Thu. May 16 2024
VIDEO: Red Lobster Closures; Gulf of St. Lawrence Grid Closures; New Atlantic Sapphire CEO
NL Snow Crab Drama Continues With Talks Of Plant Worker Strikes
Cooke Accused of Violating American Fisheries Act and Jones Act
Pioneering Hi-Tech Crabber “North American” Sinks Near Seattle’s Ballard Bridge
Russia Confirms Plans to Increase Volume of Krill Catch This Year
PANOS Brands Acquires Smoked Salmon Producer The Santa Barbara Smokehouse
Seafoodnews.com Summary Thursday, May 16
Wed. May 15 2024
A Timeline Of Red Lobster Leading Up To May 2024 Liquidation Of Select Restaurants
ANALYSIS: Canadian Spring Lobster Season Update
17 Industry Groups Ask Congress to Fund North Pacific Fisheries Surveys at No Less Than $15M
More Than a Dozen Additional Temporary Grid Closures Announced for Gulf of St. Lawrence
The Retail Rundown: Memorial Day Promotions; Latest CPI Data
Hokkaido Spring Herring Landings Record 6540 Tons for the First Time Since 1996
Seafoodnews.com Summary Wednesday, May 15
Tue. May 14 2024
Red Lobster Abruptly Closes 48 Restaurants, As Revealed By Equipment Liquidation Company
First Temporary Grid Closures Announced in Gulf of St. Lawrence Following Sighting of Entangled NARW
Legislative Task Force Created to Evaluate Alaska's Seafood Industry
Atlantic Sapphire Appoints Former Cermaq Chile Managing Director as New CEO
Japan’s Consumer Food Price Index: Seafood Prices Soar By 25.7% in 2023
Trader Joe’s Introduces 3 New Seafood Products, Including RTE Salmon Item
Seafoodnews.com Summary Tuesday, May 14
Mon. May 13 2024
The Winding Glass: What the Decline of Red Lobster Means for the U.S. Seafood Industry
PODCAST: USDA's Open Purchase Request for Alaska Pollock; Red Lobster's Fate and More
ANALYSIS: Strong Demand and Sporadic Landings Lead to High Prices to Start the Spring King Season
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Gets New Director After Curt Melcher's Retirement
USDA Grants Emergency Assistance To Louisiana’s Crawfish Aquaculture Industry
NOAA Fisheries Selects 14 Sea Scallop Applications Through 2024 RSA Program
Russia Plans to Increase its Pollock and Crab Supplies to South Korea in Years to Come
Nordic Aqua Partners Reaches Total Harvest Volume of 92 Tonnes At China Farm
Seafoodnews.com Summary Monday, May 13
Fri. May 10 2024
NTSB Determines Cause Behind $56.6 Million Total Loss of Trident’s F/V Kodiak Enterprise
DOL Proposes Removal of Thailand Shrimp From List of Products Produced by Forced Child Labor
2024 Snow Crab Landings Update For NL, Gulf and Maritimes Region As of May 10
Norway Food Safety Authority Confirms ISA At Sjøtroll Havbruk
FFAW, ASP Come To Agreement On 2024 Cod Prices
Seafoodnews.com Summary Friday, May 10
Thu. May 9 2024
FFAW Says Northern Shrimp Fishery Is “Delayed Without Cause”
Seafoodnews.com Summary Thursday, May 9
Congress Learns USCG Polar Icebreakers Are 5 Years Late and Will Cost More Than Double
Annual Shrimp Closure In Gulf of Mexico For Texas and Federal Waters Set For May 15
Mowi Acknowledges “Biologically Challenging” Q1 in Norway
ANALYSIS: Chilean Salmon Fillet Imports Through First Quarter Down 5.9 Percent
Japan: March Shrimp Imports Up 1% to 13,100 Tons, Increasing for the Third Consecutive Month
Arctic Lady Enterprises Files Complaint Against Peter Pan Seafoods
VIDEO: FDA Flags Contaminated Shrimp; Red Lobster Sale Update; Mother's Day Celebrations
ANALYSIS: The 2023-2024 C&SA Mahi Season Update
Previous Week »
Upcoming Events
VIDEO: Red Lobster Closures; Gulf of St. Lawrence Grid Closures; New Atlantic Sapphire CEO
Urner Barry seafood market reporters Lorin Castiglione and Josh Bickert host the latest episode of the Seafoodnews Weekly Video. Watch as Lorin and Josh break down the top stories of the week, from the shocking closure of a number of Red Lobster locations, to updates on fishing out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and more...
