Indiana’s Aquashell USA to Acquire Cozy Harbor Seafood and Affiliates in $6.5M Deal

Maine lobster processor Cozy Harbor Seafood, along with its affiliate companies Casco Bay Lobster and Art’s Lobster, was purchased by Indiana-based Aquashell USA for $6.5 million.

The deal includes the price of $2,015,099 for Cozy Harbor's accounts receivable, $2,738,920 in Inventory and $1,750,000 in property. The transaction now awaits court approval.

The sale comes after Cozy Harbor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July, as reported by Expana. The initial bankruptcy filing...

The Retail Rundown: Meat Ads Steady Overall, but Poultry and Turkey Promotions Gain

Retailers are leaning into autumn demand with meat and poultry features this week, as consumers favor home-cooked meals and prepare for the holiday season.

With Thanksgiving a little more than five weeks away, early holiday promotions are starting to surface. Turkey features are gaining momentum, now accounting for 5% of total ad space, up two points from the previous week.

Retail buying opportunities for seafood and beef held steady week-over-week at 27.5% and 22.2%, respectively. Pork promotions dipped to 21.4% as National Pork Month wraps up, while chicken features rose to 19.4%.

Walmart and Avery Dennison Collaborate to Enhance Freshness and Increase Efficiency Using RFID

Walmart (NYSE: WMT) and Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY) today announced a new innovation to advance the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology in fresh categories previously not possible. Addressing food waste and ensuring freshness are more important than ever for consumers, producers and retailers. This first-to-market solution is set to transform inventory processes and enhance both associate and customer experiences across fresh departments — particularly bakery, meat and deli. 

Looking to help develop a solution to a longstanding industry challenge of using RFID technology in high-moisture, cold environments, like meat cases, Walmart teamed with Avery Dennison to create and test a...

Mowi’s Bid to Take 95% of Nova Sea Gains EU Sign-off, Norwegian Competition Authority Next

Norwegian salmon farming giant Mowi’s move to acquire a majority stake in fellow farmer Nova Sea landed approval from the EU Commission, the company announced in a stock exchange notice on October 17.

Mowi agreed to increase its ownership share in Nova Sea from 49% to 95% on January 30 in a deal worth NOK 7.4 billion ($656.4 million), as Expana reported.
Now, the transaction needs the approval of the Norwegian competition authority before it can be approved...

Indonesia, FDA Reach Deal Allowing ‘Thousands’ of Shrimp Containers to Enter US

Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) said that it reached a deal with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow thousands of shrimp containers currently in transit to enter the United States.

KKP said in a press release that the agreement was finalized on October 18 after negotiations over new import requirements tied to FDA Import Alert 99-52. The ministry said the deal permits thousands of shrimp containers already en route to the US to be admitted...

Five Charged by DFO for Fisheries Act Violations

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) recently issued an update on its enforcement news page regarding five individuals charged under the Fisheries Act and related regulations. The individuals are known to authorities, having previously been arrested and charged for similar violations.

The most recent incident occurred on September 19 and 20, 2024, in St. Marys Bay, located in Lobster Fishing Area 34.

On October 9, all five individuals appeared in provincial court in Digby, Nova Scotia, and were each charged with one count of obstruction of a fishery officer, contrary to section 62 of the Fisheries Act.

Solar-Powered Lights Offer Practical Fix for Sea Turtle Bycatch

A new gear innovation developed through collaboration between Arizona State University (ASU) researchers and coastal gillnet fishers in Mexico is showing strong promise for reducing sea turtle bycatch -- without cutting into fishing success, according to researchers. 

In field tests in the Gulf of California, solar-powered illuminated buoys reduced sea turtle entanglements by 63% compared to unlit nets, according to a new study published in Conservation Letters. Catch rates of target species, including yellowtail, were unaffected or increased.

“The results were pretty exciting,” ASU Marine Biologist Jesse Senko...

ANALYSIS: US Snapper Imports Surge as Prices Hit Record Highs

US imports of frozen snapper surged in the first seven months of 2025, with year-to-date volumes (Jan.–July) rising 61% compared to the same period last year. This sharp increase was largely driven by a strategic push from importers to front-load shipments ahead of the August 1 tariff implementation. By accelerating purchases, buyers aimed to lock in lower-cost product before higher duties were imposed. The move triggered a notable spike in arrivals during the spring and early summer months...

