Ben Fisher

Reporting from Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Ben Fisher is a Seattle-based freelance writer. Previously, he worked as night and copy editor at the Jerusalem Post, Israel’s largest English language newspaper, and as digital editor of Jewish Quarterly. He is fluent English, French, Hebrew, and Arabic.

Published on
August 19, 2020

This moment is a timely opportunity for the seafood industry as a whole, and the wild Alaskan pollock sector in particular, to increase market share and popularity, according to Senior Vice President of Marketing, Innovation, and Quality at High Liner Foods Craig Murray.

Speaking as part of the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers’ summer webinar series, Murray said the coronavirus pandemic has led a whole new crop of consumers to try new

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Published on
August 19, 2020

Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident Seafoods is being sued by the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association (APICDA) for allegedly refusing to follow through on an agreement to buy a 25 percent stake in a joint venture to procure a seafood processing facility that processes salmon and whitefish in False Pass, Alaska.

In April 2018, Trident purchased 75 percent of APICDA’s seafood processing facility (which includes a

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Published on
August 7, 2020

The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) plans to expand on this year’s successful Wild Alaska Pollock week in Seattle by bringing the program to additional cities, which GAPP hopes will help restaurant markets grappling with the fallout of COVID-19.

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Published on
July 31, 2020

The Trump administration’s coronavirus task force has recommended that Alaska mandate face masks, “especially [in] workplaces like seafood processing centers,” according to a 26 July federal report obtained by The New York Times.

Although Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has not required that masks be worn statewide, the state has mandated that seafood processing plant workers use face masks since 15 May. Though the average number

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Published on
July 30, 2020

Pacific Seafoods-Eureka is set to pay a USD 74,500 (EUR 63,411) penalty as part of a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency over Clean Water Act violations, according to an EPA press release.

A 2018 inspection by the EPA, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Eureka’s Public Works Department revealed that Pacific was found discharging wastewater into Eureka, California’s sewage system, and Eureka

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Published on
July 30, 2020

New positive cases of COVID-19 at Da Yang Seafood in Astoria, Clatsop County, Oregon have led the company to temporarily close operations at its facility.

Two more workers tested positive for COVID-19 at the facility, Clatsop County reported on 28 July. The workers, a man and a women, are both in their 40s and are staying at home, the Daily Astorian reported.

On 23 July, a worker tested positive for the coronavirus, and Clatsop County tested all

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Published on
July 28, 2020

Approximately 3.2 million hatchery trout will be euthanized this month in California due to a rare bacterial outbreak, according to a California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) press release.

An outbreak of Lactococcus garvieae affected fish in three hatcheries: Mojave River Hatchery, Black Rock Hatchery, and Fish Springs Hatchery. These three facilities provide fish that stock waterways in California’s South Coast and Inland

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Published on
July 21, 2020

As the number of nations that have been able to successfully manage the COVID-19 pandemic increases, positioning seafood items like pollock as a value proposition will become increasingly important, according to the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP).

That perspective was shared earlier this month during GAPP’s fitfth webinar in its summer series. The webinar – titled “COVID-19 Consumer Insights: A Look

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Published on
July 17, 2020

The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) has announced new partnerships with Denny’s, Gorton’s Seafoods, and New England Seafood Company, according to a 16 July press release.

Denny’s plans to offer pollock fish and chips as well as a pollock fish sandwich; Gorton’s plans to introduce recipes and an ad campaign to encourage customers to try Alaska pollock; and New England Seafood is introducing a pollock

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Published on
July 10, 2020

A coronavirus case in Mountain Village, in Southwest Alaska, has halted the commercial fishery in the state’s Yukon region, according to Alaska Public Media.

The Kwik’Pak processing plant that handles Yukon River salmon is not currently purchasing fish from District 2 of the Yukon River, known as Y2. The district includes Mountain Village, Pitkas Point, St. Mary’s, Pilot Station, and Marshall.

Kwik’Pak General

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