Full Story »NL Snow Crab Drama Continues With Talks Of Plant Worker Strikes
It wouldn’t be Canadian snow crab season if there wasn’t drama in Newfoundland and Labrador. This year the standoff over pricing only lasted a week before harvesters and processors were able to come to an agreement to start the season. But now there are issues on the plant worker side, with the Fish, Food & Allied Workers (FFAW) Union threatening to take a strike vote.
Plant workers, who currently make on average between $16 and $18 an hour, have reportedly been without a deal since...
Full Story »Cooke Accused of Violating American Fisheries Act and Jones Act
Canadian seafood giant Cooke Inc. has been accused of violating the American Fisheries Act (AFA) and the Jones Act. The allegations stem from a lawsuit that was initially filed in June 2021, but sealed until this past April. However, the issue actually goes back to 2017 when Cooke acquired Omega Protein.
Cooke CEO Glenn Cooke said at the time that the acquisition of Omega Protein would help “further diversify the supply side of our business and support our strategy of responsible growth as a leader in...
Full Story »Pioneering Hi-Tech Crabber “North American” Sinks Near Seattle’s Ballard Bridge
Early Tuesday morning, the well-known Bering Sea crab fishing vessel North American sank slowly in shallow water at a pier in Seattle’s Lake Washington Ship Canal.
The Coast Guard received a call that the 91-foot vessel was partially sunk at 7:30 a.m. and first responders from the Seattle Fire Department set up a containment boom for oil or fuel leakage. A dive team plugged vents to reduce additional fuel discharges, and a second layer of boom was deployed ...
Photo of North American courtesy US Coast Guard.
Full Story »Russia Confirms Plans to Increase Volume of Krill Catch This Year
Russia plans to significantly increase the volume of krill catch this year as part of its attempts to become one of the world’s largest krill catchers.
Russia (at that period the USSR) initially conducted complex expeditionary work to study and develop Antarctic krill resources in the 1960s, and began the actual fishing in 1971. Other countries joined later. The fishery was primarily conducted in the Antarctic Atlantic. The record krill catch (528.700 tons) was achieved in 1982, with the share of the...
Full Story »PANOS Brands Acquires Smoked Salmon Producer The Santa Barbara Smokehouse
Consumer food products company PANOS Brands has acquired The Santa Barbara Smokehouse (SBS), the smoked salmon producer behind the Cambridge House and Coastal Harbor brands.
“SBS products are differentiated in the marketplace,” commented PANOS Brands CEO Darby Zbninovec. “The portfolio is aligned with consumer trends, including the demand for super-premium quality, and the continued interest in better-for-you foods like smoked salmon that are rich in protein and omega-3. We are excited to partner with customers to expand availability of this distinctive smoked salmon across...
Full Story »ANALYSIS: Canadian Spring Lobster Season Update
Supply
We're currently in the fourth week of Canada's spring fishing season, and by all accounts, fishing activities have been quite successful. Unlike the fall and winter season, weather conditions have been near perfect as robust landings have been reported across all open LFAs (Lobster Fishing Areas). With the start of the Cape Breton season on the horizon (LFA 27,28,29,30) (Wednesday set), we are entering peak availability for raw material.
Prior to the start of the spring fishing season, net inventories for both the live and frozen markets were at...
