website, seafoodexpo.com/north-america.

About Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America

Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America, formerly called the International Boston Seafood Show and Seafood Processing America, is North America’s largest seafood exposition. Thousands of buyers and suppliers from around the world attend the annual, three-day exposition to meet, network and do business. Attending buyers represent importers, exporters, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and other retail and foodservice companies. Exhibiting suppliers offer the newest seafood products, processing and packaging equipment, and services available in the seafood market. The exposition is sponsored by the National Fisheries Institute. SeafoodSource.com is the official media. The exposition is produced by Diversified Communications, the international leader in seafood-industry expositions and media. For more information, visit: www.seafoodexpo.com/north-america

About Diversified Communications

Diversified Communications is a leading international media company providing market access, education and information through global, national and regional face-to-face events, digital products, publications and television stations. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine and business management. The company’s global seafood portfolio of expositions and media includes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia and SeafoodSource.com. Diversified Communications, in partnership with SeaWeb, also produces SeaWeb Seafood Summit, the world’s premier seafood conference on sustainability. Based in Portland, Maine, USA, Diversified has divisions in the Eastern United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Thailand and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit: www.divcom.com

View a PDF of the release

MASSACHUSETTS: Team Gloucester packs them in at international expo

March 7, 2016 — BOSTON — There was no shortage of foreign languages filtering around the cavernous exhibition hall at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center when the international Seafood Expo North America show opened Sunday.

Visitors walking the aisles criss-crossing the exhibition floor among the 1,240 exhibitors could hear, among other tongues, snippets of Japanese, English, Spanish, Norwegian, Hebrew, Vietnamese and Korean.

And Gloucester. They most definitely could hear Gloucester, whether they wanted to or not.

Operating with a basic strategy of go-big or go-home, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and her merry band of Gloucesterites certainly made their presence known at one of the largest seafood shows in the world.

“Come to the city of Gloucester booth at 1671 and try some of our red fish soup, made with local Gloucester fish,” Romeo Theken announced over and over, and with authority, into the microphone as thousands of visitors and exhibitors milled past. “Gloucester fish is fresh fish. Check it out at www.gloucesterfresh.com.”

Not satisfied with just belting out a looping commentary and commercials for her city, Romeo Theken began walking through the crowd holding a redfish fillet in her hand, beseeching the assembled to smell it.

Read the full story at Gloucester Daily Times

Invasive species? Try new culinary treat

March 3, 2016 — It’s not easy being green . . . crabs, that is. Then, how could it be?

The green crabs are the poster child of invasive seafood species, prompting their fair share of hand-wringing and vitriol — not to mention legislative action here in Massachusetts to figure out ways to mitigate the far-flung eco-damage they’ve foisted on animal and plant species throughout the state’s Great Salt Marsh that stretches more than 20,000 acres from Cape Ann to the New Hampshire border.

Many people talk about the green crabs, but Spencer Montgomery is actually trying to do something about them. In short, he’d like restaurants and large-scale institutional food purveyors to start using them in recipes and for the consuming public to start eating them. 

Montgomery, a seafood buyer for Woburn-based food vendor Dole & Bailey, is trying to build up a consuming market for the small, ubiquitous crabs, even if he has to do it one chef and harvester at a time.

“There’s really no reason we shouldn’t be selling hundreds of pounds of the green crabs each week,” Montgomery said. “It would be better to get them out of the water to help protect our other seafood species and the marine environment, but they’re also a real alternative for chefs looking to use crabs and crab flavors in different ways and at a far lower price.”

Montgomery said he recently filled orders for about 70 pounds of the crabs from three New England restaurants and now he’s looking to build up his network of harvesters to handle the future demand he envisions from restaurants, hotels, universities and hospitals.

Read the full story at Gloucester Daily Times

North Carolina Fisheries Association Releases Catch Summit info

March 2, 2016 — One final reminder about the NC Catch Summit coming up next week! This appeal is for all fishermen and interested folks. The Secretary of DEQ, the Deputy Secretary and the Acting Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries will be in attendance at the Clambake on Monday night!!

Please try to attend the Clambake and/or the event during the day on Tuesday in Beaufort. There is no charge for attending!

The Dinner & the Summit are completely free but you have to register (for the head count) at: email: 

rjohnson@hydecountync.gov

or call Rosemary Johnson at 252.926.4474.

