Chinese Health Authorities in Qingdao Claim to Have Found Traces of Coronavirus on Imported Seafood 

Health authorities in the city of Qingdao are claiming to have found traces of the coronavirus on packages of imported seafood.

According to the latest report published by Reuters, a seafood importer conducted routine testing after two of their employees tested positive for coronavirus, but displayed no symptoms. No other workers have tested positive. The two men are said to have handled the alleged contaminated products, but the exact item and origin of the alleged contaminated product in question has not been made public by...

JAPAN: August Marine Products Imports at 148,231 Million Yen, Down 2% From the Previous Year

According to preliminary trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, imports of marine products in August were 148,231 million yen ($1,418 million), down 2% from the same month of the previous year. Quantity decreased by 6%. Frozen salmon and trout, frozen mackerel, and frozen octopus grew, but frozen tuna struggled, reports Minato Shimbun.

Fresh and frozen salmon and trout brought in increased by 24% to nearly 20,000 tons, and the value increased by 29% to 20,698 million yen ($197.90 million)...

USCG Rescues Two Shrimp Fishermen in Louisiana

Rough weather necessitated U.S. Coast Guard help for a vessel Sunday near Lake Borgne.

Coast Guard crews airlifted two fishermen from the 48-foot shrimp vessel Sau Nguyen, after calls reporting the vessel was in trouble and taking on water due to inclement weather.

USCG watchstanders in New Orleans diverted a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter crew and a 29-foot Response Boat-Small II to assist.

The helicopter crew safely hoisted the two...

ANALYSIS: EU Frozen Shrimp Imports Down Year-on-Year   

While European consumption of shrimp trended upward over the summer months, trade activity remains below pre-pandemic levels.  

Quantity 

During the 12 month period ending in June 2020, The European Union (EU) imported  43,903.47 tonnes of frozen shrimp (HS 030617) compared to 49,674.19 tonnes a year previous, or a decline in total quantity of 11.6% (year-on-year) YoY.

Value 

According to latest available trade data, The EU imported a total value of €345.65m of frozen shrimp (HS 030617) over...

SeaPak Introduces Everything Bagel Butterfly Shrimp

Everyone loves a good everything bagel — including SeaPak. The latest product offering from the seafood company is Everything Bagel Butterfly Shrimp.

"This trend keeps growing and growing," said Kristen Beadon director of marketing for SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Co. "Our Everything Bagel Butterfly Shrimp brings an entirely new dimension to the value-added shrimp category, and with so many families eating at home more than ever now, we're excited to launch something new for our customer to try."

SeaPak's latest product features 9 ounces of crispy butterfly shrimp in...

SC Shrimp Boat Captain Wayne Magwood Remembered by Southern Shrimp Alliance, "Dirty Jobs" Host

Last week, long time South Carolina shrimp boat captain Edwin (Wayne) Magwood died in a car accident. The 67-year-old from Charleston had followed in his father's footsteps and began shrimping by the age of 16. Magwood was the captain of his boat, Winds of Fortune, and was a fixture on Shem Creek for more than 30 years before retiring this past July.

Since his untimely passing, the Southern Shrimp Alliance, of which he was a long-time member, and Mike Rowe, the host of...

Ecuador Reinforcing Biosecurity Measures for Shrimp Exporters

In an effort to guarantee the quality and safety of shrimp from Ecuador, the Ecuadorian Food Safety Quality Undersecretariat (SCI) announced this week that measures are being implemented by aquaculture establishments that export to the Chinese market.

According to SCI, companies must reinforce and ensure disinfection and hygiene measures for personnel, especially those in contact with the product and packaging. In addition, companies must provide personal protective equipment and supplies to prevent contagion between workers and possible contaminated surfaces. Diagnostic tests for COVID-19 will also be performed periodically...

