Fortune Fish Exits: 3 Leave As Imports Division Shifts to New Department

Fortune Fish & Gourmet is ending the month with a big shakeup. Three execs have left following the company’s decision to change oversight of their imports division.

Founder and CEO of Fortune International, Sean O’Scannlain, confirmed to Undercurrent News that Jeff Goldberg, President of Fortune Imports; Sean Burke, Chief Financial Officer; and Ian Navarro, Chief Marketing Officer; are no longer with the company.

Goldberg had been with Fortune since 2016. He shared on LinkedIn that he’s now a “free agent, looking for a new role in...

Norwegian Government Warns Of Potential Reduced King Crab Quota Next Year

The Norwegian government is warning fishermen that damaged king crab could potentially lead to overfishing – and in turn, a reduced quota in 2024.

The Norwegian Ministry of Industry and Fisheries set the 2023 king crab quota for male crabs at 2,375 tonnes, an increase of 530 tonnes from 2022. Female crabs have a quota of 120 tonnes for 2023. But that quota is now at risk due to damaged crab.

According to the government, “in the quota-regulated area east of the Nordkapp, 10% damaged male crab is...

USFWS Notification Forces Biden Administration To Act On Mexico’s Illegal Totoaba Trade

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), under the U.S. Department of the Interior, announced late last week that they have notified Congress that “Mexican nationals are violating the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) by engaging in trade or taking of totoaba and vaquita, pursuant to the Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen’s Protective Act.”

While the illegal trade of totoaba, and its impact on the endangered vaquita porpoise, is not a new piece of information, the Pelly Amendment requires that the...

Jumping on June's Next Retail Occasion 

Now that June is within reach, grocers are preparing for the next major grilling event—Father's Day, which is just over two weeks away. 

Consumers often seek out premium cuts of meat like steaks for Father's Day as opposed to lower-cost options such as burgers, which are typically favored to feed large gatherings during Memorial Day.

This could provide a needed boost for the steak complex, which saw a slowdown in total sales dollars last week. According to the latest Circana data, fresh beef loin retailed at $13.54 discounted (up 39 cents from last week)...

Ecuador’s Shrimp Sector Continues Fight Against Organized Crime

The Ecuadorian shrimp industry continues to battle organized crime attacks, with the latest incident leading to one man being sent to the hospital.

According to Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), criminals intercepted a boat working in the shrimp sector in the Gulf of Guayaquil. The attack led to the vessel's operator to a medical facility after receiving first aid from local community members.

The CNA immediately called upon the Ecuadorian Navy in hopes of finding the suspects of the attack but there has been no results as of this writing...

Cooke Employees Assisting in Battle of ‘Out of Control’ Saint Andrews Wildfire

Cooke Aquaculture said it had sent trucks, a side-by-side ATV, a support trailer with a trio of high-pressure water pumps, 60 radio batteries and more supplies to assist local first responders battling a wildfire near Saint Andrews, Canada.

The company also noted that almost a dozen employees, who also serve as local volunteer firefighters, are fighting the blaze.

“We thank the brave local fire fighters and first responders, including nearly a dozen Cooke Aquaculture employees who are volunteer fire fighters battling the intense...

April Fish Roe Sales at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets Fall by 30% for Pollock Roe

The sales of salted fish roe in April at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets continued to be high priced, except for Sujiko salmon roe. Salted Pollock roe and Mentaiko Pollock roe also recovered their average prices. Still, sales volumes fell, and even considering the demand for long holidays when the flow of people recovered, the overall product movement did not turn around for the better.

Sujiko salted salmon roe

Since last year, the sales of high-priced carry-over inventory from...

Sernapesca: Applications Now Open for ‘Blue Seal’ Sustainability Program

Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) announced that applications to enter into the Responsible Consumption Program - Blue Seal, will open on June 1 and run until the end of the month.

Sernapesca noted that parties interested in landing accreditation in the program must meet the following requirements: source from suppliers that have accreditation of legal origin; have current authorizations both Municipal and Sanitary, not having been penalized for infraction of the LGPA, among other requirements that are available on the entity's website, where interested parties can also submit their request...

DFO Announces First Seasonal Grid Closures For Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2023

The first seasonal grid closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence were announced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) on Monday. 

Grid closures are part of Canada’s management plans to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. Scientists estimate that less than 350 of these whales remain. Temporary grid closures are in place for 15 days. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, if a North Atlantic right whale is detected again during days 9 to 15 of the temporary closure, then the grid will become seasonally closed...

Blue Harvest’s New Groundfish Vessel, Nobska, Completes Inaugural Deployment

Blue Harvest Fisheries’ newest groundfish vessel, the F/V Nobska, is back at port after a successful first deployment. 

The Nobska, originally known as the Francis Dawn, and renamed for an older Blue Harvest vessel, was built in 2019 and acquired by Blue Harvest Fisheries in February 2023. The company said at the time that the purchase “represents the first step in implementing the company’s plans for the future of its groundfish operations.” 

