Sardines... gone?

[Booze Zombie]

I hope this isn't because the little guys are endangered all of a sudden or something really unexpected like that.

 

[Wolfiesden]

So what. They are nasty smelly things. Good riddance. Now if we could get rid of that last Limburger cheese factory...

Since we are no longer packing Sardines in the US, people are losing jobs and we are losing even more profits. They may not be much of a profit for the States, but hey, its still a profit. And with the way our economy is now, losing those Sardine profits is a a big deal for me.

There were not that many jobs (only about 130) at the packing plant so the impact to the economy is basically nil and if there was profit then the plant wouldn't be closing. They closed because there was no profit. Nobody got this upset when the same area saw the closure of some Navy installations with hundreds of civ employees and thousands of military personnel. That was a far larger impact to the area than this plant is. And its not the last sardine canning operation, its simply the last one that ONLY does sardines. There are plenty of other canneries that package sardines, they simply package other products as well so you can still get your sardines (yuk!). There are plenty of other types of food products being packaged in the US and I would be surprised that the plant doesn't convert to another product to pack rather than closing completely but there is no guarantee on that.

Still, sardines are pretty much a dead end food product that simply isn't in demand much anymore so the closure is not that surprising. If they had announced closure of all tuna packing plants, that would be a surprise. Sardines, no.

 

[sam_savage1393]

So what. They are nasty smelly things. Good riddance. Now if we could get rid of that last Limburger cheese factory...

Since we are no longer packing Sardines in the US, people are losing jobs and we are losing even more profits. They may not be much of a profit for the States, but hey, its still a profit. And with the way our economy is now, losing those Sardine profits is a a big deal for me.

There were not that many jobs (only about 130) at the packing plant so the impact to the economy is basically nil and if there was profit then the plant wouldn't be closing. They closed because there was no profit. Nobody got this upset when the same area saw the closure of some Navy installations with hundreds of civ employees and thousands of military personnel. That was a far larger impact to the area than this plant is. And its not the last sardine canning operation, its simply the last one that ONLY does sardines. There are plenty of other canneries that package sardines, they simply package other products as well so you can still get your sardines (yuk!). There are plenty of other types of food products being packaged in the US and I would be surprised that the plant doesn't convert to another product to pack rather than closing completely but there is no guarantee on that.

Still, sardines are pretty much a dead end food product that simply isn't in demand much anymore so the closure is not that surprising. If they had announced closure of all tuna packing plants, that would be a surprise. Sardines, no.

You have an excellent point and I accept your view. However, I feel like this is just a sign of what's soon to come. First it's sardines, then something more valuable. True, sardines are not that popular (they do taste horribly), but you still have to consider the fact that losing a factory or plant is not a good sign for our economy or country, wherever you live. Its just disappointing to see that more and more jobs and profits are in a decline. If this decline continues, I'm afraid of how the future of this world will turn out... I don't care for much of anything that deals with sardines either, but its still a sad situation.

By the way, did you hear about the bread belt moving up to Canada? I know it isn't fully on topic, but I think its similar to this situation.

And I'm not trying to start a major arguement over this situation, I totally respect your point of view.

 

[Sir_Tor]

Exellent, everybody is panicking! Soon I shall force them to stop making doughnuts! And these little fools won't have a clue.... Muhahahahaha!
*corrects his tie*
Oh a shocking loss indeed, yes!

OT: Don't know if I ever ate one.

 

[jakkuss]

So in my job as a wildland firefighter I'm often working all day through the night and into the next day(and sometimes much longer than that.) I like to have a tin or two of sardines in my gear for that quick 3:00AM snack of protein and oil that lifts my mood, my energy level, and just makes me smile(I also like to carry little salamis.)

A few people have mentioned that sardines "taste horribly." I think they may be confusing sardines with anchovies, which also do not "taste horribly" but are much stronger tasting and heavily salted. Most tins of sardines just taste like cooked fish.

