Retail News CRM

Tag: seafood

  • Indonesia to expand seafood market to England

    Indonesia to expand seafood market to England

    Indonesian government, through the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Resources, will work to expand the seafood market to England and North Ireland as part of an MoU for maritime cooperation signed by the two countries in July 2015.

    “The UK is the biggest seafood market for Indonesia, and the European Union accounts for 60 percent of our total seafood market,” Deputy Minister for Maritime Sovereignty Arif Havas Oegroseno said on the sidelines of the “Bilateral Maritime Workshop” here on Monday.

    With a large market, Great Britain is considered as setting the standards in the seafood market in the world.
    “Through our collaboration with the British, we could manage our shrimps, fishes, or other seafood species to meet the world standards as well as increase the production,” Havas stated.

    In addition, he said, cooperation on marine fisheries between the two countries was also considered as an opportunity to introduce Indonesian seafood products which were free of any illegal practices, including slavery.
    Indonesia and the UK have initiated maritime cooperation through the Bilateral Maritime Forum, a meeting of which would be held in London next April.

    The UK was one of the maritime countries, known for its experience and high end technology in the field.
    Therefore, the workshop held in Jakarta was expected to focus on some maritime issues which would be later discussed in the forum in London.

    Besides expanding the seafood market, the Indonesia-UK cooperation would also involve education, maritime investment in the shipbuilding field and exchange of information on international maritime law.

    Lees ook:

  • Supermarkets, restaurants worldwide admit to using slave labour-processed seafood

    Supermarkets, restaurants worldwide admit to using slave labour-processed seafood

    A large-scale investigation spanning multiple continents has revealed that top seafood retailers and restaurants around the world were using products that were tainted with forced slave labour, originating from Thailand’s seafood peeling factories.

    The Gig Peeling Factory on the outskirts of Bangkok houses horrors made of nightmares. Here, the forced labourers work for 16 hours for little or no pay fearing violence from the overseers.

    An Associated Press investigation revealed that Thai Union, the largest seafood supplier, employs the Gig Peeling Factory where a hundred Burmese people, including children, are kept under lock and key and forced to work for hours without end with their hands in cold water, tearing and shedding at the heads and tails of the shrimps.

    Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, Australia’s top retail grocery chains, have all said that they use Thai Union as suppliers for their retail stores.

    “We will investigate this further with our supplier and seek advice from our NGO partners,” quoted Woolworths as saying.

    Australian retailer, IGA Supermarkets’s supplier Metcash confirmed that it uses Thai Union as well.

    “Some of our other locally based seafood suppliers may purchase prawns from Thai Union as they are one of the largest seafood suppliers in the world,” a Metcash spokesman said.

    In the US, the Red Lobster and Olive Garden, both restaurant chains as well as retail chains like Wal-Mart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Dollar General and Petco, have all confirmed using the Thai seafood supplier.

    The seafood produce from Gig Peeling Factory gets mixed with products from other suppliers making it impossible to tell between tainted and ethically produced farm products.

    According to UN and US standards, the whole produce then becomes tainted.

    “They didn’t let us rest,” said 16-year-old Eae Hpaw, 16, a labourer at the factory, whose arms were lacerated with shrimp-related infections and allergies. “We stopped working around seven in the evening. We would take a shower and sleep. Then we would start again around three in the morning.”

    “I was shocked after working there a while, and I realised there was no way out,” said Tin Nyo Win, 22. He and his wife were only paid US $4 per day for peeling 175 pounds of shrimp.

    Europe and Asia, has been similarly importing products from Thai Union, the AP investigation revealed. Germany, Italy, England and Ireland were able to find products from Thailand in grocery stores there.

    “As the world’s largest seafood restaurant, we know the important role we play in setting and ensuring compliance with seafood industry standards, and we’re committed to doing our part to make sure the seafood we buy and serve is sourced in a way that is ethical, responsible and sustainable,” Red Lobster said in a statement.

    In 2015, Thailand had passed laws to come down heavily on the abuses by the seafood industry in the country, and to register migrant workers without papers to ensure their safety.

  • Hong Kong’​s Seafood Appetite Threatens Marine Species

    Hong Kong’​s Seafood Appetite Threatens Marine Species

    Hong Kong’s enormous appetite for seafood and its role as a hub for the global seafood trade is having an unfortunate impact on endangered fish species.

    Chinese cuisine prizes seafood, so it’s perhaps not surprising that per capita seafood consumption in Hong Kong averages 70 kilograms a year, about four times the global average. But the city is also a hub for trade into mainland China, where consumption is on the rise. All of that is putting a strain on endangered marine life and driving an unexpected sustainability push.

