Pescanova USA & Univ. Of FL Launch Domestic Seafood Heritage Program

December 16, 2011 Pescanova USA

In partnership with the University of Florida, Pescanova USA, one of the largest seafood importers in the U.S., has announced the launch of the Domestic Seafood Heritage Program. This new program is designed to recognize and elevate support for traditional processors and harvests that have remained dedicated to production of food from our coastal marine fisheries.

Disasters Doom Texas Oyster Crop

December 16, 2011 Rick Jervis, USA TODAY

In better days, the loading dock in this East Texas harbor city would be a bustle of activity: fishermen unloading sacks filled with fresh oysters, dealers paying by the sack for the bivalves, 18-wheelers hauling them to Florida, Virginia and other destinations.

Longer Bluefin Tuna Season Raises Hopes For N.C. Fishermen

The National Marine Fisheries has filed a final rule that extends the bluefin tuna season and gives commercial fishermen more opportunity to harvest the highly valuable fish this winter.

World's Largest Sustainable Fishery Is Certified To The Highest Standard

Alaska pollock, the world’s largest sustainable fishery, has received certification for Responsible Fisheries Management indicating that it fully conforms to the international guidelines set by the United Nation’s Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO). Alaska’s pollock fishery has always been a source of innovation within the seafood industry and this latest certification demonstrates its ongoing effort to act as a steward for America’s greatest aquatic bounty. Such independent affirmation of responsible management further solidifies the state of Alaska’s worldwide leadership role in the sustainable harvest of wild seafood.

Safety Concerns Linger Around Genetically Modified Salmon

December 15, 2011 Joe Palca, NPR

This just in: After 15 years of deliberation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to decide whether it will approve a genetically modified salmon for human consumption. The long-running regulatory saga of AquaBounty's application to sell salmon with a growth hormone gene from one fish plus a promoter of an antifreeze gene from another — which help it grow twice as fast as typical farmed salmon — does not seem headed toward a conclusion.