China’s Closed Fishing Season Having Unignorable Ripple Effect

China’s closed fishing season, which reduces its domestic seafood supply and pushes prices upward, began this May.  For example, white shrimp prices have been on the rise in the South China since mid-April, and some are set to exceed 70 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kilo) during the closed fishing season.

This season is bad news for live seafood lovers in China but a great opportunity for overseas suppliers. Consider the example of Ningbo, which has just started its four-month-long closed season...

No Coast, No Problem; Venture Near Strathmore Gives Rise to Alberta's First Large-Scale Shrimp Farm

Thousands of kilometres from the nearest ocean, Strathmore, is the last place anyone would expect to find a local source of sustainable seafood.

But this corner of cattle country, best known for its feedlots and livestock auctions, is taking on a decidedly "surf and turf" flavour. Waterford Farms - a 9,000-squarefoot facility located in Wheatland County, just east of Strathmore - is the first large-scale commercial shrimp-growing operation in Alberta, and proponents say it could be...

NaturalShrimp Expands Marketing Program With Addition of Corporate Chef

Texas-based aquaculture company NaturalShrimp is expanding their marketing program. The company announced late last week that they have hired Douwe Iedema of Livingston, Texas, as their new Corporate Chef.

"I am honored to be the Corporate Executive Chef for NaturalShrimp," Iedema said in a press release. "No shrimp can be compared with ours. The world natural says it all. Our shrimp are sweet, buttery and clean. This is the way shrimp should taste. All white Pacific shrimp have a sweetness to them – ours a little more...

Newfoundland Announces Plan to Provide More Offshore Industrial Shrimp for Local Processing

Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources, announced a program to give Newfoundland shore processors more access to offshore shrimp caught in Canada's EEZ.  Byrne says this program could see several thousand additional tons of shrimp processed onshore with a potential value of millions of dollars and significant job creation for rural communities.

Offshore shrimp has been landed in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Maritime provinces, Iceland and Norway for many years. In 2018, offshore vessels landed approximately 30,000 tonnes of frozen-at-sea shrimp in...

Alaska April 2019 Fishing Updates

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

Lots of fishing is underway in April all across Alaska. 

One sad exception is the roe herring fishery at Sitka Sound where seiners have yet to wet their nets. Typically the fishery has come and gone by mid-March and the harvest called for a nearly 13,000 ton haul.

The herring, which are valued for their eggs, are showing up but they are too small to call an opener. The latest Sitka herring fishery ever occurred on April 15 in 2002...

LISTEN: Phillips Foods Crab Meat Theft; NL Snow Crab Quotas; Alaska Salmon Harvest Forecast and More

Join SeafoodNews Podcast hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione for a brand new episode. This week on the podcast we talk about Phillips Foods' crab meat theft; the Newfoundland snow crab quotas for 2019; Vietnam shrimp; the Alaska salmon harvest forecast and more. 

This week's episode is brought to you by Urner Barry's Executive Conference, taking place at the Bellagio in Las Vegas from April 28-30. The Executive Conference is a must-attend event for decision makers in the protein industry...

The Winding Glass: Markets Don’t Care

This column from SeafoodNews Founder and Publisher John Sackton is a new trial feature that may continue as John retires from active management of SeafoodNews.  

The spring is a time when many seasonal price negotiations get underway in fisheries where harvesters negotiate a fixed price.  This certainly happens in Snow Crab, Cold water Shrimp, and Canadian Cod; and to a lesser extent lobster.

Other seafood producers, such as those farming salmon, shrimp, or landing scallops or groundfish see prices vary from week to week depending on the commodity market demand...

Costs Rising Rapidly for Shrimp Producers in Vietnam

The worst situation for  shrimp producers is when there is a glut on the market and prices are down, but your costs for production are rising.  There is no way to pass along the increased costs, and eventually production has to be cut back.

In Vietnam, shrimp and pangasius  producers are seeing a particularly rapid run up in costs in four areas: electrical power, labor, feed prices, and raw materials.

