Ex-Ready Seafood Execs Push Back Against Lawsuit, Deny Stealing Trade Secrets

Two former Ready Seafood executives are firing back at their old employer’s lawsuit, denying in newly filed court papers that they stole trade secrets or poached customers to launch their competing company, Packers Pride USA.

In a motion filed on July 24, Andrew Daughan and Robert Kragh, and their company, opposed the temporary and preliminary restraining order that was filed by Ready Seafood earlier this month, as Expana’s Seafoodnews reported last week. The restraining order would halt Packers Pride from soliciting Ready’s customers in the coming years...

Alaska Sea Grant Funds New Workforce Programs for Seafood Industry

New funding to support five new and continuing workforce development programs for seafood harvesters and processors was announced recently, as part of the state’s Technical and Vocational Education Program (TVEP). 

The projects include three Alaska Seafood School programs focused on food and processing regulations and safety, automated processing and refrigeration equipment, and processing plant management. 

Two TVEP-funded projects support commercial seafood harvesters. The Skipper Apprentice program in Bristol Bay provides training and mentorship for new crew, while an innovative “Scaled Seafood” project provides fisheries business training...

Premium Salmon Producer Varlaks Enters France with Carrefour Partnership

Varlaks, a company producing premium salmon products under the Norwegian Seafood umbrella, announced that its products are on the shelves at major French retailer Carrefour.

The company announced that its Arctic-raised salmon has debuted at test stores in France, stating that the partnership “feels like the beginning of something that matters.”

“We’re proud to partner with a team that shares our focus on quality, freshness, and integrity. Together, we want to bring a new kind of seafood story to French consumers. A story that feels real,” the company wrote in...

US-EU Trade Announcement: Markets Open to American Food and Beverage Producers

As of July 27, the United States and the European Union reached a trade agreement: The US will charge a 15% tariff on all imports across-the-board (including sector-specific rates like those on autos) from the coalition of countries, according to a joint announcement between US President Trump and European Commission President von der Leyen. 

The trade deal will contain agreements whereby the EU will purchase $750 billion in energy from the US, invest an additional $600 billion into the US, open markets to...

Handy Seafood Names Doug Santschi Chief Commercial Officer 

Handy Seafood has appointed Doug Santschi as its new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective immediately. 

With more than 20 years of experience in the food industry, Santschi will oversee the Maryland-based company’s core business operations and lead growth and innovation initiatives.  

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Doug Santschi to our leadership team," said Todd Conway, CEO of Handy Seafood. " Doug Santschi's impressive track record of operational excellence and strategic leadership at large public corporations and in private equity turnarounds makes him the ideal person to guide our...

North Coast Seafoods Teams Up with Sysco to Launch Seaweed Kelp Balls 

Boston-based North Coast Seafoods has joined forces with Sysco Corporation to launch its Seaweed Kelp Balls. The product is featured in Sysco’s Summer 2025 Cutting Edge Solutions (CES) Program, which showcases innovative additions to the food industry.  

North Coast Seafoods says it sources kelp domestically to help strengthen local coastal economies and support fishing families across the U.S.  

The Seaweed Kelp Balls earned their place in the CES lineup as the world’s only plant-based product of their kind. Made from...

Trump Announces August 1 Tariffs — Here's the Complete List

UPDATE July 22, 2025: US President Trump States 19% for the Philippines, Indonesia

After a press conference with the President of the Philippines, Trump confirmed the 19% rates for the Philippines and Indonesia, when he posted to Truth Social.

UPDATE July 14, 2025: EU, Mexico Slapped with 30% Tariffs

President Donald Trump has expanded his administration’s tariff policy, targeting the European Union and Mexico with newly announced 30% tariffs on all products imported into the United States. Read Expana's coverage here.

UPDATE: July 10, 2025

President Trump imposed a 35% tariff...

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...

Pacific Seafood Appoints Raul Squadritto to Lead Farmed Salmon Division

Pacific Seafood has tapped longtime industry executive Raul Squadritto to lead its PacMar farmed salmon division, marking a key step in the company’s plan to double in size by 2031.

Squadritto will be based in Pacific’s Miami office and will work to strengthen customer partnerships and accelerate growth in both farmed salmon and poultry segments.

“We’re excited to welcome Raul Squadritto as our farmed salmon sales leader for PacMar,” Mark Bowen, Vice President Pacific Seafood, PacMar, said. “Raul brings more than...

