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Monday - 30 - June - 03

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 back to "Fresh-Catch" 81

1)  [AUST]     Australian oyster tray to make shellfish meatier

2)  AUST]      (PRESS RELEASE)    POSITIONING THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY FOR THE FUTURE. PARTICIPANTS

3)  AUST]      EMPLOYMENT Ten years experience in shore based fisheries operations

4)  NZ]          The one that got away

5)  AUST]      Fisheries top priority for the Howard Government

6)  [NZ]         New Zealand to pass law preventing Maoris from owning coastline

7)  AUST/NZ]           THEY SWIM THE WORLD Imported fish on display at Citarella, from top: two big barramundi from Australia; pale pink snapper from New Zealand and a pair of branzino (also called lavraki) from the Mediterranean. Then, some small red rouget (barbouni or red mullet) from Spain or Africa, and at bottom, two silver orata (also called dorado or tsipoura) from the Mediterranean. Clustered at lower right are sardines from Portugal.

8)  INT'L]     Corporation Voices Disappointment Over Markets Decision

9)  INT'L]     Private labels head for Amsterdam

10)  INT'L]   Aquaculture: Dåfjord Laks Bankrupt

11)  INT'L]   Potential Buyers For Dåfjord Laks

12)  INT'L]   Fisheries decision could up crab yield

13)  AUST]   Seafood forum to give Government hands-on advice

14) AUST]    24-hour safety watch on undersea cables scrapped

15) INT'L]   Top Fisheries Board job being advertising

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4)     The one that got away

Scott Macindoe would rather be fishing. Instead, he is at his home-office computer in Epsom, Auckland, trawling through emails from fellow fishers. Every few minutes there is another tug on the line.

Macindoe feeds back fresh tidbits on the threat to New Zealanders' God-given right to catch nature's bounty - just enough to feed the family, naturally.

The threat, from what Macindoe calls an out-of-control Department of Conservation, is imminent. Unless fishers flood the department with submissions by Monday, a huge chunk of the seas could get away - 50,000ha off Great Barrier Island may be locked up forever in a "no take" marine reserve.

The Government's drive to protect 10 per cent of marine life for posterity has fishers reeling. Conservation Minister Chris Carter has made marine protection his priority and asked DoC to identify potential sites for a network of reserves to preserve marine biodiversity.

When you consider that our economic zone covers 480 million ha of ocean, 10 per cent may not seem a lot. As Carter is fond of saying, it still leaves 90 per cent open for fishing. But which 10 per cent? And why?

To Auckland's large recreational fishing fraternity, the blows are coming wave upon wave. First Tiritiri Matangi and nearby Whangaparaoa Peninsula, then the west coast from Muriwai to Port Waikato, now the biggest of them all - a vast block of ocean from Great Barrier's northeast coastline to the 12-mile limit.

It is a similar tale up and down the country. At internationally known deep-sea fishing venues like Cape Brett in the Bay of Islands and the Volkner Rocks in the Bay of Plenty, and at a dozen other spots around the coast, marine reserves are clearing statutory hurdles.

DoC maintains that the proposals are no more than that - consultation on the Barrier and on Tiritiri is based on discussion documents and formal applications are some time away. The public will then have two months to support or object. On the West Coast, Forest and Bird's proposal for a marine park (where fishing is allowed) merely flags the idea of marine reserves in highly stressed areas.

But if this is a phony war, battlelines are being drawn, entrenched positions taken. It is the pipe-opener to an ideological clash: the freedom to fish sustainably versus the wish to enshrine biodiversity for future generations. As with most wars, logic and truth are early casualties.

"The plan of these eco-Nazis is in fact to dot the coastline with reserves and then join them up so there is no commercial fishing in New Zealand," says Moana Pacific chief executive Bruce Young.

The fishers have seized on an ageing DoC map of the Hauraki Gulf, studded with 21 dots warranting investigation as marine-protected areas - 15 in the inner gulf. DoC says the dots are only possibilities and the map is nearly out of date.

But more reserves are in the pipeline, at the Noises in the gulf and at Mimiwhangata and Whangarei Harbour (proposed by Kamo High School students) in Northland. Dozens more are rumoured as the Government strives to build its network.

Where DoC is not doing the bidding, it is aiding and abetting others, including Forest and Bird and iwi. Its assistance to the New Zealand Underwater Association's Tiritiri proposal includes $20,000 of taxpayers' money.

New legislation, the Marine Reserves Bill, is being ushered in to make it easier to create reserves.

Who would argue against preserving our wondrous, and often rare, undersea flora and fauna for future generations? As DoC's Auckland conservator, Rob McCallum says New Zealanders have grown up close to the water and are passionate about protecting their marine heritage.