Vietnam has been raising electricity prices to large users, including those who run freezers and processing plants...

Harvesters Upset After Gulf of St. Lawrence 2019 Shrimp Quota Cut 15%

The Gulf of St. Lawrence shrimp quota for 2019 was cut 15% - a move that the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is condemning.

The DFO announced the 15% cut to shrimp available to Newfoundland and Labrador Harvesters on Tuesday. While the quota was set at 5,960 tons in 2018, the quota for this year dropped to 5,066 tons. Harvesters in the area had been pushing for a 10% increase "based on the fact their 2018 catch rates were...

Seattle Shrimp & Seafood Company Joins GSSI Global Partnership as Funding Partner

The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) announced this week that Seattle Shrimp & Seafood Company, a global supplier of shrimp and shellfish, has joined their global partnership as a funding partner.

The GSSI Global Partnership works towards "more sustainable seafood for everyone," and is supported by more than 90 partner organizations all over the globe, including Bumble Bee Foods, Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Gorton's, Kroger, Red Lobster, US Foods, and more.

Atsushige Amano, President of Seattle Shrimp & Seafood, said in a press release that...

Pescanova Introduces New Shrimp Products at Seafood Expo North America

Pescanova introduced three new ready-to-cook shrimp products within their Seafood Tapas range while at Seafood Expo North America earlier this week.

Pescanova launched their Seafood Tapas line last year for the U.S. retail channel. The new products launched at this year's Boston Seafood show include raw, extra-large peeled and deveined Argentine Red Shrimp in three flavors: Salted Butter and Garlic; Chipotle Sea Salt; and Citrus Herb. Pescanova boasts that the line is easy to prepare, with consumers simply needing to...

Legal Seafoods and CP Foods to Introduce Legal Branded Shrimp Products for National Distribution

Legal Seafoods is adding more products under its own brand for national distribution.  At the Boston Seafood Show, they announced a partnership with Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods) to co-pack premium shrimp products for distribution in North America.

With both companies sharing the same view of expansion in the US branded shrimp market,  Mr. Roger Berkowitz, CEO of Legal Sea Foods, and Dr. Sujint Thammasart, COO (Aquaculture Business Unit) of CP Foods, say it is a proud moment for both companies to jointly introduce...

U.S. Attorney’s Office Sells Shrimp Boat Seized After Fraud Conviction

The Assistant United States Attorney with the Southern District of Georgia’s Asset Recovery Unit has completed the sale of a shrimp boat that was seized in a federal fraud investigation.

The shrimp boat initially belonged to Tybee Island shrimper and fisherman Michael Brian Anderson. According to the Department of Justice, Anderson submitted “multiple false claims to Customs & Border Protection (CBP) seeking millions of dollars in subsidies under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 (CDSOA).” The CDSOA protects American shrimp producers by imposing...

VIDEO: Farmed Salmon Update; Lent Seafood; MSC Gulf Snow Crab; SeaPak Budweiser Partnership

SeafoodNews Weekly Recap's Lorin Castiglione is back! Watch Lorin and co-host Amanda Buckle reunite on screen as they talk about the latest farmed salmon market update; Lent seafood offerings; the MSC Gulf Snow Crab Certificate; and SeaPak's partnership with Budweiser.

This video is sponsored by the Urner Barry Executive Conference, now the premier event for the seafood industry. The Executive Conference, taking place at the Bellagio in Las Vegas from April 28th to the 30th, is expanding this year and...

Shoney’s Kicks Off Seafood Season with New Menu Items, Enhanced Seafood Fresh Food Bar

Shoney’s has some new seafood offerings – and just in time for Lent.

The Lenten season begins on Wednesday, and now through April 21 Shoney’s is offering their guests the best seafood prepared with “Shoney’s signature quality.”

“Shoney’s prides itself on giving our valued guests what they want when they want it,” said Shoney’s Chairman and CEO, David Davoudpour. “And now, it’s the season for seafood and we’re serving the finest the ocean has to offer. This year’s Seafood Fest will satisfy our guests at every level...

