These Are The Top 10 Seafood Items Consumed In The U.S. For 2020

Seafood consumption figures are in for 2020, revealing how the pandemic helped - and hurt - the industry.

When the coronavirus began spreading in the U.S. in early 2020, the government took extreme lockdown measures, shutting down all non-essential businesses. While restaurants were allowed to remain open, their dining rooms were closed. This was a major blow to the seafood industry, where fish and shellfish thrived at dine-in. However, retail seafood purchases did increase with many people using the lockdown to learn how to...

Seven Companies from Papua New Guinea and the Philippines Join Global Tuna Alliance

The Global Tuna Alliance (GTA) announced that seven additional companies from Papa New Guinea and the Philippines have pledged their support.

The GTA said the addition of Frabelle, RD processing PNG, South Seas Tuna Canning SSTC, Nambawan, International Food Corporation (IFC), Philbest and Majestic Seafoods shows tuna Regional Fishery Management Organizations (tRFMOs) their slow progress is leading to more unity across the marketplace.

The seven new GTA members from the Fishing Industry Association Papua New Guinea (FIA PNG) have a processing capacity of 980mt of...

Russia Considering Taking Measures for Prevention of Fish and Seafood Shortage in Domestic Market

Russia is considering taking measures for the prevention of fish and seafood shortages in the domestic market, which could be the result of unprecedented sanctions, imposed on the country.

According to recent statements of Alexey Buglak, head of the Russian Pollock Association, which were made in an interview with the local RBC business paper, the deliveries of certain fish and seafood species to the domestic market, such as shrimp, Atlantic herring and mackerel can be partially replaced by domestic products, as Russian fishermen produce them...

Canada’s Ocean Brands Skipjack Tuna Now 100% MSC Certified

Ocean Brands GP, a canned seafood supplier announced that its Ocean’s brand Skipjack Tuna is now 100% Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable.

The company said the move solidifies its commitment to protecting and preserving the oceans for the future. Ocean Brands sells canned seafood through the Ocean's, Gold Seal, and Millionnaires brands.

Back in 2021, the company notably increased its sourcing of MSC-certified seafood for its Ocean’s portfolio from 11% to 40%. With the Skipjack Tuna now MSC certified, the company once again boosted the percentage to 70%...

Japan: February Fresh Imported Tuna Sales at Toyosu Market Plummeted by 78%

Tokyo's Toyosu Market's imported fresh tuna sales in February, compiled by Jiji Press, was 106 fish, a decrease of about 78% from the same month of the previous year. There was no arrival of bigeye tuna, and the number of wild bluefin tuna plummeted to less than one-tenth, reported Suisan Keizai.

The total number of bluefin tuna was 34 (372 in the same month of the previous year), a significant decrease of about 91%. Losing to other country markets such as the United States and China...

Wolfgang Puck Serving Salmon, Tuna at 2022 Oscars Governors Ball

What will the A-listers be eating after the Oscars? Seafood, of course!

The 94th Oscars are taking place on Sunday, March 27, and Chef Wolfgang Puck is returning to create the menu for the official post-Oscars celebration, the Governors Ball. The celebrity chef and Wolfgang Puck Catering will be collaborating on menu items with Bronx-based culinary collective Ghetto Gastro, a company that works to “blend influences from the African diaspora, global South ingredients and hip-hop to create offerings that address race, identity and economic empowerment...

Bumble Bee Seafoods Launches New “Good For You” Campaign

Bumble Bee Seafoods wants consumers to know something about tuna… It’s “Good For You.”

The iconic 120-year-old fishing company announced this week that they’re launching a new advertising campaign to “recruit the next generation of tuna lovers by dispelling category perceptions and inspiring new usage ideas.”

“At Bumble Bee, we firmly believe that everyone deserves to eat well, no matter what,” said Jeanine Lewis Canales. VP and head of Marketing at Bumble bee. “Our research shows that this is often because younger generations don’t view tuna as versatile...

