Norwegian Government Rejects Marine Harvest's Cargo Ship Fish Farm Concept

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - April 20, 2018

In June 2016 Atlantic salmon producer Marine Harvest sent an application to the Norwegian government seeking to turn an old cargo ship into a salmon farm. Now, almost two years later, the Norwegian Fisheries Directorate has rejected their application for licenses.

Sea lice has not only threatened farmed fish in open waters, but young wild salmon as well. In 2017 the country began to freeze certain productions that caused a severe threat to wild salmon. While Marine Harvest was using “cleaner fish” to feed on ...

Norwegian Seafood Council Launches "Seafood From Norway" Quality Logo

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Nation] - April 20, 2018

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), the representative of the world’s number one salmon exporter, in partnership with Thammachart Seafood Retail Co Ltd, has introduced the “Seafood from Norway” country-of-origin logo, as a trademark of quality.

The NSC works with the Norwegian fisheries and aquaculture industry to develop markets for Norwegian seafood. In Thailand, Thammachart is using the NSC’s Seafood from Norway brand, particularly for salmon. “Nobody knows salmon like the Norwegians”, said Jon Erik Steenslid, NSC’s regional director. “Norway is a country with a long, celebrated tradition of ...

Salmon vs. Goliath in Fight for Habitat Protections

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio with Laine Welch] - April 17, 2018

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – It’s Alaska salmon versus Goliath when it comes to habitat protections. 

Resource developers are pulling out all stops to muddy the waters about the push underway to update and strengthen Alaska’s salmon habitat protection law for the first time since statehood.

Since early January the group Stand for Alaska has raised over $2 million to stop a ballot initiative this fall.  That’s 10 times more money than the grassroots group Yes for Salmon has raised ...

Frozen Salmon Prices Rise as Shortages Hit Beijing, Other Areas, After Smuggling Crackdown

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [FishFirst] translated by Amy Zhong - April 16, 2018

Recently China’s customs has cracked down on salmon smuggling . After this, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have suffered from frozen salmon shortages and the situation is especially serious in Huangsha Seafood Market of Guangzhou. Salmon prices have been increasing through April 8. Though importers like Sunkfa can still receive their ordered salmon, the supply hardly meets market demand.

According to insiders, the suspects involved in the case purchased very large quantities of salmon on a daily basis ...

Acme Smoked Fish Wins 2 Awards From Specialty Food Association

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - April 12, 2018

Brooklyn-based Acme Smoked Fish Corp. is being recognized for their Blue Hill Bay BBQ Smoked Salmon and Honey Maple Salmon. The fourth-generation smoked fish purveyor announced on Thursday that they took home two sofi awards from the Specialty Food Association.

Sofi stands for “specialty outstanding food innovation.” The awards are given to products that represent the “best of the beset in the specialty food industry.”

Acme Smoked Fish’s BBQ Smoked Salmon from their ...

New Zealand King Salmon Now Offering Four-Star BAP Salmon

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - April 10, 2018

New Zealand King Salmon (NZKS) is now offering four-star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) salmon. The company announced on Tuesday that the Global Aquaculture Alliance awarded them with a fourth star for responsible aquaculture production, making them the world’s first King salmon producer and the first salmon producer in Australasia to achieve four-star status.

“Put into restaurant terms, this is the equivalent of earning a Michelin star,” NZKS CEO and managing director Grant Rosewarne said in a press release ...

Salmon Smuggling Ring in China Brought in Over 700 Containers of Frozen Salmon

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Epaper.southern] translated by Amy Zhong - April 6, 2018

Further details have emerged on the salmon smuggling ring that was broken up in China last week.

According to the customs staff, the smuggling gang flew frozen salmon from places of origin such as Norway to Vietnam. The salmon were then driven to the border between China and Vietnam. Some Chinese buyers hired help to smuggle salmon into China and then sold the salmon to cities like Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and ...

Street Salmon Gaining Popularity in Chinese Markets, Competing with Supermarket Salmon

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  [CNhubei] Translated by Amy Zhong - April 3, 2018

Street salmon sashimi is about 70% cheaper than that sold in restaurants in Wuhan.

