ANALYSIS: Domestic Scallop Landings Could Point to a Gradual Longer-Cycle Recovery

Domestic scallop landings continue to show a quietly improving underlying trend, even as the 2026-27 season now appears to be settling into a more normal late-summer pace. Through August, cumulative landings reached roughly 16.8 million lbs, effectively meeting the projected annual limit of 17 million lbs and running ahead of the same point in each of the prior two seasons. That is notable not simply because the fishery started strong, but because it adds to the evidence of a broader multi-season recovery...

Fisheries Issues Front and Center in Alaska's 2026 Governor and US Congressional Races

For the first time in recent memory, fisheries and seafood issues are taking center stage in Alaska's political discussions, just seven weeks ahead of the November midterms. Part of the reason is that two candidates on the ballot have spent a lifetime in commercial fishing; part of it is the ongoing controversy over trawl bycatch of salmon.

In the Bering Sea pollock fishery, unintentional salmon bycatch continues even as salmon returns to the rivers feeding the Bering Sea have dwindled to levels that won't support even subsistence...

Fire Destroys Former Bornstein Seafoods Cold-Storage Plant in Bellingham

A multi-unit fire broke out around 10:30 p.m. last Saturday night on the Bellingham, Washington waterfront at a seafood processing and cold-storage plant. By 4:25 a.m. Sunday, firefighters had extinguished the blaze and kept it from spreading to nearby buildings and boatyards. No injuries or deaths were reported. The cause and extent of the fire remain unknown at press time.

The building at 1001 Hilton Ave. was the former headquarters of Bornstein Seafoods, a family-owned business that operated continuously from 1934 until spring 2024.

The building is currently subleased to Michigan-based Lineage Logistics. All of the frozen fish products stored inside were destroyed in the fire, according to Bellingham Fire Captain Dustin Michaelis.

ANALYSIS: Norway's Salmon Exports Maintain Growth Despite Mixed Performance in Key Markets

Norwegian Atlantic farmed salmon exports through week 36 show an increase of 11.8% year-to-date (YTD), with an upward trend in exports since week 30 (Figure 1). Exports grew 1.0% week-over-week (WOW) in week 36, according to Statistics Norway. This recovery follows a slight dip in week 35, after exports hit an all-time weekly high of 31,378 mt in week 34...

Florida Vibrio Vulnificus Death Toll Hits Four for 2026 as Health Officials Track Rising Case Count

Florida has confirmed its fourth Vibrio vulnificus death of 2026, with the state's health department reporting 20 cases of the bacterium so far this year, according to Florida Department of Health data cited by multiple outlets this week.

The most recent fatality involved a Broward County resident between 75 and 79 years old, according to the Florida Department of Health. Previous 2026 deaths were reported in Bay, Palm Beach, and Broward counties, with the year's first fatality — a Palm Beach County patient — confirmed in...

Six Rescued After Yacht Becomes Entangled in Northern Ireland Salmon Farm

Six sailors were rescued following a seven-hour overnight operation after their yacht became trapped in a salmon farm off Cushendall, County Antrim, marking the second such incident involving an Irish salmon farm in just over a month, according to the RNLI.

Red Bay RNLI's all-weather lifeboat launched at 3:22am on September 12 after Belfast Coastguard received a Mayday call from the 46ft yacht, which was sailing from Oban, Scotland, to Portugal, the RNLI said in a news release...

BBRSDA Awarded S-K Grant for New Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon in Foodservice Campaign

With an eye to increasing demand for wild Alaska sockeye salmon in the domestic foodservice industry, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) sought and received its first-ever Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) grant, worth $499,400 over two years.

"This grant comes at an especially important time for Bristol Bay's fishermen, as the seafood industry continues to navigate a challenging and highly competitive market," said Lilani Dunn, executive director of BBRSDA. "Foodservice represents significant untapped potential for Bristol Bay sockeye salmon, and...

