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U.S. News 12 SeaFood Business April 2014 For updated NEWS, go to www.SeafoodSource.com Photo by S. McGowan, courtesy of Oceana WASHINGTON, D.C. Oceana identifes the nine 'dirtiest' U.S. fsheries sell other products through Eastern Fish, such as salm- on. "By utilizing Marube- ni's strong farmed and wild seafood market resources, EFC will become a complete seafood distributor," Maru- beni said. In 2011, Maru- beni bought Alaska salmon processor Red Salmon, and later it acquired European seafood company Weimar Europe. Last year it formed a strategic alliance with Tai shrimp processor Seafresh Industry Public Co. NEW YORK Albertsons, Safeway merge in $9 billion deal Cerberus Capital Manage- ment, the parent company of U.S. grocery chain Albert- sons, acquired all outstand- ing shares of Safeway in a deal valued at more than $9 billion. Completed through its AB Acquisition arm, the merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter and will create a diversifed network that includes more than 2,400 stores, 27 distribution facilities and 20 manufactur- ing plants with more than 250,000 employees, Cer- berus says. No store closures are expected. Banners will include Safeway, Vons, Pavil- ions, Randalls, Tom Tumb, Carrs, Albertsons, ACME, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Shaw's, Star Market, Super Saver, United Supermarkets, Mar- ket Street and Amigos. SEATTLE Alaska pollock fisheries seek MSC recertification Te At-sea Processors As- sociation (APA), represent- ing the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska pollock fsheries, is seeking Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) re-certifcation; the current certifcation expires next year. Customers that built marketing programs around the eco-label factored into the decision, says APA Executive Director Stephanie Madsen. "Te Alaska pollock fsheries frst became certifed in 2005, but they have been sustainably managed for over 35 years," Madsen says, not- ing that both the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska fsheries are also certifed under the Responsible Fisheries Man- agement program. "We sup- port both to allow for cus- tomer choice," Madsen adds. LAFAYETTE, La. Cold slows beginning of crawfish season Record cold temperatures in the South have resulted in a poor start to Louisiana's crawfsh harvest. Buyers and farmed crawfsh suppliers estimate that current pond production is of 90 percent compared to what it typical- ly is this time of year. "Te numbers are fairly bleak. Te water temperatures get to a certain point and they just don't move," says Frank Randol, operator of crawfsh packing plants and owner of Randol's Restaurant in La- fayette, La. "It is terrible. So far this year, we have caught less than 10 percent of what we did this time last year," adds crawfsh farmer Lind- sey Aucoin. Buyers say the few crawfsh that are being caught are small, and are going for as high as $4.25 a pound, compared to around $3.25 last year. TEANECK, N.J. Marubeni acquires Eastern Fish Co. Japanese seafood company Marubeni Corp. acquired American seafood distribu- tor and importer Eastern Fish Co., the latest in a series of acquisitions over the past four years. Eastern is an es- tablished shrimp importer that markets its seafood un- der the Sail brand. Te pick- up will give Marubeni an outlet for shrimp it produces or buys in Asia. Te com- pany anticipates the acqui- sition will increase Marube- ni's sales of shrimp in Japan and American to 50 billion yen ($488.4 million). Along with shrimp, Marubeni will Mid-Atlantic gillnet fsheries were all highlighted. Dolphins, whales, sharks, sea birds, sea turtles and other fsh species "needlessly die each year as a result of indiscriminate fshing gear," Oceana says. E nvironmental group Oceana has named the "dirtiest fsheries" in the United States, based on by- catch levels. Its report, "Wasted Catch: Unsolved Bycatch Problems in U.S. Fisheries," estimates that 20 percent of the an- nual domestic catch is thrown away, and the nine fsheries in question are responsible for more than 50 percent of the reported bycatch. "Whether it's the thou- sands of sea turtles that are caught to bring you shrimp or the millions of pounds of cod and halibut that are thrown overboard after fshermen have reached their quota, by- catch is a waste of our ocean's resources," says Dominique Cano-Stocco, Oceana cam- paign director. Te Southeast snapper and grouper longline, California set and drift gillnet, Southeast shrimp trawl, Gulf of Alaska fatfsh trawl, Northeast bot- tom trawl, Mid-Atlantic bot- tom trawl, Atlantic highly migratory species longline and the New England and 10_16NewsRecap.indd 12 3/25/14 11:34 AM