As for the American stoppage of packing, it's really not that big of a deal. It's not like sardine packing is going away; it just isn't going to happen in America. Oh well.

 

[Simalacrum]

Well, sucks to be American!

I wouldn't worry about it lads, they will probably import it instead... heck, if Britain can import 50% of ALL the worlds Cod (arguably a significantly harder fish to transport, due to size), then I'm sure America can ship a few sardines too.

 

[Tharwen]

You could eat them raw from the sea, caught with your bare hands. Like a man.

 

[K84]

The article says they might be working on a way to bring sardines back, just not in can-form.
Can Form.....Michael Bay....Sardines swim in the Bay....
OMG!, it's all Shia's fault!

Sorry, direct sunlight aimed at me while typing this...

 

[Aur0ra145]

NOOO!! What am I supposed to eat on river trips now? What about Kipper Herring, are they gone too?

 

[Vivace-Vivian]

Haven't I seen this in a tv show? Futurama?

 

[Ryoka]

I thought Futurama focused an episode on anchovies, not sardines.

 

[Wolfiesden]

You have an excellent point and I accept your view. However, I feel like this is just a sign of what's soon to come. First it's sardines, then something more valuable. True, sardines are not that popular (they do taste horribly), but you still have to consider the fact that losing a factory or plant is not a good sign for our economy or country, wherever you live. Its just disappointing to see that more and more jobs and profits are in a decline. If this decline continues, I'm afraid of how the future of this world will turn out... I don't care for much of anything that deals with sardines either, but its still a sad situation.

By the way, did you hear about the bread belt moving up to Canada? I know it isn't fully on topic, but I think its similar to this situation.

And I'm not trying to start a major arguement over this situation, I totally respect your point of view.

No arguement at all, its a good healthy discussion and on topic.

Nobody got their panties in a bundle when Buell was being shut down here in Milwaukee loosing >180 employees and an entire brand name (though Buell may be eventually bought out and continue but not under Harley Davidson). People didn't get massive website reports and forum threads when Alcoa shut down a manufacturing plant in Beloit dumping almost 300 people into the unemployed force in an already blighted town. So, I am not going to get too upset for 130 people in an industry that has clearly been in a serious decline for the past 40 years. I do feel bad for these people but the product they made simply isn't in demand.

This is also a good sign that single product production facilities better be on notice. Your product will not always be in demand! Hershy doesn't have ONE plant that makes JUST Kisses. They have plants that make a variety of products. This makes sense. It protects the plants and employees from market declines and customer taste changes. It also allows them to adapt to those changes. A plant that makes or can make only one product is a dinosaur grasping at the edge of the tar pit, its going down eventually.

If the company that owned this sardine plant couldn't see market decline over the past 50 years and take actions to diversify the plant so that it could respond to the decline by producing additional products then they have only themselves to blame. They have had nearly half a century to see the freight train coming at them and step off the tracks.

As for the American stoppage of packing, it's really not that big of a deal. It's not like sardine packing is going away; it just isn't going to happen in America. Oh well.

We need to take a deep breath here. The OP is WRONG and those who don't know how to google are repeating the incorrect statement that there is no logner any sardine packing in the US. There IS currently and will CONTINUE to be sardine packing in the US. This plant that is closing is the last plant that packed ONLY sardines. There are lots of other plants that pack sardines, but, those plants also pack other things. The only thing being lost is the last 100% only sardine packing plant.

A few people have mentioned that sardines "taste horribly." I think they may be confusing sardines with anchovies, which also do not "taste horribly" but are much stronger tasting and heavily salted. Most tins of sardines just taste like cooked fish.

I, for one, do know the difference and to me, no they don't taste good. I do use anchovies sometimes as ingredients when cooking but I don't like them straight up either. I grew up in Florida so I know what good seafood tastes like and sardines (herring) are not it.

 

[Les Awesome]

my god futramas coming i'm gonna hide in my basement before the lobster people eat the remaining

 

[Xeros]

This is an outrage! I love those damn things!