Most Shrimp and Tilapia Prices Increase in China During May’s Labor Day

During holiday shopping, most seafood prices increase in the Chinese market. And this Labor Day is no exception for many, which have been widely received among enthusiastic buyers. Shrimp, for example, are one of the stars in the oriental market within this period, and tilapia prices have also increased in most regions. But not all are so lucky, and there are some shrimp and tilapia which have suffered price contraction during this festival.

China’s shrimp market has been hustling during this May Day. According to farmers in the...

USDA Makes Historic Seafood Purchase for Food Assistance Programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced it will purchase up to $159.4 million in domestically produced seafood, fruits, legumes and nuts as part of the Section 32 food assistance funding program.

The products will be distributed to a variety of domestic food assistance programs, including charitable institutions, the USDA said in a press release. These purchases are being made utilizing funds under the authority of Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act, as amended. It is one of the ...

PODCAST: America the Beautiful; Push for a National Seafood Council; March Shrimp Imports and More

Join SeafoodNews Podcast hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they talk about the Biden Administration's "America the Beautiful" report; the push to develop a National Seafood Council; March shrimp imports; and much more!

This episode is brought to you by Urner Barry Consulting. Urner Barry Consulting provides tailored solutions to identify growth opportunities within the fast-paced protein commodity sectors. Combining the expertise of our analytical team, our warehouse of proprietary and trusted data, and unparalleled insight into market forecasting, Urner Barry Consulting will...

U.S. Allows Riverbank Shrimp From Mexico After Wild Shrimp Import Ban

Riverbank shrimp from Mexico will continue to be imported into the U.S. following the ban on wild shrimp that was announced late last week.

As SeafoodNews previously reported, the U.S. announced that they would be banning wild caught shrimp imports from Mexico and only allowing shrimp harvested from aquaculture to enter the country. 

“The Department suspended the certification of Mexico because its sea turtle protection program is no longer comparable to that of the United States,” the notice in the Federal Register explained...

Alaska Fishing Update For May 2021

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch –

Managers are set to announce any day when the famous Copper River fishery near Cordova will open for sockeyes and kings, signaling the official  start of Alaska’s 2021 salmon season. 

Alaska’s biggest herring fishery at Togiak kicked off on May 3 with two buyers and about a dozen boats on the grounds. They have a roughly 85 million pound quota, the largest since 1993. (42,639 tons).

Herring fishing continued around Kodiak for a nearly 16 million pound catch, the largest ever...

FDA Surpasses All of 2020’s Antibiotic-Contaminated Shrimp Refusals in Four Months

The Southern Shrimp Alliance has shared that the FDA has already refused more entry lines of antibiotic-contaminated shrimp than were refused in all of 2020.

In total, the FDA reported 107 seafood entry line refusals in April; six of which were shrimp for antibiotic-related reasons from three importers from Bangladesh, India, and Vietnam.

- Southern Foods Ltd. (Bangladesh), a company that is listed on Import Alert 16-124 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquaculture Seafood Products Due to Unapproved Drugs”)...

U.S. Bans Wild Shrimp Imports From Mexico

Late last week the U.S. announced that they would be banning wild caught shrimp imports from Mexico. Only shrimp from Mexico harvested from aquaculture is eligible to enter the country.

“The Department suspended the certification of Mexico because its sea turtle protection program is no longer comparable to that of the United States,” the notice in the Federal Register reads.

In a press release issued in response by Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, the agency confirmed that in previous months most of the shrimp that was exported to...

NFI, FMI Launch New Seafood Forms To Improve Buyer Process

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) has teamed up with the Food Industry Association (FMI) to develop new resources to improve efficiency and standardize the seafood buying process.

Together NFI and FMI have created fillable forms that retailers and wholesalers can use when sending seafood product specifications to suppliers. These forms allow retailers and wholesalers to indicate their product requirements, while enabling seafood suppliers to consolidate their communication. 

“For a seafood buying office, one of the first major career challenges can come in understanding the...

JAPAN: February Shrimp Imports up 17%

The Ministry of Finance recently announced that the amount of shrimp imported in February was 14,803 tons, up 17.8% year-on-year and 14,975 million yen ($138.94 million), up 3.4%. The increase in "other frozen shrimp," which contains the mainstay vannamei shrimp, pushed up the overall quantity, reported Suisan Keizai.

Imports of the other frozen shrimp category increased 16.4% to 9,382 tons, and the value increased 5.2% to 9.23 billion yen ($85.61 million). By country, the quantity brought in from India increased significantly, increasing 50.8% to 2,727 tons. The value increased...

ANALYSIS: Commodity Prices Surging Higher; Is This the Next Supercycle?

Commodity prices have moved higher coming out of the initial phase of the pandemic with the price trough seen in May 2020. There has been an almost perfect storm of factors that have led to the increase. The first is the major supply chain disruptions that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be felt now. There has also been a massive stimulus response in the United States and many other countries that has injected capital into the...

