CSI Launches Global Certification Program for Wild-Capture Seafood

When it comes to certifications, Certified Seafood International is making some changes. 

Or, more specifically, it’s going global and encompassing the successes gained by the Responsible Fisheries Management Program, a certification program for wild-capture fisheries.  

CSI was developed in partnership with credible regional certification. The certificates and standards of the GSSI-benchmarked RFM program will now be part of CSI, meaning that approximately 3 million metric tons of fishery landings are currently certified under the updated umbrella of CSI’s certification program.  

The Program’s new global governing board currently includes individuals...

The Retail Rundown: Post-Easter Pause Sets Stage for Protein Push

With Easter now in the rearview, retailers will largely tread water, positioning themselves for a seasonal surge in demand ahead of the start of summer.

Grilling demand is beginning to build toward a Memorial Day crescendo, prompting grocers to build inventory and plan aggressive promotions to jumpstart the season. 

But first up is Cinco de Mayo. While it's a smaller holiday, it can still drive foot traffic. Proteins like pork, steak, and chicken are expected to see solid movement as shoppers make tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and other festive fare...

The Retail Rundown: Protein Adds to Holiday Price Gains

Easter week has arrived and grocers are tapping into the holiday's spending momentum. But for consumers, Easter dinner is shaping up to be pricier than last year, with many holiday staples seeing year-over-year price increases.

According to Expana’s latest US Easter Index—which tracks price changes in key holiday-related commodities—overall prices rose 11.8% year-over-year, driven largely by higher costs in the protein and bakery categories.

Expana’s Easter Protein Index, which covers lamb, beef, pork, salmon, cod, and eggs...

Lineage Acquires New Cold Storage Facility in Bellingham

Earlier this month, refrigerated-storage company Lineage, Inc. acquired three warehouses from Bellingham Cold Storage (BCS) located on Washington’s west coast in Bellingham.

The acquired assets span approximately 24 million cubic feet and include 85,000 pallet positions across three warehouses: the Bellingham Waterfront Warehouse Center, the Orchard/I-5 Warehouse Center, and the Burlington Dry location.

The expansion creates a foothold for the cold storage company at the Port of Bellingham, thus building on Lineage’s network in the U.S. Pacific Northwest region, which now includes 40 warehouse facilities across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho...

NFI Sushi Council Launches New Website

On April 1, 2025, the National Fisheries Institute’s (NFI) Sushi Council launched its new website, NFIsushicouncil.com. The Council established the new domain as a one-stop educational source on food safety, product quality, health benefits, and economic updates for all supply chain actors in the sushi industry.

“Having achieved mass popularity, sushi can be found by consumers with ease,” said NFI Sushi Council Chairman Michael McNicholas of Culimer USA. “But for industry, locating the right information on properly sourcing and preparing sushi can be a challenge.” 

The NFI Sushi Council’s website coincides with the group’s core...

The Retail Rundown: Spring Sizzle Fuels Protein Demand

Spring promotions are in full bloom at retail, with holiday-themed ads ramping up. Circulars showcase produce and snacking items alongside grilling staples, aiming to entice shoppers with vibrant displays and seasonal appeal. Beyond holiday preparations, schools and universities are approaching spring break season, likely driving an uptick in foodservice in the coming weeks. 

In some regions, grocers are leveraging hams as loss leaders ahead of Easter. Last week, discounted bone-in ham averaged $2.56 per pound, while spiral-sliced varieties stood at $2.61 per pound—steady to lower than last year’s levels...

Alaska Seafood Industry, Lawmakers, and Media Urge US to Cool Down Trade War and DOGE Cuts

Two of Alaska’s leading seafood trade associations and the State House of Representatives issued plain-spoken opposition to President Trump’s trade policies this month, while Alaska Public Media President Ed Ulman testified to the importance of public news and broadcasting in a US House hearing on Tuesday.

A March 11 letter from Matt Tinning, CEO of the At-Sea Processors Association and Julie Decker, President of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association, was sent to Catherine Gibson, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Monitoring and...