Full Story »The Retail Rundown: Memorial Day Promotions; Latest CPI Data
Spring is in the air… and the first inklings of summer are making a reappearance too. Memorial Day is less than two weeks out and grocers are enthusiastically preparing for the official start of the grilling season.
Cookout staples like charcoal, outdoor serving ware, grilling cuts, and all things barbeque are migrating toward the front page of circulars, bringing increased visibility to the meat case, deli counter, and prepared foods sections of the store.
In the week leading up to Memorial Day weekend last year, 78-84% lean ground beef was...
Full Story »Hokkaido Spring Herring Landings Record 6540 Tons for the First Time Since 1996
According to a report in the Suisan Keizai Shimbun, the herring landings along the Sea of Japan coast of Hokkaido, a preliminary report published by the Hokkaido Fisheries and Forestry Department, was 6,540 tons as of the end of April. This is an increase of 36% compared to the same period last year. The figure broke the record for the highest volume in a season (5,608 tons in 2022) since 1996, when the resource enhancement project (seedling releasing) began, and exceeded 6,000 tons for the first time...
Full Story »First Temporary Grid Closures Announced in Gulf of St. Lawrence Following Sighting of Entangled NARW
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) released its first temporary prohibited grid closures on Monday, days after an entangled North Atlantic right whale (NARW) was spotted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The entangled NARW, identified as an adult female named Shelagh, was spotted via routine aerial surveillance on Friday. The DFO said at the time that its marine mammal response program was monitoring the situation in an effort to “determine response options with our partners.”
“If the whale is located again, and weather and...
Full Story »Atlantic Sapphire Appoints Former Cermaq Chile Managing Director as New CEO
Atlantic Sapphire has found its new CEO in Pedro Courard, a former Managing Director of Cermaq Chile. Courard is set to replace founder Johan Andreassen, who had informed the Board of Directors in October 2023 of his decision to step down as CEO.
Courard spent the past four years at Cermaq Chile, joining the company in August 2019 as Director of Production before getting promoted in March 2022 to Managing Director. Prior to joining Cermaq Chile, he held positions with Multi X and Ocea Chile (Scale)...
Full Story »Trader Joe’s Introduces 3 New Seafood Products, Including RTE Salmon Item
Trader Joe’s is constantly introducing new items to their shelves. And this month, three of their new products just so happen to be seafood-related.
The grocer’s refrigerated section has plenty of ready-to-eat (RTE) options, and the latest addition to that lineup involves salmon. Trader Joe’s is encouraging customers to “shake up” a classic with their new Caesar Salad with Salmon. This RTE offering features romaine lettuce and kale blend with grilled salmon, parmesan crisps and romano Caesar dressing...
Full Story »PODCAST: USDA's Open Purchase Request for Alaska Pollock; Red Lobster's Fate and More
Seafoodnews Podcast hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione are reunited and it feels so good! Listen in as Amanda and Lorin talk about some of the biggest stories of the week, from USDA open purchase requests for pollock and more, to an update on the fate of Red Lobster.
Plus, Amanda reveals that she's returning to the stage as MC for the annual Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers meeting... and Lorin volunteers to wear the Dutch mascot costume!
Full Story »Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Gets New Director After Curt Melcher's Retirement
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission on Friday selected an agency veteran to lead the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife into the future.
The Commission voted unanimously to select Dr. Debbie Colbert as the new ODFW Director.
Colbert is the first woman to ever be appointed to the permanent ODFW Director position in the agency’s long history. The first state Fish Commission was legally recognized in 1887 and a combined fish and game agency has existed in Oregon since 1893.
Colbert will now lead ...
Full Story »NOAA Fisheries Selects 14 Sea Scallop Applications Through 2024 RSA Program
NOAA Fisheries announced earlier this month that it has selected 14 sea scallop applications through the 2024 Research Set-Aside (RSA) programs.
