Pacific halibut stakeholders are bracing for bad news for 2020 and beyond when catches are revealed next week in Anchorage.

International Pacific Halibut Commission lead scientist Ian Stewart put the industry on notice in November when he summarized the outlook for commercial fisheries.

“In short, the model survey trends as you’ve seen from the previous presentations are down both in numbers and weight per unit of effort. And what we’ve seen from the commercial fishery’s CPUE is we have mixed trends, however relatively flat at the coastwide levels with some brighter spots and some not so good spots across the coast.” 

IPHC scientists track the halibut stock from Northern California to British Columbia to the far reaches of the Bering Sea. The  Central Gulf  showed the biggest decreases by all measures, and Stewart said the spawning portion of the coastwide Pacific halibut stock decreased from 2018 to 2019.

Author: Laine Welch / alaskafishradio.com | Read full story here

Despite border disputes and export blockades imposed on some of Uganda’s goods, exports grew in 2019, according to data from Uganda Export Promotions Board (UEPB).

Data indicates that exports grew to Shs13.8 trillion, at least by Shs400b, as of November 2019 compared to Shs13.4 trillion in the same period in 2018. 

Speaking during the 4th annual exporters conference in Kampala yesterday, Mr Elly Kamugisha Twineyo the UEPB executive director, said contrary to public belief, the closure of some borders such as Rwanda and blockade on some goods from Uganda by EAC member states, export volumes grew in 2019 as Ugandan manufacturers opened new trading frontiers such as DR Congo. 

Author: Dorothy Nakaweesi and Justus Lyatuu/monitor.co.ug | Read full article here

The first new vessel of its size for Icelandic fishing company Vísir has docked in its home port of Grindavík after steaming for six days from the Alkor yard in Poland.

The new Páll Jónsson GK-7 replaces an older vessel of the same name which has fished successfully for Vísir for almost twenty years under skipper Gísli V Jónsson, who commented that they had to cope with adverse weather practically the whole way home to Grindavík from Poland.

A crowd gathered on the quayside to welcome the new longliner home, where it was blessed by the reverend Elínborg Gísladóttir before visitors were welcomed on board.

The 45 metre LOA, 10.50 metre beam Páll Jónsson is the first large fishing vessel to be built for Vísir during its roughly fifty-year history and has been designed by Navís in co-operation with staff at Vísir. It will fish with a sophisticated Mustad longline system with the first automated racking system to be delivered to an Icelandic longliner.

Source: fiskerforum.com | Read full story here

BlueNalu, a pioneer in the emerging field of "cellular aquaculture", recently unveiled its first cell-based seafood product at a private culinary demonstration in San Diego.

In recent years, you have probably been hearing more and more about cultured meat. This new and emerging food technology provides a way of producing beef, chicken, lamb, pork and other meat products without the need to slaughter animals. With in vitro culture of animal cells, the process involves many of the same tissue engineering techniques used in regenerative medicine.

Photo: BlueNalu ?

The world's first lab-grown burger was demonstrated in 2013, at a cost of £250,000 ($384,000). Since then, various companies have begun to research and develop cheaper, better ways of growing meat. Tyson Foods, for example – one of the world's largest beef, pork and poultry processors – invested in a startup called Memphis Meats back in 2018. Later that same year, an Israeli company called Aleph Farms announced the first lab-grown sirloin steak and demonstrated a new method for creating more structured and complex meat products.

In December 2019, just 18 months after hiring its first employee, BlueNalu held a premier culinary event to demonstrate one of its first commercial products – yellowtail amberjack – prepared with various cooking techniques. The company was able to showcase its cell-based yellowtail using three different preparation methods including raw, cooked in oil for fish tacos and acidified as in ceviche or poke.

Source:   futuretimeline.net | Read full article here

NORWAY’S new fisheries minister is Geir Inge Sivertsen, according to reports on Norwegian news channels this morning.

The Conservative politician was Secretary of State in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and was mayor of Lenvik municipality in Troms from 2011 to 2019.