Now, Blue Harvest is celebrating the vessel’s first round of trips, which occurred between April 7 and...

Russian Fish Sector Faced With Record Drop of Profits in 2022

Crab sanctions and rising costs led to a drop in profits for Russian fisherman in 2022. Profits dropped by almost a third from 231 billion rubles in 2021 up to 158 billion rubles in 2022, according to latest data, provided by Russian Rosrybolovstvo.

Representatives say that one of the reasons was the decline of export earnings of crab producers, whose profitability used to be higher than other fishermen. At the same time, there was some growth of revenue in the industry.

According to latest data of Rosrybolovstvo, in 2022...

Instant Dishes Create More Profits for Guolian

Guolian’s revenue has increased by 33.23% to 1.415 billion yuan during this first quarter (Q1) compared with the same period last year. Net income has increased by 10% to 10.41 million yuan, according to Shanghai Securities News. One main reason for the better performance is the great popularity of its instant dishes, whose revenue, for example, has gone up by 34.48% to 1.131 billion yuan in 2022. Meanwhile the company’s total has risen by 14.31% to 5.114 billion yuan.

To meet rising demand at home, the company has spent more developing instant dishes...

Georgia Oyster Seasons Set to Close for Summer

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that recreational and commercial oyster harvesting in the state will close at 6 a.m. June 1, 2023, and re-open for the year thirty minutes before sunrise on Saturday, October 1, 2023.

This routine closure meets the requirements of Georgia's Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) control plan, which protects public health, per the DNR.

"This closure ensures that Georgia meets the requirements of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program to protect public health by implementing a Vp control plan," explained Dominic Guadagnoli, shellfish fish and...

ANALYSIS: Snow Crab at Retail Heats Up

The Canadian snow crab market in the U.S. has seen 2023 product out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. And as of this writing with data from May 24, just under 85 percent of the quota has been caught. Pricing has been very steady for the past five weeks since the open of the Gulf on 5-8s. Gulf 8 and 10-ups have seen upward pricing pressure and quotations adjusted higher May 23.

Out of Newfoundland, the stalemate has ended, and fishing has begun...

CDFW Announces $20.4 Million in Grant Funding to Protect Salmon Habitat, Other Wildlife

California salmon will benefit from millions of dollars in a third round of funding designed to benefit the state's fish and wildlife.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday that $20.4 million has been awarded for 15 projects to improve salmon habitat and support climate resiliency, wildlife corridors and wetlands restoration. The funding was made available last year under Drought, Climate and Nature-Based Solutions Initiatives, bringing the total grant funding awarded to nearly $80 million ...

Snow Crab Landings Update For NL, Gulf and Maritimes Region As Of May 26

With the June 30 closure about a month away, Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab harvesters are continuing to chip away at their quota after being stuck on land for six weeks. 

Last Friday the tie-up came to an end with an agreement reached between FFAW and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP). Both parties agreed on a minimum price of $2.20 per pound for the season, with incremental increases as Urner Barry’s market price increases...

JAPAN: April Salmon Sales at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets

Sales of salmon and trout at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets in April showed a slight slowdown in frozen and salted salmon amid continued high prices overall, while fresh salmon sales finally turned positive. The Suisan Keizai Shimbun reported that although imports of fresh salmon continued to be sluggish, farmed coho from Miyagi Prefecture showed some consistency from an early stage.

The total sales volume was 482 tons, which finally started to pick up after a period of sluggishness due to a decline in imports triggered by soaring international prices...

Further Closures of Salmon Farms in BC Will Work Against Innovation and a Successful Transition 

Campbell River, BC – The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) has grave concerns that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the Honourable Joyce Murray, is committed to closing salmon farming in BC, a sector that provides thousands of direct and indirect jobs in coastal, rural British Columbia.

The BCSFA learned this week that Minister Murray’s proposing the further removal of salmon farms in BC after recently closing 40 per cent of existing farms since 2020. Any further reduction in salmon production could signal....

Pacific Salmon Commission Opens Funding Programs for U.S., British Columbia Applicants

In an effort to improve salmon stocks from Alaska to the West Coast, four programs of the Pacific Salmon Commission are accepting applications.

Submissions are welcome from private, non-profit, and public sector applicants whose projects align with the respective program’s goal, according to the Commission.

The Fund Committees use a two-stage submission and review process, according ...

Barry Group, Ocean Trout Canada Continue Processing Agreement for Steelhead Trout

Ocean Trout Canada (OTC) and The Barry Group Inc. (BGI) have renewed their processing agreement for 2023.

“This renewal highlights the strength of the partnership between OTC and BGI and reaffirms their commitment to delivering high-quality steelhead product to the domestic and international markets,” Ocean Trout Canada wrote in a press release.

Both firms expect the partnership to lead to “outstanding results” as the renewal will allow for the smooth continuation of the partnership.

The companies also shared that they will be eyeing new opportunities...