Monday * March 7 * Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center; Harkers Island

5:30-8:30 Carteret Catch Down East Clambake & Frogmore Stew Dinner

Speaker: Wes Stepp, owner of Red Sky Cafe & author of “Tastefully Fit”

*Free trolley service will be available from the Beaufort Inn to the Museum

Tuesday * March 8 * Auditorium, NC Maritime Museum, 315 Front Street; Beaufort

8:30-9:00 Registration * Coffee & pastries

9:00-9:15 Host Welcome * Pam Morris, President, Carteret Catch

Conference Welcome * Jimmy Johnson, President, NC Catch

9:15-10:00 NC Commercial Fisheries: Economic Values, Trends, & Growth Potential

Presenter: Dr. Jane Harrison, Coastal Economics Specialist, North Carolina Sea Grant

10:00-10:15 Break

10:15-11:00 Sett ing Seafood Trends: How Chefs Do It

Moderator: Libby Eaton, Bistro-By-The-Sea

Panelists: Jeff Barney, Saxapahaw General Store; Wes Stepp, Red Sky Cafe; and Sandy Howard, Amos Mosquitos

11:00-11:45 Ocracoke Island: A Case Study of Successful Seafood Tourism

Moderator: Alton Ballance, NCCAT

Panelists: Hardy & Patt y Plyler, Ocracoke Fish Company; Vince O’ Neal, Pony Island Restaurant; TBA

11:45-12:30 Diamonds in the Rough: Local Success Stories

Moderator: Jess Hawkins, Carolina Eco-Tours

Panelists: Eddie & Alison Willis, Mr. Big/Core Sound Seafood; Fabian Botta, Ruddy Duck Tavern; and Mark Hooper, Hooper Family Seafood

12:30-2:00 Lunch – Generously sponsored by Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative

2:00-2:45 Cultivating Customers: Insights from Retail Seafood Markets

Moderator: John Day, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, NC State University

Panelists: Haag & Son’s Seafood; Fishtowne Seafood; TBA

2:45-3:00 Break

3:00-3:45 NC Seafood: It Tastes Great & It’s Good for You Too!

Presenters: Dr. David Green, NCSU; Candace Morris, ECU graduate student; and Sue Way, East Carteret High School

3:45:4:00 2016 NC Catch Summit Conclusion: Pam Morris and Jimmy Johnson

4:00-4:30 Networking and information tables available

Fishermen, restaurant, retail & wholesale folks who are able are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity and attend part or all of it. There are accommodations available at Beaufort Inn (1.800.726.0321) at a very reasonable rate, if needed. 

View a PDF of the Catch Summit poster

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Industry Helping to Protect the Environment

February 29, 2016 — The following was released by the Office of Mayor Jon Mitchell:

New Bedford, Fairhaven and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) are working together with the fishing industry and other commercial vessel operators to prevent oil spills and keep New Bedford Harbor, home of America’s No. 1 Fishing Port, clean through the “Clean Bilge Program.”

New Bedford Harbor is home to more than 400 fishing vessels that harvest the sea and many seafood processing plants and other businesses that support the fishing industry are also located in New Bedford and Fairhaven. The Port of New Bedford is an important economic engine for New Bedford, Fairhaven and the region. With so much commercial activity in New Bedford Harbor (including 400 fishing vessels, 4,400 jobs, seafood landings valued at $329 million, as well as more than 30 processors and distributors) small oil spills became a frequent occurrence, and have threatened collaborative efforts to clean and improve water quality in the harbor.

According to recent U.S. Coast Guard data, there has been at least one recorded small oil spill in New Bedford Harbor each month since 2010 and contaminated bilge water is considered the most likely source of these spills. The vast majority of these spills are small, but even a single cup of oil has the potential to contaminate a football field-sized area.

However, an innovative pilot program to prevent oil spills is changing the tide and improving the health of the New Bedford Harbor. Funded by MassDEP and operated by the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission (HDC), Clean Bilge works directly with commercial fishing vessel operators and the operators of other commercial vessels to prevent oil spills.

An agent of the City’s Harbor Development Commission connects directly with vessel owners on both the New Bedford and Fairhaven sides of the harbor and provides advice on how to avoid oil leaks, refuel safely and maintain a clean bilge. In addition to helpful guidance, vessel owners can receive bilge pumping – the removal of unwanted water that can become contaminated with oil and collects in the lowest part of all vessels.

Since the program began in October of 2015, more than 120 vessels have signed up to participate, 48 vessels have had their bilge pumped and 14,117 gallons of oily bilge water was recovered and properly disposed of and kept out of New Bedford Harbor.

“The Port of New Bedford is one of Greater New Bedford’s most important economic assets and we are working on many fronts to ensure that New Bedford Harbor continues to be a strong asset for our region and protecting its environmental health is a critical component of our efforts. I am encouraged at the number of vessels that have signed up for the program thus far and thank the participating vessels for being good stewards of the environment,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

“Following the Buzzards Day oil spill, MassDEP has helped New Bedford and coastal communities respond to oil spills with funding for new cleanup equipment and response plans that protect sensitive resources,” said MassDEP Deputy Commissioner Gary Moran. “Now, with the new clean bilge pilot program, we are reaching out directly to vessel owners with a preventative measure that aims to stop spills before they happen.”

