ANALYSIS: Fresh Tilapia Prices Rise as Imports Fall

There was a notable decrease in the total import volume of fresh tilapia fillets in February 2024 compared to January 2024, with volumes dropping from just under 4.1 million pounds to 3.2 million pounds, a 21.9% decline. Year-over-year, the decline is even more pronounced at 28.1%, with February 2023 volumes at 4.4 million pounds. This indicates a significant contraction in import volumes over both a monthly and yearly basis.

The year-to-date numbers running January through February show a similar trend, with a decline of...

The Retail Rundown: Maximizing May’s Buying Occasions

The grocery sector is maximizing several buying occasions this month as the change in weather and outdoor grilling season breathes new life into the meat case.

May brings about a seasonal shift as daily life bustles with spring activities like sports and outings—boosting the supermarket's convenience and snack food sections. Busy families will also frequent the deli counter more often and turn to quick dinners and frozen options for weekday meals.

Retailers are currently highlighting holiday items for Cinco de Mayo this Sunday. The upcoming holiday, which commemorates the anniversary of Mexico’s...

BOEM Announces Offshore Wind Leasing Schedules This Year for Oregon and Gulf of Maine

The industrial offshore wind steamroller keeps advancing - this time off both Oregon and Maine. Federal agencies announced Tuesday two proposals for offshore wind energy auctions that have the potential to generate more than 18 gigawatts of energy.

The announcement is part of the Administration’s commitment to expand offshore wind opportunities, building on investments made by President Biden's Investing in America agenda to develop a clean energy economy, create good-paying jobs for American workers, and make communities more...

Russia Begins Preparations for 2025 Salmon Fishing Season

Russia has begun preparations for the 2025 salmon fishing season. According to preliminary forecasts made by Rosrybolovstvo during the recent Far Eastern Scientific Council in Vladivostok, the catch of Pacific salmon is expected to reach about 320,000 tonnes.

“All the work will be carried out as in previous years. Once again I want to say that 320,000 tonnes is still a preliminary forecast. I think it will increase,” said Ilya Shestakov, the head of Rosrybolovstvo. 

Of the 320,000 tonnes, 192,900 will account for pink salmon, while chum salmon will account for...

March Sales of Salmon Roe Products at Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets

Lower unit prices of salted herring roe resulted in a sales volume increase at Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets. Prices of salmon roe in particular fell significantly. However, items with sales volumes that remained at the same level as the previous year or had increased prices, declined.

Sujiko Salted Salmon Roe

Last year’s high prices of Sujiko salted salmon roe have been corrected considerably, with the price stabilizing at around 2,600 yen/kg ($16.57/kg) at the beginning of 2024. In March, the price was...

Maruha Nichiro Estimates Worldwide Surimi Production in 2023 Reached 800,000 Tons

Ryota Masaki, General Manager of Maruha Nichiro's North American Division, delivered a compelling speech on April 24 after the Fish Protein Health Research Group general meeting in Minato-ku, Tokyo. He shared a company estimate that the world's total surimi production reached 800,000 tons in 2023. Masaki emphasized the dynamic changes in the supply and demand side of surimi, particularly the rapid increase in the production of Russian Pollock surimi, which is primarily imported into China. 

Consumption of Russian Pollock Surimi Soars in China

Masaki provided detailed...

American Seafoods’ Tim Fitzgerald On The Importance Of Telling The Sustainability Story

What exactly is “sustainability”? Consumers know that they want to purchase sustainable products, but the definition of “sustainability” often varies. Ultimately, when it comes down to it, the only thing a company can do is share their story and hope that it reaches the appropriate audience.

Compiling the data to tell that sustainability story can be time consuming. But if a company has a good story to tell, it can be rewarding. 

Leading up to Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, American Seafoods published its annual sustainability report...

