ANALYSIS: Subdued Demand Keeps Lobster Prices in Check Amid Maine-Canada Seasonal Transition

The live lobster market continues to reflect a cautious demand environment as Maine moves deeper into its fall fishery and Canadian production transitions between seasonal openings. Buyers remain disciplined and focused largely on nearby needs, limiting upward price movement even as the supply picture begins to shift heading into October.

That restrained buying pattern has helped keep pricing in check. After reaching elevated levels this spring, 1 1/4 lb quarter prices fell sharply with the seasonal increase...

Section 301 Tariffs Loom Over Seafood Trade as Trump-Xi Summit Opens This Week

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Washington this week, and trade attorneys say the summit could determine the timeline for a new round of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, with seafood importers among those watching closely.

New Tariff Tied to "Excess Capacity" Case

The administration has been developing a separate tariff action targeting China and roughly 15 other economies under a Section 301 investigation into "structural excess capacity." The rate under consideration is around 7.5%, according...

Captain Fresh Revenue Tops $570 Million in FY26 as Profitability Holds for Second Year

Captain Fresh, the Bengaluru-based packaged seafood company that has spent the past two years assembling a transatlantic processing and distribution network, reported consolidated net revenue of ₹5,169 crore ($574 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, up 1.5 times from ₹3,397 crore ($377 million) in FY25. The company also confirmed it remained profit-after-tax positive for a second consecutive year.

Beyond the top-line jump, Captain Fresh reported that adjusted EBITDA nearly tripled to...

Sernapesca Investigating Suspected ISA Virus Outbreak at Salmones Camanchaca Site in Aysén, Chile

Chile's National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) is investigating a suspected outbreak of infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAv) at a Salmones Camanchaca farming site in the Aysén region, after receiving a positive lab notification on September 17.

Sernapesca said it received notification Thursday, September 17 of a positive ISAv result at the Izaza farming center, operated by Salmones Camanchaca and located in Salmonid Concession Group (ACS) 20 in the Aysén region. The positive result was detected in both cages sampled, with one also showing signs compatible...

USDA Awards $19.8 Million in Section 32 Shrimp Purchases to Eight Gulf Coast Processors

The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has finalized its latest Section 32 shrimp purchase, awarding $19,755,803 across eight Gulf Coast processors for 187,500 cases of peeled and deveined shrimp, according to a Purchase Award Description published September 17 for Solicitation 12-3J14-26-B-0418.

The award confirms the shrimp component of the broader USDA commodity purchase package Expana reported on in August, which also included pork, walnuts, raisins, mandarins, grape juice, and other products for distribution to schools and food banks through federal nutrition...

Global Seafood Alliance's 2027 Responsible Seafood Summit Heads to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) announced that its annual Responsible Seafood Summit will move to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2027, with The Center for Responsible Seafood (TCRS) co-hosting for the second consecutive year and folding its Shrimp Summit programming into the event.

The choice reflects Vietnam's standing as one of the world's largest seafood producers and exporters, giving attendees a chance to connect directly with regional producers and businesses while exploring one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic cities...

Generational Shifts Reshape Europe’s €361.2bn Foodservice Market

According to Circana’s latest report, Europe’s foodservice market was worth €361.2 billion in the year through June 2026, but relatively stable headline figures mask significant differences in how generations use the channel.

The report showed that in Europe’s five largest foodservice markets (Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain and Italy) spending rose 1.4% in the year ending June 2026, while visits fell 0.7%. Average spending per consumer increased 2.1%.

“Consumer behavior is evolving beneath the headline numbers,” Edurne Uranga, VP Foodservice Europe at Circana, said at the European...

STIM to Acquire Norwegian Advisory Firm OCEVA, Splits Company in Two

Norwegian aquaculture supplier STIM has agreed to acquire consultancy OCEVA and will simultaneously split its business in two, separating advisory services from product sales, the company announced September 18, according to Salmon Business and Norwegian trade outlets iLaks and Kyst.

