ANALYSIS: The EU and the UK Warm-Water Shrimp Imports Drop

In Europe, 2023 will probably be remembered as the year when inflation on energy and grocery prices strongly impacted households’ purchase power, with some double-digit price increases on numerous items. As consumers tend to buy more affordable meals, supermarket sales of fresh and frozen seafood are declining while other proteins, like poultry or eggs, progress. As a result, the EU and the UK imports of frozen warm-water shrimps significantly dropped in volume in the first quarter of this year compared with last year...

SalMar Selling Frøy to Goldman Sachs Asset Management For Nearly $600 Million

Frøy ASA, a Norway-based integrated aqua service company, is being sold to Goldman Sachs Asset Management for nearly $600 million (6.6 billion Norwegian crowns).

Falcon Bidco AS, a company that is indirectly wholly owned by infrastructure funds managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, announced on Monday that they have entered into an agreement with NTS AS, a wholly owned subsidiary of SalMar ASA and Frøy ASA. As part of the agreement, Falcon Bidco will acquire NTS’s 72.11% shares in Frøy...

USITC Keeps Antidumping Orders On Shrimp From China, India, Thailand and Vietnam

Last week the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) made their determination in the five-year reviews of frozen warmwater shrimp from China, India, Thailand and Vietnam. The Commission determined that revoking the existing antidumping duty orders would likely lead to “continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.” Existing orders on imports of warmwater shrimp from the above named countries will remain in place.

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana commented on the news, expressing his support for the decision...

Direct Seafood Source USA, Taprobane Seafoods Sri Lanka Announce Strategic Partnership

Direct Source Seafood USA confirmed this week that they have entered into a strategic partnership with Taprobane Seafoods Sri Lanka to produce, market and sell sustainable Sri Lankan seafood in the U.S. 

As one of the largest crab and shrimp importers in the U.S., Direct Source Seafood is always looking to enter into new partnerships. The company recently formed vertically integrated partnerships in Mexico and Norway. Now, looking to meet growing demand for blue swimming crab and 4-star BAP certified shrimp, Direct Source Seafood is turning to...

NOAA Forecasts Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone to Impact 4,155 Square Miles in 2023

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a below-average summer dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Dead zones – or hypoxic areas – occur yearly as a result of “excess nutrient pollution from human activities in cities and farm areas throughout the Mississippi watershed.” This nutrient pollution, which can be caused by agricultural runoff and wastewater treatment effluent, depletes oxygen in the water, killing fish, shellfish and other marine life.  

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) looks at Mississippi River discharge and nutrient...

Peter Pan Seafood Ups Their Game on Food Safety and Compliance with Automation

Bellevue, WA. & Salt Lake City, UT — Peter Pan Seafood is elevating their commitment to food safety, compliance, and sustainability with an automated platform that ensures regulatory and financial compliance for every fresh, canned, and frozen seafood product created at their four Alaskan facilities.

“For more than 100 years, Peter Pan Seafoods has taken pride in its reputation for producing the highest quality seafood products from Alaska,” said Hart Schwarzenbach Director, Quality Assurance at Peter Pan.

Schwarzenbach described the many certifications throughout their processing, storage, and marketing operations...

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $2.6 Billion Framework Through Investing in America Agenda to Protect Coastal Communities and Restore Marine Resources

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce unveiled a $2.6 billion framework to invest in coastal resilience through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). As part of the President’s Investing in America Agenda this initiative will support communities and people on the frontlines of climate change, dedicating nearly $400 million specifically for Tribal priorities and benefiting coastal and Great Lakes communities nationwide with an emphasis on environmental justice. Additional investments from the IRA will improve weather and...

FFAW Calls On Government To Provide Emergency Economic Grant For Crab Industry

Crab harvesters are finally back in the water and chipping away at their snow crab quota after a six week delay due to pricing negotiations. But FFAW-Unifor is still hard at work seeking economic support for the industry – this time due to the post–pandemic collapse of the fishery.

“Both federal and provincial governments declared fish harvesters and plant workers essential workers during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – critical to both the economy and food supply of the country,” said FFAW-Unifor President Greg Pretty...

United States Partners With Western Indian Ocean Countries to Tackle IUU Fishing

Fishery resources contribute to the food security of millions of people in the world and are especially important in island nations like Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. According to the United Nations, more than 600 million people depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods, but fishery resources face increasing threats from Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Despite measures taken at both the national and regional levels to deter, combat, and eliminate IUU fishing, this problem poses a significant threat to marine biodiversity and the livelihoods...

PODCAST: Seafood Nutrition Partnership's Linda Cornish On The Summer Seafood Challenge

Linda Cornish, the Founder and President of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, joins the SeafoodNews Podcast to talk about the organization's Summer Seafood Challenge. Listen to find out how you can get involved!

