ANALYSIS: Ecuador's Shrimp Export Declarations and US Arrivals Are Diverging

One of the inputs underpinning Expana's US shrimp import estimates is the relationship between Ecuador's declared exports to the US — as reported by Ecuadorian customs — and volumes recorded as arrivals by US customs. Historically, these two series have tracked closely, with an approximate one-month lag. That relationship forms a core component of the export-led seasonal...

Aleutian Islands Golden King Crab Catch for 2026-2027 Season Up 13% From Last Year

Yesterday, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the season dates and catch limits for Aleutian Islands golden king crab. The season opens August 1, 2026 and closes April 30, 2027. This year, the fleet is allowed to catch 4.742 million pounds of the delicacy, slightly more than 13 percent above the 2025/26 season.  

Alaska’s Aleutian Golden King crab is harvested and managed differently from all other types of crab landed in Alaska. The total allowable catch (TAC) is divided...

Darden Sees Same-Store Sales Growth Across All Segments in Fiscal 2026

Darden Restaurants closed fiscal 2026 with sales and earnings growth that, according to President & CEO Rick Cardenas, outpaced the broader restaurant industry. Results were driven by positive same-restaurant sales across all segments, continued unit expansion and the benefit of a 53rd week of operations.

The company reported fiscal 2026 sales of $13.21 billion, up 9.4%, while blended same-restaurant sales increased 4.5%.

"Our performance throughout the fiscal year reflects the strength of our brands, the discipline of our strategy, and the quality of our...

Private Labels, Health and Wellness Take Center Stage at UNFI’s 2026 Holiday and Winter Selling Show

UNFI hosted its 2026 Holiday and Winter Selling Show (East) at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, on June 24–25. 

The convention brought together more than 1,400 grocery retail representatives and 715 suppliers to connect ahead of the holiday and winter selling season. 

"This show reflects our continued focus on strengthening capabilities to help our retail customers differentiate and compete, while also supporting suppliers as they grow their brands in diverse retail environments," said Sandy Douglas, CEO of UNFI... 

NEAFC Members Move to Cap Russian Mackerel Catches in North-East Atlantic

The North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission has adopted new measures to restrict Russian mackerel fishing in international waters, with the European Commission calling the move an important but insufficient step toward addressing what it describes as years of unsustainable harvesting that have left the stock in critical condition.

Acting on a proposal tabled by the EU, NEAFC members — the EU, United Kingdom, Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Norway, and Iceland — agreed to limit Russian catches of mackerel in international waters to 1,495...

Norwegian Salmon Mortality Falls 23% Year-on-Year as Positive Trend Intensifies

The number of salmon and trout dying in Norwegian aquaculture facilities has fallen sharply, with industry group Seafood Norway reporting a 23% decline in lost fish from January through May compared to the same period in 2025, and a 34% reduction since 2023, based on data published by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries.

The trend, now in its third consecutive year, has broadened significantly. Where previous improvements were concentrated in the farming-heavy counties of Trøndelag and Vestland, the decline is now evident across nearly all of Norway's...

SeaPak Marks Decades of Innovation as America Approaches Its 250th Anniversary

SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Company is marking decades of business and innovation as America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, positioning the milestone as both a reflection on heritage and a reaffirmation of its role in shaping the frozen seafood category.

"America 250 is a moment to reflect on the ingenuity and determination that have shaped how we live, eat, and connect as a country," said Megan Grinstead, Vice President, Customer and Consumer Brand Marketing for Rich Products Corp., parent company of SeaPak. "SeaPak...

Sandals Puts Culinary Storytelling at the Center of Jamaica Resort Transformation

Sandals Resorts is using food and beverage as a key pillar of its US$200 million transformation of three Jamaica properties, introducing a series of new dining concepts designed to deepen guests' connection to the destination through local ingredients, cultural storytelling and immersive experiences.

The culinary additions will roll out across Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Caribbean Cay and Sandals South Coast as part of the extensive redevelopment project. The resorts are scheduled to reopen beginning in November and December 2026.

The Retail Rundown: Independence Day Demand Meets Rising Cookout Costs

After weeks of demand shaped by Memorial Day and Father’s Day, retailers are now preparing for the final major grilling holiday of the summer: Independence Day. For meat departments, the Fourth of July represents the last significant opportunity to capture peak grilling demand before the slower midsummer period begins.

This year’s holiday arrives with favorable calendar dynamics. Falling on a Saturday, July 4th creates a full holiday weekend expected to encourage extended celebrations and larger gatherings. For grocers, that translates into a critical window to drive volume and strengthen...