Japan: 2021 Frozen Tuna Imports Up In Fillets Processed in China, Fell In Whole Fish

According to the December 2021 trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance on January 28, the import result of frozen tuna for the last year was that whole tuna (gilled and gutted) had a decrease in quantity and a high unit price except for albacore. The unit price of the fillet (including loin) increased despite the quantity increase. Due to the new coronavirus spread, the number of foreign vessels in operation decreased. Because the prospects for bringing in lean meat tuna will continue...

JAPAN: January Fresh Imported Tuna Sales Plunge at Toyosu Market

According to the Jiji Press calculation, the number of imported fresh tuna delivered to the Toyosu market in Tokyo in January was only 43, a sharp decrease to almost one-eighth of the same month last year's 333. Both North America and the Mediterranean halted shipments, and most farmed Mexican bluefins were sold outside the auction market. Bigeye tuna also continued to be sluggish, with less than 100 for the second consecutive year.

The total number of tuna was 31 compared to 296 in the same month...

Law Firm Shares Details for Consumers Regarding Chicken of the Sea’s Class Action Settlement

JND Legal Administration announced a partial settlement has been reached in the canned tuna price-fixing litigation involving major companies Chicken of the Sea International, StarKist and Bumble Bee Foods.

The settlement involves COSI, which was granted preliminary approval on a handful of settlements totaling $39.5 million. COSI served as the whistleblower of the canned tuna price-fixing conspiracy and Law360 reported that settlement with consumers, or End Payer Plaintiffs (EPPs) was $20 million...

JAPAN: 2021 Imports Down 2%, Sockeye and Bigeye Tuna Fell By Two Digits

Based on the trade statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance on January 28, the 2021 marine product imports (preliminary figures, fish and shellfish and their preparations, fish meal, and seaweed) compiled by Minato Shimbun decreased by 2% from the previous year to 2,112,601 tons. It had fallen below the previous year's level for the second consecutive year, following 2020, when it decreased by 8% due to the effects of the coronavirus. The principal seafood was fresh and frozen shrimp, up 6% to 158,714 tons, fresh...

BlueNalu Partners With Japanese Sushi Restaurant Operator FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES

Cell-cultured seafood company BlueNalu has partnered with FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES, the largest sushi restaurant operator in Japan. 

For those unfamiliar with FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES, the foodservice leader operates over 1,000 restaurants across Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Mainland China, including brands like Sushiro and Kyotaru. As part of the partnership with BlueNalu, the cell-cultured company will be focusing on developing a supply-chain solution for bluefin tuna, as well as other sushi-grade products for the sushi restaurant operator. The two companies will not only...

JAPAN: November Frozen Bigeye Imports Fall Below 2500 Tons, First Time in 10 Years

According to the customs statistics of the Ministry of Finance, the import record of tuna in November 2021 was 391 tons for fresh and chilled tuna, down 38% from the same month of the previous year, 722 million yen ($6.24 million), down 18%. Frozen tuna was 13,037 tons, down 22%, 13,769 million yen ($119 million), up 25%, and processed tuna was 3934 tons, up 27%, 2,493 million yen ($21.56 million), up 35%, reported Suisan Keizai.

Frozen bigeye tuna (gilled and gutted)...

Japan’s November Exports Fall 11% In Volume, Up 26% In Value

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, the volume of marine products exports (fish and shellfish and their preparations, and fish meal) in November decreased by 11% from the same month of the previous year to 39,375 tons. The value increased by 26% to 25,176 million yen ($217.46 million). The volume of frozen scallops and yellowtail fillets was lower than the same month of the previous year, but the value was higher, reported Minato Shimbun.

The volume of frozen scallops...

REPORTER: 2021 Turns The Tables On National Seafood Month

This article was originally featured in the Winter 2022 Edition of Urner Barry's Reporter magazine.

Usually, the line around the industry goes, “October is National Seafood Month for a reason.” Historically, seafood items trend lower as the weather cools and holiday season begins. But things are different in 2021.

