Seafood Business articles from November 2004

Seafood Business archives from November 2004

Buyer's guide 2005.(Buyers Guide)
November 1, 2004... Sourcing a new species for your store or restaurant can be daunting if you haven't done your homework. And sometimes homework doesn't even help, especially if the species you're researching is one of several in the same family or is called by...

MSC certifies Alaska's Bering Sea pollock fishery.(Marketing)(Marine Stewardship Council)
November 1, 2004... The Marine Stewardship Council in late September certified Alaska's Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands pollock fishery as environmentally sustainable, following a four-year, $500,000, independent, scientific review. The pollock industry expected MSC...

CBS report fails to dampen shrimp sales.(Food Safety)
November 1, 2004... Chloramphenicol is in the news--again. The controversy surrounding the banned antibiotic resurfaced on Sept. 17 when the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather aired a report that claimed chloramphenicol is "routinely" found in imported shrimp. ...

Oceanaire receives $20 million investment.(Late News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Oceanaire Seafood Room announced last month that Clarion Capital Partners, a New York equity firm, will invest $20 million in the upscale, six-restaurant chain. Clarion will hold a 45.4 percent stake in Oceanaire once the transaction is...

MSC to hear Gulf of Alaska pollock appeal.(Late News)(Marine Stewardship Council)
November 1, 2004... The Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery will have to survive one more round of scrutiny before it can be certified as sustainable by Marine Stewardship Council standards. The MSC in late October announced it would convene an independent panel to...

Study forecasts growth in market.(Late News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The seafood market will grow 21 percent between now and 2009 if prices remain constant, according to a study conducted by Mintel International Group, a market-research firm in Chicago. Mintel predicts fresh fish sales will grow by 17...

American Seafoods drops IPO, looks to private market to raise cash; Moody's issues "speculative grade" investment rating.(Processing)
November 1, 2004... American Seafoods, the Seattle whitefish producer and owner of American Pride Catfish, in early October dropped its initial public offering, citing current IPO market conditions. The company, which began the IPO process in May 2003, in...

USDA will begin to enforce COOL in six months; retailers have until April 5 to label seafood as to its country of origin.(Retail)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin actively enforcing country-of-origin labeling for retail seafood products in early April, six months after the regulations governing the law have been in effect. On the Sept. 30 deadline, the...

Fishery Products International.(Biz Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Fishery Products International has changed the name of its marketing and value-added division to Ocean Cuisine International, reflecting the company's increased focus on the meal-solutions category.

Americold Logistics'.(Biz Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Americold Logistics' Syracuse, N.Y., facility in September received the 2004 Gorton's Logistics Award for outstanding service at a distribution location. Americold is a major third-party provider of temperature-controlled storage and...

Frozen Assets Cold Storage LLC.(Biz Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Frozen Assets Cold Storage LLC began third-party logistics operations last month in a new 7-million-cubic-foot public refrigerated warehouse facility in Chicago. The site is using Delfour Corp.'s SmartEnterprise 2 3PL logistics software as its...

Amerlux Lighting Solutions.(Biz Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Amerlux Lighting Solutions, a designer and manufacturer of task-specific, energy-efficient lighting for the retail seafood market, received the ACE (Architect's Choice For Excellence) award for superior service, product durability, value and...

International Seafood Ventures.(Biz Briefs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... International Seafood Ventures of Bellevue, Wash., in September established a new credit facility with Key Bank to expand its Source-Direct import business for multi-unit retailers and foodservice operators.

Seafood Watch[R] guides PCC; Ocean Beauty to supply approved fish.(Retail)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... PCC Natural Markets, a Seattle chain of seven natural-foods stores, will sell fish consistent with the recommendations of the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch[R] program and supplied by Ocean Beauty. PCC in late September announced it would...

Florida seafood chain files for bankruptcy; lost sales during hurricanes prompted the move.(FoodService)(Gold Coast Restaurants)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Gold Coast Restaurants, the Tampa, Fla., owner of Johnny Leverock's Seafood House, filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Sept. 22, citing increased competition and lost sales during Florida's turbulent hurricane season....

A gourmand's guide to crabs.(Off the Shelf)
November 1, 2004... If crab tops your list of favorite seafoods, Fred Thompson's "Crazy for Crab" is an essential addition to your cookbook collection. In 200 colorful pages, food writer, stylist and culinary developer Thompson provides a guide to crab...

