Here’s a look at this week’s can’t-miss SeafoodSource news stories and commentaries:
• The Seafood Choices Alliance Seafood Summit dominated this week’s SeafoodSource coverage. SeaFood Business Associate Editor James Wright and SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Lindsey Partos were in Paris reporting on the three-day event, which wrapped up on Tuesday. During the event, salmon, especially the farmed variety, garnered a lot of attention, wrote Wright in “All eyes on salmon.” In “Over exposed?” Wright commented on Pure Salmon Campaign’s provocative 23-minute film titled “Farmed Salmon Exposed: The Global Reach of the Norwegian Salmon Farming Industry” and the heated debate it stirred up. Partos wrote about Dr. Daniel Pauly’s opening address in “Defining sustainability” and about Pisces Responsible Fish Restaurants in “Chefs think green.”
• What’s cobia’s future? The species has a lot going for it — it’s extremely fast growing, it has a firm white flesh with few bones, and it has a mild taste. So what’s preventing global cobia production from taking off? SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Mike Urch digs into the subject in his commentary “Will cobia fulfill its potential?” He also takes a look at Marine Farms, a Norwegian aquaculture company that has been farming cobia off the coast of central Vietnam since 2005.
• More news this week on the movement to certify farmed seafood: Aldi launched in its more than 1,000 U.S. stores a set of private-label seafood products certified according to the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices standards. The GAA also announced that a draft of the BAP pangasius standards is now available for public comment through 31 March. Additionally, the Bivalve Aquaculture Dialogue kicked off its final public comment period for its draft standards; the deadline is 1 April.
• In this week’s “On the spot” commentary, SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Christine Blank featured Durwin Daniels, director of food and beverage for The Fish Market. Daniels talked about how the six-restaurant California seafood chain stepped up its marketing efforts and saw holiday sales rise significantly.
• Should sourcing more local seafood be part of your sustainable seafood policy? That’s what SeafoodSource Contributing Editor Lisa Duchene posed to readers in “Let’s talk local.” To answer the question, Duchene turned to Jeanne von Zastrow, senior director of sustainability and industry relations at the Food Marketing Institute, and Laurie Demeritt, president and COO of the Hartman Group. If local fish is on your mind, then Duchene’s commentary is a must-read.