The Retail Rundown: 20th Power of Meat Report Reveals Record-Breaking Meat Sales

The 2025 Power of Meat Study was unveiled this week at the Annual Meat Conference in Orlando, Florida, where Anne-Marie Roerink, Principal at 210 Analytics, shared key insights into shoppers' evolving meat and poultry purchasing habits. Here are some key takeaways from the study's 20th edition: 

Meat sales reach new heights 

This year’s report, released by the Meat Institute and The Food Industry Association (FMI), revealed that the meat department set a new sales record in 2024, reaching $105 billion in total...

Echo Falls Seafoods Hires New Midwest Regional Sales Manager

On March 10, 2025, U.S. seafood producer Echo Falls Seafoods announced the appointment of a new Regional Sales Manager for its Midwest operations, Jeremy Titsworth.

Titsworth is a retail expert with more than 18 years of food and retail experience, having previously held the positions of Retail Sales Merchandiser and Business Development Manager at retail broker Advantage Solutions, as well as a grocery manager and prep chef.

“I’m eager to take on the new role of Regional Manager with Echo Falls Seafood and look forward pairing my expertise with the country’s..."

Finalists Announced for 2025 Seafood Excellence Awards

On March 5, 2025, Seafood Expo North America (SENA)/Seafood Processing North America announced its 11 finalists for the 2025 Seafood Excellence Awards.

This year’s finalists were selected from 68 total entries in SENA’s 2025 New Product Showcase, which represents a comprehensive list of new product releases for the North American seafood market that are either launching soon or that have been launched within the past 18 months.

The Seafood Excellence Awards, which are sponsored by Aquamar this year, will be evaluated by a three-person review panel and focus on...

Iceland Seafood Int’l Releases Positive Q4 Financial Results, Exceeding 2024 Outlook

On February 26, 2025, Iceland Seafood International (ISI) published its fourth quarter financial results for 2024, reflecting overall success in sales for Q4 and the year as a whole.

The seafood company saw a lot of increases in 2024, with sales soaring 16% in Q4 2024, amounting to €129.2 million more than the same period last year. Meanwhile, sales for the year increased by 3% compared to 2023, amounting to a total of €443.2 million.

Net margin was also up this year, amounting to...

The Retail Rundown: Seafood Rides the Lenten Wave

With March just around the corner, the first signs of spring and warmer days are emerging—welcome news for both consumers and grocers.

Seafood leads this week's protein advertisements, accounting for 26% of total features, closely followed by beef and chicken at 23% each. Pork ads make up 22%, while turkey holds a 3.5% share. Egg promotions remain scarce, extending a two-week trend.

In the seafood complex, fillet promotions are ramping up ahead of the Lenten season, now making up 33.5% of the category’s volume. Ads for both raw and cooked...

Seafood Expo North America Announces 2025 Conference Program

Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America (SENA) recently announced its 2025 conference program, which will begin on Sunday, March 16.

The program will include more than 30 sessions and address a range of topics impacting the seafood industry including the following: seafood consumption and consumer trends, policy trends and regulatory issues, AI, labor rights, and marine plastics, among others.

Case studies and expert insights across various fields will be provided, with keynote speaker, macro-economist, geopolitical financial expert, and best-selling author Nomi Prins, PhD, kicking off the program...

The Retail Rundown: Valentine’s Day Brings Foodservice Gains 

The grocery segment received a boost from last weekend’s pro-football championship game, with strong movement at the meat case. According to Circana data, retail chicken wing sales ahead of the game reached about $8.7 million, up from $8.5 million the previous week. Pork ribs brought in nearly $7 million, rising from $6.7 million, while ground beef sales totaled approximately $76 million, compared to $74.7 million the prior week. 

Looking ahead, February is typically a slower month for retail and overall meat demand. However, Valentine’s... 

Captain D’s Expands into Maryland and Texas

On February 5, American fast-casual seafood restaurant Captain D’s announced its expansion into Maryland and Texas.

Over the next seven years, Captain D’s will develop five new restaurants in Prince George County, Maryland. This marks the company’s expansion into the Northeast and its 24th state, thus building on more than 530 existing locations.

To achieve its Maryland development, Captain D’s is partnering with Shahid Raza and Ahmed Fawad, who represent an experienced team already operating successful restaurants and franchise businesses in New York, Maryland and Virginia Beach.

For Captain D’s Texas expansion...

