ANALYSIS: Wild Salmon Week in Review: Week 25, June 22-28

Sockeye prices moved lower this week, a trend that is typical as the season begins and landings increase. Harvest activity has picked up across several key regions, including Prince William Sound, the Alaska Peninsula, Bristol Bay, and Barclay Sound in Canada. As more product enters the market, supply levels are rising, which is placing downward pressure on pricing.

That said, the sockeye season has gotten off to a somewhat slower start than initially forecast...

US–China Trade Framework Advances, but Final Terms Still in Flux; Lutnick Hints at More Deals

The United States and China have inked a new trade agreement, President Donald Trump said on June 26.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick mirrored the news during an interview with Bloomberg TV, stating that the deal was signed in recent days. Neither Trump nor Lutnick shared further details.

Expana reported on June 11 that Lutnick said the US and China agreed to a trade framework, and the latest comments from both Lutnick and Trump don’t seem to add much...

ANALYSIS: Thai Tuna Exports by Country and the Factors Influencing Prices

The Expana Benchmark Prices (EBP) for Thai skipjack tuna saw a decline of around $150 per metric ton (mt) in May, accounting for a decrease of 8.8% month-on-month. The whole frozen skipjack tuna market saw a notable drop in May as canning factories reduced their purchasing activities due to uncertainties surrounding potential tariffs on tuna exports to the US. In addition to enhanced landing levels in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, these have contributed to overall downward price pressure.

Recent shifts in...

UNFI Restores Core Systems After Major Cyberattack Disruption

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) announced that it has safely restored the core systems its customers and suppliers use after suffering a significant cyberattack earlier this month.

“With our electronic ordering and invoicing systems back online, we are delivering products to grocery stores across our network at more normalized levels,” the company said in a June 26 statement. “We are grateful to all our customers and suppliers for their patience and partnership as our UNFI associates continue working to support their needs...

VASEP Elects New Chairman for Five-Year Term

The Vietnamese Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) recently elected Do Ngoc Tai as its new Chairman for Term 7, which will run from 2025-2030.

In a letter to VASEP members, partners, and the Vietnamese seafood industry, Do—who is also the founder and CEO of seafood company Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company (TAIKA)—addressed VASEP’s goals for the next five years.

First and foremost, he acknowledged the Executive Board and Standing Committee’s responsibility to build on generations of past VASEP leaders and reinforce VASEP’s...

Summer Crab Season Rules Take Effect in Washington

Summer months mean new fishing seasons, warmer weather and, in the case of Dungeness crabbing on the West Coast, new rules.   

As whales become more prevalent and crabs begin to molt, the states implement more restrictive gear rules, time constraints, landing limits or permitting requirements. In Washington, that means the Coastal Dungeness Crab Summer Fishery Management Plan takes effect as of 12:01 a.m. on July 6, through the end of this year’s season.  

According to the plan, crabbers cannot possess or land more than 2,500...

New Zealand Contributes NZ$150,000 to WTO Fish Fund 

New Zealand has contributed NZ$150,000 to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Fish Fund. The fund accepts donations toward providing developing members and least-developed country (LDC) members with the ability to implement the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. 

The Agreement — first adopted in 2022 — prohibits harmful subsidies, which play a key role in the depletion of fish stocks.  

Earlier this month, the WTO opened a Call for Proposals, inviting developing and LDC members that have ratified the Agreement to submit requests for project grants through the...

New Zealand Fishermen Fined for Selling Black Market Seafood 

Three fishermen from New Zealand have been fined for selling thousands of dollars of black market seafood, including, crayfish, oysters and cod.  

Michael Hawke, Stuart Ryan, and Peter Fletcher pleaded guilty to several charges under the Fisheries Act, including failure to possess a permit to sell fish.  

Duncan Davis, who is not a commercial fisherman, was also fined for reselling blue cod that he had bought from Ryan.  

The four men were hit with a total of $36,900 in penalties.  

The fines stem from...

The Retail Rundown: Independence Day Deals in Focus

As the Fourth of July holiday draws closer, competition for front-page ad space among proteins is heating up. Seafood is currently leading with a 29% share, followed by beef and pork, each capturing 24%. Chicken accounts for 18%, while turkey trails at 2.6%.