Under the plan, STIM's product sales, development and distribution will continue under the STIM name, while STIM Kunnskapstjenester (STIM Knowledge Services) will be spun out this autumn. Once complete, STIM Kunnskapstjenester and OCEVA will merge into a new advisory company focused on fish health...

ADB Launches $6 Billion Push for Healthier Seas and Coastal Economies

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today announced it will mobilize up to $6 billion through 2030 to confront the mounting threats facing Southeast Asia's seas and strengthen the blue economy that the region's food supplies, jobs, and trade depend on.

"The ocean is not just an environmental priority; it is the economic foundation of Southeast Asia," said ADB President Masato Kanda. "When marine ecosystems degrade, the damage reaches the fishing net, the family table, and the flooded doorstep...

The Honest Kitchen Expands Whole Food Clusters Line with New Fish Recipe

The Honest Kitchen, a leader in human grade pet food, today announced the launch of Fish Whole Food Clusters, the latest addition to the brand's popular Clusters Dry Food lineup. Featuring wild-caught salmon, whitefish and nutrient rich superfoods, the chicken-free recipe gives pet parents a fish forward protein option that pairs premium nutrition with the convenience of a bite-sized, easy to serve cluster format.

The Honest Kitchen believes better food starts with better ingredients – and that pets deserve the same thoughtful approach to...

Icelandair Mechanics Strike Threatens Iceland's Fresh Seafood Export Pipeline

A last-ditch mediation session between Icelandair and its aircraft mechanics collapsed Sept. 19, leaving an indefinite strike set to begin at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 23 — a disruption that could ripple into Iceland's fresh seafood export chain just as flight cancellations begin piling up.

The Icelandic Aircraft Mechanics Association (FVFI) has called the strike after months of failed contract talks. According to Iceland Monitor, the formal mediation meeting lasted only around 90 minutes before negotiations were formally broken off...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

From steel and trade policy to agricultural supply, commodity markets and packaging, this week’s top ten tracks key developments across global food, commodity and industrial markets. The stories highlight shifting trade flows, supply constraints, regulatory changes and emerging market pressures affecting producers, processors, traders and buyers.

Find archived recaps here. 

1. The UK government plans to pursue public acquisition of Speciality Steels UK after a proposed sale fell through, with an estimated £350m needed to pay creditors, acquire assets and fund operations. SSUK, a Liberty Steel/GFG Alliance business...

Russia Aims to Boost Value of Fish Exports in Coming Years

Russia plans to increase the value of its fish exports over the next several years, aiming to improve profitability across its fisheries sector and generate additional revenue for domestic fishermen.

Speaking at the International Fisheries Forum, Alexander Panin, chairman of the Russian Fisheries Union, said Russia currently ranks fourth in the world by volume of fish exports but only 14th by value. Closing that gap is now a stated goal for both Russian fishermen and the state in the coming years.

"And this is a real reserve for growth...

EU Proposes Changes to Fisheries Fund to Boost Fleet Investment, Small-Scale Fisheries

The European Commission is proposing changes to the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) aimed at making funding more accessible to fishers and aquaculture producers while supporting fleet modernization, generational renewal and the sector’s energy transition.

The targeted amendment would provide greater flexibility around engine replacement and modernization, while creating clearer definitions for “energy transition” and “pilot projects” to facilitate testing of new technologies. It would also allow support for pilot and research projects, as well as port and infrastructure investments tied...

Bioguto Becomes Lithuania’s First Friend of the Sea® Certified Omega-3 Brand

MB Pilnas šaukštas becomes the first Lithuanian company to achieve Friend of the Sea certification for an omega-3 product, reinforcing its commitment to responsible sourcing and traceability

Friend of the Sea®, the international certification programme of the World Sustainability Organization (WSO), is pleased to announce that Lithuanian company MB Pilnas šaukštas has obtained certification for its Bioguto Omega-3 Premium product line. The certification covers Bioguto Omega-3 Premium Natural and Bioguto Omega-3 Premium Lemon, two liquid food supplements made with...

