Massachusetts Seafood Marketing

A new Massachusetts seafood marketing program seeks to increase awareness and demand for local seafood and support Massachusetts’ fishing and seafood industries.

The Massachusetts seafood marketing program will educate people on seafood availability, preparation, health benefits, economic contribution, and environmental sustainability through printed material, events, partnerships and other aids. Legislators, agency heads and industry members comprise the program’s steering committee.

The program is managed by the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF)

The Massachusetts Seafood Marketing Program kicked off its formal marketing efforts at the 5th annual Boston Seafood Festival at the Boston Fish Pier.

The new seafood marketing program chose the Boston Seafood Festival to launch because the event celebrates the commercial fishing heritage of Massachusetts while highlighting the significant infrastructure that is the Boston Fish Pier.

source: Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

New England Sustainable Fish

According to the latest report to Congress from NOAA’s Fisheries Service, 21 U.S. fisheries have been rebuilt or have made improvements since 2000, including some of New England's best known groundfish.

In the northeast, Georges Bank haddock, Atlantic pollock and spiny dogfish have now been rebuilt to healthy levels.

In addition to the three rebuilt northeastern stocks, four stocks were removed from the low-population list, all from the Northeast: Gulf of Maine haddock, American plaice, Gulf of Maine cod and southern New England windowpane.

Two stocks were removed from the list of stocks being fished at too high a level: Georges Bank yellowtail flounder and Southern Atlantic Coast black grouper.

Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Atlantic wolffish was found to have a low population.

A handful of other stocks were moved onto the overfishing and overfished lists this year:

Added to the list of stocks experiencing fishing at too high a level were Northwestern Atlantic witch flounder, Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank windowpane flounder, and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic windowpane flounder.

Added to the list of low-population stocks were Northwestern Atlantic Coast witch flounder, Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank windowpane flounder, Georges Bank winter flounder, Southern Atlantic Coast red grouper, California Central Valley Sacramento (fall) chinook salmon, and Bering Sea southern Tanner crab.

Although it is often assumed that a stock has a low population due to too much fishing, other factors influence the health and abundance of fish stocks, including environmental changes, disease, and habitat degradation.

Scientists believe that one of the stocks added to the overfished list, the Tanner crab in Alaska, may have been affected by environmental factors.

The report, which has been issued annually since 1997, summarizes the best available science for the 528 federally-managed fish stocks. Since not all stocks are targeted by commercial and recreational fishermen, NOAA prioritizes collecting information on the commercially and recreationally important species that constitute most of the domestic fishing activity in the country.

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, NOAA and the eight regional fishery management councils are required to end overfishing, use annual catch limits and accountability measures to prevent future overfishing, and rebuild stocks to levels that can provide the maximum sustainable yield.

To complete the annual report, NOAA examines a variety of sources, including landings data and log books, and conducts its own surveys. The 2010 Status of U.S. Fisheries, which contains data and analysis nationally and by region, is available online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2011/07/docs/report.pdf.

source: NOAA

Sustainable Seafood Sales Increase in the U.K. - Netherlands

British and Dutch consumers are increasingly committed to buying sustainable seafood products even in difficult financial times. Independent research shows a 154% increase in consumer spend on sustainable seafood in the UK, and a 50% increase in the Netherlands.

U.K. Sustainable Seafood

Despite just 1% growth in overall household expenditure between 2007 and 2009, the sustainable seafood sector flourished, with UK spend on sustainable seafood reaching £178 million over the same period.

The UK’s Co-operative Bank Ethical Consumerism 2010 Reportshows that overall and throughout the recession, there has been growing support by British consumers for green goods and services, including an 18% increase in total spend between 2007 and 2009.

Ethical and environmentally friendly food and drinks is one of the fastest growing sectors within the category (27% over the last two years) but across all services and goods the market for sustainable seafood is one of the key drivers of the overall growth.

Netherlands Sustainable Seafood

In a separate survey on food and sustainability in the Netherlands, researchers found that spend on sustainable-labelled wild-caught seafood increased by 50% in the first six months of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. Of that expenditure, over two-thirds comes from products carrying the MSC ecolabel for certified sustainable seafood.

In the first half of 2010, overall food expenditure in the Netherlands increased by just 1.4% while consumer expenditure on sustainable and ecolabelled food increased by 25.5%. However, the leap in revenue from sustainable seafood – from €39 to 59 million, makes it one of the fastest moving sectors in the Netherlands.

source: MSC

Fish Tales Wins Best Sustainable Food Book World Award

For their book entitled Fish Tales, Bart van Olphen and Tom Kime have been awarded the top prize for ‘Best Sustainable Food Book in the World’ at the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in Paris.

