ANALYSIS: Chilean Salmon Squeezed as Tariffs, Fuel Costs and El Niño Risk Converge

According to SUBPESCA, accumulated Chilean Atlantic salmon harvest volumes from January to August were 15.4% higher YTD at 523,474 metric tons (mt) (Figure 1). August harvest reached 78,588 mt, up 14.7% month over month (MOM) but down 5.4% year over year (YOY). Market participants doubt this pace continues through Q3 and Q4: lower YOY live biomass in sea cages reflects precautionary destocking tied to El Niño risk, detailed below...

USDA Splits $2 Million Atlantic Pollock Buy Between Two New England Processors

Common Cents Act Clears Congress, Giving Restaurants a Federal Cash-Rounding Framework

The penny’s days as a working part of the US cash register are nearing an end, and restaurants are getting a clearer set of rules for dealing with the change.

The Senate passed H.R. 10167, the “Common Cents Act,” on Sept. 28, sending the legislation to President Trump for his signature. The bill would formally end production of pennies for general circulation and establish a federal framework for rounding cash transactions when exact change is unavailable.

For restaurant operators, the legislation provides some...

Japan's Processed Seafood Production Fell 3％ in 2025; Surimi Products Dropped by Half in 30 Years

According to Minato Shimbun, citing newly released statistics from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), domestic production of processed seafood products for human consumption in 2025—excluding roasted and seasoned nori seaweed—totaled 1,241,499 metric tons, down 3% year over year.

Surimi products remained the largest category, accounting for 34% of total output at 418,747 tons, up 3% from a year earlier. Although this represented an improvement from the record-low volume reported in the previous year...

Mitsubishi Exits Japanese Food Wholesaler Maruichi Sansho in Final Share Buyback

Mitsubishi Corporation has sold its entire remaining stake in Maruichi Sansho, completing an exit from the Japanese food wholesaler that the trading house had signaled was coming, according to a company notice.

Maruichi Sansho bought back 2,312,500 of its own shares from Mitsubishi on Sept. 30 for JPY 2.41 billion (€13.6 million/$15.4 million), a stake representing 11.7% of voting rights, IntraFish reported, citing the stock exchange filing.  The buyback closed via an off-auction transaction on the Nagoya Stock Exchange, completing a repurchase plan...

Expana Exclusive: Supplying 46,000+ Restaurants in Complex Context - McDonald's Supply Chain Leader

Darcy Gilbert, Vice President of Global Food and Beverage Sourcing at McDonald's, leads a global team accountable for overseeing approximately $30 billion in annual spend across 46,000+ restaurants in 100+ markets, and a global network of supplier partners. At its heart, the team’s job is making sure the food customers love shows up in every restaurant, every day. Yet navigating such a vast system in a fast-changing world requires far more than simply leveraging scale.

In an exclusive interview ahead of her appearance...

Class Action Accuses Mama Bear Salmon Owner of Greenwashing Amid Chilean Environmental Violations

A consumer has filed a proposed federal class action against Trapananda Seafarms LLC, the Miami-based North American sales arm of Chilean salmon producer Australis Seafoods S.A., alleging the company's "Mama Bear" brand deceptively markets its frozen Atlantic salmon products as "Sustainably Farm-Raised" despite a pattern of environmental violations at Australis's Chilean farming operations.

The lawsuit, Harris v. Trapananda Seafarms LLC, was filed August 27 in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by plaintiff Cathryn Harris of Lansing, Illinois. Harris says...

North American Bluefin Tuna Increased Sharply in August at Toyosu Market

According to a report by the Minato Shimbun, Jiji Press data show that the volume of imported fresh tuna arriving at Tokyo's Toyosu Market in August totaled 3,261 fish, up 44.9% from the same month last year. While supplies of wild bluefin tuna and southern bluefin tuna rose steadily, bigeye tuna numbers declined. 

The total number of bluefin tuna reached 770 fish, up from 386 the previous year, effectively doubling. Amid a sharp drop in domestic wild catches, active procurement efforts—particularly from North America...

Chile Suspends Sanctions Against Six Salmon Farms After $1.82M Compliance Pledge

Chile's Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) has approved six Compliance Programs (PDC) submitted by companies operating Salmon Farming Centers (CES) in the Los Lagos, Aysén, and Magallanes regions, resolving sanctioning procedures tied to a range of environmental violations at individual farm sites.

