Can we count on the oceans to feed us in the coming years?

Fish are eaten by billions of people all around the globe. The unanswered question is: will the oceans be able to feed the earth’s population in the coming years as in the past decades.

One among the fishes mostly eaten by people is the tuna, this type of fish is being fished unsustainably all around the globe.   The world’s fishes are being exploited by 32% and it has been this way since 1990 and according to the statistics, aqua life is getting scarcer. The U.S. has fixed some restrictions on the fishing sector and this step has allowed some fishes to rebound but unfortunately other countries didn’t comply with this.

The skipjack is the only fish that has not been heavily fished till now, according to the United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization.  In 2007 a law was signed by the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush, which is to place a limit amount on the amount fishing. This law was passed so as we get rid of over fishing and let the future aquaculture population grow safely.  However, overfishing is not the only worries as people are destroying the natural habitat of fishes and the coast which scientists believe is irreversible.

Different kinds of steps are being taken so as to improve this situation, people are relying more on fish farming and laws are being strict on sustainability so as to improve the fishing sector. The earlier the global management starts the better are the chances to increase wild life. 

http://seawork.blogspot.com/

http://www.seawork.com.na/blog/

Norway exports of cod hits top record.

The cod fish is one of the most important marine fish in Norway. Cod is found in the northern reaches of the Atlantic Ocean and about 500, 000 tons of fish are captured each year.

In October the overseas sale of cod fish was of 157.5 million euro, it includes stockfish, salted and dried cod. Compared to last year an increase of 4% is visible and this rise is highly beneficial for the Norway export market.

Norway profited about 1.23 million euro due to the foreign export of all types of cod fish.  The Norway cod and haddock continue to be in demand and this is a profitable and positive aspect for the country’s fishing industry. The country’s economy is prospering from the frozen fish with a total export of 39.7 million euro and is 77% higher than in October 2010. The only competitor of Norway is China which is considered as the biggest single importer of white fish.

Farming of cod is also on the rise but a decrease of 43% was noted. Despite this decrease in export of fishes like farmed cods and salmons, Norway and china remains the 2 biggest export countries. 

http://www.seawork.com.na/blog/

http://www.facebook.com/hakefillet.processor

Italia want to buy hake fish directly from Namibia

Last month during a meeting which was held in Italy, between the Namibian and the Italian businessmen, it was suggested that the new director of Food Import and Export Agency intend to import fish directly from Namibia. Mr. Alexandro Lamana said that it would be more practical and cheaper to import hake directly from Namibia rather than to get it through Spain.

According to Mr. Lamana, getting fish products from Namibia through Spain is very expensive and bulky and the surcharges make the fish products more expensive. The other issue that they have is that they do not receive the fish products that they ordered. If for example, Spain does not have hake in stock, they will send crabs or other products they have in stock. In other words, they are not 100% satisfied to deal with Spain concerning the seafood products as they always get leftovers.

The representative of Italy intends to visit Namibia and start dealing directly from there and find a way to form partners with the Namibian fisheries.

The fish products exported from Spain are the swordfish, crabs, hake and rock lobster.  In Namibia, the average landings per year are approximately about 500 000metric tones and 90% of the fishes are exported to Europe, Asia, USA and the rest of Africa.  The recorded value for 2009 was of 7 million Namibian dollars.   The Marine Resources and Fisheries permanent secretary Ulitala Hiveluah suggested that the Italian business people begin to invest in the processing, marketing and exploring of the marine resources in Namibia. She highlighted that the Namibian Government will always continue to encourage foreigners to participate in the exploring of marine resources through joint beneficial scheme joint.  She also added that there are great potential investments in the local fisheries industry especially for the large pelagic fish, seals and horse mackerel.

http://www.facebook.com/hakefillet.processor?ref=tn_tinyman

http://www.seawork.com.na/blog

The Michigan’s fish and other sport fish contain more mercury, report says.

According to a report the Walleye and other sport fish contain more mercury that one could imagine. These fishes are found in the Great Lakes region and in certain parts of Michigan.  However, their presence could be dangerous for consumers of these species.

Scientist studied the toxin in these sport fish as it could have harmful effects on pregnant women and children’s brain development. One of the officers in charge of the study said that Michigan has been under a mercury fish advisory for years and they are still not sure that the coming report will give an exact feedback about the level of mercury. It’s an alarming situation for fish consumers as they will have to abstain themselves.  There is still an inheritance of toxin which persists even if an evaluation has shown a 20 % decline in emission, said the Tuesday report.

