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
November 5, 2019

The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) is slated to expand its Partnership Program to the European market.

In April, GAPP announced that its board of directors had approved USD 1 million (EUR 895,518) in funding for the second round …

Photo courtesy of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock

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Published on
November 1, 2019

Geoduck, the long-necked clam native to the Pacific Northwest and a delicacy in China and Southeast Asia, is one of the many victims of the U.S.-China trade war

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Published on
October 24, 2019

Oregon-based Pacific Seafood has launched a new line of frozen seasoned shrimp in two flavors: scampi and honey jalapeno. The products – which were included in SeafoodSource’s “Top 25: Seafood Product Innovation” list –  were inspired by market research ...

Photo courtesy of Pacific

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Published on
October 23, 2019

Alaskan health officials are concerned about an increase in scombroid poisoning from fish and some are pointing the finger at Alaska’s unusually warm summer, according to an Alaskan Public Media report

At least seven people became sick with scombroid poisoning between May and August of this year, whereas only five people reported the illness during the three-year period from 2015 to 2018, the Alaska Department of Health and Social

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Published on
October 23, 2019

Black Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada-based fish farming company Cooke Aquaculture will pay a fine of USD 156,213 (EUR 140,000) as part of a consent agreement with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection following multiple violations at fish farming sites Cooke operates in the U.S. state.

Cooke was cited by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for a number of incidents at its net pen sites in Hancock and Washington counties,

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Published on
October 22, 2019

Trawlers in the Bering Sea have hauled up some 2,500 metric tons of black cod in bycatch circa the end of last month, according to a NOAA fisheries report.

An Alaska Public Media report suggests that small-boat fishermen who have bought black cod (also known as sablefish) fishing rights are frustrated that there will be fewer fish to harvest after the accidental catch of the trawlers.

The 2,500 metric tons harvested this year is more than ten

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Published on
October 18, 2019

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik has thrown out a federal permit for Washington state’s shellfish industry, saying that the permit does not do enough to protect the environment.

According to a Seattle Times report, the judge ruled that the federal permit – issued by the Army Corps of Engineers in 2017 –  authorizes most of the shellfish operations in the state to violate the Clean Water and National Environmental Policy

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Published on
October 10, 2019

An official with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has conceded that hatchery salmon may be causing negative effects on salmon populations in the Pacific ... 

Photo courtesy of

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Published on
October 4, 2019

Cooke Aquaculture has moved a step closer to ensuring a long-term presence in Washington State after the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed earlier this week that it plans to issue a five-year marine aquaculture permit to the Canadian aquaculture company to farm all-female rainbow trout at its existing farms in Puget Sound. 

Washington lawmakers voted to phase out and ban non-native finfish net-pen farming

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Published on
October 4, 2019

The Canadian Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Society has decided to self-suspend the Marine Stewardship Council certification for British Columbia’s sockeye, pink and chum salmon fisheries …

Image courtesy of the Marine Stewardship

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