But between half a million and one million New Zealanders also like to fish. Two weekends ago, Macindoe drew a line in the sand against the incoming tide of applications when he tackled DoC's tactics on the Barrier.

Limiting consultation on the discussion document to the offshore island of 1000 people deliberately ignored the interests of thousands more Aucklanders, he said.

Having DoC in charge of the application process was "like having a rabbit in charge of the lettuce patch".

In common with most fishers, Macindoe is not immune to exaggeration or colourful language. He is a businessman who prefers a fishing jersey to a suit.

Hair dishevelled, face weathered, you suspect he has closed a few deals with cellphone in one hand and rod in the other, preferably out the back of the Barrier, where a city slicker can "take that brief momentary lapse from the larder factory".

"The Coromandel has been done to death and all the other coasts are completely developed. When you finally make it out there you are not out there to fish, you are out there to be.

"It is wilderness, it is spectacular ... it doesn't get any better."

Lately he has been shorebound, fighting for the rights of fishers. He helped to form the Option 4 lobby group when the Ministry of Fisheries and the Recreational Fishing Council tried to limit leisure fishers to a fixed share of the fishery. Now attention has turned to marine reserves and Option 4 and the fishing council have put past acrimony behind them.

The Government is riding roughshod over the public's clear desire to conserve fish, he says. The quota management system, bag limits and other mechanisms offer more flexible means of ensuring sustainability. Locking fishers out of areas is a sledge-hammer approach that will not address the real threat to marine biodiversity - environmental degradation.

"It is an ideology that finds its spawning ground in the biodiversity strategy, but 99.9 per cent of the species will be unaffected."

If Macindoe has the gift of the gab, his allies are more direct.

"This is going to bite them on the arse - it's shaping up as the biggest election issue the Government has ever faced," says Keith Ingram, a board member of the Recreational Fishing Council.

By any measure, the present push for reserves is a seachange from past policy. Since the first reserve was created at Leigh in 1975 only 18 have been established, covering just 1.5 per cent of the coastline. Ingram says the fishing council does not oppose marine reserves as such - it supported 12 previous proposals and was the applicant for one, in the Marlborough Sounds.

But the 10 per cent target for marine protection by 2010, laid down in the biodiversity strategy, and a new Marine Reserves Bill have changed the environment. Reserves were originally to preserve unique and beautiful species for scientific purposes; the new bill broadens the scope for reserves to conserve marine biodiversity for future generations and provide potential for tourism activity, bringing "economic benefits".

Anyone can apply for a reserve. Only where DoC is the applicant does the Minister of Conservation have to obtain an independent assessment. The need to obtain the Minister of Fisheries' assent is removed.

Chris Carter says he is amazed that anyone could oppose marine reserves, which boost overall fishing stocks and represent a "win-win for everyone from biodiversity to economic opportunity".

With only 1.5 per cent of coastal waters in reserves at the moment "why are we quibbling about 10 per cent?"

But Ingram says 7 per cent of coastal waters are already off-limits for fishing as cable lanes, shipping lanes and defence areas. "They are trying to double dip - 20 per cent is their objective, they are being deceitful."

Behind the scenes, bureaucrats are beavering away on a new oceans policy, a marine protected areas strategy, a new Marine Mammals Protection Act and marine farming law reforms. With large coastal areas expected to be taken for aquaculture when the moratorium is lifted next year, it is easy to see why fishers feel squeezed out.

"Only a small percentage of water is fishable at any one time," says Macindoe. "Much of it is deep, it's inaccessible or it is degraded harbours."

Ingram says the Government doesn't need reserves to protect marine biodiversity - it has all the tools it needs in fisheries legislation, customary rights and the ability to ban the harvesting of individual species.

But then fishers would say that, wouldn't they? What is interesting is that conservationists and marine scientists are beginning to question whether more reserves will achieve the Government's aim of preserving biodiversity. And, in the absence of evidence that stocks are threatened by overfishing, are they necessary at all?

By far the biggest threat to biodiversity is siltation and sediment build-up from land use runoff, says diving enthusiast Dr Floor Anthoni. The "marine naturalist" has observed degradation and habitat loss at coastal marine reserves, from Leigh to Milford Sound, caused by sedimentation.

Even the outer Barrier has been degraded, by a silt-laden current from the inner gulf.

"For marine reserves to work, you must take these threats away. A controlled amount of fishing is absolutely no threat to biodiversity. We are suffering from a marine biodiversity strategy which is totally flawed."

Anthoni, who runs the Leigh-based Seafriends marine education centre and website, concedes his views on the success of marine reserves are not shared by all.

