Seafood Business articles from May 2006

Seafood Business archives from May 2006

25 top suppliers of 2005.
May 1, 2006... Compiling SeaFood Business' annual list of the Top 25 North American seafood suppliers has always been a juggling act. But amid the usual swings in sales and rankings, a trend has emerged: The food conglomerates that have jumped into the...

Trident joins forces with Ocean Beauty.(SUPPLY)
May 1, 2006... Trident Seafoods Corp. is on a buying spree, agreeing on Match 27 to purchase Ocean Beauty Seafoods' processing operations and merge the Seattle rivals' smoked-fish and distribution businesses. The deal makes Trident the largest Alaska...

Debate over omega-3 benefits continues.
May 1, 2006... Omega-3 fatty acids provide no "clear" health benefits, according to a British medical team's assessment of previously released dietary studies on oily fish and fish-oil supplements. The findings, published in the March 25 issue of the...

MSC gives nod to halibut; sablefish is next.(Late NEWS)
May 1, 2006... The Marine Stewardship Council last month certified the Pacific halibut fishery as well managed and sustainable. It is the fifth U.S. fishery to be so recognized and the 16th worldwide. The Fishing Vessel Owners' Association and Deep Sea...

Expack acquires Rymer.(Late NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Expack Seafood of Woodbridge, N.J., in April purchased seafood distributor Rymer International Seafood of Chicago, expanding its distribution reach into the Midwest. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Rymer's sales and logistics...

Long Island Sound lobstermen reach settlement.
May 1, 2006... A $12.5 million settlement was reached last month between a group of Long Island Sound lobstermen and Cheminova of Wayne, N.J. The chemical company's pesticide for preventing West Nile virus was blamed for widespread lobster die-off in the...

Porpoise protection moves forward.(Late NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Ocean Garden Products, Mexican shrimp fishermen, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental groups last month formed a monitoring program to halt illegal fishing in the upper Gulf of California to protect the endangered...

Rich-SeaPak Corp. nets WorldCatch; the Georgia company plans continued growth through acquisitions.(SUPPLY)
May 1, 2006... Rich-SeaPak Corp. acquired WorldCatch in late March to expand its presence in the ready-to-cook and heat-and-serve seafood market. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The St. Simons Island, Ga., company, a wholly owned subsidiary of...

Canada's seal hunt sparks protests and pledges of seafood boycott; Humane Society of the United States blasts annual practice.(ENVIRONMENT)
May 1, 2006... The annual seal hunt off Canada's Atlantic coast, which began in late Match, spurred the Humane Society of the United States to urge a boycott of all Canadian seafood for the second straight year. The animal-rights activists hope the...

PanFish.(Biz BRIEFS)
May 1, 2006... PanFish, the world's largest salmon-farming company after its March takeover of Marine Harvest, increased its ownership stake in Fjord Seafood from 39 to 57 percent on April 7 and announced plans for a full takeover bid in the near future.

Herb's Seafood.(Biz BRIEFS)
May 1, 2006... Saveur Food Group of New York and Miami Beach, Fla., last month purchased Herb's Seafood, a Mt. Holly, N.J., producer of frozen seafood appetizers and entrees under the Kaptain's Ketch label. Herb's is changing its name to New Wave Cuisine.

ClearWater Tech.(Biz BRIEFS)
May 1, 2006... ClearWater Tech, a San Luis Obispo, Calif., manufacturer of ozone-generation systems for water and air treatment, celebrates its 20th year in business with the launch of a Web site, www.cwtozone.com

FishJobs LLC.(Biz BRIEFS)
May 1, 2006... FishJobs LLC of Jacksonville, Ore., is heading the search for a commercial director for the London-based Marine Stewardship Council. The new position was created to promote the MSC brand to U.S. seafood buyers.

Sysco Food Services of Alaska.(Biz BRIEFS)
May 1, 2006... Sysco Food Services of Alaska recently finished a multimillion-dollar upgrade to its Anchorage distribution center in the former Alaska Seafood International complex. The $2.5 million project increases Sysco's dry and refrigerated storage area...

Nissui buys F.W. Bryce; acquisition expands Japanese firm's U.S. presence.(SUPPLY)
May 1, 2006... Nippon Suisan USA (Nissui USA) in early April purchased seafood importer and distributor F.W. Bryce for an undisclosed sum. F.W. Bryce imports 30 million to 40 million pounds of frozen seafood annually, including cod, haddock, pollock,...

