We welcome in the beautiful month of October with its crisp air and trees full of colorful leaves. But we can't lose sight that we now step into the last quarter of 2015.
In this issue of our Newsletter we share some big news with you as we look at other industry topics of interest. We start with our news:
Meet our new brand - Maneki® Value - Same great Maneki® quality now with a lower cost
The U.S. Department of Commerce lowered the antidumping duties on Vietnamese shrimp imports
Our Japanese culture article sends you to Sado Island, an area once rich in gold mining with an ongoing tradition of the arts
Swiss Alpine Salmon?? There is a new land-based salmon farm opening in the mountains of Switzerland
And read our blog, see one visitor's first time view of the Yellowfin Tuna industry in breathtaking Bali
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: New Brand from DNI Group...Maneki® Value
DNI Group is pleased to offer its newest Brand to the market - Maneki® Value. This brand was developed specifically to introduce a line of low cost/high value shrimp products. We've combined great quality with competitive pricing to meet your specs and price point. Take a look at the features below:
- Same great Maneki® brand shrimp quality
- Nobashi ebi sizes - 26/30 & 21/25
- Sushi ebi sizes - 4L & 5L
- Competitive pricing
- Larger pack style for all 4 product items (30 pc x 5 trays/box x 6 boxes = 900 pcs/case)
- Always BAP Certified
Give these Maneki® Value products a try. You'll find new lower pricing with no compromise on quality. The convenient larger pack style and redesigned packaging delivers efficiency while reducing costs. And all four popular sizes are available at our warehouses - Los Angeles, Newark and Miami. Contact your DNI Group representative today for information, pricing and samples.
RECIPE IDEA: Maneki® Value on your Sushi Buffet
Our new Maneki® Value brand of sushi and nobashi ebi is perfect for your customers serving buffet style sushi selections. The quality is the same as original Maneki® but the price is less. We included the most widely used sizes of sushi ebi (4L & 5L) and nobashi ebi (26/30 & 21/25) in this brand to make sure the desired specs would be covered. So order some samples and distribute them to your customers. Let them taste the sweet shrimp flavor and firm texture at a lower price - that's Maneki® Value.
SHRIMP UPDATE: U.S. Lowers Antidumping Duties on Vietnam Shrimp
Shrimp Exports to the United States are now forecast to pick up by the end of 2015, after a more than 50% drop in the first eight months of the year.
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) issued the final results of the ninth antidumping duty administrative reviews on frozen shrimp imported from Vietnam. The period of review (POR) is from February 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014.
DOC is imposing an average antidumping duty of 0.91 percent, compared with 0.93 percent in the preliminary results announced in March 2015. This is much lower than the final result of its eighth review, which was 6.37 percent. The Vietnam-wide rate is now at 25.4 percent down from 25.76 percent in POR8.
DOC used data from Bangladesh, India and Indonesia for its calculations. "These are suitable countries and this is a factor that lowered the anti-dumping rate" said the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) in a statement.
With the reduction in anti-dumping tax, Vietnam shrimp exports to the United States are forecast to pick up by the end of 2015, after a fall by more than 50 percent in the first eight months of this year. Shrimp exports to the United States rose sharply in the first months of 2014, VASEP said. But after the US DOC announced the final results of POR8 with a tax rate of 6.37 percent, the highest so far, from September 2014, shrimp exports to the US started declining.
In the first eight months of 2015, Vietnam shrimp exports to the US reached $ 370 million, continuing the downward trend due to competition on prices and supply against India and Indonesia. The United States is Vietnam's biggest shrimp importing market, accounting for more than 20 percent of Vietnam's shrimp exports. In 2014, shrimp exports to the US surpassed $1 billion.
- Taken from Intrafish
SHRIMP INDEX:
SHRIMP IMPORTS:
- Taken from www.shrimpnews.com
JAPANESE CULTURE: Sado Island
A Gold Mining Island Rich in Traditional Arts
Spanning an area of about 855 square kilometers, Sado Island is a relatively large island in the Sea of Japan situated about 45 kilometers northwest of Niigata, the largest city in the Hokuriku region. The island's topography is unique, with two parallel mountain ranges approximately 1,000-meters high connected by the Kuninaka Plain. The island has served as a hub for shipping routes in the Sea of Japan since ancient times, and rice has been cultivated on the central plain for over 2,000 years. From the eighth century, the island was used as a penal colony for political prisoners and dissidents. Some exiles brought cultural practices from the mainland to the isolated island, which contributed toward a distinctive Sado culture. But more than anything else, the island is famed as Japan's largest producer of gold and silver during a gold rush in the seventeenth century.
Gold Mines Remain the Symbol of Sado Island
When Sado is mentioned among the Japanese, the first image for many is of gold mines. Gold was discovered on the island in 1601; until mining was shut down in 1989, around 78 tons was reportedly produced. The remains of the mines can still be found in the Aikawa area on the island's west side, about 50 minutes by car from the port of Ryotsu, which serves as the island's gateway. The mineshafts extend for some 3,000 meters from east to west and 600 meters from north to south, with a combined length of about 400 kilometers.
