Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. X M AY 1 , 2 0 1 7 16 M aine's elver season begins late March when the baby eels begin to arrive after a 1,200- mile migration from the Sargasso Sea. ey're seeking their inland natal waters, where they'll grow to adult size. But some will take an unexpected detour to Asia — shipped by Maine fishermen to be raised to adulthood and served in Asian restaurants and homes. How they get there is one of the logistics challenges faced by the fishing industry, as the fish markets become increasingly global. At $2.6 million, elver exports are a small segment of Maine's seafood exports, which had an overall value of $565 million in 2016 and were dominated by lobster. It was the fourth year in a row that seafood was the state's leading export, according to the Maine International Trade Center. "e industry develops those markets," says Jeff Bennett, a senior trade specialist at MITC. "Dealers and processors attend a lot of trade shows overseas and spend a lot of time on airplanes meeting with potential distributors and forming rela- tionships. At MITC, we've led a number of state and seafood focused trade mis- sions. In addition to meetings with sup- pliers and distributors, our state of Maine trade receptions almost always feature Maine lobster on the menu. ose recep- tions draw distributors, suppliers, media, chefs — and lot of attention." Lobster exports accounted for $397.8 million in trade in 2016, with shipments going to Canada, Europe and Asia, according to Dr. Jenny Sun, a marine resource economist with the Portland-based Gulf of Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Other seafood that's exported includes urchins ( Japan), sea cucum- bers (Asia), bloodworms (Europe, used as bait) and farmed oysters (Canada). Maine seafood's global migration Moving seafood around the globe is a constant challenge, whether it's pro- cessed or alive. Long-distance shipping is part of a complex web of logistics. Dealing in perishables, timely transit and proper handling at all points is essential. Preparations involve compli- ance with regulations in both the United States and the destination countries, designed to ensure proper harvest, handling, sanitation and documentation throughout the supply chain. Packaging must achieve maximum protection on journeys that can take several days by truck and air to Europe or more than a month by container ship to Asia. Maine dealers and proces- sors prepare product for shipment — whether it's thousands of pounds of live lobster packed in specially configured crates, or delicate urchin roe placed in individual trays. ey typically truck it to a freight forwarder, a company that handles every aspect of storage and shipping — with documentation, track- ing, booking and insurance. "We book the space on the airlines, we make the health certificate process happen and we truck it to a variety of airports," says John Kingsley, a perish- ables manager at Ocean Air, a Revere, Mass.-based freight forwarder. Ocean Air handles 30 million pounds of Maine lobsters a year, plus other Maine seafood as well. Shipping includes a mass of paperwork and scheduling chal- lenges. Airport selection alone isn't easy, involving routes, capacity, flight frequency, season, quality of carrier, and price — to ensure timely and cost- effective transits. Every market has optimum receiving and distribution days, due to factors like the destination country's high-demand times of year. e cost of shipping, says Kingsley, can be 10% to 50% of product price, depending on many factors. Emily Lane, vice president of sales at Calendar Islands Maine Lobster, near docked fishing boats along the Portland waterfront. Lane goes beyond trade shows by inviting international chefs and distributors to Maine to see lobstering operations first-hand. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Seafood exporters navigate complex logistics With perishable products, time is money B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r F O C U S

• Cover