Fraser River Salmon Return Now at 9.1 Million Sockeye, 27M Pink Salmon

No one yet knows why, but the predicted return of sockeye salmon in British Columbia’s Fraser River rose from 2.94 million in early July to 10.2 million sockeye on Tuesday, August 19, and is now down to 9.1 million as of last Friday, August 22. This is the largest return to the Fraser, which has historically been Canada’s most productive watershed, since 2018. 

Catches as of August 22 for the Fraser alone are 651,626 sockeye landed in Canada and 298,587 sockeye landed in the US. Of those, US...

Champlain Seafood Expands with Purchase of BA Richard, a Long-time New Brunswick Lobster Processor

Champlain Seafood, a major Canadian snow crab and lobster processor, announced its acquisition of BA Richard, a lobster processor based in Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, New Brunswick.

Champlain noted that BA Richard’s operations trace back to the late 1800s. The company said it has been operated by four generations of the Richard family and has become a local staple.

BA Richard has had a 30-plus-year partnership with Cape Bald Packers, a company under the Champlain umbrella...

FFAW-Unifor Secretary-Treasurer Jason Spingle Resigns After Two Decades with the Union

Last Friday the FFAW-Unifor trade union, representing 14,000 harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador’s small-boat, in-shore fisheries, announced that their Secretary-Treasurer Jason Spingle will resign from his role as FFAW Secretary-Treasurer, effective immediately. 

Spingle has been a representative for Areas 4R, 2J and 3Pn for over 20 years and has served as Secretary-Treasurer since 2022. 

According to the trade union’s press release, Spingle decided to resign to spend more time with his family and pursue other endeavours...

North Shore Fishery Brand Shrimp Recalled Due to Undeclared Allergen

Watson Enterprise Inc. recalled North Shore Fishery brand Frozen Cumin Flavour Shrimp due to undeclared wheat, per a notice published on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on July 31.

The audience for the recall was retail and warehouse, with the products distributed in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.

Find the recall notice here...

Canada Aquaculture Industry Alliance Joins Effort to Elevate Agriculture as a Federal Priority 

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance has joined 31 national agricultural organizations in co-signing a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging the federal government to prioritize the agriculture industry.  

The letter, titled “Let’s Grow Canada: Staking a Claim for Agriculture in the Government Mandate,” argues that the sector is often overlooked in national policy and investment decisions, despite its contributions to the economy.  

Citing a decline in Canada’s global agricultural market share since 2000 and a projected drop in productivity to...

Canadian Trade Union Unifor Urges Action on US and China Seafood Tariffs

Canadian trade union Unifor highlighted its concerns regarding two critical tariff threats on Canadian seafood. Most notably, US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada and China’s tariffs on Canadian fishery products.

The trade union stated that its members, including those from the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) in Newfoundland and Labrador, the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union (UFAWU) in British Columbia, and the broader Canadian fishing industry, are facing genuine threats to their livelihoods.

The union noted that although the US tariffs...

New Study Finds Minimal Impact of BC Net Pen Salmon Farms on Wild Populations

A new peer-reviewed study suggests net pen salmon farms in British Columbia have minimal impact on the region’s wild salmon populations.

The study, published earlier this week, was authored by six health experts from UC Davis, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Washington State University, and Oregon State University.

Findings from the study indicate that several articles written over the past two decades, linking the substantial impacts of pathogens transmitted from farmed salmon to wild salmon...

Canadian Officials Detect Dermo in PEI Oysters: Province's First Confirmed Dermo Case

On July 4, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the presence of Dermo in oyster samples collected in Egmont Bay, Prince Edward Island (PEI), marking the province’s first confirmed case of Dermo.

This comes after the CFIA previously confirmed the presence of Dermo in oyster samples collected in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in November 2024. Also, just last month, Newfoundland and Labrador announced its first confirmed case of Dermo in oysters.

An aquatic parasite also known as Perkinsosis, Dermo can be transmitted from oyster to...

Groundfish Harvester in British Columbia Fined $37,000 For Illegally Catching and Selling Halibut

A commercial groundfish harvester in British Columbia was fined nearly $37,000 for illegally catching and selling halibut during a fishery closure last year in the Haida Gwaii Archipelago.  

