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Seafood Group Seeks Voice in Organics

Supermarkets are angling alongside seafood companies for a say in the development of organic aquaculture. To strengthen their hand, the National Fisheries Institute has formed the Organic Seafood Committee, made up of representatives from seafood companies and one retail chain: Kings Super Markets in Parsippany, N.J. The mission of the task force, which will hold its first meeting during the International

Supermarkets are angling alongside seafood companies for a say in the development of organic aquaculture.

To strengthen their hand, the National Fisheries Institute has formed the Organic Seafood Committee, made up of representatives from seafood companies and one retail chain: Kings Super Markets in Parsippany, N.J.

The mission of the task force, which will hold its first meeting during the International Boston Seafood Show in March, is to “promote the production, trade and consumption of organic seafood,” according to Neil Sims, president of Kona Blue Water Farms in Kona, Hawaii, and a member of the group.

The committee plans to develop organic aquaculture standards that will be submitted to the USDA's National Organic Standards Board, possibly in time for its late March meeting.

Tony Ruccio, seafood sales manager for Kings, said organic seafood sales have tripled at the chain over the last year, and that's reason enough to push for national standards.

“As availability tightens and the gap between conventional and organic costing closes, the demand will continue to grow,” he said.

Kings currently sells Black Pearl salmon and Johnson Seafarms cod, both certified organic by the United Kingdom's Organic Food Federation, as well as 8th Sea organic tilapia, which is farmed in Brazil and certified by Naturland in Germany.

Organic seafood sales would be greatly helped by having a single government standard, instead of the “opinions and grey areas” that exist now in the domestic organic aquaculture market, Ruccio said.

“Having the USDA Organic seal will bring credibility to the entire organic seafood industry worldwide and give consumers complete confidence,” Ruccio said.

Other committee members include: Martin International Corp./Black Pearl, Boston; Slade Gordon Co., also of Boston; 8th Sea — The Organic Seafood Co., San Juan, Puerto Rico, and San Francisco; Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Seattle; and Ocean Garden Products, San Diego.