The mercury in fish is still a great threat for the inhabitants of this region and its surroundings. Scientists said that despite the fall in emission, the mercury continues to be present in some species and this is a major issue for humans and the wildlife. The study clearly showed that the concentrations of mercury in some fishes are very high. Over the past four decades, especially in lakes and rivers the toxin level is quite high. After 3years of study, in a report was released by the Great Lakes Commission, it was said that the fish was uneatable due to the high level of toxin. It includes the northern pike, walleyes, lake trout and the large-mouth bass. The analysis also shows that the level of contamination depends on the place the species were caught.

http://www.seawork.com.na/blog

Seafood products

Seafood consumption is good for health.  It is a good source of vitamin, protein, mineral, and it is also low in sodium, calories and saturated fat.  A large variety of fish contain polyunsaturated fat also known as Omega-3 fatty acids.  It is very beneficial to heart disease patients as it lowers blood pressure and triglycerides.  New research shows that fat in fish also reduces pain and inflammation linked to arthritis, colitis and asthma.  The consumption of fish helps to cure depression and bipolar illness.

Despite the fact that most fish are safe to eat, consumption of some of them should be avoided due to high level of mercury.  Hence, the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Environmental Protection Agency have set up the following plan: 

Consume of fish every 2 weeks and try to eat shell fish as its low in mercury especially for toddlers, pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Do not eat shark, king mackerel, tilefish and swordfish as their level of mercury is high.

Eat low mercury fish such as albacore tuna, salmon, Pollock, catfish and canned light tuna.

Always remain well inform on the quality of fish you consume and do not exceed fish consumption.

http://www.seawork.com.na/

Imported seafood to America tainted with drugs.

The U.S. has been the biggest importer of seafood in the last decade with an amount of more than 17.6 million tons. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says that only 2% of imported seafood is inspected and only 0.1 % is tested for prohibited drugs residue. Thus, the dirty infected marine products are finding a way to enter the American market. This is not safe for the population’s health as stated by the government, officials and other food safety experts.

Mr. Siobhan Delancey (FDA spokeswoman) said the firm is trying its best to ensure the safety of imported seafood. A modern method of proceeding which is known as “preventative controls” is being used and it includes the reviewing of company’s safety plans.  Documentations clearly show how food operators deal with safety procedures.  The experts state that the volume of imports is considerable that it is not wise to rely only on the surveillance at the border. The microbiologist Michael Doyle said that analysis would improve if the FDA would have the manpower to inspect all the shipments.

For the past decade, tuna, salmon and shrimp are the 3 most imported seafood in the U.S.  The major part of which are farm- raised in Indonesia, Vietnam, china and Thailand. The quality of food used to feed the shrimps and tilapia in china and Thailand are human waste and untreated animal compost.

The question which is raised is how safe the nation’s food is and the answer is complicated, said a 27 year old journalist who spent 10 weeks this summer, gathering and interviewing experts from almost everywhere across the country.

 It was found that each year in the U.S. 48 million of people suffer from food borne illnesses, 128, 000 required hospitalization and 3000 died. The U.S. Food and Drugs Administration anticipate that 24 million products will enter the country in 2011 and only 1.59% of them will be inspected.

http://www.seawork.com.na/blog

http://www.facebook.com/hakefillet.processor

Healthy benefits and 5 most nutritious seafood that must be eaten

We always tend to think that the only healthy nutritious foods are fruit and vegetables when we hear “healthy eating habits”.   But there is lots of interesting food categories which are good for health and need to be included in everyday meal.

Seafood is one among these categories and although many people consider it as an ‘exotic food’ for special occasion, it might be a very good ingredient if introduced in your daily meal.  Besides, it’s a fact that seafood is delicious and a very good source of minerals (phosphorus, iron, zinc and potassium), proteins and vitamins.  Many seafood products are low in fat, cholesterol (saturated fat), sodium and vitamins (A, B6 and B12). Seafood benefits are amazing for our health. Some of its categories are better than vegetables and fruits.

Here are 10 extraordinary benefits seafood can have when consumed

Low blood pressure

Help in the good functioning of the eyes, brain and nerves development for kids

Acts as a protection against bronchitis

Protects against Emphysema

Reduce risk of depression

Help in the good functioning of heart and reduce the risk of heart disease

Boost immune system

Prevent Cancer

Lose weight

Prevent Arthritis and osteoporosis

Some most nutritious seafood is:

Salmon

Shellfish

Crab

Sardines

Hake

Pink Shrimps

http://www.seawork.com.na/blog/