2024 Snow Crab Landings Update For NL, Gulf and Maritimes Region As of April 29

Canadian snow crab harvesters are continuing to haul in their catch. According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO),  Area 12 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has already landed 65.68% of their total allowable catch for this year. As of April 29, harvesters have caught 14,289.416 t, with 7,466.658 t left in the water.

Landings in CFA 20-22 in the Maritimes Region are on par with Area 12. Harvesters there have landed 66.13% of their TAC. The total quota for CFA 20-22 is 937.635 metric tonnes, so harvesters have 317.566 metric tonnes left in the water. 

CFA 23-24E in the Maritimes Region is moving a bit slower...

Latitude 45 Salmon Candy Targets Growing Demand For Grab and Go Category

People want convenience…without sacrificing taste. And Multi X’s Latitude 45 brand hit the nail on the head with their newest product innovation, Smoked Salmon Candy Bites.

Latitude 45 has made a name for itself as one of the top selling smoked salmon brands in the U.S. But last week in Barcelona for Seafood Expo Global the company turned heads for its packaging. The new Latitude 45 Smoked Salmon Candy Bites won the Special Award for Best Retail Packaging category at the Seafood Excellence Global Awards...

Department of Commerce Publishes Amended CVD Determination on Shrimp From Ecuador 

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has officially published the amended preliminary affirmative countervailing duty (CVD) determination on shrimp from Ecuador. 

In late March the DOC announced its preliminary affirmative determinations in the CVD investigations of frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador, as well as India and Vietnam. (At the same time the DOC also confirmed a negative determination in the CVD investigation of shrimp from Indonesia.) Ecuador exporter/ producer Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila was slapped with a 13.41% preliminary subsidy rate...

What Caused Massive Alaska Snow Crab Die-Off? Author of Study Linking Ocean Heat Event Explains

The disappearance of 10 billion Bering Sea snow crab in two years, perhaps the largest loss ever reported of marine animals to ocean heatwaves, was a devastating blow to the fishery. NOAA scientists and researchers were puzzled. Industry experts and fishermen posed many theories. Did they migrate beyond the survey grid in the Bering Sea, perhaps to Russian waters? Were they killed by disease or a parasite, or a combination of factors? Did they starve to death?

Last October, a team of NOAA...

Russia Expects Fish Exports to Reach US$5.6 Billion This Year

Exports of fish products from Russia in 2024 are expected to reach US$5.6 billion, according to recent statements made by Ilya Shestakov, head of Rosrybolovstvo.

Shestakov said that, despite the current pressure from West, Russia continues to expand the geography of supplies of its fish and seafood.

At present the Asian markets of China, Japan, South Korea remain the biggest sales markets for Russia. However, the volume of supplies to the Latin American and especially African market is steadily growing...

ANALYSIS: Countervailing Duties Reduction Would Have Significant Impact on Payments

As reported by SeafoodNews Managing Editor, Amanda Buckle, Jose Antonio Camposano, Executive President of Industry Association Camara Nacional de Acuacultura confirmed the yet unpublished report that Santa Priscila’s subsidy rate has been lowered.

To put this in perspective, here is a preliminary analysis of money that would be posted based upon data from 2023 imports. The red lines in the graph are estimated payments against last year’s total imports by company based upon the average price paid. The total paid would...

Lobster Fishing Along Canada's Eastern Shore Begins

Lobster fishing along Canada’s Eastern Shore began on April 19, with fishermen pulling up their first catches the following day.

While the price of lobster varies, high prices in Nova Scotia can be attributed to a low quantity being caught, compared to past years.

“Leading up to the Canadian spring season, the shore price soared to a record high of $20.00 CAD in March, driving market prices for all sizes to unprecedented levels, surpassing previous records set in 2022. However, with new fishing areas opening up and catch levels on...

Russian Fishmeal Exports in 2023 Increased by 10% to 143,000 Tons, and 80% Went to China

The Hokkaido Trawl Fisheries Cooperative Federation reports a notable surge in the export volume of fishmeal produced in Russia. In 2023, production escalated by a substantial 10% from the previous year, reaching an impressive 143,000 tons. It marks a staggering 2.6-fold increase in just five years since 2018. The Minato Shimbun further confirms this trend, noting a significant rise in the volume of major export destinations, South Korea and China.