Ecuador White Shrimp Faced With Great Challenges in Chinese Market

According to statistics from Chinese customs, 13 batches of Ecuador white shrimps weighing 196.156 tons have been rejected upon their entry into China this July. The rejection is said to result from the shrimps’ failure in sensory evaluation or diseases infection, and relevant companies’ voluntary recalling or failure in getting entry approval.

The rejection number has raised by around 30% compared with 145.873 tons this June. Though it sounds huge, it is actually not considering Ecuador’s total export to China, said an anonymous insider...

Live Shrimp Sees A Bright Tomorrow in Chinese Market

Regardless of some contraction, China’s live shrimp market has been seemingly going upward. And its prospect is promising with lowering shrimp deposits, as well as the coming festivals, like the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Farm gate prices of those at the size of 30 shrimp/jin (1 jin=0.5 kilo) are about 28 to 29 yuan/jin in Guangxi. They are priced at between 22 to 24 yuan/jin in most places of the Pearl River Delta region, while in some they are even sold at 26 to 27 yuan/jin...

Japan's Seafood Imports Fell 14% to 169,605 Tons in July

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance on August 28, the quantity of seafood imports (seafood and its preparations, fish meal, and seaweed) in July was 169,605 tons, down 14% from the same month of the previous year. It exceeded the same month last year in June but fell below again. Fresh and frozen shrimp increased by 7% to 15,506 tons, and fresh and frozen salmon and trout increased by 7% to 13,457 tons, but fresh and frozen tuna decreased by...

Pacific Seafood Temporarily Takes Over Processing Plant Lease in Port of Brookings Harbor 

Curry Coastal Pilot is reporting that Pacific Seafood has taken over the lease of BC Fisheries LLC, a processing plant in the Port of Brookings Harbor that shut down earlier this year due to the pandemic. 

The BC Fisheries processing plant at the Port of Brookings Harbor was opened by Mike Mannings in August 2016, creating 30 new jobs and supporting southern Oregon’s crabbers and shrimpers. The $9.6 million facility had the ability to process up to 2.4 million pounds of shrimp per month...

VIETNAM: Seafood Exports Increase After EVFTA Comes into Effect

The Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) has said that seafood exports to Europe have seen many positive signs since the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) came into effect at the beginning of this month.

The number of orders in the European market alone since the beginning of this month has increased by about 10 per cent compared to last month, specifically, for shrimp and squid.

Online newspaper VietQ reported that Trần Văn Lĩnh, chairman of the board of directors of Thuận Phước Seafoods and...

Vietnam’s Shrimp Exports to China Have Rebounded, and Tomorrow Seems Better

According to Chinese customs, the country’s import of frozen warmwater shrimp has reached US$1.98 billion during this first half year. And the import this June has increased by 34% to US$0.42 billion compared with this May.

As one of its main exporters, Vietnam is said to have sold shrimps worth US$0.2267 billion to its neighbor from this January to June. Despite 2.9% contraction of the value, it is comforting considering the harsh situation of this first quarter when the country was...

Arizona Shrimp Farmer Royal Caridea Lands $2.2 Million Loan

North Avenue Capital, a commercial lender funding USDA Rural Development loans, closed a deal to provide shrimp farmer Royal Caridea with $2.2 million for new equipment and working capital for its Gila Bend, Arizona facility.

Royal Caridea is a shrimp farmer focusing on “reconstituting the shrimp industry by raising a variety of fresh and frozen shrimp products for distribution among regional grocers and restaurants.”

The company operates two properties southwest of Phoenix, the loan is expected to help Royal Caridea make upgrades to its ponds and increase in scale to establish itself in the U.S. shrimp market...

The Winding Glass: 35% of Restaurant Purchasing Evaporates in 2020; Where Does That Leave Us?

[The Winding Glass is a commentary and opinion column by John Sackton, Founder of SeafoodNews]

Like most of us individually, the seafood industry has adjusted to a new normal during this pandemic. However, despite hoping to return to where we were last year, it is increasingly unlikely that will happen even with a vaccine in 2021. Personally, and on an industry level, we have to confront that we are in a new world, and there is likely going to be a multi-year period of...