Momentum Grows As Offshore Aquaculture Bill is Introduced in the US House of Representatives  

Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS), Ed Case (D-HI), Kat Cammack (R-FL), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Marine Aquaculture Research and Advancement (MARA) Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill that empowers the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to expand offshore aquaculture in the U.S. 

The bill was introduced earlier in the Senate and appears to be gaining momentum, despite the current government shutdown.  

Speeches were made in the House by the bipartisan sponsors...

NFI Sushi Council Names Dick Jones as Executive Director

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) Sushi Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Dick Jones as its new Executive Director. A mission-driven seafood and aquaculture executive with more than 38 years of experience across the private, nonprofit, and retail sectors, Jones brings deep expertise in sustainable fisheries, global seafood markets, and industry transformation.

“The Sushi Council is entering an exciting new chapter as we grow membership, strengthen industry leadership on food safety, and build sushi’s place as a vibrant and expanding category,”...

American Saltwater Guides Association Calls for Immediate 55% Reduction of TAC for Menhaden

The American Saltwater Guides Association ("ASGA"), a coalition of forward-thinking guides, small business owners and like-minded anglers who understand the value of keeping fish in the water, today called on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission ("ASMFC") to immediately reduce the total allowable catch of Atlantic menhaden ("menhaden") by 55%. This call for the significant reduction is in direct response to an assessment of the "most important fish in the sea" showing that figures used to determine natural mortality of menhaden has been inaccurately estimated...

Global Initiative Sparks Movement to Take Ocean-Farmed Salmon Off the Table

Off the table, a coalition campaign led by WildFish, is mobilizing chefs, restaurants, consumers, and organizations to take ocean-farmed salmon off plates and menus worldwide, replacing it with a vision for a healthier, more sustainable food future.

Ninety-nine percent of Atlantic salmon consumed worldwide is raised in industrial sea cages, a practice that pollutes oceans with approximately one million pounds of waste per farm annually, releases harmful chemicals, and spreads diseases to wild fish populations. This practice is a...

ANALYSIS: EU-UK Latest Shrimp Import Figures Indicate Slight Dip in August

The latest data from Eurostat indicates a 5.1% year-on-year decline in EU-UK shrimp import volumes for August. However, the value of these imports reaching USD 440.86 million remained relatively stable, with a modest 0.6% increase compared to the same month last year. The drop in volume is primarily due to a significant reduction in imports from Argentina and Venezuela, who faced ongoing social and political instability. Imports from Argentina fell by 78.4%, and those from Venezuela by 44.5%...

The Klamath Basin Paradox: Salmon Stage Historic Returns as Federal Grants are Pulled

There’s been a steady stream of good news regarding Klamath River Chinook salmon: Since four dams were removed last year, fish have been seen at greater distances from the ocean, in tributaries not accessible for more than a century.  

Earlier this month, spring-run Chinook were documented above the Upper Klamath Lake threshold.  

But at almost the same time, the federal government abruptly terminated grants designed specifically for salmon monitoring, habitat restoration, wildfire mitigation and related watershed work, according to the Mid Klamath Watershed Council...

Navigating the Trump Tariff Turbulence: A Comprehensive Timeline

US President Donald Trump and his administration have paused reciprocal tariffs on most countries.

“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown... I am hereby raising the [tariff] charged to China by the [USA] to 125%, effective immediately,” wrote Trump on Truth Social at 1:18 pm ET. 

It’s not clear if this 125% is in addition to the 20% imposed on Chinese imports to the US. In early March, Trump noted that he would add another 10% tariff on Chinese goods...

Online Seafood Platform E-Fish Acquires Foraged to Create Cross-Category Marketplace

E-commerce seafood company E-Fish has acquired Foraged, a fellow online marketplace that focuses on wild, foraged, and specialty ingredients from independent producers across the US.

Jeffrey Tedmori, the co-founder and CEO of E-Fish, said Foraged was built on the same values that he and co-founder Matthew Henderson built their company on.

“This acquisition is about more than expanding our catalog. It’s about deepening our mission: uniting the best of the sea with the best of the land,” Tedmori wrote on LinkedIn...

Soccer Superstar Erling Haaland Fronts Expanded Campaigns Promoting Norwegian Salmon

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) said it ramped up its partnership with soccer (football for those not in the US) superstar Erling Haaland, with new marketing campaigns.

The NSC signed a two-and-a-half-year deal last year to promote the Seafood from Norway brand and become a seafood ambassador.

Fast forward to now, Haaland is focusing on the staple product from his home country, Norwegian salmon. The NSC stated that the goal is to highlight the origins of both Haaland and seafood, as well as the significance of...