Ocean Mineral Mining Hits Headwinds in Virginia, Faces Transparency Calls in Pacific

Efforts to extract minerals from the ocean floor, pushed by the Trump administration, are attracting interest from mining companies while drawing strong opposition from fishing, shipping, and tourism interests across the country.

On August 22, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management closed a two-month public comment period on potential lease sales in a 2,764-square-mile region off Virginia. The area contains heavy mineral sands that could hold rare earth-bearing minerals, zircon, and titanium, according to the US Geological Survey...

ADM Inaugurates Aqua Feed Facility in Tianjin, China

ADM has inaugurated its Tianjin Early Nutrition Aqua Feed Facility. The newly operational facility produces specialized early nutrition aquafeed products for fish and shrimp targeting hatchery and nursery stages, the company said in an announcement.

With an annual capacity of approximately 5,000 MT, the Tianjin operation produces micro-particles ranging from 50 microns to 3 millimeters using cold micro-extrusion and marumerization technology to ensure water stability and nutrient integrity, ADM said. It will serve customers across China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

ANALYSIS: Pacific Halibut Supply Improves but Market Remains Historically Firm

The Pacific halibut market has entered the latter part of the 2026 season with a somewhat different tone than earlier this summer. According to the International Pacific Halibut Commission, coastwide landings through Week 34, ending Aug. 16, have nearly caught up with the 2025 pace, with roughly 64% of the annual quota harvested to date. This marks a signif

Ocean Rainforest Clears Final Hurdle for 2,000-Acre California Kelp Farm

Seaweed farmer Ocean Rainforest has secured the last major regulatory approval needed to build a commercial-scale offshore kelp farm in California, the company said in a Sept. 10 statement. The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously on Sept. 9 to approve the project's consistency certification, according to Ocean Rainforest and the trade publication Fish Farming Expert.

The approval clears the way for construction of a 2,000-acre site in federal waters about four miles off the coast of Ventura County, where the company plans to cultivate native giant kelp...

Cooke Completes Avramar Greece Rebrand as "Cooke Hellas," Installs Eugenio Meschini as CEO

Cooke Inc. has formally closed the book on the Avramar Greece name, officially launching Cooke Hellas on September 11 as the corporate identity for the Mediterranean seabass and seabream producer it spent much of the year moving to acquire.

The rebrand caps roughly six months of deal-making. Cooke first signed a memorandum of understanding in March to acquire approximately €200 million (USD 232 million) of Avramar Greece's debt, layered on top of an existing agreement to buy the company's equity — together giving...

South American Fishmeal, Fish Oil Output Falls 49% as El Niño Weighs on Supply

Fishmeal and fish oil production in South America remained sharply below year-ago levels through July, with cumulative output down 49% year on year (YOY), as the ongoing El Niño weather pattern continued to affect fisheries, according to the latest report from the Marine Ingredients Organization (IFFO).

Peru and Chile recorded the largest production shortfalls, while lower output from African countries and Northern Europe added to the overall decline.

The supply gap from South America could be partially offset in the...

Umios Takes 25.1% Stake in Thai Tuna Processor Pataya Food Industries

Japanese seafood and food group Umios Inc. is deepening its bet on Thailand as a manufacturing and product-development base, acquiring a 25.1% stake in major Thai food manufacturer Pataya Food Industries Limited (PFI) in a move aimed at accelerating its push into shelf-stable foods across Asia.

The minority stake, large enough to signal strategic intent without requiring a full takeover, was executed through Umios and its group company Kingfisher Holdings Limited. Umios described the transaction as a capital and business alliance designed...

After NOAA Funding Cut, Arctic Report Card Lands AGU, Academic Partner Support for Dec. Release

After the Arctic Report Card was cut from NOAA's budget in mid-August [LINK], its independent editorial team has been "working to strengthen and build partnerships and support to ensure the continued production of the Report Card," according to a statement posted on the report's new website.