But no one disputes the sedimentation issue, which he says is not being monitored. "We can only save the sea by saving the land."

DoC's Rob McCallum acknowledges that runoff is a major cause of habitat loss, "but surely the solution is to fix all of these problems, not use one as an excuse not to deal with the rest".

Fishing tends to remove the largest individuals first and reserves allow big fish to continue breeding, he says. But Anthoni and Macindoe say that won't happen at the Barrier - for instance, snapper breed in the mid-gulf.

"They haven't done any analysis of the risks and threats and what we are catching," says Macindoe. "It's intentional process failure."

Todd Sylvester, a fisheries analyst with the Ministry of Fisheries, says since their 1980s nadir, snapper stocks in the Hauraki Gulf have recovered well under the quota management system.

"You don't need marine reserves to sustainably manage a snapper fishery. If you want to manage sustainability you figure out the sustainable yield and make sure you don't exceed it.

"What has happened with the build-up of crayfish at Leigh is fantastic but how beneficial it is to overall stocks is very dubious."

McCallum counters that marine reserves are not intended as a fisheries management tool. "We are not saying there should be a marine reserve [at Barrier] because fish stocks are depleted. We are saying that at Great Barrier there is a spectacular underwater ecosystem that extends out to the 12-mile limit."

Another attraction is the Barrier's relative accessibility - people can go there and enjoy it.

But livelihoods are at stake, says Leigh Fishermen's Association vice-president Eddie Watts. Families who have fished the area for generations will have nowhere to go.

"There is a certain etiquette out there - you can't go encroaching on someone else's patch."

Watts has fished for snapper, hapuku and grouper off the Barrier for 36 years. "People say it wasn't like this when their father was fishing. Well, when my father was fishing, it wasn't as good as it is now."

"Doc needs to talk to user groups to see what is really going on out there - it is totally different from what they are saying. The quota system is working."

But inshore at Tiritiri, the Underwater Association's Peter Crabb says overfishing of snapper has allowed kina to flourish, causing loss of kelp and increased silt buildup. "People say there is nothing there to look at, but if you talk to people who dived there in the 1950s, it was fantastic."

Quotas and bag limits look at individual species, not the whole ecology, says Crabb. Recovery could happen quickly if a "no take" reserve is established.

The big guns in commercial fishing are not yet as vocal as the recreational sector but will choose their moment to strike.

"Once this thing hits the road properly they are going to get absolutely monstered," says Moana Pacific's Bruce Young.

"Everywhere they pick there is commercial fishing - I think it is quite overt.

"They are moving commercial fishing over the horizon - most of us will be pulling our money out of New Zealand and telling the Crown to get stuffed."

The fishers' stance is at least in part based on DoC's track record in reserve battles at the Poor Knights, Te Makutu, off Waiheke, and the Volkner Rocks in Bay of Plenty.

Consultation on the Barrier proposal has raised the same charges of misleading information, lack of consultation and misrepresentation of support.

"They are very devious and dishonest," says Young. "How many people who fish off the Barrier actually live on the Barrier?"

But McCallum says the issue of how directly people are affected is crucial to proposals. "So having thousands of submissions from fishers around the country who disagree in principle is given an entirely different weight to someone who has lived on the island for several generations and relies on the island waters to catch fish because there is no supermarket."

He says it is also hard to give the same weight to Auckland boaties who claim their right to fish is affected when, to get to the Barrier, "they drive 60-odd nautical miles over an environment that is not protected".

"It is not about who makes the most noise. It's about who is most affected and who contributes to shaping the proposal."

McCallum makes no apologies for helping other groups to prepare applications. DoC is the Government's advocate for increasing marine conservation in New Zealand. The process is complicated and it's no good getting several years down the track and having to start again because a mistake has been made.

But recreational fishers don't have the same access to the public purse. Marine scientist John Holdsworth is preparing a submission for the the Big Game Fishing Council for future marine reserve proposals, "so we don't have to start from scratch all the time". "The new act says anyone can put up a proposal of any size anywhere at any time. It's scary."

Tutukaka-based Holdsworth says proposals keep targeting offshore islands and headlands with deep water and shelter - prime fishing grounds - whereas the biodiversity strategy calls for a cross-section of habitat types to be protected.

"DoC has this idea of linking land reserves with marine reserves, and just about all the offshore islands are in DoC hands. We need a co-ordinated response to establish where the right and wrong places are for marine reserves."

Chris Carter says co-ordination will improve under the new legislation. Niwa and the Ministry for the Environment are working on new ways to grade marine environments and identify vulnerable areas. But there is no need to stall applications in the meantime.

"The coastal waters are the ecosystems in New Zealand that are most at risk and I don't want to see our oceans ending up like the North Sea - devoid of fish.