    On a busy Saturday morning at Hong Kong’s giant Aberdeen Fish Market, traders are milling around buying seafood for restaurants and the city’s retailers. One of the dealers here is Betty Chu, who runs a distributor called Family Care Ltd., which imports seafood from all over the world.

    “The market is really good,” Chu says. “People are looking for prime products, they’re health conscious, and they’re willing to pay more for better food. We import globally lobster, scallop, abalone, shrimp, crabs and more. It’s a lot! My business is good and growing every year.”

    But while business is booming, some of the city’s seafood traders are switching to sustainable seafood. Wong Ping Chai, who runs the Hoi Kee Ho Fresh Seafood import company, began seeking out sustainable seafood several years ago when a Dutch supplier explained to him that many fish species were becoming scarce. It led him to join Fish and Season, a global fish trading network that trades only sustainably caught seafood.

    “Fish and Season is an organization originally from Holland that started around 1992,” he says. “They found out in Europe the fish are getting fewer and fewer, and if it goes on it will be disastrous.” He learned that the same thing was happening in Asia.

    Ocean impact

    Activists have been trying to educate consumers, and are encouraging them to be more careful about the seafood they buy. Allen To, who works in the Hong Kong offices of the World Wildlife Fund, monitors local imports and consumption of endangered seafood species. He says per capita consumption of seafood in Hong Kong is second in Asia and seventh in the world.

    “That’s why in Hong Kong we do have the responsibility to try not only to reduce our own ecological footprint but to try to reduce our impact on the ocean of many other countries,” he says. “We believe if we can push sustainable seafood in Hong Kong, then eventually we can help at least to reduce our impact on fish resources, particularly in the Asia Pacific region.”

    But price is an issue. Keith Tsui, managing director of New Bon Marine, another Hong Kong seafood company concentrating on sustainable products, says education and government awareness campaigns are helping turn consumers onto sustainable seafood. But so far the focus has been on high-value species such as black cod, salmon and shellfish.

    He wants to get lower-income groups switching to sustainable seafood too. “We are trying to get more products for the budget class,” he explains. “A couple of years ago, we did a good job with a fastfood chain in Hong Kong. They use sustainable seafood for breakfast for the budget class. This is a great leap forward for us.”

    Campaigners want consumers to make sustainable choices, but they’re also calling on Hong Kong’s political leaders to clamp down on illegal catches. The WWF’s Allen To says illegal fishing has depleted stocks of rare wild fish such as grouper from the coral reefs of Southeast Asia.

    “Hong Kong and China are the main trading and consumption areas for live reef fish, including grouper and the humpback wrasse,” To says. “Many of the grouper species are already overexploited, and some of them are threatened species.”

    Seafood trader Keith Tsui, meanwhile, wants to bring more sustainably produced seafood products to Hong Kong by focusing on an innovative new approach in the retail sector and in schools.

    “We will try to liaise more with school lunch boxes and let them tell the kids they are using sustainable food,” Tsui says. “This customer group is the future. “They are the biggest influencers on their parents.”

    And Hong Kong wants to ensure there will be fish in the sea for future consumers.

    Lees ook:

  • Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House Launches in Tsuen Wan this December

    Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House Launches in Tsuen Wan this December

    Just in time for the winter season,  opens today on the picturesque Tsuen Wan waterfront. The 116-seat eatery features an indoor restaurant and bar area, as well as outdoor seating on a terrace overlooking the South China Sea.

    Complete with contemporary décor, a stunning sea view and a relaxed ambience, Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House is ideal for causal all-day dining, weeknight dinners, post-work drinks and weekend brunches, all set at affordable prices.

    Welcoming diners throughout the day, Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House offers daily buffet breakfast & dinner and a semi-buffet lunch, in addition to an extensive a la carte menu. A special brunch buffet menu will also be available on weekends and public holidays perfect for a mini getaway from the busy city life. The restaurant will also remain open throughout the day serving a selection of classic menu items such as sandwich, burgers, salads, pizza and specialty Asian dishes- all of which will be available for take-away.

    Diners are invited to start their mornings at Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House with a breakfast selection consisting of Western breakfast items including cereals, fresh bakery items, seasonal fruit, fresh juices, along with Hong Kong favourites such as congee and crispy buns.

    logo-color

    The semi-buffet lunch is a convenient option for those working in the Tsuen Wan area and features a selection of antipasti, classic salads and a dessert corner. Diners may also choose hot a la carte items such as Thai or Chinese noodles, wantons or pizza.

    From Monday through Saturday evenings and all-day on Sunday, the dinner buffet will feature a cold starter selection comprised of sushi, gourmet salads and a charcuterie selection. Interactive cooking stations will serve hot items including a soup counter, noodle bar, hot pot station, pizza oven, and a barbeque carving counter. A bakery corner will feature classic desserts as well as a chocolate fountain and ice-cream selection. In addition to the buffet selection, special sharing plates will be available for the whole table, including Western and Asian classics such as, roast chicken, grilled US sirloin steak, stir fried clams with spicy sauce, sweet and sour fish, deep fried grouper and tom yum gong soup served tableside on a burner.