U.S. government abandons zeroing in antidumping cases; for foreign shrimp exporters, it's too little, too late.(TRADE)
May 1, 2006... The U.S. Department of Commerce is discontinuing use of a controversial method of calculating dumping margins, or tariffs, that may affect the outcome of future antidumping cases. The commonly used methodology is called "zeroing." At least...

Alaska Airlines sweepstakes plugs Copper River salmon; Alaska salmon also a winner at the racetrack.(MARKETING)
May 1, 2006... Alaska Airlines is giving away 400 pounds of Copper River salmon as prizes in a sweepstakes that promotes the airline's relationship with Alaska's seafood industry. The contest was open to the general public, and winners will be announced...

ConAgra bows out of seafood; Singleton Fisheries buys Singleton, Meridian.(SUPPLY)
May 1, 2006... ConAgra finished the divestiture of its remaining seafood entities, Singleton Seafood and Meridian Seafood, with the sale of the two brands to Singleton Fisheries Inc. in early April. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Singleton...

Facts & figures.(News LINE)
May 1, 2006... 1.1 U.S. sushi sales in 2000, in billions of dollars 2.8 U.S. sushi sales in 2004, in billions of dollars 4,086 Number of Japanese restaurants in the United States in 1994 9,182 Number of Japanese restaurants in the United States in...

House tackles Magnuson-Stevens renewal; Reps author fishery management amendments.(SUPPLY)
May 1, 2006... Two bills recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aim to reshape the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which is overdue for its seventh reauthorization. House Resources Committee Chairman Richard...

Icicle buys Alaska salmon cannery; the Seattle company is looking at processing other species there.(SUPPLY)
May 1, 2006... Icicle Seafoods in early April purchased Kodiak Salmon Packers, a salmon cannery in Larsen Bay, Alaska, from two local businessmen and Kodiak Island fishermen for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition allows the Seattle company, one of...

Marine stewards honored; Sen. Stevens among first-ever award recipients.(ENVIRONMENT)
May 1, 2006... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the recipients of its inaugural Stewardship and Sustainability Awards last month. The awards program recognizes organizations and individuals who have advanced conservation and...

EcoFish, FishWise collaborate on labels.(Line ITEMS)
May 1, 2006... EcoFish, a sustainable-seafood supplier in Dover, N.H., and FishWise, an educational labeling program created by the non-profit Sustainable Fishery Advocates in Santa Cruz, Calif., have partnered to promote awareness and sales of eco-friendly...

E-newsletter targets consumers.(Line ITEMS)
May 1, 2006... NFI launched a consumer-oriented e-newsletter, "The Dish on Fish," on April 1 as an adjunct to its Web site www.aboutseafood.com. The newsletter, which is e-mailed monthly, highlights the featured online recipe and includes cooking tips,...

Nathan's buys Arthur Treacher's brand.(Line ITEMS)(Nathan's Famous )(Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Nathan's Famous of Westbury, N.Y., which franchises 364 Nathan's, Miami Subs and Kenny Rogers Roasters outlets in 13 countries, bought the trademark and intellectual property of Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips restaurants. Nathan's Famous...

The Wall Street Journal, March 25-26.(sushi)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The "Pursuits" section presented "The raw truth" about sushi, a $2.8 billion national cuisine craze. It offers consumers several sushi caveats: beware of overly red tuna, since it may be gassed to disguise lack of freshness; avoid the "spicy"...

Cooking Light, April 2006.(Media MENTIONS)
May 1, 2006... "Culinary Postcards" for April spotlighted "Chesapeake treasures," namely oysters and blue crabs. Along with historical tidbits and descriptions of area events celebrating the bounty of the Chesapeake--originally known as Chesepioc, Algonquin...

Monsoons take a bite out of Pacific-white production; to make up for shortfall in Thailand and Vietnam, other Asian countries and Ecuador boost exports to United States.(SHRIMP)
May 1, 2006... Heavy rain and flooding across parts of Southeast Asia since late last year, the result of a turbulent monsoon season that's finally petering out, may impact the U.S. supply of Pacific white shrimp by mid-year. The extreme weather forced...