"But I don't accept that there's suddenly a plan by Government to grab the coast for protection."

28.06.2003,  By GEOFF CUMMING

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1)  Australian oyster tray to make shellfish meatier

Aquaculture scientists in Australia have developed an oyster tray from a polymer that can prevent the growth of organisms that interfere with the shellfish's food supply.

The rearing tray - designed by a team from Australia’s leading scientific establishment, the CSIRO, and the Co-Operative Research Centre for Aquaculture - breeds higher-grade, meatier oysters, because the young, growing oyster is not obstructed from the free flow of nutrient-rich seawater it feeds on.

The polymer contains slow-release, harmless biodegradable anti-fouling chemicals within its molecular structure, which are slowly released over time. The anti-fouling chemicals are environmentally safe organic compounds that degrade in seawater in hours.

27 Jun 2003 Source: Matthew Brace

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5)  Fisheries top priority for the Howard Government

Federal Fisheries Minister Senator Ian Macdonald has tabled a policy statement in Parliament outlining areas for improvement and opportunities to be pursued in Commonwealth fisheries policy.
Titled Looking to the Future: A Review of Commonwealth Fisheries Policy, the statement recognises the nation's unprecedented growth in the area, but also the need for reform in areas like Offshore Constitutional Settlement arrangements, and the improvement of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

"AFMA is challenged to make further strides in improving its management, communication and consultation with all stakeholders," Senator Macdonald said.

"However, there is a view in some quarters that a gap exists between the theory and practice of good fisheries management relating to the decision making process, and its implementation, and this also needs to be intelligently addressed.

"In terms of the Offshore Constitutional Settlement, these arrangements have worked well in some instances, but remain problematic in others.

"I have asked my department to evaluate the way that these arrangements can be used to achieve greater cooperation between jurisdictions in the pursuit of sustainable natural resource management in cooperation with the States and Territories."

These areas for improvement are two hurdles in what has otherwise been a boom-time for the fishing industry, with growth of around 6 per cent in real terms since 1996.

The Howard Government also plans to create an Australian Fisheries and Seafood Forum to advise Commonwealth Ministers on new and emerging fisheries matters.

"The present ad hoc consulting arrangements on strategic issues are no longer adequate, given the complexity and volume of issues arising in this area," Senator Macdonald said.

"The forum will not duplicate or replace AFMA's consultative arrangements, rather, it will have a broad agenda to assist the government realise the potential for this great industry in our country."

AFFA03/108M 25 June 2003

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6)  New Zealand to pass law preventing Maoris from owning coastline

New Zealand said yesterday that it would pass a law to prevent indigenous Maori tribes from claiming exclusive ownership of the nation's coastline and seabed.

Maori leaders condemned the move, and said the law would breach New Zealand's founding treaty which guaranteed Maori ownership of their lands, forests and fisheries.

The proposed law would still allow the Maori to use the foreshore and seabed for activities such as fishing, said Attorney-General Margaret Wilson. But they would not be allowed to deny access to anyone.

A court ruling last week said under the founding treaty, Maori can make exclusive claims to ownership of New Zealand's foreshore and seabed.

Traditionally, these areas were a vital supply of food for indigenous tribes living round the South Pacific nation's long coastlines. Many Maori still harvest seafood from their tribal areas.

The proposed legislation would ensure that the coastline and sea bed areas are held by the government for all New Zealanders, said Prime Minister Helen Clark.

"What we are faced with is something never before contemplated, which is an exclusive legal title could be given over New Zealand beaches and sea beds," Clark said of the claims, though she denied the law was a knee-jerk reaction to them.

New Zealand's coastline is one of the country's main tourism attractions. Tourism brings in about 13 billion New Zealand dollars (US$7.5 billion) a year, and one in 10 New Zealanders are employed in the sector.

Maori constitutional lawyer Moana Jackson warned the law would spark widespread anger and lead to protests.

He said the government's "arbitrary plan" to seize ownership of the areas would breach the founding 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which guaranteed Maori ownership of their lands, forests and fisheries.

"Maori ... are being put in a position where there are no viable options left (other than protest) and that will have long-term consequences" for race relations, Jackson said.

Attorney-General Wilson said traditional Maori rights would still exist but they would not be given exclusive rights to shoreline and marine areas. She said the law would clarify that "the seabed and foreshore is owned by all New Zealanders in the form of the (government)."

2003-06-25 / Associated Press /

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2)    PRESS RELEASE      POSITIONING THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY FOR THE FUTURE. PARTICIPANTS

Participants in the 'Advance In' seafood leadership program dined with leaders of Australia's seafood industry in Sydney last week.

