White House Issues Sweeping Deregulatory Changes in Domestic Fisheries Management

At a hastily called press conference this morning, Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, announced which deregulatory projects the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has prioritized and will collaborate with regional councils to implement immediately.

"Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA have rolled out a bold step of regional priorities by partnering directly with regional councils," Navarro said. "These cost-cutting actions will reduce regulatory burdens, stabilize markets, improve access, enhance economic profitability, and make the American seafood industry a world leader...

SalmonChile Joins Chilean Trade Delegation Heading to Washington to Fight Proposed 12.5% Tariff

Chile's salmon farming industry will send representatives to Washington next month to argue that farmed salmon should be exempt from a proposed 12.5% tariff recommended by the Office of the US Trade Representative, joining a broader public-private coalition mobilizing ahead of USTR hearings scheduled to begin July 7.

The delegation took shape following a June 30 meeting at Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the Chilean Industrial Development Association (SOFOFA), trade association Subsecretary Paula Estévez, and export groups including SalmonChile...

Norwegian Seafood Council Pushes Provenance as Key Differentiator for UK Fish and Chip Operators

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) is positioning verified origin and supply chain transparency as critical competitive tools for UK fish and chip shops, citing research showing 76% of UK consumers find dishes with clear provenance appealing.

The initiative comes as operators face increasing cost pressures and value-conscious customers, with NSC arguing that clear sourcing stories can help justify quality positioning and differentiate from competitors.

"Fish and chip shops have always been built on trust," said Bjørn-Erik Stabell, UK Director at NSC...

Mowi Reports 14,500 Salmon Escape at Nordland Site

Mowi Seawater Norway AS has reported an escape of approximately 14,500 farmed salmon from its Brattholmen facility in Herøy municipality, Nordland, following the discovery of damage to a seine on May 7. The fish averaged over 4 kg each. The company has deployed a recapture net and recovered three fish so far.

Norway's Directorate of Fisheries has ordered Mowi to conduct a full count — which produced the 14,500 figure, though the company notes uncertainty around that estimate — and to carry out environmental monitoring and removal of escaped fish across 10 waterways spanning...

Finnforel Appoints Mikko Karell as CEO

Finnish seafood compnay Finnforel Ltd has named Mikko Karell as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately, as the company looks to accelerate growth and expand internationally.

Karell joins Finnforel with more than 25 years of experience in international food and consumer business, including leading growth companies, driving business transformations, building international brands and launching new food concepts.

The company said the appointment comes at a key stage in its development, following improvements in production quality, biological performance and operational reliability across its integrated value chain...

ANALYSIS: Revised May and June Import Data Put US Shrimp Inventory Above Pre-Pandemic Trend

US May shrimp imports are tracking 9 to 10 million lbs. above the previous central estimate of approximately 150.5 million lbs. June is still being assembled, but early indications point in the same direction.

The model framework that informs these Expana estimates reads price movements in log terms as a forward signal for inventory accumulation. Prices began declining in April, ahead of the bulk of this volume being recorded, consistent with market participants pricing in expected supply before physical arrivals...

Sen. Sullivan Introduces Updated Bycatch Bill with Alaska Stakeholder Backing

US Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) has introduced an updated version of his bycatch legislation, aiming to strengthen oversight of trawl fisheries, reduce seafloor impacts and improve transparency in federal fishery management.

The Bycatch Reduction Act, introduced this week, builds on Sullivan's earlier proposal and incorporates feedback from Alaska fishing and conservation groups. It also advances recommendations from the Alaska Salmon Task Force, established under legislation Sullivan sponsored that was signed into law in December 2022.

According to Sullivan's office, the bill would...

Japan's Surimi Products Exports Increase 5% YOY with Growing Global Demand

According to reports from the Minato Shimbun, consumption of Japanese surimi products is rising worldwide, including in North and Central America, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

The Ministry of Finance trade statistics show that the cumulative export volume of surimi products—such as kamaboko (steamed surimi), but excluding fish sausage—reached 4,186 tons between January and May, a 5% year-on-year increase.

Exports to the United States, the largest overseas market, performed well, rising 13% compared to the same...

