ANALYSIS: Mahi Market Strained by Supply Gaps, Seasonal Demand, and Record Pricing

The extremely tight mahi supply situation has shown no signs of easing. Overall supply remains constrained, primarily due to a poor production season out of Central and South America (C&SA), which typically accounts for a significant portion of the annual harvest. Although many market participants have shifted their sourcing focus to Asian countries, current raw material availability remains limited, and replacement costs elevated. This strain is further intensified by ongoing trade policy uncertainty and broader economic headwinds that continue to weigh on...

DFO More than Doubles Northern Cod TAC in Newfoundland and Labrador

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has more than doubled the total allowable catch (TAC) of northern cod in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) from 18,000 metric tons (MT) to 38,000 MT for the 2025 season.

The commercial fishery reopened in 2024 after a 32-year moratorium, which was first implemented in 1992 due to a decline in stock, as Expana reported. Now, Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson says the stock has reached even higher levels than expected for the 2025 season...

Cook Inlet Sockeye Salmon Season Begins, Feds Set Limit 60% Higher Than Last Year

This week saw an increase in sockeye landings on the Copper River and an early jump in chum salmon landings in Prince William Sound. On Monday, the statewide tally of wild salmon landings clicked over to above one million. The most recent total of 1.3 million includes 535,000 sockeye and 667,000 chum salmon.  

Yesterday, the Cook Inlet EEZ salmon season began with a total allowable catch (TAC) of 800,126 sockeyes.  

That total breaks down into a TAC for the Kenai River...

Red Snapper Trip Ends in 7-Year Prison Sentence for Florida Boat Captain

A Florida fishing boat captain was sentenced on June 18 to 84 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a pair of deckhands during a multi-day fishing trip for red snapper.

Terry Carrington, 38 of Carrabelle, will head to prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury for the incident that occurred in the Gulf of America, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida...

Japan's April Household Expenditure Survey: Seafood Spending up 3%, Tuna Purchases up 20%

According to the April household survey released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on June 6, total food expenditures increased 7% year-on-year to 89,487 yen ($615.30). Expenditures on seafood increased 3% to 5,889 yen ($40.49). Fresh seafood, salted and dried seafood, and surimi products all increased compared to the same month last year.

According to a report in the Minato Shimbun, fresh seafood increased 1% to 3,196 yen ($21.97). Tuna, skipjack, and sashimi platters...

Murkowski, Whitehouse Lead Reintroduction of Bipartisan Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act

On June 17, 2025, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska reintroduced the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act alongside U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Chellie Pingree and James Moylan.  

The bipartisan, bicameral legislation—which was initially passed by the House in the 118^th Congress—would direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to collaborate with and support state, local, and tribal entities that are conducting or have completed ocean acidification vulnerability assessments, including those related to ocean acidification, research...

California Lifts Domoic Acid Restrictions on Southern California Sardines

California sardines are safe to eat again.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham earlier this month lifted the commercial and recreational take restrictions  for human consumption of Pacific sardines in the Southern California Bight. This action comes after state health agencies recommended that Pacific sardines no longer pose a human health risk caused by domoic acid.

In early May, the take of Pacific sardine was restricted to bait use only. Recent Pacific sardine samples collected in several locations...

Sustainable Shrimp Partnership Develops Living Wage Program for Ecuadorian Shrimp Farms

The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) said its latest initiative would set “a new benchmark for social responsibility in shrimp aquaculture.”

The SSP has partnered with IDH for a project in Ecuador that will measure and validate that workers on SSP shrimp farms are receiving a living wage.

The program was inaugurated on June 11 in Guayaquil, Ecuador and aims to “ensure that the workforce of participating companies earns sufficient income,” per a release from the SSP. The program works through IDH’s Salary Matrix, a digital platform based...

ANALYSIS: Latest EU-UK Shrimp Import Data Shows Record-high Volume for April

The European Union has just released trade volume data for April 2025, revealing that total shrimp imports in the EU-UK region reached 53,122 metric tons—a level not seen in the past five years. Although this figure represents a 4.1% decline compared to March, it marks a 3.6% increase year-over-year and an impressive 29.8% rise compared to two years ago. In fact, this is a record high for April, standing 24.6% above the 10-year average for the...

