Russia Increases Fish Catch This Year, Planning More Active Exports to EU 

Russia increased its fish catch and fish products output this year despite sanctions and the ever growing pressure on the country’s fish sector.

According to data of the Russian Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo) as of May 3, the volume of fish catch in Russia amounted to 1.82 million tons; 6% more than last year. In addition, according to data of the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), the volume of fish production in Q1 increased by 9% compared to 2022 and amounted to 1.2 million tons...

Russia Increases White Fish Exports to Western Markets in 2022 Despite Sanctions

Russia has increased its fish exports to Western markets despite sanctions and the ever growing isolation in the international arena, according to recent statistics provided by some of the country’s leading industry associations and local media reports.

In 2022 Russian fish exports to the EU grew by 18.7% to 198,800 tonnes. It also grew in value by 57.6% and amounted to € 940 million, according to recent data of the Russian Association of Fish Producers (VARPE) based on data Eurostat. White fish accounted for...

ANALYSIS: Cod and Pollock Imports See a Substantial Increase from China

Twice frozen cod fillets imported from mainland China, the leading supplier of frozen fillets into the U.S., is up 115.5% this January in comparison to 2022. While the fourth quarter of 2022 did see increasing imports, a year-over-year increase of 12.6%, they were minimal in comparison to January 2023...

Japanese Importers Resist High Prices of U.S. Pacific Cod

The domestic price of frozen dressed cod from Alaska (9/10 fish counts per 18/19 kilo block) reached the upper 900 yen/kg ($6.58/kg) level last fall but then declined. If the price in the United States is converted to the selling prices in Japan, it will be about 820 to 830 yen/kg ($6.00-6.07/kg)," said a trading company source. However, "Japanese importers are demanding further price reductions for the new fish caught this year, and negotiations have not been concluded...

Public Comment Open: RFM Re-Assessment Certification Reports for Alaska Pollock, Cod Fisheries

On Monday a 30-day comment period opened for the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Re-Assessment Reports for the recertification of both the Alaska pollock and cod fisheries. 

The fishery assessments are being conducted by certification body DNV. RFM is looking for comments from registered stakeholders about the factual contents of the report, “either in relation to the specific report sections or scoring rationales or indicators.” 

The public comment period closes on January 19, 2023. You can find the re-assessment certification report for...

Barents Sea Cod TAC Lowered to 566,784 Metric Tons For 2023

A 20% slash to the Barents Sea cod quota was proposed for 2023 in early September, and now it’s a reality. Yesterday the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission (JNRFC) agreed to cut the total allowable catch (TAC) for northeast Arctic cod by 20%. The new TAC is now set at 566,784 metric tons. For 2022 it had already been lowered to 708,480 metric tons. 

The JNFRC negotiations were tense this year due to Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine. Prior to the JNFRC meeting...

Loki Foods Secures Funding, Unveils Sustainable Atlantic Cod Fillet Alternative

The stars are aligning for Loki Foods, an Icelandic plant-based seafood start-up. The company recently raised $500,000 in their latest funding round. And in addition to that, Loki has also unveiled their plant-based Atlantic cod fillet.

Loki Foods’ mission is to “supply the world with sustainable, plant-based Arctic food that does not compromise on nutrition, taste, texture, cookability or affordability.” Their first product, Loki White Fish, is high in protein and omega-3s & 6s. To top it off, the company boasts that their product cooks...

Japanese Fish Sector Continues to Bear Losses Due to Sanction Wars With Russia  

The decision of Russia to impose its countersanctions against the West and other countries has led to the growth of prices in local markets and even crisis in their fish sectors.

For example, Japan has faced serious interruptions with the supplies of salmon and its caviar, which negatively impacts its HORECA sector.

So far, most of red fish has been supplied to the country from Norway and some EU countries. However the recent closure by Russia of its airspace for the majority of transatlantic flights...