Cousins Maine Lobster Builds on Core Offering With New Lobster Roll Flight

After making a big splash on the hit TV show Shark Tank in 2012, Cousins Maine Lobster has continued to chart innovative paths for growth. According to Business Insider, Barbara Corcoran invested in the company after its October 2012 debut on the show because she believed real-life cousins and co-founders Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis had a strong operational plan and were well prepared.

Since then, the company has expanded to more than 70 locations across over half of the...

Southern Senators Press USDA for Emergency Catfish Purchase as Industry Marks Third Year of Losses

A coalition of five Southern US senators is pressing the US Department of Agriculture to deploy emergency purchasing authority on behalf of the country's farm-raised catfish industry, which has reported negative financial returns for three consecutive years amid persistent cost inflation.

Led by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), the group sent a letter on June 30 to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, urging approval of a Section 32 surplus commodity purchase for US farm-raised catfish. Joining Hyde-Smith were...

Sardine Fleet Experiencing No Landings in Eastern Hokkaido Despite Season Opening in mid-June

Although the Japanese sardine purse-seine fishing season off eastern Hokkaido began in mid-June, no landings have been recorded so far. This marks the first time since 2018, a span of eight years, that the initial landing has been delayed until July or later, raising concerns about the season's outlook, according to a report by Minato Shimbun.

The current fishing season runs from June 16 to the end of October, as is customary. In recent years, shortly after the season opened...

Russia Imposes Two-Year Greenland Halibut Restrictions in Far East

Russia is introducing a near-total ban on Greenland halibut fishing in its Far Eastern basin, effective July 7, 2026, through the end of 2027, in response to a steep decline in the stock that authorities say has worsened significantly in recent years. 

Stocks off Kamchatka and in the northern Sea of Okhotsk have been among the hardest hit, with various estimates pointing to a three-to-fourfold decline compared to levels seen in the second half of the 2010s — a drop that had already prompted calls from... 

Salmon Scotland Comment on Shetland Tunnel Plans

US Declines to Extend USMCA, Putting $149 Billion in Agri-Food Trade on an Uncertain Path

The United States will not renew the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, according to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, amid Wednesday's July 1 joint review deadline. Fox Business subsequently reported that President Trump will instead pursue separate bilateral trade deals with Canada and Mexico lasting up to 10 years. Both Canada and Mexico had pressed for a full 16-year extension. They did not get it.

The outcome was widely expected. Trump has floated withdrawing from the deal entirely, and US officials gave no...

Two Buyers Seek Court Sign-Off on $2.25M Dungeness Crab Price-Fixing Settlements

Two seafood buyers named in a West Coast Dungeness crab price-fixing class action have filed separate motions to formalize exits from the litigation, with a combined $2.25 million in settlements and a July 31 hearing date set before US Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse in San Francisco.

Caito Fisheries, Inc. and its owners filed papers on June 24 seeking court recognition of a $1.25 million deal. Pacific Dream Seafoods, Inc. of Anacortes, Washington, followed the next day with a parallel motion covering...

EU Aquaculture Commissioner Convenes Industry Dialogue as Bloc Prepares Vision 2040 Framework

European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis convened an implementation dialogue on EU aquaculture policy in Brussels on June 30, bringing together producers, trade associations, retailers, NGOs, and member state authorities to take stock of where the bloc's aquaculture framework is falling short — and where it can be improved ahead of a major policy reset.

The dialogue was framed around two parallel policy moments: the ongoing evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation, which was published in late April and found progress...

Shrimp Giant Thai Union Faces $295M Lawsuit Over Red Lobster's Collapse

Creditors of Red Lobster are suing former owner Thai Union Group, alleging the Bangkok-based seafood giant used the restaurant chain as a captive distribution arm for its own shrimp business, ultimately helping drive it into bankruptcy.

The complaint, filed in Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit Court on behalf of creditors owed approximately $295 million, alleges that Thai Union — which held a controlling stake in the chain while simultaneously serving as its primary shrimp supplier — orchestrated a deliberate scheme to “squeeze every drop of value” from the company...