George Costi, owner of De Costi Seafoods and sponsor of the dinner, congratulated the participants who organised and chaired the industry dinner at the Novotel Century Hotel, Darling Harbour and commended the organisers of the program for this important initiative.

The 6 month program requires participants to design and implement an industry project with the support of a mentor. Participants will present their project outcomes at a formal presentation in Canberra in September. Projects include; increase awareness of food safety for recreation fishers, identify the barriers preventing young people from entering the post harvest sector as a career option, enhance the capacity to sell product online, prepare a plan to ensure Australian processors of Southern Blue Fin Tuna retain a competitive advantage and develop a genetic tag monitoring system for Spanish Mackerel in the Northern Territory.

Martin Perkins, Seafood Consultant, a participant and the Secretary of the Queensland Seafood Marketers Association, shared some of his experience of the course to date. "I believe the course is helping me to capitalise on my industry knowledge and it will help me to play a more active role in shaping the future of the Queensland Seafood Industry."

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) support the course, along with state and territory industry organisations and businesses.

The course involved participants from all sectors of industry, and aims to form alliances through the entire seafood production and market chain. Participants have been equipped with the skills, confidence, networks and knowledge to increase their effectiveness at both an enterprise and industry level. It encourages industry members to take a whole-of-industry approach to issues.

Principal Facilitator, Cheryl Phillips explained the course. "In an environment of unprecedented change it is essential that all industry stakeholders operate within the context of the big picture," she said. "The 'Advance In' program provides participants with an opportunity to meet with national industry leaders, politicians, government and business leaders and discuss trends, issues and opportunities.

Cheryl said: "In past courses, this networking has resulted in graduates working with these leaders after their graduation to ensure the changes are integrated into the existing industry structures…. This program demonstrates the industry's strategic approach to building the leadership capacity of the industry to ensure a profitable and professional future", she added.

CONTACT: Martin Perkins - Secretary - Queensland Seafood Marketers Association
Ph 07 3344 2055, Mobile 0411 231057

PARTICIPANTS

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10)  Aquaculture: Dåfjord Laks Bankrupt

THE Norwegian fish farming company Dåfjord laks went to the bankruptcy court today after demands from Norwegian bank Nordea.

The bankruptcy will affect 250 employees and the proceedings relate to Dåfjord Laks, Polarfeed, Dåfjord Slakterier and Ishavslaks , reports Norwegian newspaper Nordlys.

One of the main creditors, the Nordlandsbank, wished to continue the debt negotiations, but Nordea was unwilling.

According to the Norwegian newspaper the new management has two alternatives; either to slaughter all the fish and close the company or carry on running the company in the hope that it will find a new partner.

The banks have given signals that they wish to continue the operation under the direction of the bankruptcy estate, so that one can harvest the fish stock of 2001/2002, which will mean a running period of at least another 14 months according to the chairman of the debt committee, Joar Grimsbu.

Published on: June 24, 2003

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11) Potential Buyers For Dåfjord Laks

A BUYER group is considering putting in a bid for Dåfjord laks, a major Norwegian fish farming company, which went into receivership this Tuesday.

Norwegian newspapers report that potential buyers have been in contact with the Dåfjord management and the two banks involved for a while, on the subject of possibly buying Dåfjord. If all goes ahead, it will give the company access to capital that has been needed for the last two years and could also save the jobs of some of the 220 employees.

But yet, the buyer group, which is based in the Northern town Tromsø and consists of the Mack Concern, Odd Berg-Gruppen and parts of the old Sisomar, has not put in a final bid for the Dåfjord concern, because there are some issues that needs to be determined before things can evolve.

Finding a price is one important factor, but what is perhaps more significant, is the potential continuation of the salmon crisis and the amount of net capital needed to survive a long period with poor prices. Although, the actual sale almost certainly will be a bargain, the new owners will probably need to have enough net worth to last them for a year.

And according to Norwegian news sources, it is long-term development of the salmon market that has been worrying the buyer group, as these circumstances make buying the Dåfjord concern an even more risky pursuit.

Published on: June 27, 2003

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3)  EMPLOYMENT Ten years experience in shore based fisheries operations

My name is Charles Osmond and I have recently moved over from New Zealand and I am currently looking for employment. I have over ten years experience in shore based fisheries operations, having managed a 4500 tonne coolstore, two unloading wharfs and a processing factory for Amaltal fishing company and Talleys Fisheries. My family and I are located in Sydney but are willing to relocate if need be. If there are any opportunities within your company, I would be more than happy to fax or e-mail a copy of my resume and references or you can contact me on 0413 208 049.    Charles Osmond

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7)  THEY SWIM THE WORLD Imported fish on display at Citarella, from top: two big barramundi from Australia; pale pink snapper from New Zealand and a pair of branzino (also called lavraki) from the Mediterranean. Then, some small red rouget (barbouni or red mullet) from Spain or Africa, and at bottom, two silver orata (also called dorado or tsipoura) from the Mediterranean. Clustered at lower right are sardines from Portugal.