Undoubtedly, China and South Korea remain major export destinations for Russian fishmeal...

Today's Top Story: Alaska Has a Plan to Save its Salmon But Some Native Leaders are Wary 

Alaska officials announced a new plan earlier this month that they say could revive the Yukon River’s struggling salmon population, by suspending commercial, sport, domestic and personal use fisheries in the Yukon River until 2030. But some tribal leaders say the closures unfairly burden Native communities, severing a crucial link to traditional culture, and that officials did not properly consult them while forming the plan...

EDITORIAL: From Cartoons to Temporary Tattoos; Finding New Ways To Get Kids To Try More Seafood

The show floor at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona was full of interesting and unique products designed to bring more seafood to the table. Attendees walking around the five halls could find different retail offerings created for convenience—like shrimp or fish kabobs and ready-to-eat items like salmon candy or jerky—as well as plenty of beautiful and sustainable packaging for fillets. But very few items on the show floor were geared towards children. The ones that did though certainly stood out...

Today's Top Story: CNA’s José Antonio Camposano Confirms Subsidy Rate Adjustment For Ecuador Shrimp

Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determinations in the countervailing duties investigation of frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador. As Seafoodnews reported at the time, producer/exporter Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila was hit with the largest subsidy rate at 13.41%. Jose Antonio Camposano, Executive President of industry association Camara Nacional de Acuacultura, said at the time that they believed it to be an error in calculation. And while the preliminary determination has yet to be updated by the DOC, Camposano confirmed to Seafoodnews on the Seafood Expo Global show floor that Santa Priscila’s subsidy rate has been adjusted lower...

Vandal Poisons Young Salmon in Oregon Targeted for Sport and Commercial Fisheries

As it turns out, bleach and salmon don't mix.

Nearly 18,000 young salmon died after a vandal poured bleach into an Oregon fish hatchery tank last week, according to law enforcement authorities.

What may have started as vandalism evolved into poaching with the illegal killing of fish in one of four tanks at the Gardiner, Reedsport, and Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program hatchery in Reedsport.

Douglas County Sheriff's Office Deputies arrested Joshua Heckathorn, 20, of Gardiner, and lodged him at the Douglas County Jail on...

ANALYSIS: Blue and Red Swimming Crab Meat Hit 52-week Lows on Special Grade

As discussed last month, the crab meat market in the U.S. continues to be a tale of two different groupings of sizing grades: larger grades under upward pricing pressure and smaller grades seeing downward pricing pressure. Because the overall size of crabs has been smaller for the past several months out of the Asian producing countries, we have continued to see a smaller percentage of colossal, jumbo lump, and super lump available to the marketplace. When crabs run smaller...

Bering Sea Dungeness Crab Season Opens May 1

Fifteen vessels have registered for the Bering Sea Dungeness crab season in the North Peninsula district this year, just one down from 2022 and  above last year’s fleet size of 11 vessels.

Based on the number of vessels registered prior to the April 1, 2024 registration deadline, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is allowing 500 pots per vessel this year, indicating that the shellfish managers are expecting somewhat increased harvests over last year. 

KUCB Public Media interviewed Ethan Nichols last week for historical context of the fishery. Nichols is the ...

EDITORIAL: From Cartoons to Temporary Tattoos; Finding New Ways To Get Kids To Try More Seafood

Studies repeatedly show that children and adolescents are not consuming the recommended amount of seafood. 

The U.S. government is continuing to buy different species of fish for school lunch programs. And just a few weeks ago the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service finalized updates to the foods prescribed to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to expand seafood. These types of programs make seafood more accessible to children. But is it enough? And is there more that the industry can do to make seafood offerings more appealing to kids (and parents)?