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) and climate.us, together with the Cooperative Institute for Research and Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, are providing assistance to...

ANALYSIS: Canadian Lobster Exports Hit Five-Year Low in July as US, EU Demand Slumps

According to Statistics Canada, July exports of Homarus americanus fell to a five-year low of 6,978 MT, which is 14.7% below the five-year average and 17.1% below July 2025.

The weakness was concentrated in Western markets, where US shipments stood 30.2% below last year at 3,079 MT, and exports to the EU-UK declined by 22.6% to 1,483 MT. In Europe, the largest importers in July were Spain, with 388 MT, and Belgium, with 324 MT...

Shinkei's Seremoni Grade Salmon, Red Snapper Head to Whole Foods Market

Seremoni, the premium seafood brand created by seafood robotics company Shinkei Systems, has announced a partnership with Whole Foods Market that will bring its Seremoni Grade Sockeye Salmon and Red Snapper to select store locations across Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Denver.

"Launching Seremoni Grade fish in Whole Foods Market has been a huge goal for our team," the company said in a LinkedIn post announcing the deal, calling Whole Foods a retailer that "shares our commitment to quality, sustainability, and delicious food." Seremoni said the launch...

Supreme Court to Weigh Maine Lobsterman's Fourth Amendment Challenge to GPS Boat Tracker Mandate

The US Supreme Court will decide on September 28 whether to hear a Maine lobsterman's challenge to a state requirement that he install a government GPS tracking device on his boat, in a case that could reshape the legal footing for vessel monitoring programs across the US commercial fishing industry, the Associated Press reported.

Frank Thompson, a federally permitted lobsterman, sued Carl Wilson, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, arguing that the tracker requirement amounts to an unreasonable search and seizure under the Fourth...

Indonesia's Fishery Exports Hit $3 Billion in H1 2026, Vannamei Shrimp Leads Portfolio

Indonesia's fishery product exports totaled 566,250 tons valued at approximately $3 billion (Rp52.6 trillion) in the first half of 2026, according to a press release from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), which credited an expanded quality certification program with widening the country's access to global markets.

Ishartini, acting head of KKP's Quality Control Agency (Badan Mutu KKP), said in the release, dated September 12, that the export performance rested on 10 flagship commodities: vannamei shrimp, seaweed, tuna, sardines, mackerel, skipjack tuna...

Europeche Demands EU Scrap 35,000-Tonne Tuna Loins Tariff Quota Ahead of 2027

Europêche is pressing the EU Council to reject a rollover of the bloc's 35,000-tonne Autonomous Tariff Quota (ATQ) for zero-duty tuna loins, arguing that a rapidly expanding web of preferential trade deals has made the quota obsolete and increasingly damaging to European tuna fishermen.

The European fishing industry association contends the case for the ATQ has been overtaken by events. All African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) nations — including Indonesia, Mexico, India and Vietnam...

Japan: Surimi Product Exports Rose 9% to 6,186 Tons in January-July

According to trade statistics from Japan's Ministry of Finance, cumulative exports of surimi products, excluding fish sausage, from January to July totaled 6,186 tons, up 9% year-on-year. Exports to the United States, the largest overseas market, continued to drive growth, rising 10%, while shipments to Taiwan, Norway, and Singapore also expanded significantly. Exports to newer markets grew sharply, with volumes increasing fourfold in Thailand and 2.2-fold in Vietnam. Southeast Asia is gradually gaining a stronger presence in overseas markets. Minato Shimbun reported...

Pacific Catch Appoints Sam Hallak as CEO

Pacific Catch, a leading West Coast seafood restaurant brand, announced today the appointment of Sam Hallak as Chief Executive Officer. Pacific Catch has recently expanded beyond its Northern California roots into Southern California, most recently opening a new restaurant in Brea, California in May 2026. Hallak succeeds co-founder Keith Cox, who will remain involved with the company as a member of its board of directors.