Now residents in Wuhan of Chengdu can buy sashimi of imported salmon on local streets and the sashimi price is much lower than those in restaurants. So many consumers there buy such sashimi on a regular basis. This low price is thanks to increasingly great quantities of salmon import channels there, said some insiders. Now wholesale markets can provide locals with more options ...

Oregon Still Waiting for Commerce Declaration On Fisheries; Texas Fisheries Declared Disaster

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Susan Chambers - March 29, 2018

Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats, are urging the Secretary of Commerce Wilber Ross to make a decision regarding a fisheries failure declaration for salmon.

The senators and other West Coast governors and lawmakers have requested the declarations months ago and submitted the required information to the Department of Commerce. Still, no decision has been made.

The letter, dated Tuesday, noted the department has failed to answer the senators' June 2017 letter following up on ...

BRIO Tuscan Grille Kicks off Spring With Seafood Celebration 

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - March 27, 2018

Spring has sprung and BRIO Tuscan Grille is ready to embrace the new season with their Seafood Celebration.

Beginning Tuesday, April 3 and running until Sunday, June 17, the casual Italian cuisine restaurant will be serving chef-inspired seafood items for lunch and dinner. These dishes, which are made from scratch, include:Grilled Salmon Fresca, Shrimp Mediterranean, and Lobster & Shrimp Ravioli.

“Spring is the ideal season to present a seafood celebration for our guests,” BRIO Tuscan Grille Chef ....

Multiple Chinese Ports are Approved for Salmon Imports as Seafood Product Imports Increase

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fishfirst] translated by Amy Zhong - March 26, 2018

When talking about salmon, most Chinese people think of Norway. But salmon are actually imported from other regions like the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Chile, Scotland, Canada and Australia, which are also popular in this market. According to customs statistics, Chile outpaces other countries in the Chinese frozen salmon market thanks to zero tariffs.

With regard to ports through which imported salmon arrives, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou immediately come to mind ...

Oregon Lawmakers Secure Funding for Oregon Ports, Salmon, Communities and Klamath Water Users

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Susan Chambers - March 23, 2018

Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, both Democrats, recently announced funding for critical priorities for Oregon’s coastal communities in the 2018 spending bill released this week.

“I fought to make this bill really deliver for Oregon’s coastal communities, and it does,” Merkley said in a statement. “This funding supports core programs, from small ports, to marine research, to coastal salmon recovery.”

The spending bill includes funding for:

Coastal Management: The program received $75 million for coastal zone management, and an additional $30 million for ...

John West Debuts its Products on JD in its Entry to Chinese Market

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Ifeng] translated by Amy Zhong - March 20, 2018

John West, a seafood brand with 60 percent market shares in Australia, made two big announcements on March 12. First, it will begin selling seafood through the JD platform. Second, it debuted a new seafood product packed in a green box that day. This is the first time John West has gotten access to Chinese consumers through an e-commerce platform. Now locals can have its various seafood cans delivered to their doorstep after a mouse click.

John West is renowned for its high-quality ...

China, Norway Continue Free Trade Negotiations in May; Salmon is Key Norwegian Export

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Schuichan] translated by Amy Zhong - March 15, 2018

This year is the 64th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Norway, though there was a minor setback in 2010. The two countries have announced plans to normalize bilateral relations in December 2016. These changes also exert influence on Norway’s exports of salmon to China. In 2010, Norway exported 11,000 tons of salmon to China, which made up 92 percent of the salmon in China. But that number dropped ...

Grieg Holds Raucous Public Information Meeting on Salmon Project for Placentia Bay

SEAFOODNEWS.COM  [CBC News] by Mark Quinn - March 14, 2018

A proposal to farm more than seven million salmon in Placentia Bay every year received both praise and condemnation Tuesday night at a sometimes raucous meeting of more than 250 people in Marystown. 

Aquaculture company Grieg NL organized the public meeting as part of the environmental impact statement (EIS) it has been ordered to prepare as it seeks approval for its proposal to build a land-based hatchery and a string of sea cages. 

If successful, Grieg NL plans to build a hatchery on the Burin Peninsula that will produce immature salmon to be grown to market size at 11 sea-cage sites around Placentia Bay.
 
