Stronger America Through Seafood’s Post

“Today, NOAA Fisheries [released] a new economic snapshot focused on the Alaska seafood industry. This snapshot discusses the difficult downturn experienced by the industry at this time. It estimates the Alaska seafood industry suffered a $1.8 billion loss 2022-2023, and that the Alaska fishing industry also saw a 50 percent decline in profitability from 2021-2023. Alaska fisheries are the largest in the U.S. and a significant contributor to the national seafood industry; so, these economic losses have had a ripple effect down the West Coast and across the country. As a result, the seafood sector has seen a loss of more than 38,000 jobs and a $4.3 billion loss in total U.S. output nationwide. Seafood is the top private sector employer in Alaska. For many Alaska coastal communities, fisheries are the primary contributor to their local economy, helping to shape their social structures and cultural identities.” Marjorie "Maggie" Mooney-Seus, NOAA Fisheries #fisheries #climate #americanprogress #impact #sustainabledevelopment #foodsystem #seafood #alaska #votewithyourdollar https://lnkd.in/gUUnc-vE

Cameroon participates in Blue Food Forum in Tanzania The country is one of twelve covered by the FAO's FISH4ACP program, which aims to address some of the challenges underlying the development of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Led by FISH4ACP, the global forum on blue food value chains will take place on 12-13 September 2024 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to explore how they can help transform food systems and feed a growing world population while preserving the health of the planet. The event will bring together fisheries ministers, delegates, partners and non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), as well as the twelve beneficiary countries of this United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) program, including Cameroon through its shrimp fisheries value chain development project. In Cameroon, shrimp is caught by industrial and artisanal fishermen, with production estimated at 5,000 tonnes per year. However, inappropriate fishing gear and techniques are having a negative impact on the environment. The use of small-mesh nets, resulting in high by-catch, or fishing in spawning grounds are some of the problems reported in the artisanal segment of the fishery. The sector also suffers significant post-harvest losses due to poor handling, preservation, processing, storage and transport practices. This has a negative impact on the livelihoods of fishing communities and reduces marketing opportunities for shrimp. In June 2021, FISH4ACP, an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to support the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture, began operations in Cameroon. Funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by FAO, it aims to help the country make its shrimp sector more competitive and sustainable. The Blue Food Forum is an important platform for sharing knowledge generated by FISH4ACP and other initiatives with public and private sector representatives, value chain experts and practitioners, partner organisations and the donor community. It will focus on good practices and lessons learnt from the aquatic food value chain development efforts of FISH4ACP and other value chain initiatives. Cameroon will make a special contribution by presenting good practices in environmental protection in small scale fisheries and shrimp processing techniques, which will be shared with all participants. Through FISH4ACP, FAO promotes responsible and sustainable fishing and processing techniques to increase the productivity and sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

I'm grappling with the recent decision to ban open-net pen salmon fishing in British Columbia, considering Canada's significant reliance on farmed seafood. Instead of a ban, we should focus on investing in sustainable innovation and development within the sector, collaborating with current and new operators to build (and lead!) more resilient fisheries. Despite frequent discussions about overfishing, consumers are often surprised to learn where their fish comes from: 🐟 85% of Atlantic Salmon consumed in Canada is farm-raised. 🌊 75% of all seafood consumed in Canada is imported. 🌍 50% of all seafood consumed in North America is farm-raised. This ban suggests there are viable alternatives to meeting the growing demand for seafood, but global demand heavily relies on aquaculture (its 50% of total production). As consumers, our choices are limited: buy farmed or wild seafood, or reduce our consumption of fish altogether in favor of alternative proteins (noting that land-based fish farming systems are still in early stages). The ban will likely shift more salmon consumption to farmed imports, leading to thousands of lost jobs, increased pressure on already overfished wild stocks, and higher salmon prices. While open-net pen salmon fishing has its challenges, investing alongside industry into sustainable aquaculture innovation and development is a more effective approach. This ban shifts the problem rather than solving it - given that 85% of the salmon we consume is farmed.🌱 #SustainableFood #Aquaculture #FoodSecurity Power Sustainable Lios

