ANALYSIS: US May Shrimp Imports Rise 7% as Ecuador Posts Record Monthly Volume

Total US shrimp imports for May 2026 came in at 152.9 million lbs, up 7.0% year over year versus 143.0 million lbs in May 2025. The monthly gain was driven almost entirely by Ecuador, while declines across the major Asian origins continued to weigh on the broader supply picture. YTD through May, imports stand at 690 million lbs, down 7.9% against 749 million lbs in the same period of 2025.

Ecuador recorded 64.0 million lbs in May, up 46.8% year over year and...

SalMar to Acquire 70% Stake in Måsøval in $350 Million Deal

SalMar ASA has agreed to acquire Heimstø AS's entire 70% stake in Måsøval AS, the Central Norway salmon farmer, in a deal valuing Måsøval's total share capital at approximately NOK 4.84 billion. The transaction was announced on 8 July 2026.

Under the terms of the agreement, SalMar will pay NOK 39.50 per share for Heimstø's 85,727,553 shares — a premium of 71.7% to Måsøval's closing price on 25 March 2026, the day before Heimstø announced a strategic review of its ownership. The NOK 3.4 billion consideration is structured...

NOAA Links Chinook Salmon Declines in Yukon River to Bering Sea Heatwaves

In a new study, NOAA scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center have linked the rapid decline of Chinook salmon in the Yukon River to marine heatwaves during 2016–2019, a period when adult run sizes reached their lowest levels on record.

The researchers used a new modeling approach to reconstruct the full Chinook life cycle by combining data from multiple sources: juvenile marine survey data and bycatch information collected by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and adult monitoring data collected by the Alaska Department...

Hokkaido Surimi Production Plummeted 55% to 760 Tons in May

The Minato Shimbun reported that frozen surimi production in Hokkaido for May—based on data compiled by the National Surimi Manufacturers Association based in Abashiri City, Hokkaido—fell 55% year-on-year to 755 tons. This marked the third consecutive month of decline, driven by sluggish landings of the primary raw material, Alaska pollock.

Of this total, pollock surimi production dropped 59% to 672 tons, also marking a third straight month of decline. According to surimi manufacturers, raw fish landings fell across the board...

Atlantic Mackerel Quotas Surge More Than 1,000 Percent After Stock Assessment Shows Recovery

Atlantic mackerel's decade-long rebuilding effort is showing results. A September 2025 management track assessment by NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center found the population is no longer dangerously low and overfishing is not occurring — with 2024 spring trawl survey abundance near a record high, egg production the highest since the 1980s, and estimated recruitment the strongest since 1983, according to NOAA Fisheries.

The turnaround has been years in the making. A 2017 benchmark assessment found the mackerel population dangerously low and overfishing occurring, triggering a five-year...

Alaska Salmon Harvest Trails YOY Catch, Bristol Bay On Track to Reach 33.5 Million Harvest

Bristol Bay’s current catch of sockeye salmon has reached 17.95 million sockeye, on track to achieve pre-season forecasted total harvest of 32.26 million.  

Of the five river districts in the bay, Egegik has reached its escapement goal of 1.4 million sockeye, and currently has 5.94 million landed out of a forecasted 7.44 million, a goal within reach now that escapement has been met. 

Ugashick’s escapement, however, was 370,000 out of a needed 950,000 sockeye. Current landings are at 3.85 million...

Farmed Fish Overtakes Wild Catch for First Time as Global Seafood Output Hits Record 188.2M Tonnes

Aquaculture has become the leading source of fish for human consumption, surpassing capture fisheries for the first time and marking what the UN Food and Agriculture Organization called a "turning point" for global food systems.

In its State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026 report, FAO said global fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record 188.2 million tonnes in 2024. Of that, aquaculture contributed 103.3 million tonnes, continuing a long growth trend that is reshaping seafood supply...

Thai Union Launches Industry-First Recyclable Shelf-Stable Tuna Pouch Under John West Brand

Thai Union Group has launched what it claims is the seafood industry's first shelf-stable tuna product in a recyclable mono-material pouch, rolling it out under its John West brand in the UK and Ireland as a product line called Stir & Serve. The launch, developed in collaboration with packaging supplier Mondi, is now available at Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, and Ocado, with further retailer expansion planned through 2026.

The innovation addresses a longstanding technical barrier in flexible seafood packaging. Conventional retort pouches...