King salmon catch slashed for 2006; lowest-ever harvest set for Oregon and California.(SALMON)
May 1, 2006... King salmon will be expensive and in short supply this year. The Southeast Alaska quota was slashed, and most of the Pacific Northwest coast will see limited fishing during the usually productive summer months. To protect dwindling stocks...

Sablefish, prized in Japan, finds new markets; Alaska black cod substitutes for Chilean sea bass.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... When the Alaska fishery hits its stride this spring, buyers can expect a steady supply of sablefish, which is grabbing the attention of the domestic market. Just six weeks after the season's March 5 opening, 4.6 million pounds of black cod...

Demand for grouper grows; landings, imports, prices steady.(FOCUS)
May 1, 2006... The Gulf of Mexico grouper season started out "heavy" when the fishery reopened on March 15, following a one-month closure. While demand was outpacing production just a few weeks later, buyers have reason to remain optimistic, as recent history...

Florida still reeling from hurricanes; spiny lobster, stone crab and rock shrimp landings all off from previous years.(SHELLFISH)
May 1, 2006... Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma, the four hurricanes that battered Florida last year, are long gone, but their impact on the state's shellfish fisheries is still being felt. Spiny lobster fishermen lost about 300,000 traps to the...

Merger mania.(Editor's NOTE)
May 1, 2006... Bankers and attorneys have been very busy so far in 2006. It seems that various operators--from seafood processors to catfish farmers to shrimp and tilapia importers--suddenly see the benefits of consolidated operations. SFB editors wrote...

Shrinking supplier pool doesn't please buyers.(One Man's OPINION)
May 1, 2006... Consolidation in the fish business is nothing new. Big fish have been swallowing smaller fish for years. But so far this year, the scale of mergers and acquisitions, especially in the salmon business, has raised eyebrows. The most...

Seafood industry thrives under free trade.(NFI FORUM)
May 1, 2006... The seafood marketplace is global, and U.S. companies compete with buyers and sellers in Japan, Europe and other major markets. This competition grows more intense each year as the world's population expands and standards of living in...

Best Aquaculture Practices becoming a buyer's mandate: Wal-Mart, Darden join movement toward social and environmental responsibility.(Seafood: FAQ)
May 1, 2006... Joe Zhou knows responsibility. As director of seafood purchasing for the world's largest casual-dining company, Darden Restaurants of Orlando, Fla., it's his job to ensure that Red Lobster and Darden's three other concepts can provide their...

Takeout is taking off; consumers' demand for convenient, portable foods presents expanding market opportunities.(National Restaurant Association)
May 1, 2006... Data recently released by the National Restaurant Association reveals that for 34 percent of American adults, purchasing takeout food is "essential" to their way of life. Not mildly important, but essential--as in vital and indispensable....

Expansion won't compromise this power-seafood concept; Chefs' pride of ownership ensures quality and consistency at each Oceanaire location.(Oceanaire Seafood Room)
May 1, 2006... Upscale seafood is probably one of the most challenging menu niches. Taking a high-end seafood concept and multiplying its number of locations is an even bigger challenge. Take the case of the Oceanaire Seafood Room, widely touted as the...

Store within a store can be a double win: Pittsburgh chain outsources seafood to grow sales.(Case STUDY)
May 1, 2006... Store-within-a-store deals that devote a portion of a supermarket's selling space to another retailer's distinct, branded shop are a growing trend among chain grocery stores. At many New England Stop & Shop stores, you can visit mini-shops to...

Canned/pouched tuna: tuna industry reclaiming market share with innovative, convenient products.(Species FOCUS)
May 1, 2006... New product forms. Shelf-stable pouches. More flavors. Easy-open cans. Health-focused marketing. These are among the tactics U.S. tuna companies are using to jumpstart sluggish sales amid a rising tide of confusing information pitting...

Langostino: chefs prize this lobster-like crustacean for its cost and size.
May 1, 2006... Fried in a buttery breading and served in a cardboard box or braised with white wine, garlic and parsley and placed over spinach, langostino is ideal for an array of dishes at all levels of foodservice--from fast food to fine dining. ...

Seal the deal.(PACKAGING)
May 1, 2006... O/K International introduces Supersealer SS2 hot-air bag sealer to create the perfect seal every time. The only "washdown bag sealer" on the market, the Supersealer features stainless-steel construction combined with advanced air flow and...