The approved programs cover Cermaq Chile SA's Punta Islas center, Multi X SA's Soledad center, Invermar SA's Walker III center, AquaChile Maullín Ltda.'s Chidguapi center, Mowi Chile SA's García 1 center, and Exportadora Los Fiordos Ltda.'s Melimoyu center...

M&S Taps Ireland's Seafood Processor for Exclusive Organic Oak-Smoked Salmon Line

Marks & Spencer has launched an exclusive Organic Irish Oak Smoked Salmon developed with Bantry-based Keohane Seafoods, marking a new supply partnership between the UK retailer and Ireland's largest seafood processor.

The product is the result of a multi-year development process rather than a quick private-label add. Developed exclusively for M&S over three years, the premium ready-to-eat product represents a new collaboration between M&S and Keohane Seafoods, bringing together M&S's commitment to quality with the expertise of Ireland's largest seafood...

South Korea Overtakes US in Crab Imports

South Korea moved ahead of the United States in the first quarter of 2026 to become the world's second-largest crab importer after US purchases fell 10%, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today.

World crab imports were stable at about 92,000 tonnes in the first quarter, but a greater share of the trade moved toward Asia. China took roughly 37% of global imports.

Canadian snow crab exports were low during the quarter as sea ice and price disputes delayed the start of the fishing season...

Yumbah Aquaculture Appoints Naomi Matthews as Chief Marketing and Sales Officer

Yumbah Aquaculture has named Naomi Matthews as its new Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, tapping a marketing leader with global seafood and Australian retail experience to lead the company's next growth phase across its multi-species portfolio.

Matthews succeeds Dale Williams, who is retiring as Head of Sales and Marketing. She joins Yumbah from Trident Seafoods Europe and Pickenpack Seafoods, where she served as Managing Director, bringing a combination the company says spans both international seafood marketing and hands-on domestic retail experience...

Atlantic Economic Panel Calls for Seafood Sector to Anchor $100 Billion Natural Resource Push by '35

A federal advisory panel is urging Ottawa and the four Atlantic provinces to treat fisheries and aquaculture as a core pillar of a decade-long economic transformation. The panel named oceans one of just three "opportunity" pillars — alongside natural resources and defense — in a new blueprint for Atlantic Canada's growth through 2035.

The Atlantic Economic Panel, chaired by Don Mills and commissioned with support from federal minister Sean Fraser, released its "Bolder Ambitions: Greater Prosperity for All" report identifying seafood... 

ANALYSIS: Rising Freight and Fuel Costs Support Firmer US Frozen Tuna Market

The frozen tuna market has taken on a firmer undertone as rising freight and fuel costs continue to work into replacement values. Market participants have increasingly pointed to higher transportation costs as a factor behind firmer offers, particularly on product moving from Asia to the US East Coast. Ocean freight remains elevated and uneven, with carriers continuing to manage capacity through blank sailings, port omissions and tighter booking controls. At the same time, higher fuel costs continue to add expense throughout the supply chain, from fishing and processing through...

NCLA Asks for Summary Judgment in Case Over WDFW Electronic Monitoring Program for Crab Fleet

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) filed a brief last Friday asking for summary judgment in Franey and Young v. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, arguing that the WDFW's opposition motion contained concessions supporting much of the plaintiffs' case that the agency's new Electronic Monitoring Program for crab boats is unconstitutional.

Plaintiffs Sarah Franey, Brent Young and Mark Young — all crab captains fishing off Washington State — are represented by the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine and the NCLA...

US Scallop Imports, Chilean Mussel Exports Fell Sharply in Q1

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reported today that mussel and scallop trade weakened in the first quarter of 2026, while oyster and clam flows changed little.

Mussel shipments returned to around 2024 levels after an exceptionally strong first quarter in 2025. Chile remains the world's largest mussel exporter, but its shipments fell to about 22,000 tonnes during January-March, down 6,000 tonnes year-on-year. Spanish exports also declined as harvesting closures and mortality events in Galicia reduced available supply...

ASC Launches Responsible Shrimp Slaughter Project to Support Humane Harvesting

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has launched the Responsible Shrimp Slaughter Project, bringing together scientific research, producer experience, and wider industry expertise to address critical evidence gaps and translate emerging knowledge into approaches that can work under commercial farming conditions. The project is supported by Coefficient Giving, an American philanthropic advising and funding organization...