According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Stefan Grega, owner of the commercial fishing vessel Pacific Sunrise, pled guilty to multiple violations of Canada’s Fisheries Act. As a result, the court imposed a $30,000 fine and ordered Grega to pay back the $6,989 he made from the illegal harvest, resulting in a...

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...

Two Commercial Prawn Harvesters in British Columbia Found Guilty of Illegal Fishing Offenses 

Two commercial prawn harvesters in British Columbia (B.C.) were found guilty of illegal fishing offenses.  

According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Scott Castle and Vessel Master Terry Lorenz were convicted of illegally selling prawns and fishing illegally in a closed area of Stuart Cannel. A court also found that Castle failed to complete his mandatory fish slips — a requirement for prawn harvesters under Canada’s Fisheries Act.  

Castle was hit with more than $38,000 in fines, while Lopez was fined $3,000 and prohibited from...

Canadian Salted Smoked Split Herring Products Recalled in Tri-State Area

P. East Trading Corp of Bronx, New York recalled ‘Salted Smoked Split Herring’ as it was found to be over 5" in length and uneviscerated, as such, having the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explained that the sale of uneviscerated fish over 5" in length may contain Clostridium botulinum spores, as they are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish.

The recalled products were distributed to retail locations in...

Legislation Paving the Way for Offshore Renewable Energy in Newfoundland and Labrador Takes Effect 

New legislation aimed at developing offshore renewable energy in Newfoundland and Labrador is now in effect. Bill C-49 includes several amendments to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act (Atlantic Accord Act), including a plan to modernize the land tenure regime for offshore wind development.  

"Newfoundland and Labrador has an abundance of energy, including lower-carbon oil, and significant potential for offshore wind development. Establishing joint management for offshore wind and modifying the land tenure system for offshore oil and...

Premium Brands Sets Q2 Sales Record, But Clearwater Seafoods Posts Loss

Canadian seafood firm Clearwater Seafoods reported a dip in revenue and earnings during the second quarter of 2025, while Clearwater’s parent company, Premium Brands Holdings, posted record revenues and an increase in EBITDA compared to the same quarter last year.

Clearwater Seafoods saw its revenue dip in Q2 2025 by CAD 8.2 million ($6.0 million). The company attributed the dip to the below-average harvesting conditions for Canadian scallops and clams due to “natural variability” of the species and a turbot catch landing after the quarter, compared...

Cooke Aquaculture’s Cold Ocean Salmon Reports Mortality Events in Newfoundland

Cold Ocean Salmon, which operates under the Cooke Aquaculture umbrella, reported a trio of notices related to mortality events at its Newfoundland, Canada, salmon farming sites.

The first notice, published on the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) website, focused on a July 22 incident that impacted 52,000 salmon on a site that houses over 500,000 fish. The site was Cold Ocean Salmon’s Northwest Cove facility near Hermitage.

According to the notice, all of which were published in line with the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture (FFA)...

Canada Designates First Offshore Wind Areas Off Nova Scotia Coast 

Canada has officially designated its first four offshore wind energy areas off the coast of Nova Scotia, marking a major milestone in the country’s transition to clean energy. 

The selected zones deemed suitable for potential offshore wind projects include French Bank, Middle Bank, Sable Island Bank near the mainland, and Sydney Bight off Cape Breton.  

“The identification of wind energy areas off the coast of Nova Scotia is a significant step forward towards unlocking our renewable energy potential,” said Tim Hodgson, federal Minister of Energy and...

Nova Scotia Unveils Strategic Investments Fund for 'Big, Bold' Agriculture and Seafood Projects

Nova Scotia, Canada, announced a new fund that will support “big, bold projects” in the agriculture and seafood sectors.

“This fund is about supporting the people who bring new ideas to grow our economy and help businesses,” said Greg Morrow, Minister of Agriculture. “Agriculture and seafood are important traditional industries in our province. But we can’t keep doing things the same old way – we need to support fresh thinking and innovation.”

The Nova Scotia Seafood and Agriculture Strategic Investments Fund will support firms proposing large-scale projects...

