Ready Seafood Sues Ex-Executives, Alleges Trade Secret Theft After Founding Packers Pride

Ready Seafood, a prominent Maine-based supplier of live and processed lobster products, has filed a lawsuit against two of its former executives, Andrew Daughan and Robert Kragh, as well as their newly formed company, Packers Pride.

The suit, filed on July 14 in US District Court, alleges that the former employees breached their contracts and illegally used confidential business information to directly compete with their former employer. 

Daughan was hired in 2018 as Ready Seafood’s Vice President of Category Management. He was tasked with...

Pacific Seafood Appoints Raul Squadritto to Lead Farmed Salmon Division

Pacific Seafood has tapped longtime industry executive Raul Squadritto to lead its PacMar farmed salmon division, marking a key step in the company’s plan to double in size by 2031.

Squadritto will be based in Pacific’s Miami office and will work to strengthen customer partnerships and accelerate growth in both farmed salmon and poultry segments.

“We’re excited to welcome Raul Squadritto as our farmed salmon sales leader for PacMar,” Mark Bowen, Vice President Pacific Seafood, PacMar, said. “Raul brings more than...

Canada Aquaculture Industry Alliance Joins Effort to Elevate Agriculture as a Federal Priority 

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance has joined 31 national agricultural organizations in co-signing a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging the federal government to prioritize the agriculture industry.  

The letter, titled “Let’s Grow Canada: Staking a Claim for Agriculture in the Government Mandate,” argues that the sector is often overlooked in national policy and investment decisions, despite its contributions to the economy.  

Citing a decline in Canada’s global agricultural market share since 2000 and a projected drop in productivity to...

Frozen Oysters Recalled in Several States After Norovirus Illness Reports

A pair of companies announced recalls of frozen half-shell oysters due to Norovirus concerns, according to notices published on the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) website.

California-based Wang Globalnet announced the recall of 1,200 cases of Frozen Half Shell Oysters. Specifically product KR-15-SP with a harvest date of 1/12/2025. The product was distributed in California, Utah and other states. The oysters were packaged in white corrugated boxes labeled “Frozen Half Shell Oysters, Product of Korea, Pack 144 counts,” with a shellfish...

SHARKED Act Seeks to Address Shark Depredation and Protect US Fisheries

On July 22, 2025, Sens. Rick Scott and Brian Schatz introduced bipartisan legislation to address the growing issue of shark depredation, which occurs when sharks prey on fish from anglers’ lines while the lines are still submerged in the ocean. Shark depredation affects commercial and recreational fisheries and the local and state economies that rely on them, while also posing safety issues for humans and potentially disrupting the marine ecosystem.

The bill, entitled "Supporting the Health of Aquatic systems through Research, Knowledge, and Enhanced Dialogue (SHARKED) Act," will establish...

Russian Fishermen Face Challenges in Renewing Domestic Fishing Fleet

The Russian government is considering extending the term for investment quota allocations to domestic fisherman from the current 15 years to 20 years, according to Aleksey Osintsev, Vice President of the Russian Association of Fishing Fleet Owners (AFFO).   

Many Russian fishing companies are having difficulty building new vessels on time, which could result in penalties. The proposed extension would give them more time under the state’s investment quota program, while also providing them with additional support amid ongoing economic challenges. 

Osintsev says the move is essential since payback periods for...

How Ecuadorian Shrimp Data is Driving Transparency in Global Seafood Supply Chains

As global seafood markets grow more complex, access to timely, reliable data is becoming essential for informed decision-making, especially in the fast-moving shrimp sector. Few commodities reflect international consumption shifts and supply chain pressures as clearly as shrimp, and Ecuador as a key exporter sits right at the centre of that story.

Earlier this year we witnessed a significant step when Gluna Shrimp, known for its accuracy in Ecuadorian shrimp pricing, joined forces with Expana, the world’s largest agrifood market intelligence and forecasting...

Crackdown on Salmon Smuggling: Chile Forms New Industry Task Force

The Chilean government has developed an ‘Anti-Salmon Theft Task Force’ amid increased instances of criminal activity focused on the country’s critical salmon sector, according to local news outlet The Puerto Varas.

The news was announced by Undersecretary of Public Security Rafael Collado. Collado highlighted the new task force's goal of generating “concrete measures to prevent, investigate, and dismantle the gangs involved in salmon theft at various stages of the chain: from farming and transportation centers to illegal marketing outlets...

Nueva Pescanova Group Saw 73% Earnings Growth in First Half of 2025

Today, Nueva Pescanova Group released its financial results for the first half of the year, reflecting a 73% increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), which is now at €27 million (USD $31.74 million), compared to €15.6 million (USD $18.34 million) during the same period last year.

