The Winding Glass: $1 Billion Tariff Hit to Shrimp Industry Will Lead to Downturn in 12 Months

The US has finalized, for now, tariff rates on the major shrimp-importing countries, and the industry is preparing for a period of significantly higher costs. 

In this column, we look back at other periods when shrimp prices rapidly rose 20% or more to predict what the longer-term impact will be on our industry and customers. 

Things don’t look good.  

We calculated tariff impacts by using full year 2024 values for the major types of shrimp imports, shell-on...

ANALYSIS: Indian Shrimp Sector Faces Rising Challenges Amid Export Growth

Indian shrimp exports showed robust year-on-year growth, up 12.2% between January and May to reach 304,267 metric tons. The US remains the leading destination, accounting for 42% of shipments, while China and the EU-UK follow with 16% and 15% shares, respectively. This dependency on the US market was underscored in May, when exports reached record-high levels at 79,540 MT; volume jumped 26.7% year-on-year, as Indian suppliers accelerated shipments ahead of the expiry of the US tariff exemption...

ANALYSIS: Assessing the Early Closure of Peruvian Anchovy Fishery as 82% Quota Reached

The Ministry of Production of Peru officially concluded the First Fishing Season of 2025 for anchovy (Engraulis ringens) and white anchovy (Anchoa nasus) in the North-Central Zone on July 24. This decision was informed by scientific recommendations from the Marine Institute of Peru (IMARPE) due to environmental and biological factors, which indicated an increased presence of juveniles...

Mitsubishi Boosts Stake in Thai Union Group to 20% in Strategic Seafood Partnership

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) announced it has agreed to an enhanced business alliance with Thai Union Group. The deal will see MC acquire 13.81% of Thai Union’s total issued shares, increasing its stake in the firm from 6.19 to 20%.

MC highlighted the global rise in seafood demand, led by population growth and shifting consumer preferences. The company sees tuna as an item that stands out for its “widespread appeal” in both developed and emerging markets, the species that is the backbone of Thai Union’s business...

Cooke Aquaculture’s Cold Ocean Salmon Reports Mortality Events in Newfoundland

Cold Ocean Salmon, which operates under the Cooke Aquaculture umbrella, reported a trio of notices related to mortality events at its Newfoundland, Canada, salmon farming sites.

The first notice, published on the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) website, focused on a July 22 incident that impacted 52,000 salmon on a site that houses over 500,000 fish. The site was Cold Ocean Salmon’s Northwest Cove facility near Hermitage.

According to the notice, all of which were published in line with the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture (FFA)...

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...

Growth Continues for Publix with Rising Sales, Earnings, and Stock Value

Publix’s sales for the second quarter rose 7.3%, increasing from $14.5 billion to $15.6 billion. Comparable store sales were also up, growing 6% during the quarter. The company estimates that approximately 1% of the year-over-year sales growth in Q2 was due to the timing of the Easter holiday, which fell in the second quarter of 2025 but in the first quarter of 2024.

Net earnings for the quarter increased 41.5% to $1.4 billion, compared to...

Marine Stewardship Council Makes Key US Leadership Appointment

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has appointed Laura McDearis as its new US Program Director.

MSC said the move comes at a pivotal time as consumer demand for sustainable seafood is rising. McDearis will be tasked with leading the MSC US operations, supporting fisheries, seafood businesses, and stakeholders as they work to meet the growing demand for certified sustainable seafood.

Currently, the US is the top supplier of MSC-certified sustainable seafood globally. Roughly 85% of US fisheries carry the MSC blue certification label. The label appears on over 1,380 products...

ALFA Gets NFWF Grant to Test Using AI to Read Electronic Monitoring Data for AK's Fixed Gear Fishers

Sitka-based Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association will partner with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) and Victoria, B.C.-based Archipelago Marine Research to see how well artificial intelligence (AI) will enhance electronic monitoring (EM) of fixed gear fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska. 

ALFA was awarded a $485,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to implement artificial Intelligence in electronic monitoring review for Alaska fixed gear fishermen. The project will partner with Archipelago’s FishVue AI tool...