    The restaurant also houses a Beer Bar, boasting a large selection of draft and bottled beers, along with novelty Beer Towers- ideal for casual after-work drinks and social gatherings.

    To celebrate their launch, Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House is pleased to offer diners a buy-one-get-one offer during brunch and dinner buffet purchases in the first 3 month starting from December 2015. Additionally, guests will enjoy a 15% discount per person on 24th-25thDecember, provided the reservation is made before 20th December.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Nestle confirms labor abuse among its Thai seafood suppliers

    Nestle confirms labor abuse among its Thai seafood suppliers

    Nestle SA, among the biggest food companies in the world, launched the investigation in December 2014, after reports from news outlets and nongovernmental organizations tied brutal and largely unregulated working conditions to their shrimp, prawns and Purina brand pet foods. Its findings echo those of The Associated Press in reports this year on slavery in the seafood industry that have resulted in the rescue of more than 2,000 fishermen.

    The laborers come from Thailand’s much poorer neighbors, Myanmar and Cambodia. Brokers illegally charge them fees to get jobs, trapping them into working on fishing vessels and at ports, mills and seafood farms in Thailand to pay back more money than they can ever earn.

    “Sometimes, the net is too heavy and workers get pulled into the water and just disappear. When someone dies, he gets thrown into the water,” one Burmese worker told the nonprofit organization Verite commissioned by Nestle.

    “I have been working on this boat for 10 years. I have no savings. I am barely surviving,” said another. “Life is very difficult here.”

    Nestle said it would post the reports online — as well as a detailed yearlong solution strategy throughout 2016 — as part of ongoing efforts to protect workers. It has promised to impose new requirements on all potential suppliers and train boat owners and captains about human rights, possibly with a demonstration vessel and rewards for altering their practices. It also plans to bring in outside auditors and assign a high-level Nestle manager to make sure change is underway.

    “As we’ve said consistently, forced labor and human rights abuses have no place in our supply chain,” Magdi Batato, Nestle’s executive vice president in charge of operations, said in a written statement. “Nestle believes that by working with suppliers we can make a positive difference to the sourcing of ingredients.”Nestle is not a major purchaser of seafood in Southeast Asia but does some business in Thailand, primarily for its Purina brand Fancy Feast cat food.

    For its study, Verite interviewed more than 100 people, including about 80 workers from Myanmar and Cambodia, as well as boat owners, shrimp farm owners, site supervisors and representatives of Nestle’s suppliers. They visited fish ports and fishmeal packing plants, shrimp farms and docked fishing boats, all in Thailand.

    Boat captains and managers, along with workers, confirmed violence and danger in the Thai seafood sector, a booming industry which exports $7 billion of products a year, although managers said workers sometimes got hurt because they were drunk and fighting. Boat captains rarely checked ages of workers, and Verite found underage workers forced to fish. Workers said they labor without rest, their food and water are minimal, outside contact is cut off, and they are given fake identities to hide that they are working illegally.

    Generally, the workers studied by Verite were catching and processing fish into fishmeal fed to shrimp and prawns. But the Amherst, Massachusetts-based group said many of the problems they observed are systemic and not unique to Nestle; migrant workers throughout Thailand’s seafood sector are vulnerable to abuses as they are recruited, hired and employed, said Verite.

    Monday’s disclosure is rare. While multinational companies in industries from garments to electronics say they investigate allegations of abuse in their supply chains, they rarely share negative findings.

    “It’s unusual and exemplary,” said Mark Lagon, president of the nonprofit Freedom House, a Washington-based anti-trafficking organization. “The propensity of the PR and legal departments of companies is not to ‘fess up, not to even say they are carefully looking into a problem for fear that they will get hit with lawsuits,” he said.

    In fact, Nestle is already being sued: In August, pet food buyers filed a class-action lawsuit alleging Fancy Feast cat food was the product of slave labor associated with Thai Union Frozen Products, a major distributor. It’s one of several lawsuits filed in recent months against major U.S. retailers importing seafood from Thailand.

    Some of the litigation cites the reports from the AP, which tracked slave-caught fish to the supply chains of giant food sellers, such as Wal-Mart, Sysco and Kroger, and popular brands of canned pet food, such as Fancy Feast, Meow Mix and Iams. It can turn up as calamari at fine restaurants, as imitation crab in a sushi roll or as packages of frozen snapper relabeled with store brands that land on dinner tables. The U.S. companies have all said they strongly condemn labor abuse and are taking steps to prevent it.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: