Editorial commentaries on the domestic and global seafood industry.
By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
14 January, 2009
Soon U.S. Customs and Border Protection will no longer require shrimp traders subject to antidumping tariffs to pony up onerous bonds to get product into the U.S. market. So what took so long?
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
12 January, 2009
Even as Chilean salmon farmers continue to fight infectious salmon anemia, the situation remains shaky. With news that production there could decline by as much as 30 percent this year, the industry must overcome this challenge or be defined by its failure to do so.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
09 January, 2009
President George W. Bush’s designation this week of nearly 200,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean as marine protected areas may seem like a harmless stab at preserving his environmental legacy, but it’s not. Just because a new administration is taking the helm in a week-and-half doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of MPAs in U.S. waters.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
05 January, 2009
The global aquaculture industry is constantly torn between expanding fast enough to satisfy the world’s insatiable appetite for seafood and growing fish in a responsible and sustainable manner. But a University of Michigan professor suggests that the industry is balancing both acts quite well, a tidbit of good news in an industry that’s unfortunately accustomed to bad news.
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
31 December, 2008
The nearly complete 2008 will be remembered for many things, some incredibly historic. Here’s a quick rundown of the top 10 seafood news stories that SeafoodSource followed this year.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
22 December, 2008
Last week, actor Jeremy Piven left the Broadway show “Speed-the-Plow” due to mercury toxicity, resulting, his physician claimed, from years of regular sushi consumption. Soon after the news broke, consumers advocacy groups — and even a sauna manufacturer — used the “Entourage” star’s mysterious illness to promote their causes.
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
19 December, 2008
The National Fisheries Institute is more aggressively combating what it calls slanted media coverage and agenda-driven environmental and consumer groups. The seafood industry’s trade association may lack the muscle of other lobby groups, but it’s taking its swings creatively.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
17 December, 2008
Carbon monoxide was among the 17 potentially dangerous food additives and substances China blacklisted this week, according to a report from China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency. Will the United States do the same?
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
15 December, 2008
Finally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can see the light. Amending the federal government’s advisory on seafood consumption and the putting the risk of mercury contamination into proper perspective is long overdue.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
12 December, 2008
The days of campus dining offering little in the way of taste and variety are long gone. Colleges and universities nationwide are graduating students with refined palates and an appetite for nutrition, the origin of food and sustainability. As students enter the workforce, they’ll be looking for healthy seafood choices produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
10 December, 2008
The Marine Stewardship Council reiterated this week that the Alaska pollock fishery is sustainable and well managed, despite Greenpeace’s claims to the contrary. The London group is now defending the value of its influential eco-label.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
08 December, 2008
U.S. sales of fish oil supplements are through the roof, projected to exceed $500 million this year. But New Zealand researchers say consumers who pop fish oil pills instead of eating seafood regularly are missing out on selenium’s healthful attributes.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
03 December, 2008
Despite the ongoing global economic crisis, China remains a hot seafood export market. But introducing new seafood products in a country with 1.3 billion people can be a challenge. Make sure you do your homework before diving into the world's fourth-largest economy.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
26 November, 2008
For the hunger-relief community, it's been an extremely challenging year. The number of Americans struggling with hunger is rising sharply, and food companies are finding it increasingly difficult to contribute. But, as the holidays approach, the call to fight hunger is louder than ever.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
21 November, 2008
The world's second-largest economy officially slipped into a recession this week, a casualty of the global economic crisis. But Japan may be in better shape than its counterparts - mainly the United States and the Europe an Union - due to an aversion to business and consumer debt and nearly 20 years of sub-par growth. And that's good news for restaurateurs who cater to the business crowd.
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
19 November, 2008
The global economic crisis' impact on the seafood industry is multifaceted. Restaurant sales are down, as is demand for high-priced foods. Major financing institutions face collapse or complete restructuring, leaving suppliers short of working capital. Reports of stranded shipments are now surfacing.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
17 November, 2008
Tsukiji Market is the center of the seafood universe. On any given Monday morning, the world's largest wholesale seafood market is hustling and bustling with shoulder-to-shoulder activity. But the market isn't quite as vibrant as it used to be, a casualty of Japanese consumers' changing diet and retailers' shifting purchasing behaviors.
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
12 November, 2008
Assistant Editor James Wright is in Vietnam, visiting pangasius producers and other seafood ventures. Despite the prospect of further trade barriers from the 2009 Farm Bill, expect more product from Vietnam to enter the U.S. market as the country's ambitious aquaculture industry ramps up production and refines its message.
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By Fiona Robinson, SeaFood Business editor and associate publisher
07 November, 2008
The 2008 presidential election is history, but the power struggle on Capitol Hill is far from over. Politicians are jockeying for key committee positions that could have all lobbyists, including those for seafood, scrambling to maintain important relationships.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
05 November, 2008
One Costa Mesa, Calif., seafood spot was among the dozens of restaurants nationwide that offered free or discounted food on Election Day to drive guest traffic and grab a little free publicity on an otherwise sleepy Tuesday. And it paid off.
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
31 October, 2008
American consumers don't hunger for menhaden and anchovies, but fishmeal and fish oil manufacturers certainly do. A recent study suggesting forage fisheries should be used solely to feed humans - and not livestock or farmed fish - seems unrealistic.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
29 October, 2008
Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens' contribution to marine stewardship is unmatched in Congress. But the embattled Republican's political fate, and the fishing and seafood industries' representation on Capitol Hill, hangs by a thread following his conviction on all seven felony counts of failing to disclose more than $250,000 in gifts.
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
27 October, 2008
The U.S. catfish industry has been defined by its recent struggles more than its successes. The Catfish Institute is hoping to reverse the momentum by promoting domestic catfish as a premium seafood product branded with a recognizable, quality-denoting market name.
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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
20 October, 2008
Buying sustainable seafood isn't an option - it's a necessity.
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By James Wright, SeaFood Business senior editor
15 October, 2008
EcoFish, a sustainable seafood supplier based in New Hampshire, yesterday launched two seafood items that are certified gluten free. More than ever before, consumers with food allergies and sensitivities are able to find safe foods to eat. Seafood companies should explore this growing market.
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