Retailers, Seafood Companies Urge Governments to Address Outbreak of New Disease in Shrimp Farms

A number of retailers and seafood companies, including Chicken of the Sea, High Liner Foods, Fortune International and Beaver Street Fisheries, as well as the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, are calling on the governments of China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to take action about an outbreak of new disease in shrimp farms.

“Governments need to take action now to stop disease outbreaks in shrimp farms,” said Anton Immink, aquaculture director at SFP. “Disease disrupts the reliability of supply chains, threatens seafood sustainability and jobs, and...

Everything You Need to Know About the FDA's FSMA Food Traceability Proposed Rule

On Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a proposed rule to establish additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for certain foods. So, what exactly does this mean? We're breaking it down….

The proposed rule is actually titled "Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods," and is a key component of the FDA's New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint. If finalized the proposed rule would "standardize the data elements and information firms must establish and maintain, and the information they would need...

SeaPak Introduces New Shrimp Sea Pals

Forget about the dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets! SeaPak has launched a new product, Shrimp Sea Pals, that will have kids eating their recommended two servings of seafood each week.

"At SeaPak, our goal is to make seafood an east fit for everyday busy life," explained Kristen Beadon, Director of Marketing for SeaPak. "We're always looking for new ways to serve up great-tasting seafood, whether it's by introducing new flavors, new kinds of seafood or, in this case, new shapes."

SeaPak's Shrimp Sea Pals, which are made with minced shrimp and whole grain breading....

China’s Demand for Ecuador White Shrimp Seemingly Revives

Due to the coronavirus, Ecuador ran into great trouble in white shrimp exports this year, and earlier local prices even hit the lowest level within the past decade. But luckily since August the market has been gradually recovering with better control of this epidemic worldwide and rising demand of its main buyers, like China.

As statistics show, on September 13, the price increased by US$0.2/kg to US$3.6/kg compared with previous week for those weighing between 40 to 50 shrimps/kg. Local processing plants are fastening production...

USDA Eyeing Purchase of U.S. Shrimp, Alaska Pollock

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is yet again looking for offers to sell seafood, including wild shrimp and Alaska pollock.

The USDA is looking for bids on 318,600 containers of frozen peeled and deveined shrimp, packed in two-pound packages. Ten two-pound packages were packed in a 20-pound shipping container. Frozen block (bulk) shrimp shall be packed in a 5-pound primary package. Four 5-pound primary packages shall be packed in a 20-pound (net weight) shipping container, the USDA explained...

The Winding Glass: Despite Uncertainties, Signs Point to Good Holiday and Lent Season for Seafood

[The Winding Glass is an opinion and commentary column from John Sackton, Founder of Seafood News.]

After seven months of struggling to keep businesses going during the pandemic, it seems we are in a bit of a lull.  No end is in sight, but things are not getting dramatically better either.  The bounce back we experienced both in terms of sales demand and restaurant demand in June and July appears to be fading.

In mid-September, we simply face a huge number of uncertainties...

CP Foods Unveils Sustainable ‘CP Pacific’ Sustainable Shrimp Line

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods) launched its new sustainable shrimp brand, “CP Pacific.”

The company’s Chief Operating Officer of Aquaculture Business Dr. Sujint Thammasart explained the CP Foods’ effort to move its aquaculture operations to more sustainable practices and how the new brand reflects the company's progress and commitments.

“The global food market is facing fierce competition due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Besides the taste of product, consumers are becoming more and more concerned about healthy product, food safety, and the environmental impact from foods that they buy,” Dr. Sujint...

ANALYSIS: July Shrimp Imports Higher By Double Digits

July shrimp imports were released Thursday and reversed the negative year-over-year trend seen the last two months. Data released showed July imports to be 12.9 percent higher than 2019 at 150.201 million (v 133.042) pounds. 