Russia and Norway Close to Termination of Arctic Fisheries Agreements  

The Russian Parliament (State Duma) plans to suspend or even terminate the existing agreement between Russia and Norway on the delimitation of maritime spaces and cooperation in the Barents Sea, which may have a negative effect on regulation of fish stock and its catch of both countries in this area.

The agreement between the sides was signed in 2010 and at that time was considered as a major diplomatic success. Prior to this, for four decades Moscow and Oslo unsuccessfully tried to share...

FFAW, Association of Seafood Producers Respond to Minister’s Decision to Close Gulf Cod

The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) are speaking out following Minister Joyce Murray’s decision to close the small cod fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

On Monday, July 4, Minister Murray announced a one-year ban on commercial cod fishing in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence in an effort to allow young fish to reach maturity. Her decision came just a few days after the 30th anniversary of the 1992 cod moratorium, which put...

True Westfjords Debuts Cod Liver Brand Oil ‘Dropi’ Using 1,000-Year-Old Process

True Westfjords, an Icelandic cod liver oil manufacturer debuted its “Dropi” brand which uses a 1,000-year-old technique of cold-process extraction applied by the Scandinavian nation’s Viking settlers.

The company wanted to set a “gold standard” for extra-virgin cod liver oil in its rawest form and with it create a new category of clean fish oil. The company said Vikings used to extract the oil from Atlantic cod in the region and said the method has been passed down for generations...

Blue Ocean Technology, Purecod Sign Deal For State-of-the-Art Sludge Dewatering Facility

Blue Ocean Technology AS has signed a contract for the delivery of a Plug & Farm containerized sludge and water treatment facility to Purecod, the world’s first cod farming company using closed pens in the sea.

The Plug & Farm facility includes Blue Ocean Technology’s core dewatering solutions Belt filter and a Screw press. 

“This is a pioneering facility in closed-cages aquaculture at sea, with full control of all discharges and the entire value chain,” said Hans Runshaug, CEO of Blue Ocean Technology. “This is a...

April Pollock Surimi Production Keeps Slowing Down in Hokkaido

The April production of land-based surimi from Hokkaido announced by the National Surimi Manufacturers Association dropped sharply in Alaska pollock surimi. The January-April cumulative total was almost the same as the previous year. Suisan Keizai Shimbun reported that the strong performance until February was utterly overshadowed, and the growth rate of Atka mackerel slowed down.

Production in April was 514 tons for Alaska pollock surimi, down 19.3% from the same month of the previous year and decreased by 20% for the second consecutive month. Atka mackerel surimi...

Russia for the First Time Will Overtake Norway and Become the Leading Cod Producer in the World 

Russia for the first time will overtake Norway and become a leading cod producer in the world, which may take place already this year.

According to estimates of FAO, the decline in Atlantic cod stocks will bring Russia to the first place in its production in 2023, as the reduced catch in Norway will give Russia a chance to strengthen its position in the global whitefish trade.

This has been recently confirmed by experts of the All-Russian Association of Fisheries Industry (VARPE)...

Russia May Consider Increase of Import Duties on Frozen White Fish Fillet and Frozen Hake 

Russia may consider the increase of import duties on frozen white fish fillet and frozen hake, imports of which to the domestic market in 2022 exceeded 44,000 tons.   

That will be the result of recent calls from the Russian Association of Shipowners of the Fishing Fleet (ASRF) to the Ministry of Agriculture about the possibility of a temporary increase in import duties on some fish products.  

According to Russian Kommersant business paper, in 2022, total imports of frozen white fish fillets (hadock, cod, hake, etc.)...

Norway Celebrates Best Year Ever For Seafood Exports in 2022

2022 will be a hard year for Norwegian seafood to top. The Norwegian Seafood Council reported on Wednesday that last year was the “best year ever for Norwegian seafood exports.” The country exported a total of 2.9 million tonnes worth a value of NOK 151.4 billion. Compared to 2021, the value of Norwegian seafood exports increased by NOK 30.7 billion, or 25%.

“Norwegian seafood exports have had a historically strong year behind them.” said Christian Chramer, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council. “It is happening in a...