The work, published by Kyle Cathie in conjunction with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), highlights sustainable fisheries and the coastal communities they support.  The book also inspires readers to get cooking with sustainable seafood, with Tom Kime’s delicious recipes, beautifully photographed.

The fisheries featured in Fish Tales have all been certified against the MSC environmental standard for sustainable fishing.  Products originating from these fisheries are eligible to bear the blue MSC ecolabel, telling customers that the seafood they are choosing is traceable to a well-managed, sustainable source.

Bart van Olphen became interested in sourcing sustainable seafood as a seafood entrepreneur in Amsterdam, and, in 2007, his store Fishes became the first retailer in Europe to be certified against the MSC Chain of Custody traceability standard.

Tom Kime is an internationally-renowned chef, with a personal mission to use his love of food and fine cooking to educate consumers about sustainability.

source: MSC

Responsibly Harvested Gulf of Maine Seafood Label

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) has announced a new program that makes it easy for seafood shoppers to identify responsibly harvested seafood from the Gulf of Maine region. Seafood suppliers earn the ability to use the Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested seal on products based on criteria that support the long-term health of the regions fisheries and fishing communities.

The seal will initially appear on cod, haddock, lobster, and northern shrimp products from the Gulf of Maine region at Hannaford and other retail stores. GMRI is in the process of assessing additional fisheries, with the goal of adding more seafood products to the program later this year.

In addition to finding the Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested seal in retail stores, consumers may also see the seal displayed at local restaurants and fish markets in Maine and throughout New England in the coming months.

"The seal lets consumers know that an objective science institution has verified responsible harvest and traced the product to the Gulf of Maine," said Jen Levin, GMRI's sustainable seafood program manager.

Scientists, environmental organizations, fishermen, processors, retailers, and restaurants contributed to the development of the requirements for use of the seal. The seal will assure consumers of the following:

 * The product came from the clean, productive waters of the Gulf of Maine.

 * The fishery is managed in a way that contributes to the long-term health of the resource.

 * A portion of the proceeds contributes to GMRIs efforts to motivate and reward progress throughout the supply chain toward increased sustainability of Gulf of Maine fisheries.

Food retailers also benefit from providing information to consumers through an easy-to-spot seal.

For more information, visit www.gmri.org/seafood

Understanding Seafood Sustainability

The subject of seafood sustainability is a complex issue. The subject applies to wild caught seafood as well as farm raised fish and shellfish.
The following list offers tips for choosing sustainable seafood:


 - Buy local. Besides helping the local economy, buying local helps insure that fish is fresh. Typically, small scale local fisheries are sustainable

 - Ask questions and read labels. Where did the fish come from? Is it  wild-caught? Is the seafood from a sustainable fishery?

 - Knowing the country of origin is important when choosing seafood. If seafood offers no hint of where it originated, it may be wise to pass it up.

 - Ask your restaurant owner to offer sustainable and locally sourced seafood. Questions from savvy diners will send a message to chefs and management about  consumer preferences.

 - Try new kinds of fish and seafood. You may find a new favorite. Many fish markets and  other stores have begun carrying non-traditional fish and seafood, many of which are delicious and healthy. When available, mackerel, herring, and pacific sardines are excellent choices with good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

 - Support sustainable fishing. Sustainable fishing practices protect future supplies of fish which is good for people whose livelihood depends on fish as well as being good for eco-systems.

 - Learn more about seafood and aquaculture, including issues concerning health, nutrition, sustainability, locally sourced products and how to safely handle and cook seafood.

While these habits may seem time consuming, the results are worth it. Seafood is known for its wonderful flavor, health benefits and popularity as a meal choice. To learn more about choosing sustainable foods, see this article on buying fresh local seafood.

WFOA Launches Albacore Tuna Information Website

The Western Fishboat Owners Association (WFOA) has launched a new Web site dedicated to U.S. troll-caught albacore. WFOA created the site, www.pacificalbacore.com, along with other marketing efforts, will increase the domestic market for local tuna.

In March of 2010, the fishery earned the Marine Stewardship Council blue label certification as a sustainable fishery.

"Sustainable fish and local food are hot topics rights now," said WFOA Director Wayne Heikkila. "People are visiting their local markets looking for sustainably caught fish.....We want to encourage local people to try this delicious, heart-healthy fish."

The site offers information on the history of the Pacific Northwest fishery, nutrition, cooking tips, recipes, news and how and where to buy albacore.