Scallop RSA programs support research into industry-based surveys of access areas; sea scallop biology; loggerhead turtle population information and bycatch avoidance; and general research on sea scallop recruitment, bycatch and commercial dredge gear. These types of RSA programs are unique to federal fisheries in the Greater Atlantic Region, and are not only in place for scallops, but also monkfish and Atlantic herring...
Full Story »Nordic Aqua Partners Reaches Total Harvest Volume of 92 Tonnes At China Farm
Nordic Aqua Partners confirmed last week that it has reached a total harvest volume of 92 tonnes at its fish farm in Gaotang, China.
The salmon farming company began production of fresh salmon in March 2022. Since then the company has welcomed former Mowi executive Ragnar Joensen as their new Chief Executive Officer, as well as new directors to their board and a new CFO. Earlier this year the company provided a 2024 outlook, revealing that they planned to have their first harvest in...
Full Story »DOL Proposes Removal of Thailand Shrimp From List of Products Produced by Forced Child Labor
A notice published in the Federal Register Friday by the Department of Labor (DOL) proposes a revisement to the Executive Order on Prohibition of Acquisition of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor. The Executive Order identifies a list of products, by their country of origin, that the DOL has “reasonable basis to believe might have been mined, produced, or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor.” According to this new notice, the DOL is proposing to remove shrimp from Thailand from...
Full Story »Norway Food Safety Authority Confirms ISA At Sjøtroll Havbruk
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority confirmed earlier this week that Sjøtroll Havbruk AS is facing an infectious salmon anemia (ISA) outbreak at its facility in Sveio municipality in Vestland county.
Sjøtroll Havbruk first notified the Norwegian Food Safety Authority of a possible finding compatible with ISA on April 25. Samples were conducted by the agency a few days later, and by May 8 the Food Safety Authority was able to confirm that the disease was indeed present at the fish farm.
Sjøtroll Havbruk, which is...
Full Story »A Timeline Of Red Lobster Leading Up To May 2024 Liquidation Of Select Restaurants
The largest seafood chain in the U.S. is now part of the “largest restaurant liquidation ever.”
Red Lobster, which has over 700 locations around the world, has been struggling in recent months. And on Tuesday the extent of the seafood chain’s financial issues became apparent when a facility and equipment liquidation company called TAGeX revealed that it would be auctioning off the equipment and contents of select locations this week.
“People have heard about the closure of select...
Full Story »More Than a Dozen Additional Temporary Grid Closures Announced for Gulf of St. Lawrence
More temporary grid closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence are being put in place by Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) following the sighting of an entangled North Atlantic right whale (NARW) late last week.
According to a notice put out by the DFO on Tuesday, fishing is now temporarily prohibited in the following grids beginning May 16, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.: GX36, GX37, GX38, GY36, GY37, GY38, GZ35, GZ36, GZ37, GZ38, GZ39, HA35, HA36, HA37, HA38, HA39,...
Full Story »17 Industry Groups Ask Congress to Fund North Pacific Fisheries Surveys at No Less Than $15M
A letter from 17 industry leaders to Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska urged Congress to “prioritize immediate and long-term funding” for the annual surveys of core commercial fisheries populations in the North Pacific done by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC).
The May 10 letter was based on an earlier letter from the Freezer Longline Coalition (FLC), a trade association representing the owners of 19 longline vessels that target Pacific cod, urging the...
Full Story »Red Lobster Abruptly Closes 48 Restaurants, As Revealed By Equipment Liquidation Company
In a surprising twist of events, 48 Red Lobster restaurants have closed — some reportedly without notice to their employees.
Red Lobster’s financial woes have been well documented over the recent months. But this week a facility and equipment liquidation company called TAGeX shocked everyone when it revealed that select Red Lobster locations have closed and that they are auctioning off the entire contents of these restaurants.
TAGeX has a total of 48 Red Lobster locations listed on their website, but text on the page also states they are “auctioning off 50+ locations across the country.”