PODCAST: Frozen Lobster, Tilapia, Argentine Red Shrimp Market Updates and More

Join SeafoodNews Podcast co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they talk about the frozen lobster product market; the tilapia market; the Argentine red shrimp market; and much more.

This episode is brought to you by Urner Barry Insights, available on the Comtell Platform. If you’re in the food business, you’re probably wondering about future-proofing the supply chain. Given what we’ve seen over the last year — and what we’re still contending with — the task of managing supply chains has become more challenging than ever...

ANALYSIS: Supply Speculation Continues to Influence the Argentine Red Shrimp Market 

Hailed as the most profitable fishery in the Argentine Sea, Pleoticus Muelleri (Argentine Red shrimp) demand continues to contend with a mixture of issues. 

While there is a sense of cautious optimism amid an uptick in vaccines, irregularities in global trade remain a concern.  

Normally driven by demand out of southern Europe and the Far East, exporters have had to contend with lacklustre sales amid the closure of foodservice and changes in buying behaviour across key markets. While demand...

PODCAST: Area 12 Snow Crab Quota; Harmful Algae Blooms in Chile; Fire at FFAW Headquarters and More

Join SeafoodNews Podcast co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they talk about the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab quota; the harmful algae blooms in Chile; and the fire at FFAW's headquarters. Plus, find out the latest going on in the shrimp and pangasius market; and much more.

This episode of the SeafoodNews Podcast was brought to you by the spring issue of Urner Barry's Reporter magazine. Volume 16, Number 2 is our second issue of 2021 and...

Blue Apron Partnership With Roy Yamaguchi Introduces Hawaii-inspired Shrimp and Scallop Recipes

Meal kit lovers won’t want to miss Blue Apron’s upcoming partnership with James Beard award-winning Chef Roy Yamaguchi. This latest collaboration brings Hawaii-inspired recipes right to your door, featuring seafood items like shrimp and scallops.

“I am thrilled to partner with Blue Apron to shine a spotlight on Hawaii-inspired cuisine and its roots,” said Chef Yamaguchi. “In collaboration with their culinary team, we created recipes that highlight elements of what makes this cuisine so unique, including juiced, dried, and preserved fruits in different formats...

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds Tours NaturalShrimp Plant

U.S.-based RAS shrimp company NaturalShrimp welcomed Iowa Governor and members of her staff on a tour of its Blairsburg, Iowa shrimp nursery and main grow out facility in Webster City on March 26, 2021.

The company released a series of videos during the tour, find them on the NatrualShrimp YouTube channel, here.

Governor Kim Reynolds commented on her visit, "NaturalShrimp, Inc. is growing and expanding in Northern Iowa which is a reflection of our incredibly diverse agriculture economy. I look forward to coming back to visit their expanded facility...

Alaska Fishing Updates for April 2021

This is Alaska Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Lots of fishing action across Alaska. 

It’s hard to believe, but in little more than a month, Alaska’s salmon season will officially open when sockeyes and Chinook return to the Copper River. Meanwhile, there’s lots of fishing activity across the state.

In Southeast, the winter Chinook troll fishery wrapped up on March 15.

It’s slow going at Sitka Sound where seiners continue to tap on a 33,304-ton roe herring harvest, or nearly 67 million pounds. A herring spawn on kelp fishery is..

Mexican Authorities Launch Workshops to Regain Shrimp Certification to U.S.

Mexico is wasting no time in trying to regain their shrimp certification to the U.S. This week heads of the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca) came together to provide an update on actions being taken after the U.S. banned wild shrimp imports late last month.

The agency revealed that they will not only be providing permanent technical supervision, but also hosting workshops in the main fishing spots in the country to train for the efficient operation of the Turtle Excluder Devices (DET) and Fish Excluder Devices...

VIDEO: Mexican Shrimp Ban; China Buying Pressure; Call for Biden to Revoke EO; Mother’s Day Spending

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they talk about the U.S. banning wild shrimp imports from Mexico; U.S. Senator Susan Collins requesting that the USTR turn the pressure up on China; PETA's call for Biden to revoke the Executive Order Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth; and Mother's Day spending.

This episode of the SeafoodNews Weekly Video is brought to you by Urner Barry Consulting. Urner Barry Consulting provides tailored solutions to identify...

Japan’s Discharge Announcement Triggers More Ripple Effect in China

Japan’s plan to discharge waste water into the ocean is more than a domestic issue. And it is believed to not only exert great influence on its own seafood industry, but also impact other countries to different extents. For example, China, one of its neighbors, intends to stop its seafood imports and search for other substitutes.

Japan was never a main seafood supplier to Chinam which tends to source seafood from all over the world, said one insider. The country is not even among the top 10 suppliers whose exports are...

Shake Shack to Debut Shrimp Burger in New York City Location

Popular burger chain Shake Shack will debut a shrimp burger at one of its New York City locations on May 6 as part of its collab series, marking just the second time seafood has hit the menu at Shake Shack.

Shake Shack and esteemed executive chef Junghyun “JP” Park and his team at Atoboy have teamed up to create “the Atobruger,” qsrmagazine reported. The burger will be dressed with the famous fermented pepper sauce featured across the Atoboy menu.