Panda Express Adds Wok-Fired Shrimp to Wok Smart Menu for Limited Time

For a limited time, Panda Express fans can now get Wok-Fired Shrimp from the Wok Smart menu.

The Asian dining restaurant brand announced the latest addition to the better-for-you menu on Monday. The new option combines premium shrimp and fresh cut vegetables for a sweet, savory and spice entrée.

“The complex components of Wok-Fired Shrimp, such as the three hot peppers, bring a whole new experience to the flavor profiles our guests know and love,” said Chef Jimmy Wang...

Chinese Demand for Imported Shrimp May Grow 20% This Year

Recently 7FRESH of JD has released a list of fresh food products popular online during the first quarter. Regarding China’s domestic seafood, crayfish have become a hot commodity among foodies. Meanwhile, in terms of imported seafood, Ecuador’s white shrimp and Chile’s salmon steaks stand out and have won over consumers in the huge market.

In addition to statistics from China’s e-commerce giant, customs statistics also illustrate the great demand for imported seafood. For example, as official data show, there has been a great increase in China’s import of white shrimp from Ecuador...

Stirling University Scientists Question Environmental Benefit for Plant-Based Shrimp Feeds

As fishmeal costs have risen, and as environmentalists have targeted fisheries on ‘forage fish’, there has been a widely held assumption that substituting plant based ingredients for fishmeal and oil was a positive step for environmental conservation.

Now scientists at Stirling University in the UK, probably the leading aquaculture research institution in the world, have published a paper showing the issue in shrimp feed is not clear cut.

 The new study led by PhD researcher Wesley Malcorps challenges this popular theory.

The multidisciplinary team researched...

China's Seafood Imports to Increase This Year

Seafood prices in China usually stay at high levels around festivals. But during this Tomb-Sweeping Day, the balance has been stricken between the country’s shrimp supply and demand, and prices are likely to decline shortly after the festival. The large supply of imported shrimp is one main reason for the situation this year.

For example, Ecuador exported 56,956-tons of white shrimps to China and Vietnam this past January and February, most of which are estimated to be eaten by Chinese. This means an increase of around 60% in Ecuador’s export to...

Applebee's Brings Back Salmon and Shrimp Entrees on Bigger, Bolder Grill Combos Menu

Salmon and shrimp lovers can go "bigger and bolder" at Applebee's this month. The restaurant chain announced that they've brought back their Bigger, Bolder Grill Combos menu for a limited time.

Applebee's typically launches their Bigger, Bolder Grill Combos offer during tax season, but also brought back the special menu for a limited time this past November. This is the first time that the chain has brought back their Bigger, Bolder Grill Combos this year.

Starting at just $12.99, diners can enjoy their choice of...

Cheating Gourmet Rebranding to Scott & Jon's; Introducing New Look and Line of Products

Cheating Gourmet, the makers of frozen, value-added seafood, announced this week that they are rebranding to Scott & Jon's after their co-founders and brothers, Scott and Jon Demers. In addition to the rebranding, the packages will also have a new look, as well as a new line of pasta and noodle bowls.

"Rebranding with our own names was our way of connecting with our customers, family-to-family," explained Jon Demers in a press release. "We are deeply committed to producing quality products that...

NaturalShrimp Accelerating Production at Texas Facility With New Water Treatment Systems

NaturalShrimp is getting ready to ramp up production at their Lacoste, Texas, facility. The company announced on Thursday that they have received two additional EC shrimp water treatment systems that will accelerate full production.

"There is a huge consumer demand for our product," said Bill G. Williams, CEO of NaturalShrimp. "This expansion will allow NaturalShrimp to significantly increase the amount of fresh shrimp we can produce."

The company reports that they are scheduled to have stocked two new production tanks of shrimp in their system by...

Southeast Asia's First Cell-Based Meat Company Unveils Lab Grown Shrimp

Cell-based meat companies are nothing new in the U.S., but Southeast Asia's first cell-based meat company just debuted their lab grown shrimp at the second Disruption in Food and Sustainability Summit in Singapore last week.