Kodiak Skipper Convicted of Lacey Act Violations Now Facing $1.2M Fine Over Clean Water Act

Repeat offender Corey Potter, found guilty last May of illegally transporting live crab from Alaska to Washington, has now been hit with a civil penalty, on separate charges of violating the Clean Water Act, of $1.18 million.

US District Court Judge Sharon Gleason found Potter and three companies he managed — F/V Knot EZ LLC, Aleutian Tendering LLC, and Alaska Tendering Company LLC — guilty of illegally discharging oily bilge waste and imposed a civil penalty of $1,182,265 for the violations...

Highwood Harbor Names Stephen "Felzy" Felsenthal as First Chief Commercial Officer

Highwood Harbor, a seafood industry holding company, has named Stephen "Felzy" Felsenthal as its inaugural Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).

Highwood said Felsenthal brings an “impressive track record of driving business growth, fostering innovation, and delivering exceptional customer experiences across prominent seafood organizations.”

Felsenthal enters the role with over 15 years of experience in the seafood sector. He most recently served as Vice President of Sales & Global Procurement for Riverence Provisions, the largest vertically integrated trout producer in North America...

Japan's H1 Fishery Products Exports Up 33% in Volume and 27% in Value

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, seafood exports (fish and shellfish preparations and fishmeal) for the first half of 2025 (January to June) increased 33% in quantity to 281,443 tons compared to the same period last year. They increased 27% in value to 163.374 billion yen ($1.10 billion). Exports of scallops, the main product, decreased 35% to 21,817 tons, while the export value increased 32% to 39.511 billion yen ($266.78 million)...

Senator Cantwell Leads Bipartisan Effort to Restore NOAA’s Sea Grant Program

Last Friday, Washington Senator Maria Cantwell announced a bipartisan effort to reauthorize NOAA’s national Sea Grant Program. With sign-ons from Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker, Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware, and Alaska Republican Dan Sullivan, the bill to reauthorize the National Sea Grant College Program was introduced in the Senate.  

After cutting funding for the Maine Sea Grant Program last March and having some of the funds restored, NOAA’s budget for 2026, released last month, defunded the national program entirely...

Louisiana Fish Fry Appoints Joe Tuza as Chief Executive Officer

Louisiana Fish Fry ("LFF"), a leading manufacturer and distributor of authentic, Louisiana-inspired food products, has announced the appointment of Joe Tuza as Chief Executive Officer. Bringing deep expertise cultivated over three decades across brand building, innovation, and go-to-market strategy in the consumer packaged goods space, Joe will drive the acceleration of Louisiana Fish Fry's strategic growth initiatives and help to solidify its reputation as a market leader for years to come.

"We're thrilled to welcome Joe as the new CEO of Louisiana Fish Fry...

Trump Signs Sweeping Executive Order Revamping US Tariff Rates; 15% Floor for Deficit Nations

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on July 31, unveiling a massive overhaul of US tariff policy, introducing a series of new import rates for US trading partners (find the full rate list below).

Under the new plan, countries with which the US has a trade deficit will face a minimum 15% tariff, affecting more than 30 nations. Meanwhile, the administration’s existing 10% “universal” tariff will remain in place for countries where US exports exceed imports...

Chilean Salmon Shipments Down Again as Council Calls for Strategic Support 

The Chilean Salmon Council (Consejo del Salmon) reported a 1.5% drop in exports of farmed salmon during the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year.

The volume exported from January through June was 361,000 tons, down about 5,000 tons, confirming a two-year decline, according to statistics compiled from the National Customs Service.

Salmon remained a key export for the country, maintaining a 15% share of Chile’s total exports. Although export revenue is expected to increase by 3% compared to 2024, reaching US$3,086...

NOAA Says Gulf of America ‘Dead Zone’ 30% Smaller than 2024

NOAA Fisheries shared that the 2025 Gulf of America “dead zone,” an area of low to no oxygen that kills fish and marine life, is 21% smaller than estimates made in early June. The dead zone measured as the 15^th smallest on record at 4,402 square miles.

This equates to roughly 2.8 million acres of habitat potentially unavailable to fish and bottom-dwelling species, a reduction of 30% from the previous year, per a NOAA Fisheries news release.

"This year's significant reduction in the Gulf of America's...