On-Board Quality Control Preparing Mid-Atlantic Fisheries for the Future

The U.S. population is eating more seafood than at any time in the nation\u27s history. Strong national and local marketing and consumer education programs have encouraged this increased consumption. AF, consumers become more knowledgeable about seafood products, and as sales respond to competition, high quality products will be the 1ule rather than the exception. This guide focuses on the very beginning of quality assurance, on-board handling. Areas of focus for on-board quality control measures include vessel sanitation, icing-temperature control, harvesting techniques, on-deck handling, and storage. These procedures, outlined on the following pages, are in line with preliminary requirements being set forth under the developing mandatory federal inspection program, which, in part, governs vessel sanitation and handling practices

Virginia Seafood Sustainability

Virginia’s commercial fisheries operate sustainably under a suite of management tools based upon information received from marine scientists and fishery managers who regularly conduct biological sampling of fish while tracking commercial landings and other gathering of required information. Analyses of fishing effort and overall stock conditions, as well as formulas designed to calculate threshold limits for maintaining sustainable stocks are regularly performed. Restrictions on seasons, size, days at sea, and gear are imposed as needed to achieve management supporting long-term biological sustainability

Virginia Wild-Caught Blue Catfish: Nutrition and Contaminant Analysis

The blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, is an introduced freshwater species in Virginia’s tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay. Since its introduction in the 1970’s, significant recreational and commercial fisheries have developed within upriver, largely freshwater environments. Blue catfish are voracious, opportunistic predators, feeding on a variety of natural prey items, including native fish and shellfish species. Their varied diets result in a more nutrient-rich fish compared to farmraised catfish (USDA Food and Nutrient Database https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app. html#/?query=catfish) on the market, which are typically fed a plant-based diet. In recent years, blue catfish populations have expanded from upriver freshwater habitat to major brackish-water sub-estuaries of the Chesapeake Bay. With this expansion into marine habitat, blue catfish are developing more tolerance to salt water, while overlapping habitat supporting native marine prey species, which may influence their nutrient profiles. This prey interaction with native species, and their rapid increase in total biomass within Virginia tidal tributaries, has labelled blue catfish as an invasive species negatively influencing the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Efforts are underway by state and regional managers to expand commercial harvest to reduce pressure on native species and habitat. These efforts will be contingent upon adequate fish processing and diverse market expansion to maintain value in the fishery. Marketing strategies from harvest to consumption need to be developed to promote wild-caught blue catfish from the Chesapeake Bay. New and updated nutrition and health information for the consumption of wild-caught blue catfish from Virginia is pivotal for marketing success