AKE another look at that fish on your plate. Chances are very good that it is a world traveler, and just got off a plane.

At one Greek restaurant in TriBeCa, diners can choose among unusual varieties fresh from the Mediterranean. The menu lists barbouni, a small, intensely flavored red fish also known as rouget or red mullet; lavraki, a sleek, mild-tasting flaky bass sometimes called branzino or loup de mer; and tsipoura or dorado, a popular dish in Italian restaurants, where it is known as orata and is a favorite for grilling.

Barramundi, a rich-flavored reef fish from Australia that some chefs compare with Chilean sea bass, and bluenose from New Zealand, a big variety with firm flesh, are also showing up on menus. In markets, they are giving flounder a run for the money.

Most surprising about these fish from distant ports is that they arrive, fresh and glistening, just two or three days out of the water. It can sometimes take longer to get local fish from net to plate.

The days when Dover sole from the English Channel impressed diners are clearly over. Chefs have other fish to fry, sauté, grill and roast.

"Efficiencies in air freight make it possible to put fresh fish from anywhere in the world on the plate," said Howard M. Johnson, a consultant to the seafood industry from Jacksonville, Ore. "And it's increasingly important, since we've seen reductions in many of our native fisheries, like cod, grouper and rockfish."

Today, 76 percent of all seafood consumed in the United States is imported, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, a government agency; only Japan imports more fish. From 1992 though 2001, imports to the United States increased from less than $6 billion to nearly $10 billion. Shrimp account for more than half the total, and salmon imports are also significant. But the American market for other finfish from afar is growing rapidly.

Some fish, like barramundi or bluenose, are destined for high-end restaurants and markets. The fast-food industry, meanwhile, is buying hoki, a bland-tasting but abundant fish from New Zealand.

Australia has doubled the amount of fish it sends to these shores in the last 10 years to 16 million pounds, said Beth Goslin, the business development manager for the Australian Trade Commission. This increase in imports reflects the growth in fish consumption in the United States — from less than 10 pounds a person 50 years ago to more than 20 pounds now.

Just a year ago, Peter Jarvis, the owner of Triar Seafood, a fish importer in Hollywood, Fla., began bringing in barramundi, a wild fish that is also farmed. He started with a weekly 300 pounds of the farmed variety and is now up to 6,000 pounds a week.

The Republic of Cyprus began exporting farmed fish, mostly orata and branzino, to the United States in 1996, and since then its shipments have increased from $300,000 to $1.6 million a year. "We send it off on Sunday and it's in the restaurant kitchen by Monday," said Dennis Droushiotis, the trade commissioner for Cyprus. The country's fish farms are state-of-the-art facilities in deep, clean waters, Mr. Droushiotis said, adding, "We're relatively new at this, and we can take advantage of the latest technology."

Greece, where some 200 fish farms raise most of the branzino and orata sold here, has become another important source.

Richard Martin, an owner of Wild Edibles, which has two fish shops in Manhattan and also supplies restaurants, said the change in his import business in the past five or so years has been "tremendous."

"We imported almost nothing five years ago because most of what was available was frozen," he said. "Now almost all of it is flown in fresh, and imports account for at least 15 to 20 percent of our business."

Because of increased availability and competition, the price for most imported fish has declined, making many varieties comparable in price to domestic fish, even with the cost of air freight factored in, said Joe Gurrera, the owner of the five Citarella markets in New York and on Long Island. For example, in his stores whole pink snapper from New Zealand is $5.99 a pound, the same price as local porgies.

Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

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9)   Private labels head for Amsterdam

With private label products taking an ever increasing share of shelf space in supermarkets across Europe, this year’s World of Private Label trade show promises to be bigger than ever.

The show, which starts today in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is organised by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), and will feature more than 2,600 exhibitors stands representing manufacturers from more than 60 countries.
The size of the show reflects the continuing strategy of major retailers and wholesalers across Europe, who are crossing national borders, making acquisitions, opening new stores, and introducing their brands to millions of new shoppers.

This strategy is proving to be a big benefit for private label, which is gaining market share in country after country and achieving a greater strategic importance in marketing and merchandising, the PLMA said.

While there are many companies which continue to focus solely on their own proprietary brands, many more have recognised the potential benefits to be gained from private label production as the major retail groups go from strength to strength. Many companies are entering the business for the first time, the PLMA said, while others are simply following their national retail customers into new markets.

