Alaska’s Coastal Communities Prepare for 2020 Fishing Season as COVID-19 Cases Rise

With 143 cases of COVID-19 statewide and strict travel and quarantine mandates in force since March 13, 2020, Alaska's coastal communities are beginning to lay out plans for the intense days ahead when millions of salmon are harvested and processed across the state.

In Bristol Bay, home of the largest salmon run in the world, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association is working with processors, city and borough officials, and state and federal agencies to coordinate the protocols needed to meet two goals...

Land-based Farm Pure Salmon Poland Earns Ocean Friendly Label

Land-based salmon farm Pure Salmon Poland's fish was recommended by Ocean Wise Seafood programs as an ocean-friendly farmed fish option.

Pure Salmon Poland is based in Warsaw and is co-owned by aquaculture company AquaMaof and private equity funds from 8F Asset Management.

The Ocean Wise Seafood program is a conservation program that helps consumers and businesses choose sustainable options.

Ocean Wise's symbol on a seafood item gives buyers peace of mind as it was harvested with the environment and the health water sources around the globe in...

CDFW’s Oroville Dam Salmon Evacuation Decision Pays Exceptional Dividends

A hasty Feather River emergency salmon rescue turned out to be a good thing. A really good thing.

In February 2017, damage to the Oroville Dam spillways in Northern California prompted the evacuation of more than 180,000 people living downstream along the Feather River. The raging muddy waters also triggered an emergency decision to relocate millions of young salmon from the Feather River Hatchery to the Thermalito Annex Hatchery to be raised and held until river water conditions improved. Most, if not all, of the young salmon would have...

Pure Salmon Obtains Funding For 4 Land-Based Salmon Farming Projects Around the Globe

Land-based salmon aquaculture firm Pure Salmon obtained adequate funding to begin its global rollout of Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) projects in Poland, Japan, France and the United States.

The company announced plans over the last year to begin the construction of three projects and now it has secured the capital for phase one of the projects. It completed fundraising from 8F Asset Management, closing its first private equity fund at $358.8 million.

The investor base for Pure Salmon is comprised of family and institutional...

Chinese Salmon Sellers Find Success With New Sales Channels

The coronavirus outbreak has exerted great influence on China’s imported salmon market during this Chinese New Year. Sales plummeted with restaurants closed down temporarily. Now, some sellers are looking for new channels to attract more customers and also sell more.

By mid-March, fresh salmon sales dropped to less than 30% of the previous one with a great reduction in hotel and restaurant demand. In Guangdong, for example, only about 30% to 40% of local restaurants have opened. One distributor in Beijing even said that over 90% of his customers have...

VIDEO: Seafood Expo Global Postponed; Coronavirus at Retail; Haddock Supply Issues; and More

Join SeafoodNews Managing Editor Amanda Buckle and Urner Barry market reporter Lorin Castiglione as they break down some of the top stories of the week, including: Seafood Expo Global getting postponed; a look at the impact of the coronavirus on retail; haddock supply issues; and the latest news regarding the salmon market.

The Seafood News Weekly Video is brought to you by Urner Barry's Reporter magazine, the quarterly newsmagazine for the food industry professional. You can find...

A Look at How China's Seafood Market Grew in 2019

China is an important aquaculture country with its annual aquatic output reaching about 64.5 million tons in 2019. Although its individual consumption is still comparatively low, the country’s seafood market is expanding, and it is of increasing significance in global trade.

As available statistics show, though its seafood consumption was only 14.3kg per person back in 2018, its trade value doubled compared with that of 2009 to reach 373.802 billion yuan. And new retailers like Hema are taking measures to cut middlemen and promote seafood directly to end consumers...

Acme Smoked Fish Introduces New Ready-To-Eat Convenience Items

Indulging in smoked salmon has never been more convenient. Acme Smoked Fish Corp. announced on Monday that they are launching a new product: The Smoked Nova Salmon Convenience Pack.

Studies show that consumers are looking for healthy foods while on-the-go. Acme's new product targets that audience by offering four single-serve, individually-sealed packs that are convenient for lunch or snack-time. The Smoked Nova Salmon Convenience Pack joins other new ready-to-eat items from Acme, including Smoked Salmon Poke Bowls and Atlantic Smoked Salmon Candy...

Maine DMR Extends Comment Period for Nordic Aquafarms RAS Proposal

Earlier this week the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) announced that they would be extending the comment period for Nordic Aquafarms' proposal to develop a land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) to raise Atlantic salmon in Belfast.

DMR is accepting comments "solely about the potential impacts of the proposed dredging operation on fishing in the area to be dredged and on impacts to the fishing industry."

Nordic Aquafarms' facility will require the construction of intake and discharge pipes. These pipes will be buried across intertidal and...

Few Bright Spots in Ocean Salmon Forecasts as Managers Start Developing 2020 Seasons

West Coast salmon fishermen are facing another grim year, trollers heard last week at state meetings in Washington, Oregon and California.

In Washington, lower numbers of coho are projected to return to the Columbia River and to Washington's coastal streams. The low numbers will likely constrain both sport and commercial fisheries.