Tassal and Visy Collaborate on Sustainable Cardboard Boxes for Australian Shrimp

Seafood producer Tassal recently partnered up with Australian food and beverage manufacturer Visy to create new sustainable cardboard boxes for Tassal’s shrimp products.

The boxes, which are made from 74% recycled material, are made locally at Visy’s Carole Park site in Ipswich, Queensland, before being sent to Proserpine for packing.

According to Adrian Dalgleish, Executive General Manager for Fiber Packaging at Visy, keeping the manufacturing within Australia ensures Australian jobs while also maintaining proximity for any customer needs as they arise.

Together, Visy and Tassal ran numerous market trials...

Trump Signs New Executive Order to Strengthen US Seafood Industry, Review Marine National Monuments

On April 17, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order, titled “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” which focuses on improving the domestic seafood industry by addressing unfair trade practices, instating new policies that promote domestic seafood resources, and revising current regulations that “overly burden America’s commercial fishing, aquaculture, and fish processing industries at the fishery-specific level.”

Collaborating with the domestic seafood industry

Per the order, the Secretary of Commerce (Howard Lutnick) will cooperate with the Regional Fishery Management Councils (RFMC), interagency partners, and other stakeholders...

JBT Marel Appoints Two New Fish Division Directors

Global technology solutions provider JBT Marel recently announced two new appointments in its Fish division, including Diego Lages as the division’s new service director and Jón Birgir Gunnarsson as the new sales director.

Lages, who previously held the role of Global Sales Director within the Fish division, brings forth 26 years of experience working in the fish industry.

"I am incredibly excited to take on the role of Director Service, Fish at JBT Marel. This feels like a return to the days when I built strong sales and service organizations in several..."

Glaciar Pesquera Achieves South America’s First FISH Certification

Recently, FISH Standard for Crew Inc. announced that two vessels of the Glaciar Pesquera S.A. fleet had been awarded FISH certification, making it the first Argentinian company to achieve FISH certification and the first company in South America to achieve such certification.

The certified vessels—the B/P Atlantic Surf III and B/P Capesante—both harvest Patagonian scallops in Argentina. Following extensive policy and procedure review, on-site vessel inspections, and in-person interviews with crew members, the two Glaciar Pesquera vessels were granted individual FISH certifications, having met all standard...

The Winding Glass: We Will All Pay the Price for Tariff Stupidity, Incompetence, and Hubris- Opinion

Trump has no tariff plan. Most tariffs are negotiated on specific commodities, with painstaking analysis of costs of inputs, subsidies, and trade balances. Anyone who remembers the imposition of shrimp tariffs in 2004 knows that even though the process was driven by the politics of domestic shrimpers, the actual process was detailed and company specific. As a result, those companies demonstrating a lack of subsidy and realistic cost inputs avoided significant tariffs. Within a short time, the shrimp market was healthy again...

Seafood Giant Maruha Nichiro Will Be Umios, Signaling “Third Founding” Since 1880

Last Friday the board of directors of the world’s largest diversified seafood company, Maruha Nichiro, announced that they will change the company name to Umios Corporation, subject to shareholders approval in late June 2025.

“Umios” means “ocean” or “sea” in Japanese, an appropriate nod to the source of Maruho Nichiro’s products and to the global reach of the company’s customers and markets.

“The new company name reflects our commitment to solving global social issues through food, starting from the origins of our Group, the ocean [UMI],” the board explained...

Fortune Fish & Gourmet Unveils New Fish Cutting Facility at Northeast Regional Headquarters

U.S. seafood processor Fortune Fish & Gourmet just unveiled a new fish cutting facility at its Northeast Regional Headquarters in Union, NJ, which will effectively expand the company’s ability to serve fresh fillets to key markets in areas like Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey.

The new refrigerated fillet room will provide Fortune customers with fresh, custom-cut fish, which can then be quickly distributed to restaurants, hotels, and retailers throughout the highly populated Northeast region.

The new cutting room joins Fortune’s growing portfolio of fish processing facilities, which...

The Retail Rundown: Fresh Buying Opportunities in Bloom

Tomorrow marks the official start of spring, and retailers are seizing fresh opportunities to capture increased spending with occassions like Easter and peak grilling season soon approaching.