Trump Decision to Reverse OOI Dismantling Came as Oregon Lifted the First Buoy Arrays

A bipartisan effort in the U.S. Senate last week led by Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski and Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley proved sufficient to force the Trump administration to end its effort to scrap the Ocean Observation Initiative (OOI).  

Word that the National Science Foundation was suspending efforts to dismantle the system, as well as planning steps to replace several huge, expensive research buoys that have already been removed from the water, spread quickly through the seafood industry, lawmakers, and academics. Most applauded the announcement, but...

Supreme Crab & Seafood Debuts at Fancy Food Show With New Blue Swimming Crab Combo Stack

Supreme Crab & Seafood is stepping onto the Summer Fancy Food Show floor for the first time this year, using the New York event to introduce a product aimed squarely at one of seafood’s most persistent challenges: maximizing crab yield without sacrificing appearance.

The company, which has supplied Indonesian Blue Swimming Crab, Red Swimming Crab, tuna, and related seafood products since 2009, will exhibit June 28–30 at the Javits Center, Booth 4000. The focus of its debut is the Signature Catch Blue Swimming Crab Combo...

Bairdi Snow Crab Landing Keeps Increasing, Exceeding 1800 MT in Hidaka, Hokkaido

The Hokkaido Research Organization's Mariculture Fisheries Research Institute recently compiled landing data for Bairdi snow crab in the Hidaka region—the primary production area—where catches have surged in recent years. Landings rose from 1 ton in 2022 to 817 tons in 2023, then more than doubled to 1,823 tons in 2024. The institute estimates that the figure increased further in 2025. 

According to reports from Minato Shimbun, one factor behind the surge is the higher market value resulting from larger catch sizes...

Death of Pregnant Fin Whale Caused by Cruise Ship Strike Before Docking in Seward

Federal and local scientists who conducted a necropsy on Saturday of an endangered and pregnant fin whale that arrived in port still draped over the bulbous bow of the Royal Caribbean Ovation of The Seas, said their preliminary findings are that the whale died of injuries consistent with a ship strike.

NOAA Fisheries collaborated with the Alaska SeaLife Center and Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services to perform a necropsy on the whale over the weekend to determine the cause of death...

Iceland Land-Based Salmon Producer LAXEY Closes Oversubscribed EUR 47M Equity Raise

Icelandic land-based salmon producer LAXEY has completed a EUR 47 million equity raise — above its initial EUR 40 million target — after the offering was significantly oversubscribed, driven largely by existing shareholders increasing their positions. The raise brings the total equity secured by the company since inception to approximately EUR 200 million.

Alongside the equity close, LAXEY has signed a committed term sheet for an international syndicated loan coordinated by DNB Carnegie, with DNB, Rabobank, and Arion Bank as mandated lead arrangers...

FAO Pushes Social Metrics, Supply Chain Transparency at Global Small Pelagic Fish Symposium

The third International Symposium on Small Pelagic Fish (SPF-2026) brought together approximately 280 participants from 40 countries in La Paz, Mexico, in early May, with FAO GLOBEFISH playing a central role in shaping discussions on markets, labor standards, and sustainability in one of the world's most commercially significant fishery sectors.

Small pelagic species — including anchovies, sardines, herrings, and mackerels — account for around 30 percent of global marine catches and underpin both global fishmeal and fish oil supply chains, as well as direct human consumption, particularly...

Kura Sushi Launches Honkai: Star Rail Collaboration to Drive Guest Engagement

A pioneer in revolving sushi restaurants in the US, Kura Sushi has launched a new nationwide collaboration with Honkai: Star Rail. The company is launching  themed menu items, collectible rewards and loyalty incentives to deepen guest engagement and drive restaurant traffic this summer.

The limited-time promotion centers on fan-favorite characters Sparkle and Aventurine and incorporates Kura Sushi's proprietary Bikkura Pon platform, which rewards guests with collectible capsule prizes based on plate-count milestones.

The collaboration includes two character-inspired menu items: Sparkle's...

Power Outages Disrupt Tuna Cutting Operations in the Philippines and Indonesia

Rolling power outages triggered by a broader regional energy crisis are creating headaches for tuna processors in two of the world's most important loining and cutting hubs, the Philippines and Indonesia.

In the Philippines, the government declared a state of national energy emergency earlier this year after the Strait of Hormuz disruption cut deeply into fuel supplies. The country imports roughly 98% of its oil from the Middle East, leaving it acutely exposed to the fallout from the Iran war...