Japan’s Mackerel Exports Show a 1.7 Fold Increase in January-May with Record High Price

Exports of Japanese frozen mackerel are recovering. The cumulative export volume for the January–May period reached 58,200 tons, 1.7 times the same period the previous year, driven by increased landings in Kyushu. In recent years, poor catches across domestic fishing grounds—particularly in the Sanriku and Joban regions—combined with a sharp drop in production in Norway (the world's largest producer) have caused landing prices to skyrocket. With high international demand for Japanese mackerel tightening the supply...

Norway Doubles Down on Seafood as Tournament Diet Captures Global Headlines

Norwegian seafood has received a notable publicity boost since the start of the world's most competitive soccer tournament.

Earlier last month, ahead of the opening matches, Norway's national soccer team arrived in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Word quickly spread that the squad had brought a substantial shipment of seafood from home to fuel the players throughout the tournament. The detail soon took on a life of its own, generating global headlines and widespread discussion across social media.

Media intelligence firm Meltwater tracked...

US Identifies Costa Rica for IUU Fishing Over Longline Monitoring Failures, Conservation Groups Warn

The United States has formally identified Costa Rica as engaged in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, citing years of failed commitments to establish a national observer program for its industrial pelagic longline fleet. The finding comes in NOAA's 2026 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management and was highlighted in a July 3 press release from CREMA, a Costa Rican marine conservation organization.

According to CREMA, NOAA found that Costa Rica failed to meet mandatory observer coverage requirements set by the...

UNFI Shuffles Leadership to Strengthen Operations and Commercial Execution

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) is making leadership changes aimed at strengthening execution, improving efficiency and supporting long-term profitable growth.

Effective Aug 3, Matteo Tarditi will become President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), overseeing product sales, enterprise customer relationships, supply chain operations, technology and lean implementation. Tarditi previously served as president and chief financial officer.

Louis Martin will serve as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), with responsibility for commercial strategy and capabilities across conventional and natural merchandising, supplier partnerships and services, private brands, professional and digital services...

Portugal Grants First Permit for Offshore Open-Sea Fish Farm

Portugal has issued its first-ever permit for an offshore aquaculture facility in the open sea, marking a notable step for the country’s marine farming sector and wider European offshore aquaculture development.

Israel-based Mariculture Systems said it has secured an Aquaculture Activity Title from Portuguese authorities, clearing the way for construction of an offshore fish farming facility off the Portuguese coast.

The project will use the company’s CORALIS offshore aquaculture technology, built around a semi-submersible platform designed to operate in exposed...

Les Hodges: Market Access Becomes the New Measure of Value

The defining issue in the global crab market is no longer production alone. Across every major producing region, the ability to access the highest-value markets is becoming a more important factor of profitability than the size of the harvest itself. Biological conditions continue to improve in Alaska, Norway remains constrained by lower king crab quotas, Russia continues directing premium live product into Asia, and Japan is finding it more difficult to compete for available supply. The result is a global market increasingly shaped by tariffs, sanctions...

NOAA Lifts Suriname Seafood Import Ban After Drift Gillnet Fishery Reforms

NOAA Fisheries has reinstated a comparability finding for Suriname's drift gillnet fishery under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), removing an import prohibition that had been in effect since January 1, 2026 and restoring US market access for products harvested from the fishery. The finding, published in the Federal Register on June 22 (91 FR 37086), is valid through December 31, 2029.

The restoration of access matters commercially: Suriname shipped 11.6 million pounds of seafood to the US in 2025, valued at $40.2 million across 569 shipments, according...

The Retail Rundown: The Battle for the Summer Food Dollar Intensifies

With the Fourth of July behind us, the protein industry is entering the "dog days of summer," when seasonal demand typically slows. Holiday movement over the past weekend was reportedly mixed, with retail performance varying by region as weather patterns influenced consumer plans and outdoor activity.

This year, the seasonal slowdown is unfolding against a challenging economic backdrop. Although inflation has moderated, consumers continue to face elevated costs for housing, utilities, and other essentials.

Rather than pulling back on discretionary spending entirely, households are becoming more intentional about where they spend their food dollars, placing greater emphasis on value. That dynamic is especially evident in the restaurant industry...

Russian Pacific Salmon Catch Lags Behind 2025 Amid Declining Stocks

Russia may face one of the worst red caviar production and salmon catch figures this year in the last two decades due to weak results from the ongoing salmon fishing season.

Regarding red caviar, according to recent Rosrybolovstvo forecasts, the catch will not exceed 227,000 tons, which would be among the lowest figures for the country and its salmon sector.

According to fishermen, the Russian salmon sector is already lagging compared to last year's results, which may lead to price growth for both salmon and red caviar...