Alaska/Pacific Coast
Sitka Tribe considers options on sac roe herring fishery Cordova Times - February 28, 2019 Officials with the Sitka Tribe are considering their legal options after Superior Court Judge Daniel Schally denied their request for an injunction against the state in a lawsuit alleging mismanagement of the Sitka sac roe herring fishery. https://thecordovatimes.com/2019/02/28/sitka-tribe-considers-options-on-sac-roe-herring-fishery/ Fishermen cautiously optimistic for strong salmon season Emerging from the shadows of the drought, more Chinook salmon in the ocean could mean better opportunities for commercial fishing this year San Fransisco Chronicle by Tara Duggan - February 28, 2019 After three difficult years when Chinook salmon population numbers were down and fishing opportunities were limited, commercial fishermen are hoping that the upcoming season will be better. https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Fisherman-cautiously-optimistic-for-strong-salmon-13653991.php National Study: Consumers Want to Trust the Fish They Are Eating Sustainable Brands - March 1, 2019 The vast majority of consumers across 22 countries would like to see sustainability information for seafood products in stores and on packaging. https://sustainablebrands.com/read/marketing-and-comms/study-consumers-want-to-trust-the-fish-they-are-eating Environment/Science 30 years later, impacts of Exxon Valdez spill linger Planning for future spills, economic complexities of disasters, research funding all topics of Sea Grant conference discussion Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - March 1, 2019 On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster in Prince William Sound, scientists, economists and the fishing industry are still pondering what they have learned from the spill and how to deal with environmental disasters yet to come. https://thecordovatimes.com/2019/03/01/30-years-later-impacts-of-exxon-valdez-spill-linger/ Labeling and Marketing 3MMI - Cod MSC Certification, Evolutionary Change To A West Coast Crab Species TradexFoods - March 4, 2019 The release of public comment draft reports for the Western Bering Sea Pacific Cod Longline fishery is expected to be made public some time this month. Pacific Cod from the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands caught by jig, bottom longline, trap and trawl is currently MSC certified and has been for some time. The addition of the Western Bering Sea longline fishery would dramatically increase the availability of MSC Pacific Cod in the market... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P01977CPRbY Restaurant Report: Lent Makes Waves in Seafood Offerings Urner Barry by Jake Muldowney - March 4, 2019 Lent begins March 6th, and with it comes the advent of the seafood promotional season at many QSR and fast casual concepts. In anticipation of the season, many restaurants have either launched new LTOs, revived previous offerings, or rolled out tests for new menu items. Wendy's brought back the North Pacific Cod sandwich, an annual staple, as most other QSRs continue using pollock for their fish sandwiches. Pollock LTO's include Arby's fish sandwiches, White Castle's Fish Nibblers and Fish Slider, Jack in the Box's Fish Sandwich, Bojangles's BojAngler, and Captain D's Giant Fish Sandwich. Standard pollock offerings that can anticipate a boost include McDonald's Filet-O-Fish and Burger King's Big Fish, as well as Church's Chicken's Fish Platter. Some Chick-fil-A locations will also be serving fish during Lent on a case-by-case basis. Rounding out fried white fish offerings, Long John Silver's is running an LTO on Thick Cut Alaska White Fish as one of their 50th anniversary celebration specials this year. Shellfish is getting play in QSR LTO's as well: Shrimp dishes such as Church's Chicken's Garlic Butter Shrimp Platter, Popeye's Southern Butterfly Shrimp, Panda Express's Wok-Fired Shrimp, Noodles and Company's Zucchini Shrimp Scampi and Penne Rosa, White Castle's Shrimp Nibblers, and Del Taco's Jumbo Shrimp Taco and Burrito all rolled out recently to take advantage of the seafood seasonality (Del Taco added pollock tacos in January as well). Other crustaceans getting QSR love include crab and lobster, as White Castle launched a Crab Cake slider and Captain D's added a lobster roll to their menu. Lent ends on April 18th, and LTO's are expected to get pulled shortly thereafter. Historically, Lent (statistically less than a ninth of the year) has represented a quarter of all Filet-O-Fish sales, a 225% jump on the norm. Depending on the success of Lent LTOs, especially on days other than Friday, it's possible some could be carried over into year-round menus. In any case, it's safe to expect a seafood surge in the coming weeks. https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1133645/Restaurant-Report-Lent-Makes-Waves-in-Seafood-Offerings
Ann Owens Pacific Seafood Processors Association Office Manager 1900 W Emerson Place Suite 205, Seattle, WA 98119 Phone: 206.281.1667 E-mail: pspafish@gmail.com; Website: www.pspafish.net Our office days/hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. *Inclusion of a news article, report, or other document in this email does not imply PSPA support or endorsement of the information or opinion expressed in the document.