Tuesday's meeting — which drew aquaculture experts from Norway, Iceland and the U.S. to Marystown — was also simulcast at sites in St. John's, Gander and Corner Brook.

Grieg has been trying to get the project off the ground for at least three years....

Magnetics Tell Tiny Chinook Salmon Which Way Is Up

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio with Laine Welch] - March 8, 2018

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch. Magnetics tell tiny Chinook salmon which way is up. 

Salmon researchers have proven it takes more than a good nose for the fish to find their way home to spawn. The fish have built in compasses and it’s the earth’s geomagnetic field that gets credit for salmon returns.

“We’re actually able to show this does occur. That the fish are able to figure out where they are based on the ...

SalMar Acquires MariCulture, Developing Smart Fish Farm

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - April 17, 2018

Norwegian farmed salmon producer SalMar ASA announced late last week that they have acquired 51% of the shares in MariCulture AS.

SalMar will be working with MariCulture to develop and complete a “Smart Fish Farm,” an offshore fish farm that has the ability to operate under “rough weather conditions.” A unique concept, the Smart Fish Farm will be able to withstand wave heights of up to 15 metres. Once completed, the Smart Fish Farm will make it possible to operate at the high seas ...

Applebee’s Adds Shrimp, Salmon to Bigger, Bolder Grill Combos Offer

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - April 17, 2018

Applebee’s is giving customers a break this Tax Day. Inspired by the amount of things that people have on their plates, the chain restaurant is bringing back their Bigger, Bolder Grill Combos.

“This can be a stressful time of the year, and we know how important a good meal with friends or family is to help our guests relax and unwind,” said Applebee’s Chief Marketing Officer Joel Yashinsky. “Our Bigger, Bolder, Grill Combos special takes the pressure off deciding between ...

Tassal Expansion Plans Approved By Court, But Environmentalists Will Continue Fighting

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - April 13, 2018

Despite efforts from environmentalists to stop salmon giant Tassal’s expansion plans, the court has rejected arguments in two separate decisions.

According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation News, environmental organizations were seeking to “invalidate the approval given by Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg for Tassal, the state’s biggest salmon producer, to expand its operation into Okehampton Bay where it has had 28 pens of fish in place since August last year.” However, a judge determined that the ...

West Coast Salmon Seasons Set After Week of Tensions, Struggles

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Susan Chambers - April 12, 2018

This week the Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted ocean salmon season recommendations that provide recreational and commercial opportunities for most of the Pacific coast, and achieve conservation goals for the numerous individual salmon stocks on the West Coast.

“It has been another challenging year for the Council, its advisers, fishery stakeholders and the public as we strive to balance fishing opportunities with the conservation needs we are facing on Chinook and coho salmon stocks, both north and south of Cape Falcon,” Council Executive Director Chuck ...

Alaska Salmon Permit Market Sluggish And Lackluster Forecast Isn't Helping

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio With Laine Welch] - April 6, 2018

This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch. Alaska salmon permit values are in a stall.

Spring is traditionally the busiest time for those in the buy/sell/trade business for Alaska salmon permits. But that’s not the case this year.

Values had  ticked up for most  permits after a blockbuster salmon fishery in 2017.  But they have remained fairly stagnant since the fall.

“And that sort of summarizes the salmon permit market ...

Chinese Crackdown on Salmon Smuggled Through Vietnam in Nation-Wide Raids

SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton - April 5, 2018

Guangzhou customs authorities announced breaking three major smuggling rings for seafood and other products, brought illegally across the border with Vietnam.

The total value was given as $130 million, of which around $100 million was salmon.

The salmon arrests involved 40 ‘action teams’ that raided operations in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian.  A TV crew accompanied the raids in one city.

Officials said the salmon was from Norway and Canada.  Images on television showed a Marine Harvest box. 

Salmon was brought through the China-Vietnam border, and then distributed throughout the country.  The structure appeared to be to involve a supply group – responsible for procuring the salmon, a smuggling group that got the salmon across the border,

Falling Revenue Hits Coastal Alaska Fishing Communities

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Fish Radio With Laine Welch] - April 2, 2018

Alaska is expecting a reduced salmon harvest this year, setting up a trifecta of falling fish revenues for Alaska fishermen, coastal communities and state coffers.

