MA SEAFOOD FOOD EXPORT PROGRAM:

A FOCUS ON LESSER-KNOWN

NEW ENGLAND SEAFOOD

Story R. ReedJuly 13, 2015

June 23, 2015 Slide 1

Introduction

• Long tradition of Cod, Haddock, and Sole fishing in the Commonwealth

• Commercial fishing, recreational fishing, and seafood processing are an important part of the Commonwealth’s history, culture, and economy

• The Commonwealth is the 2nd ranked state in the US in terms of landings value

• New Bedford is the top valued port in the country

• Destination for recreational anglers

June 23, 2015 Slide 2

June 23, 2015 Slide 3

Commercial Seafood Industry

$0

$500,000,000

$1,000,000,000

$1,500,000,000

$2,000,000,000

$2,500,000,000MA Commercial Seafood Industry Economic Impact¹

Economic Impact Ex-Vessel Value

Year

Econ

omic

Impa

ct (2

012

Dolla

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SOURCES: -NMFS Office of Science and Technology Commercial Fisheries Statistics Query Tool and ACCSP Data Warehouse-Bureau of Labor and Statistics-¹Dyck, Andrew J. and U. Rashid Sumaila. 2010. Economic Impact of ocean fish populations in the global fishery. Journal of Bioeco-nomics , 12(4), 227-243.

¹3.1 Economic Mul-tipler

Top Commercial Species in 2012 by Value

Rank Species Live Pounds Value

1 SCALLOP, SEA 305,944,169 $364,895,602

2 LOBSTER, AMERICAN 14,482,740 $53,345,841

3 COD, ATLANTIC 8,983,602 $18,558,123

4 SURFCLAM, ATLANTIC 95,598,601 $16,074,267

5 GOOSEFISH (MONKFISH) 11,582,869 $13,595,613

6 OYSTER, EASTERN 4,125,447 $12,069,381

June 23, 2015 Slide 4

2015 Seafood Buyers Mission Program

• March 12th orientation presentation for MA Seafood Food Export program to foreign buyers in conjunction with MA Department of Agricultural Resources

• Program held during Seafood Expo North America show in Boston• Focused on lesser-known species, including tasting • New Bedford port visit• One-on-one meetings between buyers and processors followed

June 23, 2015 Slide 5

Lesser Known Species: Affordable and Available

• Emerging markets for healthy and under-utilized species• Species include Redfish, Scup, and Dogfish• Generally steady supply throughout the year in the Northeast • Readily available supply and quota• Opportunity to increase market share for

these species• Increased markets may benefit fishermen

and consumers• Science-based management, federal and

inter-state management plans

June 23, 2015 Slide 6

A Closer Look at Spiny Dogfish

• Declared as a fully rebuilt stock by NOAA Fisheries in 2010• Roughly 48 million pound coast-wide quota• Only 46% of available quota was landed in the 2014/2015 fishing year• Roughly half of the 2014/2015 Atlantic harvest was landed in

Massachusetts• Migrate seasonally • Managed by annual catch limit and daily trip limits• MSC certified as a sustainable seafood

Source: NOAA Fisheries Fishwatch

June 23, 2015 Slide 7

The Spiny Dogfish Fishery

• Mostly caught as bycatch in gillnet, trawl, and longline fisheries for groundfish species

• Some targeted day boat longline and gillnet fisheries in recent years

June 23, 2015 Slide 8

Picture Courtesy of www.capecodfishermen.org

Spiny Dogfish Products & Packaging

• Sweet, mild flavor with firm but flaky texture• Low-fat source of protein• Available fresh or frozen• Products available include: backs, fillets, loins, medallions, flaps, fins and

tails • A variety of sizes and packaging available depending on product type

June 23, 2015 Slide 9

Sources: NOAA Fisheries Fishwatch & Zeus Packing

Spiny Dogfish Landings & Value (New England)

June 23, 2015 Slide 10

Year Dogfish Landings Dogfish Landings Value Ex-Vessel Price per LB

2011 12,521,168 lbs $2,749,285 $.22

2012 16,611,369 lbs $3,630,511 $.22

2013 7,854,180 lbs $1,256,111 $.16

Source: NOAA Fisheries

A Closer Look at Redfish

• Declared as a fully rebuilt stock by NOAA Fisheries in 2012• Managed by an annual catch limit • 70% of annual quota was left unharvested in 2010• Currently there is a limited market

Source: NOAA Fisheries Fishwatch

June 23, 2015 Slide 11

Division of Marine Fisheries

The Redfish Fishery

• Primarily harvested in the trawl fishery along with other groundfish• Selectively targeted through fishing practices to avoid other species with

lower quotas• The Division of Marine Fisheries has participated in REDNET project to

develop selective trawl gear to target redfish

June 23, 2015 Slide 12

Redfish Products & Packaging

• Firm, flaky, mild, slightly sweet fish, white when cooked • Low in saturated fat, high in protein• Available fresh or frozen• Whole fish and fillets available• A variety of sizes and packaging available depending on product type

June 23, 2015 Slide 13

Sources: NOAA Fisheries Fishwatch & Zeus Packing

Redfish Landings & Value (New England)

June 23, 2015 Slide 14

Year Redfish Landings Redfish Landings Value Ex-Vessel Price per LB

2011 4,432,708 lbs $2,746,353 $.62

2012 8,453,519 lbs $5,666,449 $.67

2013 7,872,300 lbs $4,317,245 $.55

Source: NOAA Fisheries

A Closer Look at Scup

• Declared officially rebuilt in 2009• Managed by annual catch limit and daily trip limits• Available year-round on the east coast• Small, mild-tasting, white flaky flesh• Generally sold whole, scaled and dressed• Excellent for pan frying or sautéing whole

Source: NOAA Fisheries Fishwatch

June 23, 2015 Slide 15

Division of Marine Fisheries

The Scup Fishery

• Mainly caught by otter trawls with some fish pot and hook and line harvest

• Harvest occurs in both state and federal waters• Only 49% of the available quota has been caught in the current federal

period• Commercial harvest has room to increase under the current quotas

June 23, 2015 Slide 16

Scup Landings & Value (New England)

June 23, 2015 Slide 17

Year Scup Landings Scup Landings Value Ex-Vessel Price per LB

2011 8,223,231 lbs $4,520,163 $.55

2012 9,219,649 lbs $6,107,046 $.66

2013 9,954,917 lbs $5,188,793 $.52

Source: NOAA Fisheries

Positive Results

• All three lesser-known species were well received by the buyers• One-on-one meetings held with 25 regional seafood suppliers• Onsite sales to foreign buyers of $6 million, with $14.3 million in sales

projected over the next 12 months• Suppliers reported establishing 117 new business relationships and

making 40 first-time sales to a foreign market

June 23, 2015 Slide 18