Here’s a recap of this week’s can’t-miss SeafoodSource news stories, commentaries and market reports:
• This week, fish took a backseat to turkey in the United States. It was all about the bird. But Thanksgiving didn’t stop a few retailers from promoting seafood: Both Dorothy Lane Market in Ohio and Pathmark in the Mid-Atlantic advertised oysters prominently — the mollusk is a common ingredient in many stuffing recipes — while supermarket heavyweight Safeway kicked off a king crab promotion that runs through December. Check out what else was on special for seafood this week in SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Christine Blank’s piece, “Seafood ads abound for Thanksgiving.”
• Speaking of the holidays, Christmas — believe it or not — is around the corner. But in France, oyster producers are looking to expand sales beyond Christmas time, when three-quarters of the country’s annual oyster sales occur. And according to a new report from FranceAgriMer, there’s plenty of room for growth. SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Lindsey Partos laid out the opportunities in her piece, “For oysters, growth lies beyond Christmas.”
• SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Nicki Holmyard caught up with Guus Pastoor, president of the European Fish Traders and Processors Association and chairman of the Dutch Federation of Fish Processors and Wholesalers, to talk about everything from international trade politics to the current economic climate to sustainability and eco-labeling. Despite a difficult 2009, the industry veteran remains optimistic about the long-term prospects for seafood sales. Holmyard’s interview with Pastoor is a must-read.
• Two stories this week covered the European Union’s push to make its fisheries more sustainable: The EU’s fisheries council gathered in Brussels to mull over proposals from the European Commission to amend several fishing regulations, while the call to ratify the Food and Agriculture Organization’s new treaty to fight IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing grew louder.
• It’s been an extremely challenging for the hunger-relief community — the U.S. unemployment rate reached a 16-year high in October, and the number of “food insecure” Americans is up 36 percent from a year ago. Food banks are always on the lookout for seafood, the hardest protein for them to procure. This holiday season, do your part by reaching out to organizations like SeaShare and donating product, services or money to help prevent hunger. Tropical Aquaculture Products, which donated 10,000 pounds of fresh tilapia fillets to food banks for Thanksgiving, is one of the many seafood suppliers that’s chipping in.