Coming on the heels of an 80 percent crash of cod stocks in the Gulf of Alaska and a 10 percent decline in halibut catches, state fishery managers are projecting a 2018 salmon harvest at 149 million fish, down 34 percent from last season.

The shortfall stems from lower forecasts for returning pink salmon ...

High Liner’s “Can’t Mess It Up!” Brand Wins Best New Product Award By Canadian Consumers

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - March 26, 2018

The seafood industry is always trying to boost consumption of fish, and High Liner may have found a way that really resonates with Canadian consumers. The company’s Can’t Mess It Up! Brand was just named a winner of BrandSpark International’s 2018 Best New Product Awards.

BrandSpark International is a leading marketing research company that surveyed over 15,000 Canadians about their favorite latest and greatest beauty, personal care, household and pet products. Can’t Mess it Up!’s Wild Pink Salmon won ...

Columbia River Tribal Fisherman Sentenced for Illegal Sales of Sturgeon and Salmon

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - March 27, 2018

A tip to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has resulted in a tribal fisherman going to jail and being fined.

A Klickitat County Superior Court judge sentenced Columbia River tribal fisherman Donnell Frank, 46, of Portland, Ore., to four months in jail and fined him $1,050 for illegally selling sturgeon and Chinook salmon.

Frank pleaded guilty to three felony counts of unlawful fish trafficking and was sentenced March 19 by Judge Randall Krog ...

Canada’s Seafood Exports to China Increased 25% in 2017; Lobsters Prove Most Popular

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Sohu] translated by Amy Zhong - March 26, 2018

Canada’s statistics show fish and other seafood exports increased during 2017. The export value rose by $312 million CAD to reach $6.9 billion CAD compared with 2016 and these seafood products are sold to 137 countries. Among all these, its seafood export value to China has grown the fastest at 25 percent. Japan is a close second at a 13 percent increase, while the export to the U.S. is comparatively stable. With regard to export species, the three most popular are ...

Marine Harvest Reports ‘Best Year Ever’ in 2017, But Faced Challenges Due to Sea Lice

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - March 20, 2018

Marine Harvest has released their integrated annual report for 2017, reporting their “best year ever” in terms of profitability from their operations. But the farmed salmon producer also faced some challenges last year due to sea lice.

According to the company, total revenues amounted to EUR 3 649.4 million, a 4% jump from their previous record in 2016. But the increase in revenue is not due to an increase in harvesting ...

VIDEO: US-India WTO Fight; Catfish Recall; Salmon Price Surge; SENA 2018

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] - March 16, 2018

The latest SeafoodNews.com Weekly Recap Video features: Trade complaint against India at the World Trade Organization; 69,000 pounds of catfish fillets recalled due to malachite green; Surge in price for Norwegian salmon has created a problem for buyers; 2018 Seafood Expo North America snowstorm.

This video is sponsored by Urner Barry's Foreign Trade Data.

Mixed Bag of West Coast Ocean Salmon Seasons Set for Public Review

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Susan Chambers - March 15, 2018

Some commercial fishermen could see better ocean salmon seasons this year while others will likely see worse seasons, thanks to changes in actual returns in 2017 and forecast returns in 2018 on many West Coast rivers.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council began designing this year's salmon seasons at its meeting in Rohnert Park earlier this week. Almost none of the seasons are robust.

Last year, projected Klamath River fall Chinook escapement was the lowest on record - 11,379 fish -- but the number of actual fish returning was higher, almost double. The opposite ...

West Coast Waters Returning to Normal; Some Fisheries Remain Disrupted

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Seafood News] by Susan Chambers - March 12, 2018

Ocean conditions off most of the U.S. West Coast are returning roughly to average, after an extreme marine heat wave from about 2014 to 2016 disrupted the California Current Ecosystem and shifted many species beyond their traditional range, according to a new report from NOAA Fisheries' two marine laboratories on the West Coast. Some warm waters remain off the Pacific Northwest, however.

The Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Northwest Fisheries Science Center presented their annual "California Current Ecosystem Status Report" to the Pacific Fishery Management Council at ...