An estimated 181,000 Columbia River coho are projected to our ocean and Columbia River waters, a sharp decrease from the 2019 forecast of about 905,000 fish. Only about...

ANALYSIS: Frozen Atlantic Salmon Imports Hit All Time High in 2019

Frozen Atlantic salmon fillets finish 2019 at an all-time high. A total of 111.8 million pounds were imported for 2019, which is 9.9 percent higher than 2018 and 12.7 percent higher than the overall 2017 total.

The leaders in the category saw higher levels to close out 2019. Chile imported 70.3 million pounds, up 1.5 percent from last year and Norway imported 31.2 million pounds, up 8.6 percent from last year.

The month of December saw the largest spike on record...

Opinion: Stand Up to the Political Fearmongering from Anti-Salmon Farming Activists

As seafood professionals gather this week in Halifax for the 22nd Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister’s Conference, the seemingly never-ending debate over salmon farming will resurface, complete with the usual dump of misinformation by several small but vocal anti-fish farming activist groups.

As this unfolds, here is my call to Nova Scotians and their elected officials: Stand up to these anti-salmon farming sentiments that are based on the politics of fear rather than the realities of science...

Samuels Seafood Donating Portion of Jail Island Salmon Sales to Canada's Fundy Salmon Recovery

What's better than buying salmon? Buying salmon for a good cause. Samuels & Son Seafood announced this week that with every pound of Jail Island Salmon sold they will be donating a portion of sales to Canada's Fundy Salmon Recovery.

As SeafoodNews previously reported, Samuels Seafood has an exclusive distribution partnership with Jail Island Salmon. Packed by True North Seafood, a Cooke subsidiary, Jail Island's whole fish, fillets, and portions are delivered to Samuels Seafood in as little as 48 hours from harvest to ensure peak freshness...

Oriental Ocean Gives up its Salmon Aquaculture Due to Continual Losses of this Business

Oriental Ocean, a seafood company in Shandong province of China, has established the largest industrial aquaculture system of Atlantic salmon in this oriental country. Since the beginning of this project in 2010, great investment has been made in its development. But due to its unprofitability, the company announced that it will sell all aquaculture assets this February. This 0.226-billion-yuan deal is expected to create an income of 67.4963 million yuan.

More details reveal that this is far from a simple selling deal...

These are the Top 10 Seafood Items Consumed in the U.S. for 2018

On Friday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their Annual Fisheries of the U.S. Report for 2018, and the report detailed how U.S. seafood per capita consumption has hit 16.1 lbs.  Now, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) is doing a deeper dive into exactly what seafood items Americans are consuming.

The top consumed seafood item – once again – is shrimp, with 4.6 lbs. eaten per capita. This is a record-high. Second on the list is...

Faced With Slow Sales, Chinese Seafood Sellers Fighting for Survival

Chinese New Year is among the most important shopping carnivals in China, and both seafood prices and sales used to skyrocket during this period. But this year the coronavirus outbreak has turned everything upside down. The imported seafood market has crashed, and industry participants are teetering and working hard to find a way out.

King crabs, for example, are usually popular among Chinese foodies in such holidays, but this year the sales have plummeted. In Shanghai, one of the country’s largest markets, there are few...

ANALYSIS: A Look at the Farmed Salmon Market this Week and its Reaction to COVID-19

The farmed salmon market, especially on fresh whole fish, was hit hard by the closure of U.S. restaurants this week. While other protein items that are frozen can weather the storm for a period of time, fresh perishable items, like farmed salmon, do not have that option.

The farmed salmon index at the end of this week dropped 4 percent from the previous week and is down 6 percent from the end of February...

NOAA Sued for Not Managing Chinook Salmon as Prey for Declining Southern Resident Killer Whales

Noting that  more than 97% of the wild Chinook salmon caught off Southeast Alaska are not born in Alaska rivers, but are in transit to their natal streams in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon rivers, Kurt Beardslee said “It is reckless and irresponsible for NOAA to approve this harvest, these salmon don't belong to Alaska, they belong to Southern resident killer whales, indigenous peoples, and fishing communities down the coast.” Beardslee is the executive director of Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC), the plaintiff in a suit ...

Grieg Seafood Says Business Operating as Usual Amid COVD-19 Outbreak

As the coronavirus continues to impact the seafood industry, salmon farmer Grieg Seafood ASA provided a company update, stating that operations are running as normal.

Grieg noted its priority is the wellbeing of its employees, their families and the local communities where it operates and it is complying with authorities’ recommendations at all of its facilities.

The company implemented measures to limit contamination with crisis management teams operating at the its headquarters and in each region.

The regions have conducted local risk assessments and implemented measures accordingly, such as...

How the Coronavirus is Impacting Norwegian Salmon Exports

Late last week the Norwegian government took measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) by essentially shutting the entire country down.

“The Norwegian government comes with the strongest and most radical measures we have had in Norway in peacetime,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg said in a press statement on Thursday. “This is absolutely necessary.”

The Norwegian government shut down everything from schools and child care facilities, to hairdressers and tattoo parlors. Bars and restaurants are required to close with the...

