ANALYSIS: Shrimp Wholesale Momentum Slows as Retail Pass-Through Remains Uncertain

The recent uptrend in US wholesale shrimp prices has lost momentum over the past few weeks. Several offers have retracted from the initial spike — a pattern similar to what happened after the April hike, when wholesale levels slowed sharply from mid‑May through June. Replacement costs, however, remain high and are unlikely to fall in the near term; if retailers do not pass those costs to consumers, we should expect further margin compression...

NOAA Finalizes Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Gulf and California Under Trump Mandate

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has designated 13 Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) totaling more than 21,000 acres in federal waters of the Gulf of America and off the coast of Southern California.

NOAA said the latest AOAs fulfill President Donald Trump’s 2020 Executive Order, ‘Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth,’ and his more recent 2025 Executive Order,  'Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.’

“These areas will strengthen the nation’s seafood industry, reduce reliance on foreign imports, and create high-quality American jobs,” NOAA Fisheries said in its...

Oregon Pink Shrimp Allies Tell USTR to Open UK Market, End 20% Tariff

The Oregon Trawl Commission (OTC), the Shrimp Producers Marketing Cooperative (SPMC) and the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) penned a letter to the US Trade Representative (USTR), urging the Trump administration to secure reliable access to the United Kingdom market for Oregon pink shrimp harvesters.

“The UK is one of the major global markets for coldwater shrimp, and UK consumers place great value on quality and sustainability, making it an ideal market for the MSC-certified Oregon pink shrimp...

ASC Launches 60-Day Consultation on Adding Catfish to Certification Program

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) launched a 60-day consultation period on September 17 to include catfish in the ASC program.

This specifically includes the catfish genera Clarias, Heterobranchus, Ictalurus, Ameiurus, and Silurus, as stated in a news release by ASC.

The ASC is seeking feedback on the overall sustainability of its Farm Standard in addressing the impacts of catfish farming, as well as species-specific metrics and indicators.

Based on various inputs from experts and technical working groups, ASC believes that most existing indicators within the ASC...

MarinTrust and SFP Sign MoU to Strengthen Marine Ingredient Sustainability Collaboration

MarinTrust and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize and strengthen their collaboration in promoting responsible practices throughout the marine ingredient value chain.

Both parties stated that they are focused on several shared goals, including governance, joint support for initiatives, Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) ratings, and sharing insights and information.

Libby Woodhatch, Executive Chair of MarinTrust, commented:

“This MoU marks a significant step forward in our longstanding relationship with SFP. By aligning our efforts, we can more...

Coffee, Cocoa, Tea, and More Added to List of Potential Tariff Adjustments for Aligned Partners

As of September 5, products like coffee, cocoa, and tea (along with hundreds more) may be exempt from US reciprocal tariffs if a country’s leaders make a deal with the US trade team, according to a White House fact sheet that specifies exemptions for trading partners that make substantial, reciprocal commitments to mitigate the national emergency-inducing trade-deficit.

To date, market participants watched as deals with the European Union and Indonesia provided a vague mention towards exemptions for “natural resources” like EU cork...

ANALYSIS: EU-UK Region Sees Record-high Shrimp Imports in July

The European Union has released its latest trade data for July 2025, indicating that shrimp imports in the EU-UK region continue to rise, reaching a record high for this time of year—67,340 metric tons, valued at €430.0 million. This marks a significant year-over-year increase of 13.0% in volume and 8.6% in value. The imported volume is also 20.8% above the five-year July average. The uptick in imports aligns with the seasonal trend in which European importers schedule deliveries to replenish inventories after the...

WPRFMC Opens Four Pacific Marine National Monuments to Commercial Fishing

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) voted to reopen commercial fishing in four US Pacific marine national monuments on September 16, advancing a Trump administration push to restore fishing access in the region.

The move comes after President Donald Trump’s April Proclamation' Unleashing American commercial fishing in the Pacific,' which sought to restore commercial fishing access in national monuments in the US Pacific.

President Donald Trump's April Executive Order 'Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,' also called for a review of which marine national monuments should be opened to commercial...