“The persistent “mystery” oil spill problem has no place in the New Bedford Harbor we are all working so hard to restore every day. The Buzzards Bay Coalition is excited to be a partner in this voluntary effort to improve bilge oil management. It has been wonderful to see the positive response and commitment from fishing vessel owners to cleaning up the Harbor,” said Mark Rasmussen, President, Buzzards Bay Coalition

More than 120 commercial vessels have signed up to participate in the program and each receives a complimentary inspection and specific recommendations on preventing oil spills. Rodney Avila, a former commercial fisherman from New Bedford was hired by the HDC to lead the program. Port Director, Edward Anthes-Washburn said, “By working with fishermen we have prevented countless oil spills and are maintaining a cleaner harbor. I think the education component of this program has been critical to the success we’ve had thus far.”

View a PDF of the release

Hawaiian fish-based meal takes the world by storm

February 27, 2016 — If you’re satiated with sushi and sick of ceviche but still crave the taste of raw fish, prepare to pile in for the latest pescatarian food craze: poke.

Hailing from Hawaii, poke – pronounced “poh-kay” – is usually a mix of raw cubes of fish (often tuna) with a soy sauce-based dressing, served in a bowl with rice and garnishes. It is big in the US, especially in Los Angeles and New York. And now it’s set to conquer the UK.

Pret a Manger is poised to become the first national chain to add poke to its lunchtime menu, following Bill Granger, an Australian chef who owns three London restaurants and offers a raw tuna and avocado poke dish.

Chefs love the potential for variety with poke, which means simply “to cut or section”. Anything goes when it comes to ingredients – mushrooms or beetroot are alternatives to fish. Hannah Dolan, a food developer at Pret, said: “Poke salad has been on our radar for a while and we’ll be introducing our own version inspired by the Hawaiian dish this spring. Poke salads are bright, fresh and vibrant … Ours will be centred around marinated mushrooms.”

Read the full story at Independent

Rep. Suzan DelBene Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Put U.S. Seafood in School Lunches

February 25, 2016 — The following was released by the Office of Congresswoman Suzan Delbene: 

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today introduced bipartisan legislation to require fish products purchased for federally subsidized school lunches be domestically harvested.

“The Pacific Northwest produces some of the world’s best and healthiest seafood. We should be supporting our local industries, especially when they are producing a superior product for our nation’s children,” DelBene said. “I want to ensure school district funds stretch as far as possible, but not at the expense of child nutrition. This bipartisan bill is not only good for our fishermen, but also our children, who will be receiving more nutritious fish as a result.”

Current law has unfortunately resulted in fish products caught and processed in foreign countries being included in school lunches at the expense of fish caught in America. For example, 60 percent of the pollock served in the school lunch program comes from Russia and is often processed in China because the Buy American requirement is only “to the maximum extent practicable.” This allows cheaper, but less nutritious Russian pollock to replace Alaska pollock. The bill would strengthen the Buy American provision in the National School Lunch program by stating “without exception” that federally subsided school lunches should use domestically sourced fish, or fish from a U.S. flagged vessel in the case of tuna.

DelBene serves on the House Agriculture Committee, which has part jurisdiction over the National School Lunch program. Reps. Don Young (R-AK), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Denny Heck (D-WA) joined DelBene in introducing H.R. 4617, which has a companion measure (S. 2529) in the Senate from Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

“We appreciate Congresswoman DelBene and her House colleagues’ continued support for the region’s seafood industry, especially this legislation to restrict federally subsidized seafood purchases by school districts to fish harvested in the U.S.,” said Joe Bundrant, CEO of Trident Seafoods Corporation. “Alaska pollock is a versatile, nutritious and affordable seafood product, ideal for the school lunch program. This legislation can help ensure that our children get the best choice at a good value for school districts.”

Read the release online

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishing mogul’s arrest ripples across New Bedford waterfront

February 26, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD — Frustration and sadness moved across the waterfront Friday as news spread that Carlos Rafael and his bookkeeper had been arrested by the Justice Department and charged with making false filings to the government as a means of skirting fisheries laws.

One waterfront business manager who did not wish to be identified said that Friday was a “sad day” for the fishing industry, one that is going to hurt in a lot of ways.

“If his boats (there are 40) lay idle in the city there’s going to be a domino effect. It’s not just the fishermen, it’s the fuel contractors, the trailers carrying thousands of gallons of fuel a day, the ice house, the fish auction and all the people employed at processing plants and the fish auction, groceries from ship supply companies and all the people employed there,” he said.

Last winter was harsh and costly for the fishing industry, he said, but thankfully this year is milder, and boats can fish and most will survive with some loss of jobs. “If this happened last year forget it,” he said.

