Christine Blank

Contributing Editor

Christine Blank, a veteran freelance writer and editor, covers all aspects of the seafood industry, from fishing to processing to selling and serving the final product. When she is not writing for SeafoodSource, Christine gets to taste scrumptious seafood dishes at U.S. restaurants for her food and travel blog, Flavorful Excursions (www.flavorfulexcursions.net). Christine loves to eat seafood of any kind, but lobster, crab and crawfish are among her favorites. In addition to SeafoodSource.com and SeaFood Business, Christine’s articles have been published in hundreds of leading magazines and newspapers, such as The New York Times, USA Today and Associated Press.

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Author Archive

Published on
June 23, 2023

U.S. restaurant operators expect higher sales and traffic this summer, and seafood restaurant chains are likely to benefit as a result, though they’ll likely have to offer specials and discounts to lure deal-hunting customers in for a meal.

Over the past year, inflation-ravaged consumers in the U.S. shifted to preparing food at home instead of eating out to save money. But that trend could be shifting, with nearly 60 percent of restaurant

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Published on
June 20, 2023

Walmart is updating is seafood sourcing policy to require tuna suppliers to source exclusively from vessels that have 100 percent observer monitoring – either electronic or human observer – by 2027.

The Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.A.-based operator of more than 10,500 stores globally, including nearly 4,700 Walmart stores and nearly 600 Sam’s Club stores in the U.S., said tuna suppliers must also source from fisheries using

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Published on
June 15, 2023

Predictions for record spending this Father’s Day are not swaying U.S. grocery chains from emphasizing their value seafood offerings.

Americans will collectively spend an estimated record-high USD 22.9 billion (EUR 21 billion) to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, 18 June, up from USD 20 billion (EUR 18 billion) in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual survey. Greeting cards and clothing will be the

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Published on
June 13, 2023

Inflation continued to dampen U.S. retail demand in May 2023, even as fresh and frozen seafood prices dropped.

Inflation rose 4 percent in May year-over-year on an unadjusted basis, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall food prices were up 6.7 percent during the period, with food away-from-home inflation up 8.3 percent and food-at-home inflation up 5.8 percent.

Fresh seafood sales increased 0.6 percent by value for the 13

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Published on
June 12, 2023

After enjoying success in Singapore, Long John Silver’s has expanded into Indonesia and plans further growth in Southeast Asia.

In late May, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.-based LJS opened its first restaurant in Indonesia in Gading Serpong, a township just west of Jakarta, the country’s capital. The flagship eatery “combines the fan-favorite Long John Silver’s menu with local flair for a unique seafood experience,”

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Published on
June 12, 2023

Americans are buying more sushi and fresh prepared seafood items from supermarket delis, but higher prices are pushing down unit sales.

Sushi sales at U.S. retail locations across the United States climbed 3.8 percent by value to USD 2.58 billion (EUR 2.4 billion) for the year ending 13 May, according to Nielsen data provided by Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S.A.-based strategic insights company Category Partners.

In the most recent quarter ending 23

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Published on
June 8, 2023

U.S. shoppers are spending more on groceries this year as they balance their desire for quality and healthiness with the higher cost of food, including seafood, according to two new surveys.

Besides cost, American consumers are also considering eating well, quality, nutrition, freshness, convenience, family food preferences, individual cooking skills and habits, and individual shopping experiences when deciding whether to purchase a particular

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Published on
June 2, 2023

Blue Star Foods’ recorded a net loss of USD 2 million (EUR 1.9 million) in Q1 2023, and its revenue plunged 64 percent to USD 1.9 million (EUR 1.8 million), primarily due to a decrease in volumes sold.

The Miami, Florida, U.S.A.-based crabmeat importer and operator of recirculating aquaculture systems reported its gross profit also dropped 42 percent to USD 300,000 (EUR 280,000) and its operating losses rose 12 percent to USD 900,000 (EUR

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Published on
May 31, 2023

After Andrew Gruel and his wife Lauren sold their interest in Slapfish, the Huntington Beach, California, U.S.A., fast-casual seafood restaurant chain in July 2022, they knew they wanted to focus on a smaller concept in which they could source local, sustainable, and Fair Trade-certified seafood.

Andrew and Lauren Gruel realized that vision with Calico Fish House, which opened in Huntington Beach in January 2023. Calico Fish House serves up at

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Published on
May 30, 2023

The rate of inflation for prices of seafood sold at retail in the U.K. continues to rise, with chilled seafood plummeting as a result, and even shelf-stable, or ambient seafood, suffering a decline in sales.

The rate went from 1.2 percent in September 2022 to 6.8 percent in March 2023, Watson noted, citing NieslenIQ data. As a result, U.K. retail seafood sales dropped 1.2 percent to GBP 4.08 billion (USD 5.1 billion, EUR 4.7 billion) from the

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