Prior to becoming mayor, he was CEO of Nor-Team Entrepreneur Business at Finnsnes. The 54-year-old is a graduate engineer at NTNU, reported Finansavisen.

Sivertsen replaces Harald T. Nesvik, who was in the post for 18 months, but had to step aside when his Progressive Party quit the Conservative led coalition government earlier this week.

Source: Fish Farmer Magazine

The UK Maritime CoastGuard Agency (UK MCA) began monitoring the country's commercial fishing industry and compliance with ILO 188, assisted by technological means to monitor the situation.

Specifically, according to Marine Management Organisation's (MMO) UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2018, the fishing industry in the UK remains on the seventh spot in the EU; However, UK MCA highlights that commercial fishing is the most dangerous profession, with totally seven lives lost in 2019.

As stated above, UK MCA will monitor the situation using new technology, such as the use of new fixed-wing aircraft with high quality cameras onboard.

Thus, when the aircraft are looking for pollution at sea or helping with search operations, they will also be equipped to observe and report on the operations of fishing vessels which are not complying with UK legislation, for example the wearing of personal flotation devices (PFD) and life jackets on a fishing vessel.

Source: safety4sea.com

Reference is made to the announcement on 17 January 2020. Mowi ASA has today successfully completed a EUR 200 million 5-year, senior unsecured inaugural green bond issue, marking the first green bond ever issued by a seafood company. The bond issue was significantly oversubscribed attracting solid investor demand from both dedicated green and regular bond investors. The bonds will have a coupon of 3 months EURIBOR + 1.60 % p.a. and an application will be made for a listing on Oslo Børs. Settlement date is expected to be 31 January 2020.

The proceeds from the green bond issue will be used for green projects as further defined by Mowi’s green bond framework which is available on our website.

Danske Bank, DNB Markets, Nordea (as Joint Global Coordinators and Green Bond Advisors), ABN AMRO, Rabobank and SEB acted as Joint Lead Managers for the bond issue.

NORWAY looks set to get a new seafood and fisheries minister within the next 48 hours.

The present incumbent, Harald Tom Nesvik said earlier this week he would step down, after his Progressive Party quit the Conservative led coalition government.

The row centred on a decision by prime minister Erna Solberg to allow an ISIS terrorist supporting mother back into the country.

Nesvik took over the job 18 months ago after fellow Progressive Party member Per Sandberg resigned over his relationship with an Iranian beauty queen.

A popular minister, Nesvik has been a big supporter of both aquaculture and fishing and came out against plans to impose a flat rate profits tax on fish farming companies.

Source:  Vince McDonagh/ fishfarmermagazine.com | Read full article here

The North Canterbury Fish and Game Council has closed its two salmon hatcheries in the Upper Rakaia River, to protect the wild sea-run salmon fishery.

It said hatchery releases in North Canterbury have likely had a negative impact on the region's wild sea-run salmon fishery.

Fish & Game protects the environment for anglers and hunters, which includes managing trout, salmon, game birds and their habitats.

The North Canterbury council said protecting wild, locally adapted salmon and its habitat is essential to ensuring the long-term resilience and sustainability of the New Zealand angling resources.

It said the decision is based on scientific studies, and a review of historical hatchery practises in the region.

Chief executive Rasmus Gabrielsson said the move represented a big shift in the council's focus towards wild fish.

Source: rnz.co.nz

It is not an offence to kill seabirds while fishing but it is an offence to fail to report catching them.

Similar differences in reporting have been seen over the last four fishing years, and Forest & Bird fisheries adviser Geoff Keey said it showed vast numbers of seabirds and other animals were dying without ever being reported.

"It's simply unbelievable that a commercial fishing trip is nine times more likely to catch seabirds when there's an observer on board," Keey said.

"The only reasonable conclusion is that on trips without observers fishers are breaching their legal obligation to honestly and accurately report bycatch."

Source: Michael Neilson/NZ Herald | Read full story here