Seafood consultant James Kendall said he is worried about the effect Rafael’s arrest is going to have on the reputation of the city and its important fishing industry.

“The first effect is that unfortunately it’s going to cast a pall over the fishing industry at a time when we’re trying defend ourselves against what a lot of us feel is unwarranted monitoring and oversight,” he said. “They will point to this and say “this is why we need it’,” he said.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

View a PDF of the affidavit of agent Ronald Mullet in support of a criminal complaint charging Carlos Raphael

Jack Spillane: Rafael’s fall puts New Bedford fishing on brink

February 26, 2016 — They called him “The Codfather” and like his namesake in the movies, everybody secretly loved him.

Sure, he was a rough, tough guy who said “mother——” every other sentence.

Sure, he liked to brag about how he got the money to buy his first boat might not have all been on the “up and up.”

But he was a big success.

Carlos Rafael parlayed one boat into two boats and then two boats into a fleet of boats and then the money from the boats into a seafood processing house.

On a waterfront where the once mighty groundfish industry has been slowly rotting to a sad shipwreck, we admired Carlos.

Like everybody on the waterfront, he made money on the scallopers but how the hell was he doing it on groundfish? Nobody else understood how to make money groundfishing anymore.

Now, we know how Carlos did.

Or at least how the feds say he did.

The rough, tough Codfather had fish that were on the books and fish that were off the books. He had low-priced haddock that was really higher priced dabs or gray sole. He had an elaborate scam he called “the dance” under which he and his bookkeeper had their boat captains bringing off-the-books fish down to another wise guy in New York.

The off-the books fish sold for cash in the big city and Carlos is said to have made a killing. More than $600K in just six months. Probably millions over time.

Read the full opinion piece at the New Bedford Standard-Times

View a PDF of the affidavit of agent Ronald Mullet in support of a criminal complaint charging Carlos Rafael

MSC labelled products reach 20,000

February 23, 2016 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

LONDON – Today the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) reached an important milestone with the launch of the 20,000th MSC labelled product, Las Cuarenta Paella. The ready-made frozen meal is now available in Netto stores across Germany. The paella contains pollock from Alaska and Russia, blue shell mussels from Denmark, and shrimps from Suriname. 

A growing trend in new seafood products

The paella’s seafood mix comes from a diverse range of fisheries, from a developing world fishery in South America, to some of the world’s largest fisheries in North America and Europe. Each of these fisheries is committed to ensuring the health and sustainability of the fish stocks they harvest

“The 20,000th MSC labelled product, Las Cuarenta Paella, illustrates the growing trend in new seafood products. Over the last decade, we’ve seen new and novel ways MSC certified seafood is being used. From ready-made meals such as paella to sandwiches, pizza and baby food. Las Cuarenta paella is a fine example of how retailers and manufacturers are exploring new trends to attract more sustainable seafood lovers,” said Nicolas Guichoux, MSC’s Global Commercial Director. 

Thanks to the efforts of these and over 280 other certified fisheries, consumers in over 100 countries can choose from a variety of MSC labelled products covering more than 100 different species. Consumers can also be assured that MSC certified seafood has an effective, traceable supply chain which ensures the integrity of MSC labelled products.

“Nine years ago only 1,000 labelled products were on the market globally. So we celebrate this new important milestone, and honor all fisheries and retail partners whose commitment to sustainability has contributed to the growth of the MSC program around the world and played a part in securing a healthy future for our oceans,” added Nicolas Guichoux.

MSC in Germany

Germany is the MSC’s most developed market in terms of certified sustainable seafood consumption, with over 4,000 MSC certified products on sale. Netto is one of many retail partners committed to sourcing and selling MSC certified products in the country. The discounter offers a wide range of responsibly sourced seafood with more than 100 MSC-labelled products in store. Netto has made a long-term commitment to only source and sell seafood– from MSC certified sustainable fisheries. 

“We are very proud that the 20,000th MSC labelled product is a Netto product. With the growing availability of MSC certified seafood from a variety of species, we’ve been able to expand our range of products so that our customers can buy their favorite seafood in the knowledge that the environment is being safeguarded. MSC certified products play an important role in our corporate sustainability agenda,” said Christina Stylianou, Corporate Communications Director at Netto.

A label you can trust

The blue MSC label assures consumers that the fish they are buying comes from a sustainable and well-managed fishery that has been independently certified, ensuring that the fish populations and the ecosystems upon which they depend remain healthy and productive.

Any organization selling or handling MSC certified seafood must ensure that it is correctly labelled and kept separate from other non-certified seafood at all times. This ensures that MSC labelled seafood can be traced back to a sustainable source.

You can find these products in-store, online and in restaurants.