Full Story »Legislative Task Force Created to Evaluate Alaska's Seafood Industry
On Sunday the Alaska Legislature signed off on a resolution to create a task force for the next 9 months that will, in partnership with the industry, find solutions to the problems faced by the state’s commercial fishing industry.
Only one state legislator voted against the legislation in the House; the Senate approved it unanimously.
The resolution will be sent to Governor Mike Dunleavy for his signature this week. Unless Dunleavy calls a special session, the Alaska Legislature will adjourn the session this Wednesday, May 15.
“The depth of the crisis ...
Full Story »Japan’s Consumer Food Price Index: Seafood Prices Soar By 25.7% in 2023
Sony Assurance Inc. has recently conducted a comprehensive review of the price increases across various sectors and items, with a particular focus on the Consumer Price Index published by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Notably, the food sector experienced a substantial price surge, with seafood prices in 2023 soaring by 25.7% compared to 2020. This increase surpassed even the 25.3% hike in fire insurance prices, as reported by Minato Shimbun.
According to the "2020 Base Consumer Price Index Nationwide 2023 Average" released...
Full Story »The Winding Glass: What the Decline of Red Lobster Means for the U.S. Seafood Industry
The possible bankruptcy of Red Lobster is a watershed moment for the seafood industry.
Last month Bloomberg reported that Red Lobster may file for bankruptcy. This follows the announcement in January that Thai Union was ending its losing investment in Red Lobster and taking a $530 million write down.
A Red Lobster bankruptcy and restructuring would be a watershed event. Red Lobster used to be a colossus. During its heyday of rapid expansion and increasing sales in...
Full Story »ANALYSIS: Strong Demand and Sporadic Landings Lead to High Prices to Start the Spring King Season
Spring troll season for king (Chinook) salmon is in full swing, with landings reported from various regions. However, the market is facing challenges in maintaining steady pricing and supply. Product is coming in from Neah Bay, the Columbia River, as well as the Coast of Oregon. Additionally Southeast Alaska and Yakutat recently commenced with landings for weeks 18 and 19 hovering around 400 fish each, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game, as of...
Full Story »USDA Grants Emergency Assistance To Louisiana’s Crawfish Aquaculture Industry
Louisiana’s crawfish aquaculture industry received a win this month when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted emergency assistance to the industry though the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP).
Last year crawfish farmers suffered as a result of excessive heat, with Louisiana State University’s Agriculture Center estimating potential losses of nearly $140 million. Multiple state politicians have used their platforms to call on the USDA to help. And now, that help is coming through ELAP.
For those unfamiliar with ELAP, the program provides financial assistance to...
Full Story »Russia Plans to Increase its Pollock and Crab Supplies to South Korea in Years to Come
Russia plans to increase its pollock supplies to South Korea in years to come and to make this country one of the largest consumers of Russian pollock.
So far, most of South Korea's pollock needs have been met by the supplies from Japan. However, due to discharge of water contaminated with radioactive substances from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, the volume of such supplies have significantly declined. As an alternative, imports of chilled pollock from the Russian Federation to the...
Full Story »NTSB Determines Cause Behind $56.6 Million Total Loss of Trident’s F/V Kodiak Enterprise
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed its findings after investigating an April 2023 fire that occurred on board the F/V Kodiak Enterprise, a 276 ft. vessel that is a part of Trident’s catcher/ processor fleet. According to the government agency, investigators were unable to “definitively” determine the cause of the fire due to the extensive damage. However, they were able to determine why the fire resulted in a total loss of the vessel, worth an estimated...
Full Story »2024 Snow Crab Landings Update For NL, Gulf and Maritimes Region As of May 10
Snow crab harvesters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence are close to landing the full quota for 2024. According to the latest landings data from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), 82.78% of the total allowable catch (TAC) in Area 12 has been landed as of May 10.
The 2024 quota for Area 12 — including traditional fleet (01), First Nations (02) and New Access (03) — was set at 22,236.416 t and revised to 21,756.074 t. The season opened April 1 and...
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