Alaska red king crab supplies are so short this season that prices have soared to record highs.
Before the season started on 15 October, Japanese buyers contracted for an estimated 60 percent of the landings. The favorable yen-to-dollar ratio helped Japanese buyers acquire more product.
“The companies in Japan did very well last year with red king crab, so they came in this year with a positive attitude,” said one wholesaler.
In addition,
U.S. seafood restaurateurs and retailers are stepping up their promotional efforts to attract more customers around Thanksgiving.
In addition to their regular menus, Portland, Ore.-based McCormick & Schmick’s is offering a special Thanksgiving menu that features turkey, mashed potatoes and seasonal soup, while Boston-based Legal Sea Foods is menuing stuffed turkey and other traditional Thanksgiving fare.
The upscale seafood chains are
As part of its nearly completed remodel, Parkers’ Lighthouse in Long Beach, Calif., is adding a steakhouse/supper club concept to its seafood restaurant. While it has focused on serving a variety of fresh, sustainable seafood for the past 27 years, executives want to offer live music and other food options to locals and tourists who are out on the weekends.
SeafoodSource recently spoke with Parkers’ Lighthouse General Manager Michael Cole
… Read MoreSeafood industry representatives are contesting the latest mercury findings by Operation Safe Seafood, a GotMercury.org-led project.
Operated by the Sea Turtle Restoration Project in Forest Knolls, Calif., GotMercury.org tested mercury levels in seafood in a few U.S. cities this year. Released last month, its latest report on mercury levels in swordfish, tuna and other fish purchased at Destin, Fla.-area supermarkets is drawing criticism.
Seven
Buying sustainable seafood and locally produced food are among the top trends that the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) found in its new “FMI Grocery Shopper Trends 2010” survey.
Thirty-seven percent of shoppers now say they buy sustainable seafood on a regular basis, an increase of 7 percent from last year, according to the survey of 1,000 consumers, which defined sustainable seafood as “where the fish is caught and replenished.”
Buying
While Florida’s spiny lobster supplies are about the same as last season, price are higher, according to the state’s suppliers and distributors.
The spiny lobster harvest, which runs from 6 August through the end of March, represents Florida’s third-highest grossing seafood product in sales, behind shrimp and stone crabs. Last season, the dockside value was USD 13.2 million, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
… Read MoreAlthough more consumers purchase organic, local and sustainable foods, they are most confused about foods that are “sustainable,” according to a new survey.
Seventy-eight percent of people surveyed said they purchase local food or order it at restaurants at least once a month, and 59 percent order or buy sustainable food, according to Technomic’s survey of 1,500 American consumers in its new “The Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report.”
… Read MoreEric Sayers, executive chef at CQ’s Restaurant in Hilton Head Island, S.C., has been advocating sustainability of ocean life for years. Recently, however, the South Carolina Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SSI), which emphasizes responsible management and consumption of the world’s seafood populations, named Sayers as a “platinum partner,” because nearly all of the restaurant’s seafood offerings are sustainable. Sayers has completely
… Read MoreBP on Tuesday said it will provide the state of Florida with USD 20 million in funding for Gulf of Mexico seafood testing and marketing over the next three years.
BP’s agreement is a big win for Florida, especially since other states, including Louisiana, have not yet had their seafood-marketing funding requests approved by BP. BP is paying USD 10 million for seafood inspections and USD 10 million for seafood marketing.
“It is a really good
… Read MoreWalmart’s addition of 30 to 40 smaller format stores over the next two years should bode well for fresh and frozen seafood suppliers.
The Bentonville, Ark.-based retail giant announced its global growth plan in mid-October, which includes adding 32.5 million square feet of selling space worldwide in 2011. Walmart’s large-format stores will experience the most growth, with a projected 152 stores added in the United States in fiscal 2011 and
… Read More
