After enduring low prices because of a lobster glut this summer, Peter McAleney felt the seafood industry was finally starting to stabilize this fall. That is, until Superstorm Sandy hit the coast. The storm not only spread physical devastation, it shut down major seafood markets.

This week the Chair of our Scientific Advisory Committee, Victor Restrepo, is in Singapore for his first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Technical Advisory Board (TAB) meeting. Just a few months ago he accepted an appointment to serve a three-year term on the TAB, which “advises the MSC Board on technical and scientific matters” and, among other things, is responsible for helping develop the methodology that MSC uses for certification and accreditation, as well as reviewing the progress of fisheries towards the standards agreed upon as part of their certification.

(vasep.com.vn) Hung Ca Co., Ltd cooperated with Dong Thap Television to produce a program titled “lighten children’s dreams” with an aim to help the poor students in the province to get a chance to go to school.

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Aquaculture Society, in which the two organisations will work collaboratively toward responsible aquaculture.

Although the State Bank has instructed five commercial banks to provide loans to pig and seafood breeders at a low interest rate of 11 percent a year, several breeders are still borrowing at 15 percent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

(vasep.com.vn) Saota Foods Joint Stock Company (Fimex VN) said it processed 737 MT of frozen shrimp of all products and varieties. In which, 707 MT was sent abroad with worth of US$6.8 million.

A seminar to increase the managerial capacity of ocean tuna fishing was held in the central city of Da Nang on November 13.

Peru's Ministry of Production said that fishing would be allowed from late November to the end of January to a maximum 810,000 tonnes of anchovy.

The Tien Giang Province-based Hung Vuong Seafood Co has launched a support scheme for farmers to rescue the local pangasius industry that reached deadlock for the past several months.

The exports of fish and fish preparations from the country witnessed increase of 7.22 percent during the first quarter of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year.