The Spanish international seafood company also improved its profitability during the first and second quarters, reducing its losses by 65%.

The Group's sales trend rang positive overall, with revenues rising by 7.9% from...

Fortune Fish & Gourmet Showcases Premium Seafood and Meats to NBA Chefs in Las Vegas

Fortune Fish & Gourmet took center stage at the National Basketball Association (NBA) Summer League in Las Vegas last week, presenting their specialty seafood and meat products to chefs from all 30 NBA teams.

Each summer, Las Vegas hosts the NBA’s annual meetings for coaches, trainers, and the Performance Nutrition Association to discuss best practices for supporting their organizations. For the first time, NBA chefs held their own dedicated meeting in 2025, inviting Fortune Fish & Gourmet, current supplier to the Philadelphia 76ers, to present its offerings to...

Congressman Jared Golden Pushes to Extend Lobster Fishing Regulation Moratorium Until 2035 

Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME) is calling on lawmakers to extend a federal pause on new lobster fishing regulations aimed at protecting North Atlantic right whales.  

Golden worked alongside Maine Governor Janet Mills in 2023 to create the current moratorium, which is set to expire in 2028. Now, he’s urging the House Natural Resources Committee (HNRC) to extend the pause until 2035 through a proposed amendment to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). 

Speaking before the HNRC Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries on...

North Coast Seafoods Teams Up with Sysco to Launch Seaweed Kelp Balls 

Boston-based North Coast Seafoods has joined forces with Sysco Corporation to launch its Seaweed Kelp Balls. The product is featured in Sysco’s Summer 2025 Cutting Edge Solutions (CES) Program, which showcases innovative additions to the food industry.  

North Coast Seafoods says it sources kelp domestically to help strengthen local coastal economies and support fishing families across the U.S.  

The Seaweed Kelp Balls earned their place in the CES lineup as the world’s only plant-based product of their kind. Made from...

Japan’s Frozen Cod Imports from Russia Plunge 80% from January–May 

Japan’s imports of frozen cod from Russia dropped by 80% from January–May, according to Minato Shimbun. While imports hovered around 15,000 metric tons annually until 2017, they declined to roughly 10,000 metric tons between 2018 and 2021. Since 2022, though, annual volumes fell even further to around 5,000 metric tons. 

Rising prices played a key role in this trend. Since 2022, the per-kilogram cost of cod increased significantly, prompting a shift from US to Russian imports. However, in 2024, prices for Russian cod surged, narrowing the...

Trump Signs Landmark US-Japan Trade Deal, Slashes Tariffs to 15%

United States President Donald Trump announced this week that he had signed what he described as “perhaps the largest deal ever made” with Japan, aimed at reshaping trade relations between the two countries. The agreement sets a new 15% tariff rate on all Japanese products imported into the US, a notable decrease from the 25% rate imposed earlier this month, as Expana reported.

According to President Trump, the deal is expected to create hundreds of jobs in the United States and will require Japan to open its markets further...

ANALYSIS: 2025 Cod Market Outlook, Supply Constraints, and Price Dynamics

The Norwegian cod (Gadus morhua) market has experienced significant changes in 2025, primarily driven by a decrease in supply. Prices reached a historic high in February 2025, with Norwegian cod valued at NOK 76.1 per kilogram (Figure 1). However, the following months have been marked by increased volatility, influenced by factors such as shifts in global trade policy, regulatory sanctions, and ongoing supply constraints...

Jewel Osco Recalls Tuna Salad Products in Three States Due to Listeria Concerns 

Jewel Osco stores in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa are joining Albertsons in voluntarily recalling several tuna salad products supplied by Reser’s Fine Foods due to potential listeria contamination.  

Reser’s Fine Foods initiated the recall after discovering that the breadcrumbs used may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. 

On Monday, Expana reported that Albertsons also announced a recall of certain tuna salad products sold at stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. 

The items were also distributed to Randalls and Tom Thumb stores. Consumers are urged to...

Hundreds of Farmed Salmon Escape Cermaq Facility in Norway 

Hundreds of salmon have escaped from a facility owned by Norwegian salmon farmer Cermaq.  

According to local media reports, a pipe used to move the fish disconnected during unloading operations, allowing roughly 800 salmon to escape into the sea. 

The fish were being transferred from the company’s Hammerfjord site in northern Norway to a holding pen near its Rypefjord harvesting facility, according to NRK.  

In an effort to recover the escaped salmon, Cermaq is offering a bounty of £36 (NOK 500) for each fish returned. So far, just...