Marine Stewardship Council: Over 75% of Global Whitefish Catch Now Certified Sustainable

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) said that over three-quarters of the world’s whitefish catch is now certified sustainable, a major milestone as the company unveiled its 2025 Sustainable Whitefish Yearbook.

Currently, over 60 different whitefish species carry the MSC label. The group highlighted how popular species like pollock and cod feature the blue label; however, some under-the-radar species like pikeperch, sablefish and various rockfish are also certified.

Whitefish now accounts for almost half of all seafood that is either MSC certified, under assessment, or part...

Pacific Halibut Landings At 58 Percent of Quota With 3 Months Left in Season

Two-thirds of the way through the Pacific Halibut season, coastwide landings — from Alaska through British Columbia and the US West Coast — as of September 15 are only 57% of the annual quota. 

The 2025 quota for commercial, recreational, and tribal limit was 23.8 million pounds, some 15.8% less than the annual quota for 2024.  

Even at that reduced limit, only 13.71 million pounds have been landed as of September 15, or 57.6% of the annual quota...

Japan: North American Bluefins Sees Better Prices at Toyosu Market in August

According to a Jiji Press survey, the number of imported tuna arriving at the tuna section of Tokyo's Toyosu Market in August was 2,251, a 26.8% decrease from the same month last year. While bigeye tuna increased, wild bluefin tuna remained at the same level as the previous year, and southern bluefin tuna decreased. 

Minato Shimbun analyzed that the total number of bluefin tuna was 386 compared with 381 in the same month last year. Canadian bluefin tuna was the mainstay, increasing to 265 from 211 in the same month last year, while Boston tuna halved to 59 from 116. Canadian tuna experienced unexpected issues, including flight cancellations due to an airline strike and "packages bound...

Shinkei Systems Moves into 15,000‑Sq‑Ft El Segundo Facility to Scale Robotic Seafood Tech

Shinkei Systems, a company focused on robotics for use in the seafood industry and owner of Seremoni, said it will more than double its corporate footprint with a new headquarters in El Segundo, California.

The company moved into a 15,000-square-foot facility at El Segundo’s Standard Works campus that will be used to “engineer, test, and manufacture the company’s robotic systems.” The space will also house corporate offices for its premium seafood brand, Seremoni...

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...

Florida Seafood Exec Pleads Guilty in $8 Million Stone Crab and Spiny Lobster Price-Fixing Scheme

A Miami seafood executive pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring with competitors to fix prices paid to Florida fishermen for stone crab claws and spiny lobster, admitting his role in a years-long scheme that affected approximately $8 million in seafood purchases.

The DOJ said that between 2023 and 2025, Dopico conspired with competing companies and their employees to “suppress and eliminate” competition by fixing prices paid to fishermen. The DOJ said the conspiracy “deprived fishermen in Florida of the benefits...

ANALYSIS: Europe's 2025 YTD Squid Imports Slump 6.8% as Peru Rises to Lead Market Share

Squid imports into Europe declined by 6.8% year-on-year through August 2025, highlighting changing dynamics among the region’s leading suppliers.  Peru has notably strengthened its position, recording a substantial increase in export volumes of 45.6% year-to-date (YTD)...

Chilean Court Orders EMDEPES to Pay $344,000 for Illegal Hoki Discards

Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) said the Chilean Supreme Court ruled in its favor in a case focused on the illegal discards of Chilean Fisheries Development Company SA (EMDEPES SA).

Sernapseca stated that the events constitute a violation of Article 40 C of the General Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture (LGPA) for the unauthorized disposal of hoki during fishing operations conducted by the vessel UNZEN. The company, which is under the umbrella of Japanese seafood giant Nissui...

Bumble Bee Teams with Content Creator Reece Feldman for Tuna CANS Film Festival

Bumble Bee Seafoods has launched a Tuna CANS Film Festival, a playful twist on the famous Cannes Film Festival, by inviting filmmakers and creators to shoot short films featuring its Bumble Bee Tuna products.

"We have an incredible amount of respect for the creators and makers out there and thoroughly enjoy seeing how people use Bumble Bee Tuna in creative ways," said Dana Kowal, Senior Director Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Bumble Bee Seafoods. "Through this campaign our goal is to highlight the new...