Cermaq Reshapes Global Management as Grieg Integration Continues

Cermaq has appointed a new CFO and created a new COO role as it restructures its global management team following the integration of Grieg Seafood's operations in Finnmark, Norway, and Canada — a deal reported at roughly £738 million that reshaped Cermaq's footprint across both regions.

Silvia Segnini has been named Chief Financial Officer. She joined Cermaq in 2007 and has worked across treasury, tax, accounting, insurance, M&A and post-merger integration over nearly two decades with the company...

Seafood Industry Faces New Tariff Risk as Graham Russia Bill Nears Trump's Signature

The US House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on September 16. The bill now heads to President Trump's desk after clearing the Senate in early August.

Named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who negotiated the legislation before his death in July, the bill is aimed at cutting off Russia's oil and gas revenue over its war in Ukraine.

The legislation directs the president to raise the duty rate on all goods...

Merkley Leads OR and WA Lawmakers in Request for Market Support for Pacific Whiting From USDA

In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins last Friday, a dozen members of Congress expressed their support for the West Coast Seafood Processors Association's (WCSPA) request that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) pursue Section 32 purchases of Pacific hake (whiting) fillets this year and next.

"Historically, Pacific whiting exports to Ukraine, one of the largest whiting fillet markets, reached up to nearly $95 million per year, but instability in the region as a result of war has put that market in...

Commerce Raises Vietnam Catfish Dumping Margin to $0.20/kg After Court Ruling

The US Department of Commerce has amended its final results in the 2021-2022 antidumping duty administrative review on frozen fish fillets from Vietnam, raising the dumping margin assigned to Can Tho Import Export Seafood Joint Stock Company (CASEAMEX) and four separate-rate companies to $0.20 per kilogram, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on September 22.

The change stems from a September 4 US Court of International Trade (CIT) ruling in Catfish Farmers of America...

ASC Puts Focus on Practical Shrimp Supply Chain Solutions at Global Forum

The shrimp industry’s sustainability challenges are increasingly becoming business challenges, with producers and buyers navigating shifting market expectations around animal welfare, human rights, traceability and environmental performance.

Those issues were central to discussions at the 2026 Global Shrimp Forum (GSF), held Sept. 1–3 in Utrecht, where the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) focused on practical approaches to strengthening shrimp supply chains.

As a co-founding partner of GSF, ASC sponsored an inclusive supply chain session that moved beyond identifying barriers facing small- and...

Innovasea Expands BiomassPro Platform With New Rainbow Trout Algorithm

Innovasea has added a rainbow trout algorithm to its BiomassPro biomass estimation solution, bringing the platform's total species coverage to eight and giving producers a single system deployable across a broader range of operations, the aquatic technology company announced September 22.

BiomassPro pairs a lightweight, AI-powered camera with an intuitive dashboard, designed to operate with or without fixed infrastructure and to be deployed and retrieved by a single employee. Onboard data processing lets farms move the system between pens, while current and historical data feed into Innovasea's...

Atlantic Sapphire CFO Departs for Hofseth International Finance Role

Gunnar Aasbø-Skinderhaug, departing chief financial officer and deputy CEO of land-based salmon farmer Atlantic Sapphire, has been named CFO of Norwegian salmon producer Hofseth International, effective January 1, 2027.

Aasbø-Skinderhaug will leave Atlantic Sapphire at year-end and start at Hofseth immediately after. Atlantic Sapphire had said earlier in the week he would return to Norway for an undisclosed role in conventional salmon farming; Hofseth confirmed the destination days later...

Despite Court Rulings, Trump Administration Moves to Gut Core Protections for Endangered Species

Last March, a federal court struck down President Trump's attempts to weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA), restoring core provisions of the bedrock environmental law — including a requirement that agencies use the best available science when assessing harm to species or their habitat, and that agencies named in the law commit to regulations that reduce harm.

