News Summary: February 8, 2010


Today's Main Story: Peter Pan honored in Alaska

Peter Pan was honored as the top corporate sponsor of Head Start in Alaska this week, for its Ôsalmon to schools' program that encouraged harvesters to donate salmon, which Peter Pan then processed, and distributed to schools in Alaska.

In other news, New Bedford Attorney Harvey Mickelson says the scallop industry was blindsided by the council vote to reduce scallop fishing effort last fall, and that part of the reason is disarray at SMAST- School for Marine Science and Technology- which has suffered from a loss of direction and support since the departure of its first dean, Dr. Brian Rothschild. Mickelson says none of the replacement candidates have fisheries experience, and that the industry is in danger of losing its eyes and ears on regulators unless this changes.

Humpback whales may be a factor in the failure of the Prince William sound herring stocks to recover, and whales are also undoubtedly a factor for herring stocks in New England as well.

Russian fish exporters will get catch origin certificates to allow for export to the EU, under a decree signed last week by Vladimir Putin. But the pile up in warehouses due to the delay has depressed pollock prices in the Far East, says a spokes person for the Russian fisheries agency.

A scientist has criticized Loblaw's which last week started showing empty trays and banned the sale of some types of seafood, including some sharks. The ban will disrupt the research that allows scientists to monitor shark populations, says Steve Campana, a shark researcher at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. The blanket ban would halt data collections on the species, and may in fact lead to more instability in the stock, certainly not an outcome Loblaws' anticipated.

Monkfish may be the most valuable species, pound for pound, on the East Coast, and it is leading scientists to use increasingly sophisticated survey methods. One involves actually implanting logging tags in Monkfish, and offering fishermen a $500 reward if they catch of these fish and return the logger.

Alaska developments we review today include the continuing legal mess at Adak, a request to the legislature from the Southeast Seiners Assoc., and action by the Board of Fish to ask the legislature for more protection of Bristol Bay from open pit mining.

Last nights Saints' win was an early start to Mardi Gras, and hopefully a sign that this years' lent season will be a winner for the seafood industry as well. With so many people in a good mood, they can't help but buy seafood. We highlight the New Orleans chef for the ÔTaste of the NFL' Allison Vines-Rushing who said she knew last fall this would be the Saints' year.

John Sackton, Editor And Publisher , Lexington, Massachusetts
Seafood.com News 1-781-861-1441
Email comments to jsackton@seafood.com

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