Urner Barry Consulting Economist Angel Rubio predicted the July total to come in at 148.795 million pounds.

Of our top five trade partners, outsized gains from Indonesia (+27.8%), Ecuador (+81.8%), Vietnam (+17.8%), and Thailand (+18.8%) outpaced smaller year-to-year declines from India (-4.7%) and...

PHOTOS: Coast Guard Launches Operation Bubba Gump to Protect Shrimp Fishery

It may sound like something out of the award winning film “Forrest Gump,” but the Coast Guard has launched “Operation Bubba Gump.”

The operation, which started in South Carolina and Georgia on August 24, was created to protect and enforce state and federal fishing regulations, with a focus on the shrimp fishery. A total of nine U.S. Coast Guard units are involved, as well as South Carolina and Georgia’s Departments of Natural Resources, the S.C. Law Enforcement Division, and the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement...

Despite Slight Improvement in July, Gulf Shrimp Landings Still Down

Gulf of Mexico shrimp landings in July is a mixed bag of good news and not-so-good news: Landings were better this year than in 2019, but overall landings for the year are still down, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

Louisiana had a particularly rough July.

Last month, 7.8 million pounds of shrimp were landed in the Gulf, up from 7 million pounds in July of 2019. The increase in landings occurred despite another poor month in Louisiana, where shrimpers ...

Louisiana Delays Opening of Shrimp Season in Portions of Shrimp Management Zones 1 and 3

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced Thursday afternoon that they are delaying the opening of the shrimp season in portions of shrimp management zones 1 and 3. 

A delay is being implemented due to recent biological data that “could negatively impact the Louisiana commercial shrimp industry.” According to data, the amount of juvenile white shrimp that have migrated into portions of state inside waters have rapidly increased. Moving ahead with the opening...

China Lifts Final Suspension on Ecuador Shrimp Company

China has now lifted the suspension on all three Ecuadorian shrimp companies. Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture confirmed the news late last week.

As SeafoodNews previously reported, China suspended shrimp imports after allegedly finding positive samples of coronavirus on packaging. China’s General Administration of Customs  (GAC) said that samples collected from Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila S.A., along with Empacreci S.A. and Empacadora Del Pacifico Sociedad Anonima Edpacif S.A., suggested that the “container environment and the outer packaging of the products of the three companies in Ecuador are...

Shrimp Farmers in China Encouraged by Overall Market Situation; Feel Confident About Tomorrow

China’s domestic shrimp prices have increased in many regions, and quite a number of farmers said that they feel optimistic about the future. In others, despite price contraction now, local farmers expect prices to rise later. Although most markets look satisfactory at present or in the near future, a few are faced with some challenges.

In the western Guangdong, for example, there is an obvious increase in shrimp prices. Most have increased between 2 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kilo) to 3 yuan/jin...

Ecuador Signs Sanitary Protocol With China to Facilitate Export of Shrimp

Ecuador’s president, Lenin Moreno, announced on Thursday that a sanitary protocol with China has been signed to facilitate the export of shrimp. The announcement comes after weeks of back and forth between the two countries following China’s decision to suspend shrimp imports from three Ecuadorian companies.

“We overcome the trade problem, further promoted the sales of ‘the best shrimp in the world’ and protected thousands of jobs. #WeExportQuality,” a translated tweet from Moreno reads.

As SeafoodNews reported in early July, China suspended Ecuador shrimp imports from Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila S.A...

China Lifts Suspension on One of Three Ecuadorian Shrimp Exporters

Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry announced Monday morning that China has lifted the suspension on shrimp from Santa Priscila, one of the three companies that had been suspended last month.

As SeafoodNews previously reported, China suspended shrimp imports after allegedly finding positive samples of coronavirus on packaging. China’s General Administration of Customs said that samples collected from Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila S.A., along with Empacreci S.A. and Empacadora Del Pacifico Sociedad Anonima Edpacif S.A., suggested that the “container environment and the outer packaging of the...