More than 30 national and regional pavilions will lead the large number of companies. Countries where private labels are already well established – such as the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium – dominate the show, but for the 2003 edition of the show they will be joined by newcomers from the Czech Republic, Turkey and Poland, reflecting not only the growing competitiveness of countries outside western Europe as sources of private label supply but also the efforts of major western retail groups to expand into these countries.

The World of Private Label exhibition will provide a showcase for producers of a wide range of food products, including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, bakery, fruit and vegetables, delicatessen and ready-meals. The show also features a New Product Expo, which offers visitors a glance at innovative private label products and packaging and demonstrates the sophistication of today’s private label industry.

The PLMA trade show is now in its eighteenth year and regularly attracts private label buyers from most of the world’s leading retailers, including Auchan, Metro, Casino, Carrefour, Sainsbury’s, Delhaize, Ahold, Tesco, Aldi, Wal-Mart and Lidl. Besides Europe’s retailers and wholesalers, visitors will include importers from Asia, the Middle East, North and South America, and Africa.

25/06/03 -

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12)  Fisheries decision could up crab yield

ANCHORAGE--The Bering Sea commercial crab industry could become more lucrative under a regulatory change approved by the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

The board on Tuesday authorized the state fish and game commissioner to increase the catch of Bristol Bay red king crab by 25 percent if an at-sea survey this summer shows the crab population is strong enough to support the larger harvest.

Such an increase could mean an extra $10 million or more for fishermen in the fleet of about 250 boats.

Tom Casey, a Seattle crab boat consultant who lobbied the board for a bigger harvest, called the decision perfect timing. The crab fleet has weathered tough economic times in recent years because of the crash of Bering Sea snow crab stocks.

"It's big, big news, and we owe the Department of Fish and Game big time," Casey said. "Their flexibility is the only reason we can do this."

Fish and Game biologists did an analysis that showed increasing the catch would have little negative impact on the health of the red king crab population, said Denby Lloyd, a department supervisor in Kodiak.

"There's really no significant biological downside," he told the Anchorage Daily News.

Casey and the crabbers had asked the department to split the difference in the regulation on how much crab the fleet can catch, Lloyd said.

Before, the fleet was allowed to take either 10 percent or 15 percent of mature male crabs, depending on the strength of the spawning population. The population would have to swing far higher to justify the 15 percent catch rate, but for several seasons it has been well in excess of the population that allows for a 10 percent rate.

"What the industry asked was can't we have something intermediate here," Lloyd said.

So the board authorized a 12.5 percent catch level.

It means crabbers likely will be allowed to catch millions of extra pounds of the giant orange spiders during this year's Bristol Bay red king fishery, which begins on Oct. 15.

Over the last seven years, the dock price for red kings has averaged $4.56 a pound, and the average catch limit has been 9.1 million pounds. Using these averages and under the board change, this fall's catch limit would be 25 percent higher, yielding a harvest worth an extra $10.4 million, according to a Fish and Game analysis.

The Associated Press, Article Published: Sunday, June 29, 2003 - 3:09:53 AM AKST

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8)     Corporation Voices Disappointment Over Markets Decision

THE Corporation of London has voiced disappointment that the Government has not taken up its proposals for London wholesale markets, which included the Corporation taking over ownership of New Covent Garden Market at Nine Elms and continuing to run it as a wholesale market.

The corporation said that in all its discussions with interested parties, it has made it clear that it would encourage an expansion of activities at Nine Elms to provide "an improved supply chain for the central London catering trade,including more added value and integrated distribution" as envisaged by the Saphir Report.

The Corporation supports the recommendation of a composite market at New Spitalfields and it says the Government's responsibilities towards New Covent Garden Market are founded in statute and the Corporation says it will be watching with interest to see how the Government intends to disengage without promoting amendments to the legislation governing New Covent Garden Market specifically, or markets generally.

Published on: June 23, 2003

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13)  Seafood forum to give Government hands-on advice

Federal Fisheries Minister Senator Ian Macdonald has announced the establishment of a new body to ensure the Government remains committed to effectively managing fisheries matters.
The Australian Fisheries and Seafood Forum will be created to advise Commonwealth Ministers on new and emerging fisheries matters as the industry heads into a crucial phase of its development.

"The present ad hoc consulting arrangements on strategic issues are no longer adequate, given the complexity and volume of issues arising in this area," Senator Macdonald said.

"The forum will not duplicate or replace the Australian Fisheries Management Authority's consultative arrangements, rather, it will have a broad agenda to assist the Government realise the potential for this great industry in our country."

