Fish Update Briefing, Friday, May 11

FUp Briefing

WILD QUEENSLAND PRAWNS LISTED AS ENDANGERED                                                                                         
THE Australian Marine Conservation Society has listed wild caught Queensland prawns and scallops as an endangered species and is urging the public not to buy them. The society has given these and other shellfish a red unsustainable rating in its latest seafood guide. Scallop stocks are said to have dropped dramatically. Tooni Mahto, the AMCS’s threatened species campaign manager, said: ‘It’s not a decision we have taken lightly and it went through a rigorous assessment process to get to that point.’ But farmed seafood in Queensland was given a strong bill of health with farmed prawns, in particular, listed as the better choice by the guide.
NORWAY AND EU AGREE NEW SHRIMP QUOTA
NORWAY and the EU have agreed a new shrimp (prawns) quota of 8,900 tonnes for the North Sea and Skagerrak region, down by around 1,100 tonnes.  Norwegian vessels will take 5,500 tonnes from this new figure. The two sides have also agreed a new management plan for shrimp as there has been some concern about stocks being in decline.
SEAFOOD FEST – AND NOT A PLASTIC PLATE IN SIGHT
PLASTIC was almost nowhere to be seen at the annual Faroe Islands seafood festival last weekend. Aiming to be as environmentally friendly as possible, plates, cups and cutlery were non-disposable and made from eco-friendly materials. Called ‘Ein dagur á grynnuni’ in Faroese, meaning ‘a day at the sea bank’, the festival sees thousands of people gather in the capital Tórshavn for an eco- and family-friendly food feast. The seafood on offer, which includes salmon, mackerel, langoustines and mussels, is sponsored solely by Faroese fish companies from around the islands and is served up free.
LOCH FYNE CLOSES HERTFORD RESTAURANT
THE seafood restaurant chain Loch Fyne has closed its Hertford branch without giving a reason. The company said on its website: ‘We are aware that some you may have placed bookings with us and we are sorry we will be unable to deliver these for you. We want to say thank you for being a loyal customer. For now, though, from all of us here in Hertford it is thank you and farewell.’ The price of fish has increased by 20 per cent since Brexit and many fish restaurants and fried fish shops are struggling, but it is not known if this is the reason behind the Hertford closure. Loch Fyne has at least 30 other restaurants around the UK.
 

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