GAPP to Unveil Wild Alaska Pollock Industry’s Second Life Cycle Assessment Results at 2025 Meeting  

The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) has announced that findings from the Wild Alaska Pollock industry’s second Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) will be revealed at its seventh annual meeting, scheduled for September 18, 2025.  

The study analyzes the industry’s environmental footprint across several key categories, including land and water resources, global warming potential, and energy use. 

“Our consumer research continues to show that sustainable protein continues to elevate in importance for food purchasing decisions,” said GAPP CEO Craig Morris. “As we...

Tariff Talks 2025: Expana's Weekly Rundown #19 

Expana’s global team of specialist reporters has been tracking every twist and turn in the fluid tariff situation.

Click to read "Tariff Talks 2025: Expana's Weekly Rundown #19."

This report allows the Expana community to see where key commodity markets stand as of this past week... Click the above PDF report, or keep scrolling to read in plain text.

...

Beaver Street Fisheries Partners with Dot Foods to Enhance Nationwide Seafood Distribution

Beaver Street Fisheries (BSF), a leading US seafood supplier, has announced a strategic partnership with Dot Foods, North America’s largest food industry redistributor, in a move designed to increase product access for customers and improve supply chain efficiency, especially for less-than-truckload shipments.

By partnering with Dot, BSF aims to streamline distribution, reduce logistical challenges, and better support its growing customer base, the company stated in a press release.

Dot Foods will enable BSF to expand its product reach and provide more consistent product availability...

FDA Issues Norovirus Advisory on Korean Frozen Oysters Sold in Five Western States

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory warning restaurants and retailers not to serve or sell certain frozen half-shell oysters from the Republic of Korea due to concerns about norovirus.

The advisory focused on food establishments and consumers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana and Utah that purchased frozen, raw, half-shell oysters with lot code: B250112, harvested from Designated Area No. 1 in the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Jan. 12, 2025, and processed by JBR KR-15-SP in Tongyeong-si, ROK...

Fulton Fish Market Hosts Rally Urging President Trump to Stop Empire Wind Project 

The Fulton Fish Market Cooperative, which operates the largest seafood market in the United States, held a rally last week at its Hunts Point facility in the Bronx, urging President Donald Trump to halt the Empire Wind Project happening off the coast of Long Island. 

The rally brought together union seafood workers, commercial fishing leaders, and coastal advocates who say the project poses a threat to seafood jobs, supply chains, national food security, and working waterfronts.  

“Offshore wind is not a supplement to our...

Wild Planet Foods Launches “Go Wild” Marketing Campaign with Boat Excursion Contest

On July 23, 2025, canned seafood brand Wild Planet Foods launched its new “Go Wild” marketing campaign to encourage consumers to “reconnect with the untamed essence of nature” and embrace active lifestyles and sustainable choices.

Along with the digital portion of the campaign, the company has also launched a contest to win a boat excursion experiencing the wild beauty of Washington state’s San Juan Islands.

“‘Go Wild' is more than a tagline -- it's a rallying cry to reconnect with nature, adventure, and the untamed essence of life itself,” says...

Ready Seafood Sues Ex-Executives, Alleges Trade Secret Theft After Founding Packers Pride

Ready Seafood, a prominent Maine-based supplier of live and processed lobster products, has filed a lawsuit against two of its former executives, Andrew Daughan and Robert Kragh, as well as their newly formed company, Packers Pride.

The suit, filed on July 14 in US District Court, alleges that the former employees breached their contracts and illegally used confidential business information to directly compete with their former employer. 

Daughan was hired in 2018 as Ready Seafood’s Vice President of Category Management. He was tasked with...

Fortune Fish & Gourmet Showcases Premium Seafood and Meats to NBA Chefs in Las Vegas

Fortune Fish & Gourmet took center stage at the National Basketball Association (NBA) Summer League in Las Vegas last week, presenting their specialty seafood and meat products to chefs from all 30 NBA teams.

Each summer, Las Vegas hosts the NBA’s annual meetings for coaches, trainers, and the Performance Nutrition Association to discuss best practices for supporting their organizations. For the first time, NBA chefs held their own dedicated meeting in 2025, inviting Fortune Fish & Gourmet, current supplier to the Philadelphia 76ers, to present its offerings to...