The announcement is part of the Government's policy statement titled Looking to the Future: A Review of Commonwealth Fisheries Policy, a blueprint that recognises the nation's unprecedented growth in the resource, but also the need for reform in areas like Offshore Constitutional Settlement arrangements, and the improvement of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

"AFMA is challenged to make further strides in improving its management communication and consultation with all stakeholders," Senator Macdonald said.

"However, there is a view in some quarters that a gap exists between the theory and practice of good fisheries management relating to the decision making process, and its implementation and this also needs to be intelligently addressed.

"In terms of the Offshore Constitutional Settlement, these arrangements have worked well in some instances, but remain problematic in others. I have asked my department to evaluate the way that these arrangements can be used to achieve greater cooperation between jurisdictions in the pursuit of sustainable natural resource management.

"This, of course, will be done in close cooperation with the States and Territories."

These areas for improvement are two hurdles in what has otherwise been a boom time for the fishing industry, with growth of around 6 per cent in real terms since 1996.

AFFA03/109M 25 June 2003

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14)     24-hour safety watch on undersea cables scrapped

Since the 2000 Olympics a special surveillance operation has been under way off the Sydney coast, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to protect our undersea international telecommunications cables.

These eight-centimetre-thick links with the rest of the world carry 98 per cent of international telephone traffic and emails.

Owners of the three multibillion-dollar submarine cables, which come ashore at Narrabeen, Bondi and Clovelly, have been paying a private boat charter company to provide high-speed patrol boats to warn off other vessels that might stray into the one-nautical-mile exclusion zones.

The companies, Reach Communications (a joint venture between Telstra and Hong Kong's PCCW), Southern Cross Cables and Australia Japan Cable, were concerned the cables would be damaged by careless fishing trawlers or freighters dropping anchor in the wrong place.

Now the companies are cutting back the patrols to just two random 12-hour sessions a week, throwing at least eight boat captains out of work and leaving the country's communications more vulnerable.

Reach spokesman Martin Ratia said there was no need for the constant cable patrols because trawler operators were now more aware of the cables' locations and their importance to Australia's economy.

"We've had an ongoing education campaign with the trawler captains," Mr Ratia said.

A captain who has lost his job told The Sun-Herald that the charter company, Ace Boat Charters, provided two ex-customs patrol boats to protect the cables. The surveillance vessels operated on 24-hour shifts with two captains on board, each doing duty six hours on, six hours off.

"If a trawler approached the one-nautical-mile limit, we'd get onto the radio and let them know they were getting near the cable and if they came within the limit they had to get all their fishing nets off the ocean floor," the captain said. "We didn't have powers of arrest, but if they didn't comply with those requests we'd film them in case anything did go wrong and it could be used in legal action later on.

"If the trawlers were chasing a run of fish they'd get annoyed that they had to turn back. Some tried to ignore you, but over the years they came to appreciate we were just doing our jobs."

The patrols run from Long Reef, south to Botany, using radar to pinpoint straying vessels.

In July 2001 a Russian freighter riding out a storm dragged its anchor and hooked the Southern Cross cable to the US, disrupting internet traffic for thousands of users for 12 hours.

By Jim O'Rourke, Workplace Reporter June 22 2003 The Sun-Herald

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15)    Top Fisheries Board job being advertising

The NATIONAL Fisheries Board has been advertising the position of the managing director through the Department of Personal Management.
Fisheries Minister Andrew Baing said this last Thursday when responding to questions raised by New Ireland Governor Ian Ling-Stuckey about live reef fishing and the appointment of an acting managing director for the fisheries board.
Mr Baing said the board met this week to finalise the procedures that would then be forward to the DPM.
He said that the appointment of the current acting managing director Molien Chapau had been approved by the National Executive Council through a submission after the contract of the former managing director Antony Louis expired.
He said that Dr Louis employment contract, which was fully funded by the Asian Development Bank, expired on April 21, 2003.
He said: "Dr Louis was never dismissed, it was the prerogative of the Government to appoint an acting managing director."
Mr Baing said he does not know if Mr Chapau has any interest in the fisheries industry as he has never known him before until his appointment.
Meanwhile, he said the live reef fishing food-processing plant in New Ireland was a trial project that has been funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
He said this facility was to process the fish caught by local fishermen.
He said that he visited Yalu on Saturday where there were celebrations. He said the people own 51 per cent of the stevedoring industry in Kavieng.
Likewise, he said that next year he would introduce a policy for the people in PNG to have a controlling stake in the fishing industry.
Mr Baing said the people of PNG, which includes fish farming in the Highlands, would hold 51 per cent in the industry while foreigners hold 49 per cent. He said his office was there to implement the policy.

By JOHN DAU