Many seafood products trended up in October, with some hitting all-time highs in the process. Nearly all items which experienced upward pricing pressure during the month felt the impacts of rising shipping costs, lack of container availability, and the litany of logistical headaches the seafood industry has been facing.

Toyosu Market’s Imported Fresh Tuna Sales in November Down 50%, No Shipment of Bigeyes

Tokyo's Toyosu Market received 331 unfrozen imported tuna (703 in the same month of the previous year) on the fresh tuna auction floor in November, a decrease of 53% from the same month of the last year, Jiji Press compiled, and Minato Shimbun announced. The number of bluefin tuna, including those from North America, decreased to nearly half, and wild southern bluefin tuna and bigeye tuna had no arrival, Minato Shinbun reported.

Mexican farmed bluefin fell to one-tenth...

MSC Forecasts Record-Breaking Sustainable Tuna Sales

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has forecasted record sales of tuna featuring its blue MSC label, reaching 130,000 metric tons in 2021-22, over double the amount sold five years ago (50,000 MT).

The MSC credited an increase in commitments from seafood companies and retailers including Lidl, Aldi, Edeka, Rio Mare, Followfood, Waitrose, Walmart and John West Australia to source only sustainable tuna. 

Fishing companies are also behind the increased sales, according to the MSC because of their increased investment in sustainable harvesting practices in order to achieve certification...

Dongwon to Host Bluefin Tuna Show in South Korea Car Store

Dongwon Industries will host a dismantling show of a 300kg super-large North Atlantic bluefin tuna at a Hyundai store in South Korea from April 22-26.

The tuna was caught by the company near Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean in November 2021. The average weight of fish is over 200kg, with a maximum weight of 300kg. According to Dongwon, this species is noted as one of the premier options for sashimi because of its thick fat layer and firm flesh to maintain body temperature at...

Fish Imports To Russia Will Decline By At Least 30% This Year  

According to recent statements made by the Russian Pollock Association, fish imports to Russia this year will decline by at least 30%, while there could also be serious problems with the replacement of a number of fish species, such as Atlantic salmon and tuna.

In 2021, Russia imported 579,000 tons of fish products for $2.1 billion. According to analyst forecasts, this year deliveries will decrease to 385,000 tonnes and US$1.5 billion. 

As president of the association...

Global Tuna Alliance Shares Progress Towards 2025 Pledge in First Annual Review

The Global Tuna Alliance (GTA) a group of retailers and tuna supply chain companies said it is well underway to fulfilling its 2025 Pledge Toward Sustainable Tuna (25PST) following its first annual review.

Last year, the Alliance launched its 25PST which committed a range of f signatories across the global tuna supply chain to ensure that the tuna industry meets the highest possible standards of environmental performance and social responsibility within five years. According to the review, the GTA partners have already hit over one-third of...

Former Bumble Bee Foods Owner Back in the Middle of Canned Tuna Price-Fixing Case

Lion Captial, the former private equity owner of Bumble Bee Foods has now been pulled back into the canned tuna price-fixing case after an earlier ruling dismissed the firm from the case.

A March 21 decision by United States District Court Judge Dana M. Sabraw reversed an initial move that dismissed the private equity firm, based in the UK, from paying damages to plaintiffs. According to Sabraw, the plaintiffs provided enough evidence that Lion Capital is on the hook for antitrust claims...

Wild Planet Shares Health, Sustainability Benefits of its Ready-to-Eat Tuna Salad Bowls

Wild Planet Foods is showing off its Ready-to-Eat Tuna Salad Bowls by highlighting its convenience, sustainability and health benefits as Expo West wraps up on March 11.

The company promoted its Wild Tuna Pasta Salad with organic red peppers, tomatoes and green olives; Wild Tuna White Bean Salad with organic chickpeas, carrots, red peppers and green olives; and Wild Tuna, Bean & Corn Salad with organic sweetcorn, red peppers and carrots.

The tuna bowls do not need to be heated up, mixed with other ingredients...

NOAA May Expand Species Included in the Seafood Import Monitoring Program

NOAA Fisheries announced that it submitted a report to Congress on the development of a list of species for consideration under the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP).