In the bag.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Gainco's weigh/bagging systems, engineered and built in the United States, are suited to the full range of seafood weigh/bagging applications, including fish fillets and shellfish products. They accommodate specific wicketed bag requirements,...

Entry-level vac-packs.(PACKAGING)
May 1, 2006... The Advantage RA-200 automatic vacuum-packaging machine from Rollstock is perfect for entry-level packaging applications. This 11-1/2-foot packaging machine has a much smaller footprint than standard rollstock machines. The Advantage RA-200...

High-quality graphics.(PACKAGING)
May 1, 2006... The LX810 color label printer from Primera Technology is an inkjet-based model designed to print short-run, full-color labels at 4,800-dpi resolution. It prints photos, text, graphics, illustrations and barcode labels that are both scratch and...

Making seafood fun.(VALUE-ADDED)
May 1, 2006... American Pride Seafoods expanded its Disney frozen seafood line with two new family-pack products featuring The Little Mermaid and Mickey Mouse. They are made with crispy, breaded, 100 percent whole-muscle Alaska pollock, not minced fish. The...

Cornmeal crunch.(VALUE-ADDED)
May 1, 2006... Sea Star Seafood is rolling out a gourmet-style addition to its zero-trans-fat coated seafood products. The retail gourmet line features a salt and-pepper-flavored cornmeal coating on 1- to 2.5-ounce catfish tenders and 4- to 7-ounce flounder,...

Healthy snacking.
May 1, 2006... Seafood Imports offers sushi-grade gourmet tuna jerky as a healthful retail snack alternative. The jerky is made from premium yellowfin tuna and comes in three flavors: original, hickory-smoked and teriyaki, all made from natural ingredients...

Marel.(People IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Marel R&D Director Asgeir Asgeirsson was appointed CEO of AEW Delford Systems, incorporating AEW Thurne and Delford Sortaweigh, which Marel acquired early last month.

Icelandic[R] USA.(People IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Rick Barnhardt joined Icelandic[R] USA's executive committee in the new position of VP of supply chain. He is responsible for information technology, customer service, the distribution center and dispatch. Barnhardt has extensive executive...

Sagittarius Brands.(People IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Sagittarius Brands of Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's parent company, named franchise veteran C. Ronald Petty president of development, in charge of franchising, construction, real estate and co-branding for the company, which acquired Mexican...

Striped Bass.(People IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Christopher Lee, executive chef at restaurateur Stephen Starr's acclaimed seafood restaurant Striped Bass in Philadelphia, was one of 10 chefs awarded Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chef title. The 2006 Food & Wine Best New Chefs feature will...

Whole Foods Market.(People IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2006... David Pilat was named national seafood coordinator for Whole Foods Market of Austin, Texas. He will be based in Cambridge, Mass. Pilat succeeds Dick Jones, who left the natural foods retailer to join Texas-based supermarket chain H.E. Butt.

Global Aquaculture Alliance.(People IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2006... Three new directors were elected to the Global Aquaculture Alliance board of directors during the organization's March 12 meeting in Boston. Newly elected GAA Director Bert Bachmann, also on the board of Salmon of the Americas, is VP and...

In memoriam.(People IN THE NEWS)(Obituary)
May 1, 2006... Charles Edward Weems Sr., a pioneer of the Biloxi, Miss., seafood industry, died April 10 at age 91. He founded Weems Bros. Seafood Co. in 1941, rebuilding after the 1947 hurricane and again after Hurricane Camille. The company processed...

Calendar 2006.(Calendar)
May 1, 2006... May 2-4 2006 University of Florida Shrimp School Aquatic Food Products Lab, University of Florida Gainesville, Fla. Contact Laura Garrido (352) 392-1991, ext. 308 shrimp@ufl.edu http://shrimpschool.ifas.ufl.edu May 7-9 * All...

Tina Montgomery co-owner, Surfin' Seafood.(one ON ONE)
May 1, 2006... Blue Rubbermaid coolers full of seafood have been appearing on more doorsteps and office foyers in Seattle, thanks to the local seafood-delivery company Surfin' Seafood. Co-owners Tina Montgomery and Jennifer Hanseler launched the monthly...