Haley Jones

On 17 September, members of the FOSPI-PMFU labor union, nonprofit advocacy organization Global Labor Justice (GLJ), and their partners across the globe criticized StarKist for allowing years of documented forced labor violations and called on the company to enter an enforceable brand agreement (EBA).   GLJ Seafood Program Director Zacari Edwards announced the publication of a report titled "On the Hook: Forced Labor in StarKist's Supply Chain"… Read More

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is leading surveys on how European customers both know and feel about surimi in an effort to expand the product's reach in European markets.   The project, known as the Pan-European Genuine Alaska Pollock Surimi project, surveyed more than 5,700 customers, ASMI said in a release. The results showed that consumer awareness of surimi is "relatively strong”, but significant knowledge gaps still… Read More

Springfield, Virginia, U.S.A.-based nonprofit BoatUS Foundation is reinforcing a call to action for cleaning up abandoned vessels. According to a release by the boating organization, vessels that are abandoned on waterways cause significant environmental and economic damage. The vessels can crush seagrass and coral habitats, leak pollutants such as fuel and oil, block navigation channels and disrupt other boaters, and put other vessels at risk… Read More

To keep up to date with the latest personnel changes across the seafood industry, SeafoodSource is compiling a regular round-up of hiring announcements and other personnel-related shifts worldwide. If you have an announcement, please send it to [email protected]. – Gunnar Aasbø-Skinderhaug, the CFO and deupty CEO of Homestead, Florida, U.S.A.-based land-based salmon-farming company Atlantic Sapphire, will be stepping down from both… Read More

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has announced a partnership with Alzheimer's Resource Alaska, linking the nutrients found in Alaskan seafood products to positive, long-term brain health.  In a recent article for Senior Voice – a publication for Alaskans aged 50 and older – Alzheimer's Resource Alaska CEO Lisa Sauder authored an article titled "Caring for Your Brain in Alaska's Busy Season." In that piece, Sauder pointed to… Read More

A 15-year-old boy was the lone survivor of a fishing vessel that capsized off the coast of Alaska, U.S.A.  According to a release by the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District, the 18-foot commercial fishing vessel capsized 4 miles off the coast of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, U.S.A. around 6 September with three members on board.   After two days at sea, a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew deployed from Air Station Kodiak was able to locate the… Read More

The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) is calling for applications for this year’s edition of the Alaska Symphony of Seafood contest.   AFDF started the annual competition in 1994 to encourage seafood product innovation for value-added products sourced from seafood caught in Alaska, U.S.A. to encourage local commercial fishing efforts, while leveraging sales beyond the state.   Last year, Thunder’s Catch’s Wild Salmon Curry… Read More

University of Alaska Fairbanks-based Alaska Sea Grant launched the Alaska Oyster Voyage this summer, encouraging patrons to both taste and log different oysters across the state from varying vendors.   The program is in partnership with the Alaska Shellfish Growers Association. The two organizations created a digital “Alaska Oyster Trail” that’s interactive for users to navigate guided oyster farm tours, raw bars, and oyster vendors –… Read More

McLean, Virginia, U.S.A.-based seafood nonprofit Seafood Task Force (STF) recently launched a first-of-its-kind risk-based assurance and remediation program on hundreds of tuna vessels to improve traceability and labor conditions.   According to a release by STF, the program was developed to improve social responsibility challenges facing tuna vessels, especially in high-sea fishing fleets. The program will run for 5 years, with a stated goal… Read More

The Canadian government joined representatives from the Gitanyow, B.C.-based Hereditary Chiefs to sign a 10-year Incremental Fisheries Reconciliation Agreement to strengthen the Gitanyow Fisheries Authority’s roll-out of fisheries stewardship initiatives.   According to a release by the Canadian government, the agreement will strengthen both new and existing initiatives – such as the Kitawanga Sockeye Recovery Program – and support… Read More