This episode of the SeafoodNews Podcast is brought to you by “Watch Us Eat.” "Watch Us Eat" is a fun and educational YouTube series. The brand aims to increase seafood consumption and promote a healthy, sustainable lifestyle by providing engaging content, tasty recipes and valuable insights into the seafood industry. You can find the "Watch Us Eat" series on the SeafoodNews Youtube channel and by following watchuseat_seafood on Instagram. Email acoghlan@urnerbarry.com for partnership information.

Red Lobster Brings Back Crabfest After 4 Years

It’s been four long years…. But Crabfest is finally back at Red Lobster! 

Of course Crabfest this year is a little different than prior years. When Red Lobster celebrated in 2018 the menu included options like Jumbo Snow, Dungeness Crab and King crab. King crab is no longer an option due to the Alaska fishery being closed for the past two years and the ban on Russian imports. As a result, this year the popular seafood chain is only offering Snow crab or Bairdi (while supplies last)...

Three More Seasonal Grid Closures Announced for Gulf of St. Lawrence

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has announced three additional seasonal grid closures for the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Grid closures are part of Canada’s management plans to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. Scientists estimate that less than 350 of these whales remain. Temporary grid closures are in place for 15 days. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, if a North Atlantic right whale is detected again during days 9 to 15 of the temporary closure, then the grid will become seasonally closed until November 15, 2023...

Japan’s Salmon Imports in April Fell 32%, Show Notable Decrease in Chilean Coho to 4,800 Tons

According to customs statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, imports of salmon and trout continued to decline sharply in April, with a particularly pronounced decline in frozen Chilean coho. Since October last year, seasonal totals have yet to reach the 70,000-ton mark, and as of the end of April, it fell sharply to the 60,000-ton level for the first time in six years compared to the norm 80,000-90,000 tons in recent years. Sockeye imports from the U.S. and...

NOAA Offering Reward After 7 Steller Sea Lions Shot During Copper River Salmon Season

Seven Steller sea lions were shot and killed near Cordova shortly after the Copper River salmon season kicked off last month. Now, NOAA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that will lead to a civil penalty or criminal conviction of those responsible.

The dead sea lions were first discovered on May 16, 2023 along the eastern edge of Prince William Sound. Law enforcement says that the sea lions appeared to have been shot. However, there was no evidence of...

Snow Crab Update: NL Minimum Price to Harvesters Increases, Plus Landings Updates As Of June 2

The minimum price of snow crab for Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters is going up. Per FFAW-Unifor’s agreement with the Association of Seafood Processors (ASP), the snow crab fishery started with a minimum price of $2.20. However, both parties agreed that the price would increase if Urner Barry’s price increased. On Thursday Urner Barry’s price for 5-8s increased to $4.85, bringing the minimum price to harvesters from $2.20 to $2.25...

ANALYSIS: Wild Salmon Week in Review May 28-June 3 

A few weeks into the wild salmon season and sockeyes out of Copper River have already surpassed both 2022 and the five year average in landings year to date (YTD). As of this writing the cumulative total for Copper River sockeyes is 257,000. 28% higher than the five year average of 200,000 fish and 42% higher than...

NEFMC Names Dr. Catherine O’Keefe As New Executive Director

The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) announced on Friday that Dr. Catherine “Cate” O’Keefe, who has over 20 years of experience in fisheries science and management, will be replacing Tom Nies as Executive Director. The Council had previously revealed in January that Nies, a 25-year veteran of the Council staff, would be retiring this summer.

“Dr. O’Keefe has extensive experience with New England fisheries, and her broad-based background makes her uniquely suited for this position,” said Council Chair Eric Reid...

One Year Into The Ban On Russian King Crab And Snow Crab -- What Now?

Inflation is weighing on Americans across income levels. Customers are clearly feeling cautious and making trade off decisions. Private label sales are soaring as consumers trade down on goods. Consumers are still spending money however. Airlines and cruise ships are booked at capacity. But they are still concerned about inflation and cutting back on expensive food items.

According to a Bloomberg survey of economists the odds of a U.S. recession in 2023 are as high as 65%. Consumers still have some stimulus savings...

Canadian Company FeelGood Natural Health Pleads Guilty to Illegally Selling Harp Seal Oil in U.S.

Whitby, Ontario-based company FeelGood Natural Health Stores has pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Lacey Act. Between April 2019 and May 2021 the company knowingly transported and sold harp seal oil capsules, which is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). 

The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking in fish and wildlife in violation of underlying federal, state, foreign or Indian Tribal Laws. It also prohibits the making or submitting of a false label, record, or account of fish, wildlife...

Hokkaido Pollock Surimi Production in April Fell 65% to 179 Tons, the Lowest in Recent Years

The production of land-based surimi in Hokkaido in April, which the National Surimi Manufacturers Association announced, decreased sharply for Alaska pollock and Atka mackerel and remained sluggish overall, reported Suisan Keizai Shimbun.

Alaska pollock surimi, the main product, was produced in April at 179 tons, down 65.2% year-on-year. Although it surpassed 142 tons in March, it has been below 200 tons for two consecutive months, keeping production at the lowest level in recent years. Atka mackerel surimi decreased...