However, for some residents, spring still feels distant as a late-season storm sweeps through the Central US today and tomorrow, potentially impacting purchasing and consumption patterns in affected regions. 

With roughly a month remaining in Lent, seafood remains a focal point in retail promotions, accounting for 33% of protein advertisements, primarily driven by fresh/frozen fillets as well...

New Seafood Products Drop as Lenten Season Kicks Off

As the 2025 Lenten season gets underway, several food producers have released limited-time only (LTO) offerings, the most recent of which are Zaxbys, SeaPak, and Natural Grocers.

Last week, a number of U.S. restaurants began showcasing new or existing menu items for the season, which runs from March 5 to April 17 this year. Such notable participants include McDonald’s, Red Lobster, Popeyes, Taco John’s, Jack in the Box, and Long John Silver's.

Zaxbys leans into its popular southern fried shrimp

For this year’s Lenten season, Georgia-headquartered chicken chain Zaxbys...

The Retail Rundown: Key Buying Occasions on the Horizon 

March presents key retail buying opportunities as spring holidays approach and Lent influences shopping and dining habits.

With Lent beginning today, meat sales typically decline as participants shift toward seafood. This week, seafood promotions rose to 28% of total retail features, up from 26% last week. Currently, 31% of seafood ads highlight fresh or frozen fillets, with options like salmon, cod, and catfish averaging $9.30 per pound on discount—nearly 9% higher than a year ago.

Elsewhere in the retail landscape, beef and pork each account for nearly 25% of featured promotions...

McDonald’s, Red Lobster, and Long John Silver’s Lead Off the 2025 Lenten Seafood Promotions

In anticipation of the fast-approaching 2025 Lenten season, several U.S. restaurants—including McDonald’s, Red Lobster, and Long John Silver's, to name a few—are showcasing new or existing seafood products on their menus.

While some menu items are consistent landmarks, others are limited-time only (LTO) offerings available now and for the duration of Lent, with most promotions running until the end of April. This year, the Lenten season will run from March 5 through April 17.  

Several restaurants are collaborating with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute...

Lineage and Port of New Orleans Expand Import Inspection Services

Earlier this month, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and Lineage, Inc. (Lineage), the world’s largest refrigerated-storage company, announced the addition of new cold storage inspection services at Port NOLA.

Among the new services are in-house USDA import inspections, which will specialize in streamlined, on-site USDA inspection services for imported proteins. Inspections will take place at Lineage’s Jourdan Road cold storage facility in New Orleans East, located along the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal.

The new services will take place alongside Lineage’s existing USDA export inspection services...

The Retail Rundown: Cold Weather Influences Demand

As February winds down, grocers are looking ahead to the arrival of spring and warmer weather, which typically sparks renewed retail demand after a slower start to the year.

For now, wintry weather remains in full blast, with record-breaking cold temperatures and heavy snow impacting the Central and Eastern US this week. These conditions could support continued retail demand for items like eggs, which are seeing strong consumer interest despite rising shelf prices. However, the extreme cold may not be as favorable for meat consumption, especially in southern regions accustomed to year...

Hokkaido Fishery's 2024 Pollock, Cod, and Herring Production Increased Amid Overall Production Dip

In 2024, Hokkaido's fishery production volume was 1.049 million tons, down 8% from the previous year, with the value being 279.8 billion yen, down 4%. Scallops and sardines, which had been strong in recent years, have started to decline, falling below 1.1 million tons for the first time in five years since 2019. The Hokkaido government recently announced preliminary figures.

According to the Minato Shimbun report on February 5, scallop production was down 8% in volume, amounting to 390,000 tons, marking a dip below 400,000...

Nova Scotia Seafood Sector Embarks on Trade Mission to Europe Amid Stalled Tariffs

Recently, Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith led a trade mission to Europe, alongside a delegation of key stakeholders within the Atlantic Canadian seafood sector, in an effort to diversify the country’s seafood market, especially amid President Trump’s pending US import tariffs.

The delegation, comprised of six Nova Scotian seafood companies and eight Atlantic Canadian seafood companies, included participation by the following seafood leaders: Lobster Hub Inc., Louisbourg Seafoods Ltd., Victoria Co-Operative Fisheries Ltd., Tribune Seafood Inc., Gidney Fisheries Ltd...