The ruling from the US District Court for the Northern District of California followed seven years of litigation and found that a series of regulations issued in 2019 and 2024...

ASC, MSC Team With Erewhon on Certified Seafood Push Ahead of National Seafood Month

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) partnered with Los Angeles-based retailer Erewhon this August on a month-long in-store and digital campaign aimed at helping shoppers identify and trust certified seafood, as new consumer research from both organizations points to a persistent gap between shopper interest in sustainability and actual label recognition.

The "Seafood to Enjoy. Labels to Trust." campaign brought ASC- and MSC-certified products to Erewhon's now 15 Southern California locations through in-store education...

Sernapesca Ramps Up Public-Private Coordination in Chile as Strong El Niño Threatens Salmon Farming

Chile's national fisheries service, Sernapesca, is intensifying coordination with industry and other government agencies ahead of an El Niño event that NOAA now projects has better than a 90% chance of reaching very strong intensity in the southern hemisphere spring-summer of 2026-2027, with a 69% probability the October-December quarter registers an intensity exceeding any event recorded since 1950.

According to Chile's Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (IFOP), rising sea surface temperatures and weakened coastal upwelling associated with El Niño can alter nutrient availability...

Long John Silver's Brings Shrimp and Wings Together on New Game Day Platter

Long John Silver's is staking a claim on football season with a new menu built around its first bone-in wing, and a platter that puts fried shrimp on the same tray as chicken.

Beginning Sept. 21, the chain is rolling out Crispy Battered Wings, priced at $1.99 for three, alongside a new Game Day Platter that combines the wings with the brand's core seafood offerings.

The Game Day Platter puts six Crispy Battered Wings alongside six golden-fried shrimp and freshly battered Fried Pickles, plus...

Seafood Nutrition Partnership Marks 10th 'Fall in Love with Seafood' Campaign, Eyes National Push

Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) is preparing to launch its 10th "Fall in Love with Seafood" campaign this October, a milestone for the retailer-focused promotion that began as a pilot in 2024 and has since grown into one of the seafood category's most consistent consumer marketing efforts.

Across the nine campaigns completed to date, SNP said the program has generated an average $4.50 return for every $1 invested in promotion, translating into $4.50 of incremental seafood sales per promotional dollar spent...

Report: Salmon Farming Could Lift Atlantic Canada's GDP by 1% by 2035

A new report from the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA) says the region's salmon farming industry could grow Atlantic Canada's GDP by 1% by 2035, while creating jobs, attracting investment and producing more food domestically.

The report, Farming our Future: A Roadmap for Responsible Growth in Atlantic Canada's Finfish Sector, argues the region has the coastline, expertise, infrastructure and workforce needed to responsibly expand the sector — but regulatory delays, uncertainty and investment barriers are holding it back. The report calls specifically for policy changes to...

Navigating the Trump Tariff Turbulence: A Comprehensive Timeline

US President Donald Trump and his administration have paused reciprocal tariffs on most countries.

“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown... I am hereby raising the [tariff] charged to China by the [USA] to 125%, effective immediately,” wrote Trump on Truth Social at 1:18 pm ET. 

It’s not clear if this 125% is in addition to the 20% imposed on Chinese imports to the US. In early March, Trump noted that he would add another 10% tariff on Chinese goods...

ANALYSIS: EU-UK Shrimp Imports Rebound Seasonally in July, But Remain Below Last Year

According to Eurostat, EU-UK shrimp imports reached 64,186 MT worth USD 472.0 million in July, across all shrimp categories. Volumes rose 9.7% month-on-month, consistent with the usual seasonal pattern: Asian and Latin American producers ramp up to full capacity as raw material availability improves, while European importers stock up to meet summer holiday demand, which reliably lifts seafood consumption each year...