2010 Predictions

As I contemplate the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 I am tasked with making predictions about what we can expect to see in the coming year.  Although 2009 was not as dire as many of us had thought it could be, I doubt there are many of us who will be sad to see the year pass and look forward to the opportunities that the future always holds in abundance.   

So what do I predict will happen in 2010?

• Although the economy will show “signs” of recovery in 2009, they will be only visible to those individuals working on Wall Street. Job creation will continue to be a challenge throughout 2010, as most companies continue to keep it lean and mean. Consequently, the average consumer will continue to increase savings and work towards trimming their budgets wherever they can. The increased savings rate will continue to impact the economic recovery, negatively in terms of year on year comparisons of the GDP - positively in that banks will be aggressive in developing lending relationships with solid companies in order to maximize the increased capital that will be at their disposal.
• Restaurants will continue to struggle with lackluster demand. Some of the high end chains will be forced to close a number of their poorer performing units in order to focus their resources on preserving their best units. The theme dining and mid-level chains will continue to promote value pricing in an effort to keep customer count, if not sales dollars, coming through the door. Profit margins will remain constant with 2009 as most of the chains have extracted most or all of the savings that they can from operations and administration already.
• Retail will continue to see increases ranging from 2-5%. The primary message will continue to be value for the dollar. Although most other proteins are anticipating a drop in production in 2010, which would normally result in increased prices, they will be hard pressed to pass along increases as they will not want to lose their competitive position relative to other proteins.
• Distribution will continue to see the consolidation primarily through attrition as smaller, weaker players are forced to sell or simply cease to operate.

2010 offers a variety of opportunities for seafood in that many of the core products that we sell are at historical lows - making seafood a true value, both in absolute and relative terms to other proteins.  Promoting that value will be the key to success in 2010.

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Oman Lobster Tails

by Robert Landy

In the USA, what we commonly refer to as Oman Lobster Tails are actually processed in the United Arab Emirates ( U.A.E. ).

These lobsters are caught in FAO area # 51 - Arabian Sea. The countries that are in this fishing area are Oman, Yemen, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, India, etc .

Species & Catching method

The primary lobster Species caught is the Panulirus Homarus. It is a small lobster; average body length is 20-25cm.  The majority of the lobster tails fall within the 2oz to 5oz sizes.

The lobsters are caught by netting, diving and/or traps depending on the country/region.  In Oman & Somalia they are caught by nets and diving.  In Yemen they also use traps. In India it’s mostly diving with some use of traps and nets in Mumbai.

Processing

The processing plants receive primarily frozen whole lobster or tails. They defrost the lobster, then clean and separate the lobster tails by quality. The lobster tails are then dipped into a Meta- Bisulphate solution.  They limit the amount of this chemical on the finished product to 100 parts per million. The lobster tails are then individually wrapped, then frozen in a blast freezer on metal trays. After frozen, they are graded by size + - 1/2oz tolerance. For instance, a 5oz tail will be 4.5oz to 5.5oz.  They are then packed in 10lb boxes, 4 boxes per master case.

Seasonality

The lobster season is divided into 2 parts:

The first season usually starts in September and ends in December. The second season resumes in Mid Feb and ends in May. During the first season, sizes are mainly in the 3-7oz range and during the second season, the sizes are predominantly in the 1-3oz range.

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Sustainability

Bringing the sustainable issue home to the everyday consumer is something that we have yet to do.  I wonder what the result would be if we each went home and asked our spouse, children and friends what MSC meant; how many would come back with the correct answer?  If your results are anywhere near the results that I have seen over the past few days, it’s pretty dismal.  Out of 8 people I asked - only one had the correct answer.  This is from a group of individuals that you would think by sheer proximity to the issue would have known the answer through osmosis.  If this small group from the seafood industry does not know what MSC represents and tries to create in terms of sustainability -  how can we expect the consumer at large to know the answer? 

 The seafood industry needs to address the issue of sustainability with the consumer quickly and directly.  It needs to speak to the myriad of news articles that lead the American consumer to believe that, as an industry, we have disregarded our responsibilities as stewards of the environment.  MSC needs to make itself relevant to the end consumer.  Once the MSC reaches the end consumer, it will make itself more relevant to the industry as a whole and not just the supplier community. This means that more time and energy needs to be spent developing a dialogue with the end consumer.  This can be done through well place print ads highlighting the fisheries that are certified sustainable by MSC along with a targeted Public Relations campaign.  The MSC and seafood industry can raise consumer awareness and in the process, increase consumption of seafood.

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What’s in a name? Grouper

by Richard Stavis

One of the biggest strengths of Seafood is also its biggest weakness- the incredible variety of species available.  A well recognized Seafood “name” is very valuable.  It has the power to drive consumption and to maximize its value.  In days past fishmongers would give these fish the name of the fish that they most closely resembled OR the name of a similar fish that had a high market value.  Thankfully this practice is behind us for the most part, but there remains a patchwork quilt of products that resemble “famous name” fish as well as some fish that are able to claim those names even though they may not taste or look as you might expect them to.  Our goal with this recurring column is to help consumers make informed choices, as well as, to make lesser known species more accessible.

The FDA defines Grouper as a number of subspecies in the Epinephelus genus of fish.  It has a mild white fillet that is moist, dense, and a bit chewy.  It’s a high value fish and it’s highly prized, especially in the southeast.  Demand for it outstrips supply.  It’s also the poster child for name fraud, and it’s rare in that the fraud still goes on to this day.   Sometimes the importer is in on the scheme, sometimes it is being scammed from the processor.  As this issue has come to the forefront most responsible importers (Stavis Seafoods included) have started DNA testing all incoming shipments of frozen Grouper to ensure that what they are selling is truly Grouper.  This is less practical on fresh fish as it is often harvested and sold in smaller quantities.

What are some of the more common Grouper imposters?  Historically exporters from Indonesia and Thailand have sold Sweetlip, Emperor fish, and Bonefish as Grouper.   Swai/Basa/Pangassius (a future “What’s in a Name” subject) from Viet Nam took the U.S. by storm in the early 2000’s.  One importer was convicted this past May of selling more than 1 million pounds of the fish as grouper, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

A myriad of fresh fish have also been passed off as Grouper.  Some of the wild species used have included Tripletail, Corvina, KingClip, Snook, and Snapper.   We’ve also seen some farmed fish including Tilapia and Catfish being passed off as Grouper.

It is possible to ensure that what you’re selling can be or what you’re buying is legally Grouper, but is this the whole story?  What comes to mind when you hear the name “Reef Cod”?  Guess what- it’s a Grouper!  This fish has now become very popular because of its name cachet, but is it the best option if you want to replicate the experience of Atlantic Grouper?  Probably not- I’d go for Corvina! I ask again, what’s in a name?

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