WDFW Moves to Online Meetings in Response to COVID-19 Concerns

Other management entities also considering virtual options

The coronavirus is taking its toll on fisheries management on the West Coast. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Thursday it will shift public meetings to online or phone-based formats beginning March 16 and lasting through the first week of April in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19/coronavirus.

“We are dedicated to providing an opportunity for the public to share their feedback on our work – that hasn’t changed,” WDFW Director Kelly Susewind said ...

ANALYSIS: Salmon at Retail Remains Active; Shift in Market Share for Whole Fish

Market participants in the farmed salmon market, as with all other markets across the globe, continue to watch how the coronavirus (COVID-19) unfolds and how consumers, governments, etc… react. As has been documented in other reports and articles on our sites, foodservice demand is very quiet and thus having an effect on fresh whole salmon; which is the more popular product form for foodservice. Most origins of fresh whole salmon adjusted lower yesterday with the exception of Chilean whole fish which had...

Low Salmon Forecasts Cast a Pall Over Upcoming Salmon Seasons

Forecasts for many Chinook and coho stocks on the West Coast are low -- lower than last year and some nearing historic lows. Regardless, the Pacific Fishery Management Council and its advisory bodies developed alternatives for sport and commercial ocean salmon fisheries when it met last week in Rohnert Park, Calif.

The alternatives now go out for public review before the Council makes a final decision on salmon seasons at its meeting in Vancouver, Wash., on April 5-10.

“Developing the seasons for this year’s ocean salmon fisheries will be...

Mowi Partners with Google’s Parent Company to Provide More Insight at its Salmon Farms

Tidal, a team working at Alphabet’s X has created a new sensing system that will help aquaculture companies gain a better understanding of fish behavior and provide firms with more accurate data.

The system is ready for commercial roll-out and Mowi is diving in headfirst. After a lengthy research and development period which focused on field testing and data collection, Mowi will implement the system at multiple of its fish farms throughout Norway.

Tidal has successfully created an underwater sensing software analysis platform that gathers... 

Atlantic Sapphire’s Denmark Facility Loses 227,000 Salmon

Land-based salmon producer Atlantic Sapphire said it lost about 227,000 salmon at its recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Denmark. The company’s subsidiary Atlantic Sapphire Denmark A/S experienced the mortality event in one of its grow-out systems.

“Preliminary analysis, subject to further verification over the next days, indicates higher nitrogen levels than desired as the cause of the event, which has been addressed in a design modification,” the company said in a statement. “Other systems in the Danish pilot farm and the US-based main facility had already been...

AmazonFresh Rolling Out New Mowi Pure Salmon Line

Amazon will soon be delivering chef-quality salmon. Salmon farmer Mowi announced that Amazon's grocery delivery service, AmazonFresh, will be the first to roll out their new premium brand, MOWI Pure.

Mowi's website describes their Pure range as their "best salmon for an everyday treat." The high-quality salmon is available in different cuts and sizes, with the goal of providing consumers with a convenient product that is "easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy." In addition to fresh products, the line also includes cold-smoked and hot-smoked...

Trifecta: China Virus, Tariffs, Russia Ban Cause Trade Troubles

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Strong headwinds for salmon and other seafood sales.

Seafood coming from and going to China is piling up in freezers and shipping vans as the coronavirus creates chaos around the world.

“If you have plants that have product coming in and no workers to fill it, you're going to get that overflowing cold storage situation. So it's definitely a problem on the reprocessing side. On the consumption side, if people aren't going out to eat and going out to...

ANALYSIS: Salmon, Cod and Tilapia the All-Stars at Retail During Lent

With the beginning of Lent today, many Christians will start to follow church guidelines to abstain from meat and will look to seafood as an alternative.

Seafood is historically an extremely popular item during the Lenten season before Easter, and salmon is one of the highlights. Each year, the number of buying opportunities at retail rises for the week of Ash Wednesday. This year, even with headwinds from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in certain regions of the world, is shaping up to be no different...

The Winding Glass: Industry Must Prepare as Coronavirus Rapidly Changing Supply Chain Behavior

With the spread of the coronavirus to new countries, I now believe the seafood industry is going to face its worst crisis since the economic collapse of 2008.

That was difficult and frightening. From October to December of 2008, fresh whole salmon prices dropped 20%. From August 2008 to January 2009, shrimp prices in the Urner Barry farmed shrimp index fell 16%. Cod loins, which were at record prices in November of 2008, fell 34% over the next 11 months, in a continuous price decline...

Whole Foods Honors Pacifico Aquaculture, Icicle Seafoods and Inverawe Smokehouse in Annual Awards

Whole Foods announced the winners of their eighth annual Supplier Awards, and the list features three seafood companies.

The grocery chain's Supplier Awards honors 32 of the company's suppliers for their "outstanding achievements in 2019 and ongoing commitments to quality, environmental stewardship, organic integrity, innovation, purpose and partnership." Last year Whole Foods honored Wild Planet Foods and Luke's Lobster. This year three seafood companies are being recognized: Pacifico Aquaculture, Icicle Seafoods, and Inverawe Smokehouse.

Pacifico Aquaculture is receiving "special recognition" under National Awards for...