Chris Chase is the Portland, Maine-based associate editor of SeafoodSource. Previously, he worked covering local issues at the Coastal Journal in Bath, Maine, where he won multiple awards from the Maine Press Association for his news coverage and food reviews. Chris is a graduate of the University of Maine, and got his start in writing by serving as a reporter and later the State Editor of The Maine Campus, an award-winning campus newspaper.
Author Archive
Premium Brands Holdings Corporation has awarded a larger share in Clearwater Seafoods to the Mi’kmaq First Nations by restructuring CAD 100 million (USD 75 million, EUR 68 million) in debt.
Premium Brands and the Mi’kmaq First Nations announced the plan to purchase Clearwater Seafoods in November 2020 in a transaction valued at roughly CAD 1 billion (USD 754 million, EUR 685 million). The purchase also involved FNC Holdings, a legal
… Read MoreGhanaian police are reportedly investigating the death of a fishery observer after his body was discovered decapitated nearly a month after his disappearance.
Fishery observer Samuel Abayitey disappeared from the tuna fishing vessel Marine 707 in early November. The vessel, which according to MarineTraffic is flagged to Ghana, was stationed at Tema Harbor in southeastern Ghana.
Citi News reported Abayitey’s body was discovered washed
… Read MoreThe Covid-19 pandemic was a massively disruptive force impacting businesses across the entire seafood industry.
Stuck at home with restaurants shut down and little to do, consumers began to look for alternative recipes and ways to access seafood, fueling a direct-to-consumer seafood boom. Existing direct-to-consumer companies like Wild Alaskan Company saw massive upticks in business, while more traditional seafood companies and
… Read MoreOcean Beauty Seafoods announced its plans to sell off the company’s distribution business.
The company announced in a release that all of its distribution operations, which include facilities in Astoria and Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; Dallas, Texas; Helena, Montana; Renton, Washington; and Salt Lake City, Utah, are now for sale.
It added that the sale is part of a “long-term business strategy” of its owners – the
… Read MoreEnvironmental watchdogs have flagged a Mexico-based startup as potentially violating trade laws by selling health supplements using ingredients sourced from the endangered totoaba fish.
The Associated Press reported The Blue Formula has been accused of selling health supplements using ingredients extracted from the totoaba, a critically endangered fish native to the Gulf of California. The species has been listed under the Convention on
… Read MoreÅlesund, Norway-based salmon farmer and processor Hofseth International has agreed to a deal with Hofseth BioCare (HBC) that will see NOK 144 million (USD 13.8 million, EUR 12.7 million) of the latter company’s debt converted into shares with a subscription price of NOK 9.00 (USD 0.86, EUR 0.79) per B share.
The move, according to a release from HBC, will cover its debt to the salmon farmer for raw materials it has received
… Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Labor is reportedly investigating two seafood processors located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A., for alleged child labor and other labor law violations.
The New Bedford Light reported a letter from the U.S. Labor Department said it is investigating Atlantic Red Crab and Sea Watch International, as well as two staffing agencies: Workforce Unlimited and B.J.’s Service Company that provide labor to
… Read MoreThe California Coastal Commission has denied five separate appeals challenging permits granting Nordic Aquafarms’ rights for its planned yellowtail recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in Humboldt County, California, U.S.A.
The board heard appeals by 350 Humboldt, Redwood Region Audubon Society, Salmonid Restoration Federation, and residents Alison Willy and Scott Frazer on its decision to grant permits with conditions for Nordic
… Read MoreIceland Seafood International (ISI) has raised ISK 1.08 billion (USD 7.8 million, EUR 7.1 million) through the issuance of 200 million new shares.
The company authorized the issuance of new shares at a 24 October 2023 shareholders meeting. The move came after the company announced in its Q3 2023 results it was forecasting a lower profit before tax, after a quarter marked by lower sales and the sale of its Iceland Seafood UK division to Danish
… Read MoreChicago, Illinois, U.SA.-heaquartered technology solutions provider John Bean Technologies Corporation (JBT) has made a second attempt to acquire Gardabaer, Iceland-based processing equipment manufacturer Marel.
Marel nixed a takeover bid from JBT in late November after the company’s board of directors determined the proposal was not in the best interest of the companies shareholders. The board said that the initial offer, which was
… Read More