Shiok Meats was formed last August by cell biologists Dr. Sandhya Sriram and Dr. Ling Ka Yi with the mission to "bring delicious, clean and healthy seafood and meats by harvesting from cells instead of animals." So far the company has been developing shrimp, which they used to create their first product...

Elior North America Restaurant Management Company To Begin Using Only Responsibly Sourced Salmon

Culinary and restaurant management company Elior North America announced this week that, under guidance by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, their client restaurants will only be serving wild salmon fished in an environmentally responsible way.

"Elior North America is proud to collaborate with Seafood Watch on this effort," said Guy Kellner, Senior Vice President of Culinary Development. "We are excited about the role we can play in providing our clients and their customers with seafood choices that support healthy oceans and...

LISTEN: Taste Testing Trident's Protein Noodles; The Future of Meal Kits; Plus More News From SENA

SeafoodNews Podcast hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione are back from Seafood Expo North America!

Join us as we talk about all things Boston Seafood Show - from Trident's Protein Noodles to the Chilean Salmon Marketing Council's "The Promise of Patagonia" campaign. Plus, find out where meal kits are heading in the future.

This week's episode is brought to you by Urner Barry's Executive Conference, taking place at the Bellagio in Las Vegas from April 28-30. The Executive Conference is...

Cooke Inc. Acquires California Distributor All Seas Wholesale, Inc.

Cooke Inc. announced on Tuesday that they have acquired California seafood distributor All Seas Wholesale, Inc.

“Purchasing All Seas allows us to continue to strengthen our vertical integration and distribute our True North Seafood products to additional markets,” said Cooke Inc. CEO Glenn Cooke. “All Seas prides itself on being able to receive an order early in the morning and have it delivered fresh to the customer to serve on their lunch menu that same day, and that fits very well with our drive for high standards in both... 

GAA Combating CBC Exposé on Shrimp, Antimicrobial Resistance

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) is scheduled to air a segment on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and shrimp on Friday, and the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) is ready to fight back. GAA is warning its members that due to the nature of the segment, as well as conversations that they had with CBC, that the segment will “insinuate to viewers that imported, farmed shrimp is a food-safety concern when there is no indication that it is unsafe.”

According to GAA, the segment is part of an investigation that CBC conducted in...

China Establishes Research Center Targeting Seafood Smuggling

In order to show determination and strengthen supervision against smuggling, China established its National Anti-Smuggling Coordination Survey and Research Center, also known as NARC, in Nanning of Guangxi on February 23. This center is said to be responsible for studying the smuggling situation, predicting the trend and also providing suggestions about how to tackle the problem. Seafood smuggling is one of the top priorities on its to-do list, according to media reports.

Seafood smuggling has been haunting China for many years now. Even some renowned seafood companies were caught ...

U.S. Shrimp Imports Increased 4.8% in 2018

Due to a delay from the government shutdown, final 2018 shrimp import numbers were released on Wednesday. And according to the U.S. Census, shrimp imports into the U.S. increased 4.8% in 2018.

Peeled shrimp increased 6.2% when looking at December 2018 vs. December 2017. A total of 58,477 pounds of peeled shrimp was imported into the U.S. in December 2018 compared to 55,050 pounds in December 2017. YTD there was 665,745 pounds imported compared to 619,329 pounds in 2017.

Meanwhile, Urner Barry market reporter Jim Kenny reports that there was a...

Pacific Seafood Announces New Sustainability-Related Projects for 2019

Oregon-based Pacific Seafood has published their second annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report, and the 47-page document highlights some of the company’s new sustainability-related projects for the new year.

“When Pacific Seafood was founded more than 75 years ago, it was my family’s goal to deliver the freshest seafood on the planet to our customers every day,” said Pacific Seafood CEO and President Frank Dulcich. “Today, our commitment to that goal remains unchanged and stronger than ever. Protecting the longevity of our oceans and...