American Samoa Confirms Community Cases of COVID-19
American Samoa’s health department confirms community cases of COVID-19 in the territory.
A health department MIQ worker from the January 27 Honolulu flight is believed to have contracted the virus and then infected seven family members.
Last night, Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga declared the territory is now under “Code Red” the highest of its three color-coded system as it deals with its first community tranmissions of COVID-19. Continue reading here (Source: Radio New Zealand).
Whole New Dimension of Politics in the Tuna Industry, Says Koroilavesau
There is a whole new dimension of politics in the tuna industry, says Fisheries Minister Semi Koroilavesau.
Responding to questions raised by the Opposition, Mr Koroilavesau said this was called “tuna politics”.
“Since 2017, one of our major push was to actually secure the tuna raw products to fill the newly-built freezer container at PAFCO in Levuka,” he said.
“The Ministry of Fisheries and the whole of Government and with the assistance of the Roving Ambassador to the Pacific have been briefed to try and secure tuna from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati and Tuvalu. Continue reading here(Source: The Fiji Times).
Thai Union Aiming to Become “Strong Player” in Plant-Based Seafood Analog Sector
Thai Union, one of the world’s largest seafood companies, has set its sights on further entering the plant-based seafood analog movement, with a view to becoming a leader in the sector, Nikkei has reported.
The Bangkok, Thailand-based company has centered its plant-based product research and development at its Global Innovation Center, which Thai Union expanded in 2016 at a cost of THB 300 million (USD 9.2 million, EUR 8 million). Continue reading here (Source: SeafoodSource).
Bunker Prices Near All-Time Highs
The cost of bunker fuel for the majority of commercial ships trading today is just $10.75 per tonne away from the all-time highs recorded in July 2008 with shipping warned to expect high fuel bills for the duration of 2022 and into next year.
With the price of crude edging close to $100 per barrel in recent days, spurred higher by the possibility of conflict between Russia and Ukraine, bunker prices have been soaring, with a tonne of very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) yesterday going for $748 in Singapore, the world’s top bunkering hub. The price gap between low and high sulphur content fuel has also shot up above $200 per tonne in Singapore in recent days. Continue reading here (Source: Splash247).
New US Indo-Pacific Strategy Singles Out China’s “Coercion”
The United States has just released an Indo-Pacific Strategy document, reiterating the importance of the region under President Joe Biden. Even though the document states the United States “will focus on every corner of the region, from Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, to South Asia and Oceania, including the Pacific Islands,” it’s obvious that Southeast Asia is very much in the heart of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Many of the ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states are specifically mentioned, with the Philippines and Thailand as US treaty alliance partners in the region. Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are considered leading regional partners.
Unlike the AUKUS announcements, where China loomed in the background largely unmentioned, the new strategy document is explicit that China’s “coercion and aggression spans the globe, but it is most acute in the Indo-Pacific”. Beijing is singled out for aggressive behaviour, threatening neighbours in the South and East China seas, leading Washington to declare it will assist allies and friends in the region. Continue reading here (Source: The Maritime Executive).
Driven By Sustainability, Nestle Sold USD860 Million Worth of Plant-Based Food in 2021
Nestlé’s plant-based portfolio includes vegetarian brands Garden Gourmet, Natural Bliss, Vuna, and Sweet Earth. But it’s also including offerings from across its portfolio including dairy-free KitKat bars, and Nescafé products, among others. Sales of vegetarian and plant-based food grew at double digits (Nestle did not divulge the exact figure) for the Swiss multinational, according to its full-year sales results. The category reached about $860 million USD.
“In 2021, we remained focused on executing our long-term strategy and stepping up growth investments, while at the same time navigating global supply chain challenges,” Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO, said in a statement accompanying the report.
“Our organic growth was strong, with broad-based market share gains, following disciplined execution, rapid innovation and increased digitalization. We limited the impact of exceptional cost inflation through diligent cost management and responsible pricing. Our robust underlying earnings per share growth shows the resilience of our value creation model,” he said.Continue reading here (Source: Green Queen).
10 Percent Surge in China’s Seafood Retail Sales Due to COVID Measures
Seafood retail prices surged by 10 percent in China in the second half of 2021, according to a Shanghai-based seafood marketing executive.
“The price increases were much more apparent for the second half of 2021 and retail price increases averaged around 10 percent,” said Robin Wang, chief executive of SMH International, which works with several major Western seafood-export trade groups. “Prices for a range of imported goods [like] salmon, shrimp, and more are definitely higher due to COVID-related freight costs, testing, [and] certificates. Many companies worked hard to stomach costs early on but now, we are seeing some of them passed on to the consumer.” Continue reading here (Source: SeafoodSource).