Facts & figures.(Illustration)
November 1, 2004... 908.1 Volume of seafood landed in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in 2002, in millions of pounds 900.7 Volume of seafood landed in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in 2003, in millions of pounds 0 Number of...

Congress approves $9 million to repair Gulf oyster beds; funds may help production return to pre-storm levels in two years.(Supply)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Congress in mid-October approved $9 million in federal disaster relief for Gulf oyster beds severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan and three other hurricanes that hit Gulf states during August and September. Hurricane Ivan made landfall between...

Pioneer shrimp peeler honored.(Line Items)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Lapeyre Model A shrimp peeler was declared a historic mechanical engineering landmark by ASME (the American Society of Mechanical Engineers), which recognized the technology behind Lapeyre machine No. 572 in a ceremony at the Maritime and...

Support the Catanzaro Scholarship.(Line Items)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The National Fisheries Institute started a memorial scholarship fund in the name of H.E.B.'s Rich Catanzaro, who died in March. To date, NFI has received $33,800 in contributions, but the Fisheries Scholarship Fund still needs $50,000 to...

A year of good eating.(Line Items)
November 1, 2004... The 2005 Virginia Seafood Recipe Calendar is now available from the Virginia Marine Products Board. The full-color calendar presents recipes based on the state's seafood bounty. Each month features a photo of the recipe as well as entertaining...

Nothing is ever easy in this business.(Editor's Note)
November 1, 2004... I've been writing about seafood for seven years, and I keep wondering when it will easier. It never fails: You've got a story assignment that should take only a few days. But those days turn into weeks, and you're still trying to find the...

A 'cohesive' relationship.(SkyTeam Cargo Advertorial)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... For over a decade Worldwide Perishables Enterprises has trusted Delta to successfully accomplish a difficult task, getting live lobsters from North American to destinations around the world ALIVE. "It takes a high level of commitment from...

Farmed salmon: well-managed growth and consolidation are steadying the Atlantic salmon market and prices.(Finfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... The farmed-salmon industry is transitioning at long last from a production-driven to a market-driven business as it controls growth at the production level to better reflect demand. "Supply and demand are in good balance," says John...

Wild salmon: look for strong demand for high-end wild salmon to extend into 2005.(Finfish Update)
November 1, 2004... At the high end of the market, wild salmon was flying off of menus and out of seafood cases faster than chefs and retailers could buy it this summer. Expect more of the same in 2005. A week after Alaska's Copper River fishery opened on May...

Catfish: consolidation and tariffs help stabilize prices, but the industry still faces some rocky times.(Finfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... The U.S. farmed-catfish industry seems finally to be on the upswing, as tariffs on competing imports, colsolidation and aggressive marketing combine to help prices rebound. The industry has benefited from its successful antidumping campaign...

Tilapia: prices will likely rise as producers struggle to keep pace with demand for this golden fish.(Finfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... Tilapia offers U.S. seafood buyers just about everything they ask of a fish: white flesh, mild taste, versatility and year-round availability. Not only is it politically correct, it's blessed. No dark clouds of contaminants or boycotts hang...

"Whiting: there are several hake and whiting species, so it pays to do your homework.(Finfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... Buyers who know their way around the world of whiting and hake--a family of more than one dozen Merluccius species--can find some reasonably priced, good-eating fish. Most of the traditional hake markets are stable, with increasing demand...

Retailers drive seafood sales with quality and value.(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... Seafood as a category continues to experience outstanding growth compared to other proteins. With record high prices in the Beef, Pork and Poultry Markets, Seafood is the one protein that has the value in today's market to get customers...

Haddock: rebounding haddock stocks create market opportunity for affordable, abundant cod substitute.(Finfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... In a typical market environment, there's a perceived inverse relationship between quality and availability; consumers assume that premium products are difficult to obtain. Haddock has a deserved reputation as a premium fish, but if current...

Striped bass: slow growth in farmed production keeps prices flat; wild product also static.(Finfish Update)
November 1, 2004... Chefs looking for a farmed fish that doesn't fluctuate much in price and supply can bank on hybrid striped bass. When cooked, it's a wonderfully white, mild-tasting fish, which makes the decision even easier. The supply of farmed hybrid...