2024 Snow Crab Landings Update For NL, Gulf and Maritimes Region As of April 26

Area 12 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence already has more than half of its quota caught. According to landings data from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 62.11% of the quota has been caught as of April 26. The initial quota for Area 12 — including traditional fleet (01), First Nations (02) and New Access (03) — was set at 22,236.416 t and revised to 21,756.074 t. The season opened April 1 and reporting as of April 26 shows that 13,513.539...

Wells Fargo: Peter Pan in “Imminent Danger of Insolvency,” Asks Court to Put in Receivership

Last Wednesday, Northwest lender Wells Fargo Bank asked the King County Superior Court to move Peter Pan Seafoods into receivership to protect creditors. The news comes as more lawsuits are being filed by fishermen who claim the company has not paid them for deliveries last year. 

Wells Fargo was the single biggest lender to the iconic but financially troubled seafood processor last year. Wednesday’s petition to the court names Peter Pan Seafood Company, Alaska Fish Holdings, and Raymond Machine Shop as owing more than...

LIVE! From Seafood Expo Global With InnaSea Media's Emily De Sousa and Bri Dwyer

The Seafoodnews Podcast is LIVE from Barcelona for Seafood Expo Global! In this latest episode, recorded right from Fira de Barcelona, Seafoodnews Senior Editor Amanda Buckle welcomes the founders of InnaSea Media — Emily De Sousa and Bri Dwyer. Listen in to learn more about how a fisheries scientist/ content creator and a visual storyteller with a background in Alaska's commercial fisheries have come together with the goal of transforming perceptions of seafood.

Department of Interior Announces 12 Offshore Wind Lease Sales Across the Nation Through 2028

The clock is ticking on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's timeline for its version of "clean" energy in the form of offshore wind.

On Wednesday, BOEM announced a planned future offshore wind leasing schedule through 2028. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland made the announcement at the International Partnering Forum conference in New Orleans, ahead of a potential change in political landscape.

The schedule includes up to 12 potential offshore wind energy lease sales in the next four years. BOEM anticipates...

Russian Pollock Roe Auction In Busan Softening Due To Weak Yen And Other Factors

The bidding on new Russian-produced pollock roe has been slow, with some unsuccessful bids. The auction, held from April 16 to 18 in Busan, South Korea, featured listings of over 7,000 tons, with prices ranging from around $5/kg for STD (high grade) to $4/kg and above to mid-$3/kg for off-grade. Minato Shimbun reported that Japanese buyers have been cautious due to the rapid depreciation of the yen against the dollar, a factor that significantly impacts their...

Today's Top Story: Officials Predict a Robust Harvest as Bering Sea Dungeness Season Begins

The commercial season for Dungeness crab in the North Peninsula District opened today, and officials say this year's harvest trajectory looks good. The individual pot limit for the area is 500 per vessel. And this year, 15 vessels registered before the April 1 deadline...

Today's Top Story: American Seafoods' Tim Fitzgerald On The Importance Of Telling The Sustainability Story

Leading up to Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, American Seafoods published its annual sustainability report, a 36-page document highlighting their achievements over the past year — from maintaining third-party eco-certification for all their catch, to recycling efforts and even at-sea enhancements for their employees. It’s an impressive report with a lot to boast about. And Seafoodnews was able to meet up at Seafood Expo Global with Tim Fitzgerald, American Seafoods’ Chief Sustainability Officer, to dive into that report just a little deeper. 

Today's Top Story: LIVE! From Seafood Expo Global With InnaSea Media's Emily De Sousa and Bri Dwyer

The Seafoodnews Podcast is LIVE from Barcelona for Seafood Expo Global! In this latest episode, recorded right from Fira de Barcelona, Seafoodnews Senior Editor Amanda Buckle welcomes the founders of InnaSea Media — Emily De Sousa and Bri Dwyer. Listen in to learn more about how a fisheries scientist/ content creator and a visual storyteller with a background in Alaska's commercial fisheries have come together with the goal of transforming perceptions of seafood...