SIMP is a screening and deterrent tool to identify illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fish and fish products and misrepresented seafood from entering the U.S. market. The program uses “risk-based criteria to target the species most vulnerable to IUU fishing and seafood fraud.

The report evaluated the inclusion of current species in SIMP and considered whether or...

Japan: December Imported Fresh Tuna Down 81.1% at Toyosu Market

In December 2021, the number of imported fresh tuna in the Toyosu Market in Tokyo, compiled by Jiji Press, dropped by 81.1% from the same month the previous year to 132 from 697. The arrival of bigeye tuna completely diminished, wild southern bluefin tuna disappeared for the second consecutive year, and the number of farmed bluefin tuna from Mexico decreased sharply, reported Suisan Keizai.

The number of bluefin tuna, which was 673 in the same month of the previous year, decreased significantly by 80.4%. The number of farmed fish from...

Judge Denies Tuna Companies Push to Throw Out Price-Fixing Claims

U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw tossed out StarKist and fellow tuna companies' push to throw out canned tuna price-fixing claims made by direct purchasers because they were “time-barred”.

Defendants, including StarKist, its owner Dongwon Industries and Bumble Bee Foods, argued that Antitrust actions under the Sherman Antitrust Act are subject to a four-year statute of limitations. Since Direct Action Plaintiffs (DAPs) claim injuries began in 2007, their federal claims filed in 2015 were too old...

Global Ocean Works of Kagoshima to Increase Exports of Farmed Yellowtail

Global Ocean Works (GOW) of Tarumizu City, Kagoshima Prefecture, is a vertically integrated firm of yellowtail from farming to export. This year, it expects its export of yellowtail to increase year-on-year. President Yuji Masunaga plans to expand exports, saying that "global demand for yellowtail will increase further." As a requirement for growing exports of yellowtail, he raised, "In addition to sustainable fish farming that is internationally acceptable, further shift from live feed to extruded pellets. Expansion of production scale. Transition from market price system to...

JAPAN: December Sales of 672 Japanese Farmed Bluefins Up 46% at Toyosu Market

In December of last year, the number of fresh tuna at the Toyosu market in Tokyo, which Jiji Press calculated, was 2601, an increase of 17.3% from the same month of the previous year. Wild and farmed bluefin tuna increased, but bigeye and yellowfin decreased, Minato Shinbun reported.

The total number of bluefin tuna that arrived was 1980, an increase of 57% from the same month of the previous year. Of these, farmed tuna increased by 46% to 672 (460 in the same month of...

Buyer Pays $145,000 for Tuna at Toyosu Fish Market’s First Auction of 2022

Big money is always spent at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market during the New Year auction, and this year was no different. According to reports, a buyer bought a bluefin tuna for $145,000.

Restaurant operator Onodera Group and wholesaler Yamayuki were said to have jointly gone in on the tuna, which cost them 16.88 million yen. AFP Tokyo reports that the 2022 New Year sale is “far below” the 2019 record of 333.6 million yen.

The tuna in question was caught...

Japan’s November Import Value Up 29% To $1.5 Billion

According to the November customs statistics released by Japan's Ministry of Finance on December 24, imports of marine products (including non-edibles) turned positive in volume for the first time in three months, and the value increased significantly accordingly. Due to rising global prices, procurement costs have risen, and the monthly growth rate has reached an unusual 30% increase, Suisan Keizai reported.

The November imports were 207,436 tons and 175,444.61 million yen ($1,524.03 million), a sharp increase of 29.8% compared to the...

JAPAN: Frozen Bigeye Price In November At Toyosu Market Tops 1100 yen/kg

The number of frozen large bigeyes (40kg and up) put on the Toyosu market auction in November was 11,210, down 21% from the same month of the previous year. This is an increase of 847, up 8% from October, due to the rise in users for the year-end sales season. However, there is no change in the release while paying attention to the limited inventory volume. Depending on the year-end sales performance, the number of fish for auction sales early next month will drop further...