Hallak joins Pacific Catch with a mandate to elevate hospitality and the guest experience, strengthen operational discipline, and build the systems and leadership capabilities required...

EPA Proposes Loosening Clean Water Act Permit Rules for Offshore Seafood Processing Vessels

The EPA has proposed a rule exempting most offshore seafood processing vessels from Clean Water Act (CWA) discharge permitting, a change the agency estimates will save the seafood processing industry $1.8 million annually in compliance costs.

The rule, published in the Federal Register September 4 and open for comment through October 19, revises the definition of "discharge of a pollutant" under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. Since 1972, the CWA has excluded "a vessel or other floating craft" from NPDES permitting when...

Scallop Production in Hokkaido May Fall Below 300,000 Tons for the First Time in 9 Years

Hokkaido's scallop landings for the current harvest year are projected at 298,200 tons — a 15% decline from a year earlier and the first time in nine years the total has dipped below 300,000 tons, the Hokkaido Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations (Hokkaido Gyoren) said at its autumn trade meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 27.

Landings from the Sea of Okhotsk, currently underway, are dominated by smaller sizes, primarily the "5S" grade. As last year, large scallops...

Russia's Far East Kamchatka Salmon Catch Hits 20-Year Low

Salmon fishing in Russia's Far East is close to catastrophic this year, according to Vladimir Galitsyn, chairman of the Kamchatka Salmon Fishermen's Association.

By his estimates, the current season could be the most unsuccessful in the modern history of Russian salmon fishing, with actual catches falling significantly short of initially planned figures. Low catches are being reported across the majority of fishing areas, including Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Chukotka, Magadan Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai, and Primorye.

Frøy Havbruk Terminates Co-Location Agreement With Måsøval Amid SalMar Takeover

Japan's Chubu Shiryo to Set up Aqua Feed Subsidiary in China

Japanese animal feed manufacturer Chubu Shiryo Co., Ltd. has announced plans to establish a wholly owned subsidiary in Haikou City, Hainan, China, to produce and sell aqua feed.

The new unit, Chubu Shiryo (Hainan) Co., Ltf., will have capital of 60 million yuan (approximately $14.6 million), and is scheduled for launch in October 2026.

Chubu Shiryo said the new subsidiary will help "to stably supply high-quality and safe aquaculture compound feed in China's rapidly growing aquaculture market."

Coast Guard Awards $173.7 Million Contract to Advance Base Seattle Modernization

The Coast Guard has awarded a $173.7 million contract to The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company as part of a major modernization of Base Seattle, strengthening the infrastructure needed for the new fleet of polar security cutters.

"Modernizing Base Seattle is critical to ensuring our Coast Guard has the infrastructure required to support the next generation of cutters and the missions they will perform in the Arctic and across the Pacific," said Adm. Thomas G. Allan Jr., Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard. "This investment strengthens our ability...

National Seafood Association Debuts New Name, Logo as NFI Rebrand Goes Live

The National Fisheries Institute officially became the National Seafood Association Monday, confirming the name change first reported by Expana/SeafoodNews last week and unveiling the new branding that goes with it.

The rebrand, announced on Monday morning, follows more than a year of research led by the organization's Executive Committee and a dedicated rebranding subcommittee, including stakeholder engagement, member listening sessions and brand research before landing on the new name.

The National Seafood Association's new logo features a compass mark meant to symbolize leadership...

Wild Alaskan Company Expands Into Target Stores Nationwide

Wild Alaskan Company is expanding beyond its direct-to-consumer subscription model with a nationwide retail partnership with Target.

Beginning today, the premium seafood brand will roll out a curated lineup of five products at Target stores nationwide over the coming weeks. The launch builds on Wild Alaskan Company’s subscription business and existing presence on Target Plus, giving the brand a broader brick-and-mortar platform to reach consumers.

“The seafood options available to most Americans are surprisingly limited,” said Arron Kallenberg, founder and CEO of Wild...