But the rise of aquaculture underscores the need to transform seafood systems to minimize their impact on the planet. Both aquaculture and fisheries — sometimes referred to as capture fisheries, as they involve the capture of wild seafood — come with significant environmental and climate considerations. What’s more, the two systems often depend on each other, making it difficult to isolate their climate impacts.  https://lnkd.in/dAfWwqJz

Future Focus: Beaver Street Fisheries Executive Targeting Major Regulation Change in 2025 - https://lnkd.in/dfVCM3K6 As the seafood industry continues to evolve and face various challenges, it is crucial for executives to stay ahead of the curve and plan for the future. Recently, a seafood executive shared insights on the challenges and improvements that their company plans to implement by 2025. One of the key challenges

ALASKA SEAFOOD INDUSTRY SUFFERED $1.8 BILLION LOSS IN 2022–2023 NOAA Fisheries has released a new economic snapshot focused on the #Alaska #seafood industry. Economists estimate that the #Alaskaseafood industry suffered an $1.8 billion loss (2022-2023). The #Alaskafishing industry saw a 50 percent decline in profitability (2021-2023). https://lnkd.in/eCiZQb5X

🎣Untangling the Knots: Overcoming Inefficiencies in Fisheries Supply Chains 🚢 The fisheries industry, vital for global food security, is navigating troubled waters due to significant inefficiencies in its supply chain 🌊. The industry's challenges are deeply rooted in outdated systems, lack of transparency, and perverse incentives leading to unsustainable practices. Addressing these issues is crucial for creating sustainable fisheries on a global scale 🌍. One of the major issues is the lack of vessel-level data capture 🎣. Without detailed records of fishing activities, sustainability and legality are challenging to verify. This information gap, coupled with product transformation prior to data recording, disrupts efforts to track and manage marine resources effectively. The problem of aggregation of supply also hinders the differentiation of responsibly harvested products, perpetuating "mystery fish" 🐟. Relationship dynamics further complicate matters, with complex interactions between producers and first receivers affecting potential intervention strategies. Fishermen typically are not businessmen 🚤. This lack of business skills makes it hard for them to engage productively in the industry, especially when cultural preferences shape both production and consumption. Monitoring and enforcement gaps, combined with a lack of database and data management capacity, exacerbate these challenges 📉. The interrelatedness of these challenges creates feedback loops that perpetuate the status quo, preventing meaningful change 🌐. However, by addressing these issues simultaneously and with coordinated efforts, the fisheries supply chain can transform from a problem into a driver for sustainable management 🚀. Addressing inefficiencies in the fisheries supply chain is essential for the industry's future and the health of our oceans 🌊. It's time for concerted efforts to tackle these challenges and steer the industry toward sustainability. 🌟 #Fisheries #SupplyChain #Sustainability #MarineManagement #OceanConservation 🌐 Source: https://lnkd.in/dtKV3VXw

ALASKA SEAFOOD INDUSTRY SUFFERED $1.8 BILLION LOSS IN 2022–2023 NOAA Fisheries has released a new economic snapshot focused on the #Alaska #seafood industry. Economists estimate that the #Alaskaseafood industry suffered an $1.8 billion loss (2022-2023). The #Alaskafishing industry saw a 50 percent decline in profitability (2021-2023). https://lnkd.in/eCiZQb5X

🌊📈 The FAO has just released its 2024 report on The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, highlighting the crucial role of aquatic systems in global food and nutrition security. With global fisheries and aquaculture production reaching new heights in 2022, it's clear that sustainable aquaculture can meet the growing demand for aquatic foods. 🌐🐟   Key points: ✅ Aquaculture production surpassed capture fisheries for the first time. ✅ Increasing demand for nutritious fishmeal and fish oil. ✅ Growing use of fish by-products to reduce waste and improve resource utilization.   EFFOP producers play a vital role in the global blue value chain, linking fisheries and the utilization of side-streams to aquaculture and the consumption of healthy blue proteins 🌍🍽️   Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dtV-YPzi   #Aquaculture #Sustainability #FoodSecurity #FAOReport

NOAA FISHERIES RELEASES NATIONAL SEAFOOD STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN  Their National Seafood Strategy, released in 2023, outlines their direction for supporting the U.S. seafood economy and enhancing the resilience of the seafood sector, including wild-capture and aquaculture, in the face of many challenges. This plan outlines actions they are currently implementing as well as those they can take to support the strategy. https://lnkd.in/erPWHMZ5