A small mariculture industry for Alaska – oyster farming for the most part – has been developing in fits and starts for years, and a small group of dedicated seafood entrepreneurs are working away at it, convinced the business can succeed.

Consumer demand in Alaska and the Lower 48 is steadily increasing among people who see oysters as healthy food, and who are becoming more sophisticated in their tastes.

Source: Tim Bradner / Alaska Journal

Salmon plan changes outlined attached to New Zealand King Salmon's application to build nine new farms in the Marlborough Sounds.

The previous day, Environmental Protection Authority board of inquiry chairman Judge Gordon Whiting said lack of detail in proposed conditions of consent for farms "sent a shiver down his spine".

Mr Gardner-Hopkins presented a "clean document" with all comments and history removed. A new condition limiting the nitrogen content of feed to 7 per cent was "not necessary but workable", he said. Another change required King Salmon to improve performance if monitoring picked up excessive seabed enrichment (pollution) not just beneath farms but beyond.

Source: Penny Wardle / The Marlborough Espress

Built to suit a specific purpose, the Northern Eagle trawler is incomparable to any other fishing trawler of its like. Owned by the American Seafoods conglomerate, the vessel’s functionality extends to more than being only a trawling vessel for the Pollack specimen of fishes and encompasses the entire ambit of the fishes’ processing and further treatment for consumption, across the globe.

The demand generated for the Pollack forms an important constituent of the fisheries sector worldwide. It is only through the operational commitment of fishing vessels like the Northern Eagle trawler vessel that there has been able to be maintained a steady tandem between the demand and supply of the Pollack specimen, found only in the freezing Arctic.

Source: Maritime Security Asia

LOUISVILLE, (KY) - On 19 Oct., the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) announced initial attendance figures for the boating-industry’s annual trade show and networking event, which took place 2-4 Oct., at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

Show Director Anne Dunbar said that total verified attendance for IBEX 2012 was 4,701, up about one per cent over 2011.

“IBEX attracts a highly qualified audience,” Dunbar said. “Although the industry has contracted and consolidated in the last five years, the buyers and engineers who attended represent nearly 75 per cent of the industry production and buying power for the marine products and technology at IBEX. As usual, IBEX delivered, with exhibitors unveiling hundreds of new products that will enhance the boating experience.”

JAKARTA - PT FKS Multi Agro Tbk (FISH), the company engaged in fisheries sector, industry and trading secured syndicate loans amounted USD 175 million.

FKS Multi Agro President Director Hiu Baron Setiawan Sumadi said the loan was given in the form of revolving credit facility.

“The loan amounting USD 128 million and maximum up to USD 175 million,” he told, Wednesday 17 October.

Source: M. Kholikul Alim / Bis Nis

On 18 October, the Estonian North East Arctic cold water prawn fishery enters into full assessment for MSC certification. It is the first Estonian fishery to seek MSC certification.

If successful this fishery will become part of a select group of prawn fisheries globally that have earned MSC certification. The client fishery operates under Estonian Fisheries Management, the EU Commission management and under NEAFC. Stock management is advised by ICES’ scientific advice.

BARCELONA - The Seafood Barcelona exposition completed its third and final day at the Fira de Barcelona - Gran Vía fairground as organizers declared the exposition’s first edition was a resounding success paving the way for an expanded 2013 event.

Seafood Barcelona featured 134 exhibitors, including several top fish and seafood suppliers from Spain and throughout the world. Important buyers from Spain and more than 90 countries registered to attend the exposition which is produced by North America-based Diversified Business Communications in partnership with Barcelona-based Alimentaria Exhibitions.

South Korean deep-sea fishery companies are hoping for substantial development of the fisheries industry in the South Pacific.

These comments were made by the president of the Korea Maritime Institute, Hak-So Kim, on 17 Oct during the Korea South Pacific Fisheries Forum (KOSOPFF) 2012 Fiji Symposium.

Mr Kim said they also hoped for more enhanced mutual co-operation with the region in the private sector. “The countries in the South Pacific have vast exclusive economic zones that are larger than their land areas, which means that development and protection of the ocean are directly related to the development of the national economy,” he said.

Source: Rachna Lal / Fiji Sun

Following a pause of three years, trade negotiations between the Pacific region and the European Union (EU) on the conclusion of a comprehensive regional Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) were resumed during the first week of this month in Brussels.

The Pacific delegation comprised representatives from all Pacific ACP states, including Papua New Guinea.

Negotiations covered a wide range of subjects such as trade in goods, services and investment, sanitary and phyto-sanitary requirements, fisheries and trade related development cooperation.

Source: PINA

The EU-funded, SPC-implemented, DevFish2 project funded a training workshop on small fishing operations (SFO) from 11 to 20 September 2012 in Kiribati.

The training was facilitated by William Sokimi of SPC and Samol Kanawi from the PNG National Fisheries College. They used the SFO curriculum taught at PNG's Fisheries College. The two-week intensive training focused specifically on mid-water fishing techniques, fishing gear construction, onboard fish handling, preservation skills, basic sea safety, and basic awareness about fishing as a business.

Source: PINA