DFO: Canada is a World Leader in The Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

Today we mark the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. IUU fishing is a major cause of declining fish stocks and marine ecosystem destruction around the world, threatening the livelihoods of law-abiding fish harvesters, including right here in Canada.

Combatting IUU fishing is a high priority for Canada. That is why the Government of Canada established the Shared Ocean Fund as part of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy and committed $84.3M over five years...

MSC Responds Sharply to ADF&G Commissioner Vincent-Lang’s Criticism on Treatment of Russia

On May 30, Commissioner of Alaska Department of Fish and Game Doug Vincent-Lang sent a letter to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) criticizing their treatment of Russia during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

"While government and corporations of good conscience reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by seeking to isolate Russia and deprive it of revenue that could fuel its war machine, your program has instead spent the last 15 months working overtime to keep Russian seafood flowing to western markets," Vincent-Lang wrote, ...

ANALYSIS: Farmed Salmon Feeling the Summer Slowdown

Salmon at retail looks to be starting to feel the summer slowdown. Over the past five weeks, retail features or buying opportunities have trended below both the 3-and-5-year averages. In addition, outside of one-week, average price at retail for fresh Atlantic salmon fillets has been trending above both the 3-and-5-year averages. Year-to-date the total number of buying opportunities or retail features is very close with 2023 only 1.7 percent higher than YTD in 2022. Average retail price YTD is also very close...

AquaBounty Pauses Construction At Ohio Farm

AquaBounty Technologies has hit pause on construction at their new facility in Pioneer, Ohio.

CEO Sylvia Wulf gave an update on the construction early last month when the company released their financial results for Q1. At the time Wulf said that construction was continuing to progress and that the “timing for the closing of our bond financing is still expected to be mid-year.” Now, in the latest update released on Friday, Wulf said that a “substantial increase in its estimated cost of completion” has forced them to pause construction...

Wild Alaska Pollock Industry Partners with Seattle Mariner AJ Pollock to Score Runs, Raise Awareness

The Wild Alaska Pollock industry has announced a new partnership with Seattle Mariner AJ Pollock who will be using social and traditional media to raise awareness about the fish, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced today. Allen Lorenz "A. J." Pollock, who joined the Seattle Mariner’s franchise this year, will also make an appearance at the fifth-ever Wild Alaska Pollock Annual Meeting on September 28^th at the Four Seasons, Seattle.  

“This partnership makes so much logical sense—and not just...

Missing Spanish Vessel Villa de Pitanxo Discovered Off Newfoundland Coast

The F/V Villa de Pitanxo, which sank off the coast o f Newfoundland in February 2022, has been found by underwater robots.

The Spanish fishing vessel had been in the area off Newfoundland on Canada’s Atlantic Coast when it ran into some difficulties. Crew members on board issued two distress alerts, but no one reportedly responded when authorities tried to contact them. Twenty-one of the 24 men on board the vessel died. Three people survived. 

The Artabro has been...

Aquaculture Stewardship Council Launches Summer Promotion With Santa Monica Seafood   

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Santa Monica Seafood are catching a wave together this summer with a first of its kind retail promotion showcasing the benefits of certified, responsibly raised seafood and ASC’s sea green label to Southern California’s shoppers and diners.

ASC is the world’s leading certification and labeling program for responsibly farmed seafood, while Santa Monica Seafood is the largest wholesale, seafood-only distributor in the Southwest, including market and café locations in Santa Monica and Costa Mesa, Calif. The nonprofit organization and sustainability-driven company...

NOAA Fisheries Selects Alaska to Begin Aquaculture Opportunity Area Identification

NOAA Fisheries has chosen Alaska as the next region in which to look for Aquaculture Opportunity Areas.

An Aquaculture Opportunity Area is a defined geographic area that NOAA has determined to be environmentally, socially, and economically appropriate to support multiple commercial aquaculture operations. NOAA also evaluates these areas through both spatial analysis and the National Environmental Policy Act process. Sustainable marine aquaculture-also referred to in Alaska as mariculture-currently helps support Alaska's blue economy, contributing to sustainable seafood, and local economies.

The effort to identify Aquaculture... 

Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Support Rural Fishing Communities

This week U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Angus King (Maine) introduced bipartisan legislation to expand financial support for America’s fishing communities. Called the Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act, this bill would allow businesses that provide direct assistance to fishing operations, such as gear producers or cold storage, to access the same loans from the Farm Credit System that’s offered to farmers, ranchers and loggers.

For those unfamiliar with the Farm Credit System, it was founded in Congress in 1916 to aid farmers who struggled to access reliable credit...

Summer of Sockeye Salmon Kicks Off in Bristol Bay, Alaska

The highly anticipated annual wild sockeye salmon season in Bristol Bay, Alaska has officially commenced and fishermen are gearing up for what is expected to be one of the most bountiful in history. The 2023 harvest runs through September, and is forecast to be among the top five strongest in the last 20 years, estimating a haul of around 37 million fish. This means plenty of delicious, wild sockeye salmon in restaurants and grocery stores nationwide, making this sure to be the summer of sockeye...