Environment & Sustainability

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Chris Oliver has called for the retraction of a scientific paper that draws the conclusion that illegal and unreported seafood caught in the United States is entering the Japanese market.

The paper, “Estimates of illegal and unreported seafood imports to Japan,” was published in Marine Policy, a scientific journal covering ocean policy. The pa… Read More

The Marine Stewardship Council certification of one of the largest fisheries in the United States is being challenged by environmental groups, who claim there’s not enough data to prove the fishery is sustainable.

Omega Protein, based in Houston, Texas, requested MSC certification for the U.S. Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) and U.S. Gulf of Mexico menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) fisheries in June 2017. The company, which was bought … Read More

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Walton Family Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and FishWise have come together in a new alliance aimed at combating illegal fishing and strengthening sustainable fisheries management.

The new global initiative, the Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability (SALT), will promote knowledge exchanges and actions surroundi… Read More

China continues to squeeze the number of vessels in its own waters in order to replenish heavily overexploited fisheries. 

A blizzard of propaganda in Rongcheng, a key fishing port in Shandong Province, and a conference organized by local government and the fisheries bureau there, have informed trawler owners that the city will convert or destroy 96 vessels this year. Local government has gone as far as appointing two permanent officials at … Read More

As the Caribbean continues its fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, fisheries officials agreed at a meeting last month to harmonize standards for marking authorized fishing vessels, as well as to establish a list of vessels involved in IUU fishing.

According to a news release on the website of the Food and Agriculture Organization, a working group comprising members of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission, … Read More

Nonprofit FishChoice.com recently launched an online Sustainable Seafood Restaurant Finder map and guide of nearly 400 restaurants in more than 30 states in the United States.

The map shows the name of the restaurant with a website link (where applicable) and a tag of the program the restaurant is working with. 

“We decided to put this map together because we want to further recognize both the programs and restaurants working with thes… Read More

Thai seafood producers claim they’re working to meet stricter reporting requirements, which they say are helping to improve labor and food safety problems in the industry.

There has been a rise in reporting requirements due to the U.S. Congress’ Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, according to Panisuan Jamnamwej, chairman of the Committee on Fisheries and Related Industries at the Thai Chamber of Commerce. In addition, the… Read More

As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers removing limitations against a proposed mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, opponents of the measure are making their stances known.

With less than a week before the EPA’s 17 October deadline for public comment, more than 40 Democratic House and Senate members sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to maintain Clean Water Act restrictions against the proposed copper an… Read More

A Utah congressman has introduced a bill that he claims will restore the original intent of the Antiquities Act.

Bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop said the “National Monument Creation and Protection Act” aims to rid the 111-year-old law, which gives presidents the ability to set aside areas to protect their natural, cultural or scientific features, of political manipulation. If passed into law, the bill would severely cut back the pr… Read More

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Oceania has awarded Sealord its “New Product of the Year” prize for its newly released Hoki Fries product.

The Hoki Fries, which are strips of coated hoki fillet, were introduced in New Zealand and Australian earlier this year, according to Sealord Marketing Manager. Melissa Butler.

“Making seafood simple is at the heart of what we try to do, and MSC-certified Sealord Hoki Fries not only tast… Read More