Swordfish: domestic sword is a good buy until winter weather sets in and buyers turn back to imports to fill the void.(Finfish Update)
November 1, 2004... Call any seafood dealer in the fall about swordfish, and they are going to steer you to domestic product. "The swordfish we get now through the fall is as good as you'll find it," says David Horton, owner of MacLean's Seafood in New...

Grouper: hurricanes set back this year's Gulf of Mexico grouper fishery, tightening supplies and driving up prices.(Finfish Update)
November 1, 2004... Now that one of the most turbulent hurricane seasons on record is over, domestic Gulf of Mexico fishermen are back on the water harvesting what's left of this year's 5.3-million-pound red-grouper quota and 8.8-million-pound...

Sablefish: a softening Japanese market has driven prices down.(Finfish Update)
November 1, 2004... Once a staple in Asian restaurants, sablefish has been gaining acceptance in the United States in recent years, primarily in white-tablecloth restaurants. This trend starred when some restaurants began using the North Pacific species in place...

Black tiger shrimp: despite looming tariffs, supplies are ample, but Asian farmers are shifting production to Pacific whites.(Shellfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... It's been a volatile year in the shrimp business, to say the least. But calmer days are ahead. By the end of January, one of the largest trade disputes in U.S. history will be all but over. The U.S. government is only two steps away from...

Shrimp: expect even more Asian-raised Pacific whites to hit the market next year.(Shellfish Update)
November 1, 2004... The busiest time of year in the shrimp business is around the corner, and buyers are easily meeting holiday needs without breaking the bank. But anyone remotely tied to the shrimp business knows it's been anything but a typical year. The...

Blue crab: imported blue swimming crab continues to supplant dwindling supply of domestic product.(Shellfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... Blue crab usually brings to mind the Maryland crab, Callinectes sapidus, the undisputed "real McCoy" of blue crabs. However, the blue swimming crab, Portunus pelagicus, the imported cousin of the domestic blue crab, has gained momentum in the...

Crab: soft red-king market should firm with holidays, snow crab prices are up, and Dungeness holds steady.(Shellfish Update)
November 1, 2004... The market for king crab has been pretty steady for the last several months, and as the holiday season approaches, prices am expected to firm up. Red is still the king of king crabs, says Bruce Levy of West Coast Fisheries Corp. in Mercer...

Oysters: expect high prices for tight supplies of Gulfs, while the market for Pacifics holds steady.(Shellfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... Expect to pay more for Gulf, or Eastern, oysters (Crassostrea virginicus), due to tight supplies this fall and into next year, ending a four-year period of high harvests and relatively stable pricing. Overall Gulf production is down, says...

Lobster: as the cycle of record harvests ends, prices for the prized crustacean soar.(Shellfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... Adismal Maine lobster season is forcing buyers to make a choice: Sock replacements for the crustacean or dig deep to pay more than $5 per pound for live product and around $19 a pound for frozen tails and meat. Nobody knows why the Maine...

Sea scallops: prices may drop in 2005 if limited-access proposals are used in the Georges Bank fishery.(Shellfish Focus)
November 1, 2004... Buyers looking for a steady supply of sea scallops from the North Atlantic will be happy to hear the resource biomass is doing well. This doesn't mean, however, that buyers can ignore the politics surrounding the fishery. The scallop...

Bay scallops: buyers continue to turn to China and other exporters for cheaper product.(Shellfish Update)
November 1, 2004... One traditional alternative to the relatively expensive sea scallops is bay scallops, which can be sourced domestically from the East Coast or imported from China and the Philippines, both of which export farmed product. Other sources of both...

Surimi seafood: increased demand in Japan may induce U.S. processors to boost surimi production by year's end.(Shellfish Update)
November 1, 2004... Increased demand for Alaska-pollock surimi in Japan, which consumes about two-thirds of the 600,000-metric-ton global surimi supply, has driven up prices at home this fall. Through July, Japanese imports of Alaska-pollock surimi were up 20...

Clams: hurricane damage may impact '05 hardshell production.(Shellfish Update)
November 1, 2004... Florida's hardshell-clam industry took a beating during the four hurricanes that hit the state during August and September. Farmers on the Gulf side missed 24 days of production, while farmers on the state's Atlantic coast lost 30 days. State...