Snow Crab Landings Update For NL, Gulf and Maritimes Region As Of May 30

The snow crab season in Newfoundland and Labrador is scheduled to end in exactly one month—and 8% of their 54,279 MT quota has been caught. 

According to the preliminary data from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador have landed 4,167 MT so far. And while harvesters should just be focused on the remaining quota of 50,112 MT, FFAW is once again at odds with the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP). This time the union is accusing ASP of harming the crab resource...

ADF&G Commissioner Announces Highest Priorities for State at Federal NPFMC

Ten days before the June meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council begins, Alaska’s Commissioner of Fish and Game issued a press release outlining the priorities the state’s representative on the federal council. 

Almost all of the items involve bycatch, a nod to Governor Dunleavy’s Task Force on the subject, who came up with a final report last November. Doug Vincent-Lang, the Commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game, recently established the Bycatch Advisory Council “to advise the department on ways to implement the recommendations contained ...

Pair of Maine Lobstermen Have Licenses Suspended for Marine Resource Law Violations

A pair of Maine lobstermen had their licenses suspended by the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) for violating “laws intended to protect harvesters’ property and to sustain the lobster resource.”

Calvin Pinkham, 55, of Steuben, was charged last year for stealing 59 lobster traps that belonged to seven other fishermen. DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher suspended Pinkham's license for three years.

Pinkham pleaded guilty to seven counts of trap molesting and was ordered to pay $8,732 in restitution to the victims. His license will be reinstated in 2025...

April Salmon Sales at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets

Sales of salmon and trout at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets in April showed a slight slowdown in frozen and salted salmon amid continued high prices overall, while fresh salmon sales finally turned positive. The Suisan Keizai Shimbun reported that although imports of fresh salmon continued to be sluggish, farmed coho from Miyagi Prefecture showed some consistency from an early stage.

Fresh salmon

The total sales volume was 482 tons, which finally started to pick up after a period of sluggishness due to a decline in imports triggered by soaring...

CPF and Nichirei Join Forces to Make the Food Supply Chain More Sustainable

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL. (CPF) and its business partner, Nichirei Fresh Inc., a leading Japanese seafood supplier, are committed to leveraging a socially and environmentally responsible food supply chain in response to consumers' worldwide preference for products produced using environmentally and ethically responsible practices and procedures. The two companies have recently launched the "CPF-Nichirei's collaborative biodiversity and mangrove ecosystem protection" project to help mitigate the impacts of global warming, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (SDGs)...

1 Dead, 4 Missing From Sitka Fishing Charter Boat as Intense Search Continues

One body has been recovered from the water near a partially submerged charter fishing boat while the search continues for four more passengers who were last seen aboard the vessel Sunday afternoon off Cape Edgecumbe on Kruzof Island. The disabled vessel, owned by Kingfishers Charters located in Sitka, was found later Sunday off Shoals Point, approximately 10 miles southwest of Sitka. 

The search is led by Coast Guard Sector Juneau Command Center, and includes Air Station Sitka and their MH-60 Helicopter aircrew, Air Station Kodiak and ...

Norwegian Salmon Tax Reduced From 35% to 25%

A new agreement has lowered the resource rent tax on aquaculture in Norway to 25%. The tax rate was initially proposed at 40% before being lowered to 35% earlier this year. 

“After a long process, we are now ensuring that the Storting [parliament] adopts the principle of ground rent in aquaculture,” Geir Pollestaf of the Centre Party said in a press release. “The parties to the agreement also secure a majority for a tax rate of 25% and an increase in the discount on the property tax value for farming concessions...

NOAA Fisheries Updates “Significant” Activity on WFC vs Quan Impact Against Alaska Trollers

Earlier this week, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) filed a response to the May 2, 2023 court ruling on Wild Fish Conservancy v. Quan, ordering NMFS to correct portions of a 2019 NOAA Fisheries Biological Opinion that analyzed two actions related to salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska and a third action on a conservation program for habitat improvement and hatchery production to be implemented in the Pacific Northwest. The court ruling found for the plaintiff regarding portions of the BiOp, essentially shutting down the Southeast Alaska ...

SeafoodNews Closed on Monday, May 29

SeafoodNews will not be publishing on Monday, May 29, 2023 in observance of Memorial Day. We will return to our normal publishing schedule on Tuesday, May 30.

In the meantime, catch up on our recent major news stories by checking our Featured Stories page. 

You can also watch all the latest SeafoodNews Weekly Videos here or listen to the latest SeafoodNews Podcast episodes here. And for more fun content follow @Watchuseat_seafood on Instagram!

Consumers Turning to Foodservice, Restaurant Deals in Early 2023

Consumers eating away from home were eyeing the best deal during the first quarter of 2023, reported Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group.

Unsurprisingly, consumers are looking to save a few bucks when they can amid inflationary pressures and higher food prices. During the first quarter of the year, customer visits to restaurants and foodservice outlets that took advantage of a deal rose by 8%, Circana analysis found.

The increase in visits of consumers looking to save some cash helped total commercial foodservice visits rise by...