There’s so much going on in the seafood industry that I can barely keep a thought in my head for more than a few moments:
The International Boston Seafood Show is less than four weeks away, so I hope you’re ready once again for the annual three-day fish-a-thon. On Day 1, I’ll be moderating a conference on seafood fraud titled “Truth in Tare,” and I’m hoping for a full house. Yesterday I spoke with one of the panelists and he’s got some great stories to share, as always. Unfortunately, he keeps finding tilapia in dishes that aren’t supposed to have tilapia in them! Yes, species substitution is still happening, despite all the harsh media attention. Some people will never learn: The few extra bucks you might earn subbing pangasius for grouper today simply aren’t worth the embarrassment when your stupid scheme is uncloaked.
Far be it from me to tell someone how to do his or her business, so I’ll refrain from criticizing the U.S. catfish industry too harshly for pushing for a new federal agency to oversee inspections of imported catfish and species that are remarkably similar to it. One could argue that they’re playing their cards as they see fit, using every tool at their disposal. But the U.S. government doesn’t appear to be playing with a full deck. They’re the ones who have allowed all this political maneuvering over the past decade (yes, it’s been that long). Seems like enough time to come up with a better long-term plan.
Maine lobstermen must be happy that 2010 was another banner year. Last year’s haul was the largest on record, a whopping 93.4 million pounds. But it was only the third-most lucrative year for my local trap-keepers; the USD 3.31 a pound they earned is far too low. This is a premium product with sustainability at its core and it should be treated as such.
OK, pay more for lobster, but not for salmon? I really like Wegmans’ pledge to not increase prices on key seafood items this year, despite the fact that most are trending upward in cost. It might seem like a gamble, but it’s a pretty shrewd move when you think about it. Salmon, tilapia and tuna are going to sell pretty well no matter what the price tag says. But what the Rochester, N.Y., retailer might lose in profits on a few items they’ll surely gain in customer loyalty.
I continue to be in awe of Alaska’s seafood industry, which we recently reported to be one of the state’s top economic performers, generating USD 3.3 billion in wholesale sales in 2009. According to the Marine Conservation Alliance, if Alaska were a nation, it would have ranked 14th in the world among top seafood-producing countries in 2008. More than half of all fish landed at a U.S. port is brought to shore somewhere in Alaska. Amazing.
Now that March is knocking on the door, marking the end of the first fiscal quarter, it’s almost time to start compiling the annual Top 25 North American Seafood Suppliers list for the May issue of SeaFood Business. Sharpen your pencils and check your 2010 numbers, because I’ll be calling soon. First to report this year, as usual, was Canadian giant High Liner Foods.
We all know that seafood is health food, but home preparation can be an obstacle. If it is for you (or your customers), then you need to get a copy of Chef Barton Seaver’s new cookbook, “For Cod & Country.” I got an advance copy and it’s really good, full of inviting, healthy seafood dishes (it should be available in early May). What can’t this guy do? The sustainability guru and National Geographic fellow also has a TV series on seafood sustainability in the works.
Lastly, I’d like to express my sincere condolences to the family of Joe Giampino, who passed away recently at the way-too-young age of 48. Joe and I were colleagues 10 years ago at credit-reporting agency Seafax/Gofish.com, where I got my start in seafood journalism, in what seems like an entirely different era compared to today’s on-demand world. A lot of folks who read SeafoodSource every day got their jobs through Joe and his colleague Jim Ruos at FishJobs. I don’t really have the right words to describe how devastating this loss is, but Joe was just the kind of guy you wanted to know. I’m glad I did.