Regal Springs CEO Alois Hofbauer Steps Down After Five Years

Tilapia farmer Regal Springs announced that its CEO, Alois Hofbauer, will step down from his role after leading the company for five and a half years.

The move is effective June 20, and Hofbauer will transition his focus to his family business. He will stick around Regal Springs as Senior Advisor to the Board and the incoming CEO as the company seeks a seamless transition.

Graham Ellis will join the company and immediately take over as CEO. Regal Springs described its new CEO as a “proven leader...

USDA Accepting Section 32 Bids for Atlantic Groundfish and Pacific Pink Shrimp

On June 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced formal solicitations for contract bids on commercially available Atlantic Groundfish and Pacific Pink Shrimp.

As is the protocol under the USDA’s Section 32 Program, products purchased through the solicitation will be distributed to various food nutrition assistance programs.

Per the solicitations, groundfish products must be delivered between August 16, 2025, and April 15, 2026. Pink shrimp products must be delivered between August 1, 2025, and October 31, 2025...

Andfjord Salmon Completes $39 Million Sale-Leaseback of Harbor Area Near Kvalnes Site

The Andfjord Salmon Group AS (Andfjord Salmon) recently announced the completed sale-leaseback of the harbor area proximate to its Kvalnes production site in Andøya, Norway, which is currently undergoing a five-stage build-out.

This comes after the stock exchange announcement on February 26 regarding the potential sale- and leaseback of the Kvalnes site.   

Per the salmon farmer’s June 19 announcement, all sale and leaseback agreements for the harbor property have been executed, including an 80-year contract at 7.5% yield, adjusted for CPI, making...

Mega Sardines Celebrates 50 Years, Achieves Distinction of World’s First Seafood “Superfood”

On June 19, 2025, Filipino food manufacturer Mega Prime Foods Inc. announced that its flagship brand Mega Sardines had been officially recognized by the global network Medical Wellness Association (MWA) as the world’s first seafood Superfood, marking the first designation of its kind in the MWA’s 30+ years.

The MWA awarded Mega Sardines the designation during its 50th anniversary celebration, citing its nutrient profile, commitment to quality and safety, and unique sourcing and production practices made possible through vertical integration, which ensures a product standard of...

Russia’s Norebo May Lose Pollock, Herring Quotas

The Russian Rosrybolovstvo (Federal Agency for Fishery of the Russian Federation) is seeking in court to terminate the contract for the provision of investment quotas for the catch of pollock and herring with four subsidiaries of Norebo Group, one of Russia’s largest fish producers and processors.

Under the terms of the agreement between the sides, the company was supposed to build four trawlers worth more than 16 billion rubles, but construction was disrupted after the imposition of sanctions.

According to the Russian Kommersant business paper...

SeaPak and Morey’s Support Global Ghost Gear Initiative During National Oceans Month 

SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Co. (SeaPak) and Morey’s Fine Fish & Seafood (Morey’s) have partnered with Ocean Conservancy’s Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) to raise awareness about the deep sea during National Oceans Month.  

Together, the companies are working to put an end to issues brought on by abandoned, lost, and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) — also known as ghost gear — which poses a threat to fish stocks.  

SeaPak and Morey’s parent company, Rich, first joined the GGGI in 2023. This year, Rich came up with a...

California’s MPA Network Recognized as International Gold Standard for Marine Conservation

California’s marine protected area network was recently officially accepted to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, a high-profile international certification that recognizes the most successful examples of biodiversity conservation worldwide. California’s system of marine protected areas, or MPAs, is the first nature network in the world to receive this honor. 

The California MPA network was certified alongside four additional listings around the world, including Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), Taï National Mark (N’Zo Complex...

The Retail Rundown: Grocers Set Stage for Final Summer Push

With Father’s Day in the rearview, grocers are setting the stage for the final big buying event of the summer: the Fourth of July.

The upcoming holiday marks the last major retail push before Labor Day and serves as a key buying window for proteins like beef ahead of the mid-summer lull. To keep product moving, grocers are expected to lean heavily on promotions and feature aggressive pricing in the coming weeks.

Post-Father’s Day, pork and chicken are poised to capture more...