Here’s a look at this week’s can’t-miss SeafoodSource news stories and commentaries:
• The United States’ No. 2 discount retailer gave farmed salmon the boot on Tuesday. Target will now sell only wild Alaska salmon, calling the decision an “important step” toward ensuring that its salmon originates from a sustainable, environmentally friendly source. In an interview with SeafoodSource Assistant Editor April Forristall, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute spokesperson Laura Fleming applauded the move, which she said is creating a lot of excitement and opportunity in the state.
• Target wasn’t the only major retailer to garner headlines on the sustainable-seafood front this week. On Tuesday, Safeway partnered with FishWise to develop and implement a more comprehensive sustainable seafood purchasing policy. And on Monday, Carrefour teamed up with the Marine Stewardship Council and three major seafood suppliers — Findus, Connétable and Labeyrie — to raise awareness of sustainable fisheries among French consumers.
• SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Jason Holland’s column debuted this week. “As much as food producers and retailers active in the UK market crave a swift return to big, pre-recession consumer spending, the country’s economic emergence is set to be a sluggish, drawn-out process,” wrote Holland. “For most companies, the 2009 Christmas period was better than the previous year, but it wasn’t great, and supermarket chains expect trading to be difficult over the next 12 months.”
• If U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) has his way, the number of inspections performed on seafood imports will increase and the number of ports through which seafood imports could enter the country will be limited. Late last week, Vitter introduced the Imported Seafood Safety Standards Act to crack down on tainted seafood imports and the act of port shopping. In a YouTube clip, Vitter was clear that he’s out to protect Louisiana’s seafood industry.
• Who will in this year’s International Boston Seafood Show Seafood Excellence Awards? We’ll find out in March. For MacKnight Smoked Salmon, capturing the competition’s best new retail product last year has helped propel sales of its Bagel Slice. Sales of the product have been “absolutely booming” since its debut, said Stephen Nicholson, the Miami-based company’s VP.