Limited quantities will be available at Shake Shack’s Madison Square...

ANALYSIS: March Shrimp Imports Surge Against Low 2020

March shrimp import totals were released today, and as expected blew past last year’s figures given the initial shutdowns that occurred in March 2020. At a little more than 138 million pounds, this was a 21 percent increase from 114.110 million pounds in the same month a year ago. Year-to-date figures are now nearly 10 percent above the first quarter of 2020.

India (-1.3%) continued to lag, but was the only major trade partner that showed any meaningful decline. Despite...

VIDEO: Snow Crab Closures; BlueNalu Seafood in Asia; Q1 Shrimp Landings; Surf’N Turf Sandwich

Join SeafoodNews Weekly Video co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they talk about the first grid closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence less than a month into the snow crab season. Plus, learn about BlueNalu's MOU with Thai Union and Mitsubishi Corporation; Gulf of Mexico Q1 shrimp landings; and the mouthwatering new Surf'N Turf Sandwich at Nathan's Famous and SlapFish's flagship locations. 

This episode of the SeafoodNews Weekly Video is brought to you by Urner Barry Consulting...

Gulf Shrimp Landings Continue Above-average Trend in 2021

Shrimp fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico are doing well so far this year, landing 2.7 million pounds of shrimp in March, more than in either 2020 or 2019.

The Southern Shrimp Alliance published the data recently released from the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center.

Landings in March 2020 were 2 million pounds and 2.4 million pounds in March 2019. The volume of shrimp landed in the region last month was the highest total reported for a March since 2017, at...

ANALYSIS: Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Landings 32 Percent Higher in Q1

The National Marine Fisheries Service reported March 2021 landings (all species, headless) of 2.656 million lbs. compared to 1.967 million lbs. in March 2020. This 35 percent increase is the fifth-straight month in which there was a year-over-year increase in landings.

The three-month total of 10.152 million lbs. is 32 percent above the Jan-Mar 2020 total of 7.693 million lbs. While this is great news for a fishery that saw record-low landings in...

ANALYSIS: Strength in Shrimp Market Accelerating, Demand Robust and Supply Constrained

Shrimp market values have been on the rise all year but accelerated in the last 30 days. The current situation is unique and the environment unmistakably robust.

Demand has become quite active in tandem with the reopening of restaurants, but probably at a pace that has surprised most market participants. The issue at-hand is that suppliers are short, part intentional and part through no fault of their own.

Importers had been replenishing somewhat cautiously — and for good reason...

White Shrimp Facing Different Fates in China’s Regions

This early April has seen obvious price contraction of white shrimp in China’s Guangdong province. As available statistics show, local reduction ranges between 4 to 6 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kilo) compared with the previous week, while prices of some shrimps have even plummeted by as much as 7 yuan/jin.

Apart from overall price decline, prices also differ to noticeable extents there, depending on qualities. In Zhanjiang, for example, the differences of same-sized shrimp are about 3 to 5 yuan/jin. Currently, most local shrimp weigh between...

Soline Trading Recalls Elephant Brand Black Tiger Shrimp Due to Undeclared Sulphites

Soline Trading Ltd. recalled its Elephant Brand Black Tiger Shrimp due to undeclared sulphites, per a recall notice posted on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website.

Recalled product includes Thai Elephant brand Black Tiger Shrimp, Headless, 16/20 and Black Tiger Shrimp, Headless, 21/25.

The impacted product was distributed through Hotel/Restaurant/Institutional channels in Ontario and Quebec, Canada...

Russia Ready to Increase Shrimp Catch in Years to Come  

Russia may significantly increase shrimp catch within the next several years as interest from local business for such type of fisheries is steadily growing, according to recent statements made by representatives of producers and some local media reports.   

According to these reports, in recent weeks an interest to shrimp production has been announced by some well-known Russian businessman. The biggest project is expected to be implemented by Rashid Nurgaliev, the son of the Deputy Secretary of the Security Council and ex-head of the...

FDA Nears 2020 Shrimp Refusal Totals in First Quarter of 2021

The FDA has published data that shows 33 entry lines of shrimp refused for banned antibiotics through the early months of 2021, almost matching the full-year total of 36 in 2020, the Southern Shrimp Alliance shared.

For the month of March there as 59 total seafood entry line refusals in March, of which 6 (10.2%) were of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics, per the SSA, a group representing the U.S. shrimp industry in the Gulf and southeastern part of the country...

Conservation Groups Sue NMFS Over Trump-era Gulf Shrimp Boat Sea Turtle Rule Changes

Multiple conservation groups filed a suit against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in a challenge of changes made to sea turtle protections by the Trump Administration.

The suit specifically challenges a rule change made under former President Donald Trump which scaled back expansions on turtle excluder device (TED) requirements for shrimp boats operating in the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern U.S.

“The new rule ignored the best available science and backtracked on a much stronger proposed rule from the Obama...