Thai Union Converts Loan-Based Investment in Aegir into 50% Shareholding

In December 2019 Thai Union Group made a strategic investment in Aegir Seafood Company, a leading producer of cod liver in Iceland. Now, nearly three years later, Thai Union announced that they have converted the loan-based investment in Aegir into a 50% shareholding.

Thai Union entered into a strategic investment with Aegir back in 2019 to strengthen their King Oscar brand, which manufacturers cod liver, sardines and mackerel. Thai Union CEO Thiraphong Chansiri said at the time that the investment would also provide “improved sourcing of cod liver...

DFO Announces Temporary Cod Closure For NAFO Division 3KL

On Monday the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced that the Northern cod Stewardship fishery in NAFO Divisions 3KL will be closing at 2000 hours on Wednesday, August 17. According to the news release, the closure applies to vessel classes A283 and A295.

The DFO says that the closure is consistent with the provisions of the 2022 Conservation Harvesting Plan. Based on the plan, a closure is necessary when landing approach the maximum authorized harvest allocated for the period. In the case of...

AK Updates: Lots of Fishing Going on Besides Salmon

Alaska’s salmon catches have slowed for the past two weeks but the pace of the fishery remains ahead of last year’s harvest.

The statewide salmon catch as of August 10 was approaching 124.4 million fish. That’s nearly 78% of the  preseason projection of 160.5 million salmon for the 2022 season.

Besides salmon, lots of other Alaska fisheries are underway from the Panhandle to the Bering Sea.

A small fleet of beam trawlers (one of the state’s oldest fisheries) is back on the water in Southeast targeting over 600,000 pounds of...

Norwegian Cod Farmer Lands $7 Million Sales Agreement, Inks Another Processing Deal

Statt Torsk, an Atlantic cod farmer based in Norway announced it has entered into a sales agreement worth NOK 70 million (US$7 million).

The company shared that deliveries on the deal will begin in September and the content of the agreement means that approximately 1,600 tonnes WFE of initiated production has been sold.

"For STATT, this is a significant agreement with a customer who already knows the Company and our fish. It is good for both the Company and our new industry to get confirmation of...

Japan: Frozen Black Cod Imports Reached 8000 Tons in 2021

Frozen Black cod imports from the United States remained in the 5,000-ton range from 2015 to 2019, but the increase has been remarkable since 2020, and in 2021 it recovered to over 8,000 tons for the first time in nine years. The import price had declined after peaking in 2017 but rose again after hitting bottom in 2020. The price soared due to the buying competition from consuming countries. The price then dropped due to buyers avoiding high prices and the new coronavirus pandemic...

Norwegian Seafood Council Names New CEO Amid Historic Start for Seafood Exports in 2022

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) appointed Christian Chramer as its CEO, via a unanimous decision by its board, per a July 1 announcement.

“We are very pleased to welcome Christian Chramer as the new CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council. His broad management experience and strong communication skills will help to lift the Seafood Council further, and we look forward to an exciting collaboration in the future” said Deputy Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Amund Drønen Ringdal...

DFO Releases Management Decision for NL Northern Cod Stewardship Fishery

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced that the maximum authorized harvest level for the 2022 Northern cod Stewardship Fishery (2J3KL) on the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador will remain the same as last year (12,999 tonnes) in an effort to continue to allow for the regeneration of the stock.

According to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Joyce Murray, 2600t have been included and set aside for harvesters fishing in 2J (off Labrador)...

Hokkaido Fishermen on Verge of Serious Loss Due to Russia’s Decision to Suspend Fisheries Agreement

The Japanese fishermen from the island of Hokkaido are on the verge of massive bankruptcies due to the recent decision of the Russian government to suspend the existing Fisheries Agreement with Japan.  

According to analysts, the biggest negative impact of such a move will be on Japanese fishermen from the island of Hokkaido, which is located in close proximity to the Kuril Islands. These waters were traditionally used by Japanese for the annual catch of hundreds tonnes of cod, octopus and crabs annually...