Canadian Seafood Escapes Trump’s 35% Tariff, According to Multiple Reports on USMCA Exemptions

Key Canadian seafood exports will be exempt from President Donald Trump’s newly imposed 35% tariff on Canadian goods, according to multiple reports from CBC, The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo Finance.

While Trump’s tariff announcement last week sparked uncertainty over whether critical species like salmon, crab and lobster would be affected, officials confirmed that products compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will remain tariff-free.

The question of whether seafood would be faced with a 35% tariff rate followed the release of Trump’s tariff...

Recall Issued for Vicente Marino's Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil Due to Histamine 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a recall for Vicente Marino's anchovy fillets in olive oil due to histamine contamination.  

The anchovies were distributed in Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and possibly other regions.  

The recall affects jars with a Lot # of 24171 and an expiration date of 12/2025.  

The CFIA says there have been reports of illnesses and is advising consumers not to eat, use, sell, serve, or distribute the product. The products...

Nova Scotia: 22 Seafood Companies Receive $1.75 Million in Climate Change Funding 

The Government of Canada has announced that 22 seafood companies and organizations in Nova Scotia will receive $1.73 million in climate change funding through the Fisheries and Aquaculture Energy Efficiency Innovation Fund.  

The three-year-fund, administered by Efficiency One Nova Scotia, is designed to help chart a path for the commercial fisheries and aquaculture sectors to reduce climate change impacts in the province to at least 53% below 2005 levels by 2030.  

Ranging from installing solar systems to implementing...

NAIA and Coast of Bays Communities Team up to Oppose N.L. Marine Conservation Area

On June 23, 2025, the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) launched its ‘Save South Coast Jobs’ campaign, which rejects the recently proposed National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) and focuses on the potential impact to local community leaders and workers along Newfoundland and Labrador’s (NL) South Coast.

The campaign calls on Premier Hogan’s government to reject the NMCA proposal, referring to the area designation as “ecologically unnecessary and economically harmful.”

The campaign’s digital elements include the website SaveSouthCoastJobs.com, which features testimonials from seafood workers...

DFO Announces Details for Second Year of Commercial Redfish Fishery

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada has announced details for the 2025-2026 Unit 1 commercial Redfish fishery, set to open on June 24. The fishery was under a moratorium due to a decline in stock from 1995 until 2024, when it was finally re-opened.  

A Total Allowable Catch (TAC) has been set at 60,000 tonnes for this current season — which covers May 15, 2025, until May 14, 2026.  

Breaking down the TAC 

- 7,000 tonnes will be set aside as a reserve allocation...

Vancouver Island Man Fined $60K for Illegally Damaging Salmon Habitat on Trent River

A British Columbia resident was found guilty of destroying critical fish habitat on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced on June 10.

According to the Courtenay Provincial Court, area resident David Tingley failed to fix work he had illegally done on his property that impacted fish and fish habitat on the Trent River. Tingley was hit with a CAD 60,000 fine ($43,900), which was directed to the Environmental Damages Fund, which focuses on the conservation and protection of salmon...

Commerce Secretary Lutnick Addresses Maine Lobster Tariffs, Promises Science-Backed Regulations

Last week, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick weighed in on pressing concerns for Maine's lobster industry, including US-Canada lobster tariffs and promising a commitment to "gold standard science" in future federal regulations impacting the state's staple seafood.

Lutnick went so far as to call the industry an “American treasure” that should be protected.

During the hearing, Lutnick was questioned by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), who highlighted how intertwined Canada and Maine are, noting the impact of tariffs on lobster, which is primarily processed in Canada, along with other...

Turning the Tide Announces 2025 Marine Industry Awards

On May 26, 2025, Turning the Tide announced its 2025 recipients for the 8th annual Marine Industry Awards, including two businesses, two individuals, and a UNESCO-recognized historic site.

Each year, five awards are given out for exemplary leadership, innovation, and long-term commitment to Newfoundland and Labrador’s marine industries. The five awards include the following: the Industry Leadership & Excellence Award, Industry Lifetime Achievement Award, Innovation Leadership Award, Award of Historical Marine Significance, and Next Wave Leadership Award.  

Turning the Tide Chair Paul Antle and his fellow Board of Directors announced the...