Burgers and hot dogs remain backyard barbecue mainstays. Several national grocers were promoting 78–84% lean ground beef under $5 per pound, with eye-catching specials as low as $2.27 on a discounted basis.

Over Father's Day weekend...

Center for Food Safety Sues to Shut Down Nine Shellfish Aquaculture Sites in Washington 

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) and a local Washington organization against shellfish farming, have filed a motion in federal court to shut down nine coastal shellfish operations in Washington.

The lawsuit — which challenges permits obtained by the Army Corps of Engineers — alleges that the federal government failed to notify the public or conduct an environmental assessment prior to beginning operations.

Instead, CFS and local partner Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat, claim the Army Corps used permit review procedures known as...

Samherji Names Baldvin Thorsteinsson as CEO, Succeeding His Father After 42 Years

Iceland-based seafood company Samherji announced that Baldvin Thorsteinsson assumed the role of CEO on June 26.

Baldvin Thorsteinsson will take over for his father, Thorsteinn Már Baldvinsson, who stepped down from his role atop the company after 42 years. He has led the company since its founding in 1983.

"Like many people from Akureyri, I started working for Samherji at a young age and have held various positions at the company over the years. I have therefore gradually become well acquainted...

Red Lobster Renews Partnership with Restaurant Tech Platform Olo, Launches First-Party Catering

On June 25, 2025, hospitality software company Olo Inc. announced Red Lobster’s return to Olo’s digital platform as well as its expanded partnership, which includes new plans to launch first-part catering orders for the seafood chain.

Red Lobster initially entered into a partnership with Olo in 2017, after which time it briefly departed to develop an in-house digital ordering solution. Following this 2023 departure from Olo, Red Lobster underwent a May 2024 bankruptcy filing and subsequent company reorganization and brand refreshment...

From One Truck to a Billion in Sales: Cousins Maine Lobster Hits Major Milestone

Seafood food truck company Cousins Maine Lobster announced it had surpassed $1 billion in systemwide sales since its inception in 2012.

Cofounders and cousins Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis celebrated the milestone, "This is an incredible moment, growing from a single food truck in Los Angeles to more than 85 units across the nation, we've brought the taste and spirit of Maine to diners nationwide—and built a franchise family along the way."

The company highlighted its journey...

Study Finds 61% of US Consumers are Scaling Back on Restaurants, Spending Less on Groceries 

As tariffs and inflation continue to impact consumers, Americans are spending less on food. According to Popmenu, which currently serves over 10,000 restaurants, 67% of consumers are scaling back their budgets.  

The nationwide study tracked the dining and spending habits of 1,000 people 21 and older from June 16 to June 17, 2025. When asked to name the areas where they are cutting back the most, restaurants landed the number one spot, with 61% saying they are eating out less and staying in...

Russian Authorities Tighten Control Over Domestic Fish Prices 

Russian authorities plan to significantly tighten control over domestic fish prices. According to official data from the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rostat), fish prices in Russia have increased by roughly 8% since the start of 2025, attracting attention from local regulators.  

The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) has requested information from 37 domestic fish producers and processors regarding their price increases. The FAS has also inquired about actual volumes of production and the cost of fish products.  

The requests have raised concerns from a variety of...

TPWD Aims to Buy Back 115 Commercial Oyster Boat Licenses This Round

Earlier this week, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) announced that it received 115 commercial oyster boat license offers in round nine of its Oyster License Buyback Program (OLBP), all of which the Department plans to purchase with the help from key donors like CCA and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

In total, the OLBP has made 545 oyster licenses available to Texas fishermen. If all buyback applicants participate this year, there would be 21% fewer oyster licenses throughout the state.

The oyster industry and various conservation groups have prioritized fewer...

Starway International Group Expands Recall for Ineligible Frozen Siluriformes Imported from Vietnam 

New York-based Starway International Group is expanding its recall of Siluriformes fish products imported from Vietnam.  

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Wednesday that another 15,980 pounds of product from a Vietnam facility that is not authorized to export Siluriformes to the United States, has been recalled. This is in addition to the 9,513 pounds of Siluriformes initially recalled on June 12, as reported by Expana. 

The expansion includes the following Siluriformes sausage products, which were shipped to...