Some mineshafts are now open to tourists. Inside, animatronic figures and realistically detailed models show how shaft digging and the drawing of water had been done by hand from the seventeenth century to the second half of the eighteenth century. Visitors can also see more recent equipment such as mining trucks and rock-crushing machines; indeed, almost 400 years of history is on display. In addition, the Dohyu-no-wareto, a mountain split in half as a result of continuous digging into its rocky outcrop, offers an amazing sight outside the old mines.
A Treasure Trove of Performing Arts
The many exiles sent to Sado Island included renowned Buddhist priests and even a former Japanese emperor who had lost a conflict with the samurai government. Zeami, an accomplished Noh dramatist, was also among them. (Noh 能 is a form of theatre involving music, dance and drama, originating in the 14th century). Noh took root on the island through encouragement by shogunate-assigned government officials, and the tradition continues to this day with Noh theaters at 33 locations. Besides Noh, regional folk songs were brought in by sailors and elaborate puppet shows were introduced from Kyoto, which contributed to the development of Sado Island's unique culture. A tradition that has been passed down is the demon drum dance, in which men dressed as demons dance fiercely to the soul-stirring beats of taiko drums. In recent years, Japanese taiko drumming has been refined by the taiko performing arts ensemble Kodo, a group based in Sado Island that regularly performs spectacular shows around the world.
Savoring the Blessings of Sado Island
With warm and cold currents meeting off of its coasts, the sea surrounding Sado Island is one of Japan's premiere fishing areas. Hair crabs and queen crabs can be found in the island's markets that supply local restaurants with freshly caught seafood. Above all, bright red hokkoku-akaebi, the Alaskan pink shrimp, is best served raw to enjoy its slightly sweet taste. Sake, or Japanese rice wine, should also be savored along with the fresh seafood. Five sake brewers based in Sado Island, which is also known as a rice producing area, have earned considerable praise for their products both in and outside Japan. The sake's rich fragrance can also be fully enjoyed in Sado Island's traditional mumyoi pottery cups, which are made using red clay found in the goldmines.
Thanks to all the people that came in search of gold and silver, Sado Island culture continues to attract travelers who wish to experience traditions that have been handed down over the island's long history.
- Taken from Trends in Japan
SALMON UPDATE: Land-based Salmon Farming Expands
Salmon made in Switzerland: Land-based farm
to kick off operations in 2016
The global push for land-based Atlantic salmon farming is continuing and a new company is jumping on the bandwagon: Swiss Alpine Salmon.
From the midst of the mountains in Lostalla, located in the Grisons region, the company - which was founded by Brit Julian H. Connor in May 2013 - aims to supply around 600 metric tons of the fish every year to retailers and food service clients. A business plan, financing and building plans are in place according to the co-owner and chief marketing and sales office at Swiss Alpine Fish, Ronald Herculeijns. Excavation at the site has already stared and the plan is to kick off the first construction phase this year.
The recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) technology is supplied by Danish equipment supplier Kruger, and by May 2016 the firm is hoping to have the first fish in the water. The project is backed by 15 Swiss and foreign investors, with Connor owning the majority stake. Initial investment costs are a double-digit million Swiss franc sum," Herculeijns said but declined to give further details.
But he is convinced the investment will pay off. "We've already talked to potential clients and the feedback has largely been positive," he said. "Provenance and sustainability is getting increasingly important for Swiss consumers and we'll be able to offer both." Swiss Alpine Salmon is planning to market its fish as premium product. "Our unique selling point is freshness, "Herculeijns said.
How much customers will have to fork out exactly for the Swiss-grown salmon will be decided at a later stage. "It's still too early to say how much production will cost, we will determine the end price once we have a clearer idea. But based on our assumptions, I believe it will be a profitable business for us and for our customers," Herculeijns said.
Both Herculeijns and Connor are new to the fish farming business. So to help get up and running, the two are "acquiring the farming know-how," and an experienced farm manager will start with the company in October. He also believes that the fact that Swiss consumption of Atlantic salmon is currently skyrocketing means the project comes at just the right time.
Should everything go according to plan, there is also the opportunity to expand operations. "We have the possibility to expand and build on to the facility," Herculeijns said, and adding exports to other countries in Europe could also be on the agenda.
- Taken from Intrafish.com
SALMON REPORT: September Report
Data from July
INDUSTRY NEWS: U.S. Consumers Missing Seafood Health Benefits
While most consumers in the United States eat some seafood, the amount are inadequate to meet federal dietary guidelines, according to studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA) scientists. Both fish and shellfish are nutrient-rich protein foods whose consumption has been associated with reduced heart disease risk.
Seafood contains healthful natural compounds known as omega-3 fatty acids. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating two servings of seafood weekly (about 277 g) to get at least 1750 mg of the omega-3s eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) weekly.
A review of published studies that explored fish consumption's link to heart health pointed to consistent evidence supporting a reduced risk of heart disease due to eating oily fish. EPA and DHA are abundant in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, trout and tuna.
Researchers concluded that getting the message of the benefits of fish consumption to consumers is key and suggested a public health education program on the health benefits of eating fish.
- Taken from "The Global Aquaculture Advocate" magazine
