Salmon Surges While Shrimp Slips in NFI's Top 10 US Consumption Rankings

Salmon emerged as the standout winner in US seafood consumption patterns for 2023, while the traditionally dominant shrimp category showed signs of vulnerability, according to the National Fisheries Institute's annual top 10 species list.

Salmon consumption surged 0.29 pounds to 3.51 pounds per capita, reinforcing its position as America's second-most consumed seafood. The growth contrasts sharply with shrimp's performance, despite maintaining its No. 1 ranking at 5.10 pounds per capita; shrimp consumption declined by a notable 0.40 pounds from 2022 levels...

ANALYSIS: US Fresh Imported Seafood Supply Constraints Continue to Drive Market Direction

Fresh imported seafood supplies remain constrained across much of the complex, with 2025 import volumes for several key species — including mahi, snapper, swordfish, and grouper — all trending below year-ago levels. Although January and February 2026 Census data have not yet been released, market participants continue to report lighter arrivals and reduced product availability, suggesting that tight supply conditions have persisted into the new year. Replacement costs have also moved higher, leaving the market increasingly sensitive to even small changes in availability...

Importers Face Long Wait for Tariff Refunds

Importers across industries expecting refunds of roughly $166 billion collected under now-invalidated Trump-era emergency tariffs face a prolonged and uncertain wait. That is according to a government filing that estimated more than 4.4 million hours of manual processing to handle the claims.

After the Supreme Court struck down the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs last month, UW Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told the Court of International Trade that refunding duties from more than 53 million import entries, of which 20.1 million remain unliquidated, presents an unprecedented logistical...

Fisheries Funds Negotiations Between Canada, Coastal Provinces Begin; Current Program Ends March 31

"In a rapidly shifting global environment, Canada's fish and seafood sector needs the tools to adapt, grow, and seize new opportunities. By renewing and revitalizing Canada’s fish funds, we help drive innovation, open new markets, and position Canadian harvesters and processors to compete and thrive on the world stage,” announced Joanne Thompson, Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, as the government of Canada is entering negotiations for a five-year renewal of the country’s three fisheries funds. 

“This sector has always been a vital part...

Shinkei Systems Expands in Pacific Northwest with New Facility

Shinkei Systems, a seafood robotics company, has announced an expansion in Tacoma, Washington, set to be fully operational by the spring with a core team in place and plans for additional hiring during peak fishing seasons in the years ahead.

This Seremoni Grade Plant was acquired from FATHOM Seafood and spans 16,000 square feet.

Its location serves as a strategically positioned hub in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, within direct proximity to key regional fisheries. The company currently sources black cod from fishermen in Alaska...

Hunchun Border Crossing Becomes Main Gateway for Russian Live Crab to China

Russian‑Chinese crab trade has strengthened in recent months, supported by a surge in Chinese demand ahead of the Lunar New Year.

To handle higher volumes, logistics have improved significantly. Most Russian live crab now enters China through the Hunchun border crossing, which operated at full capacity prior to the holiday period due to increased shipments from Russia, according to Chinese media.

Hunchun, located in China's Jilin Province at the junction of the borders with Russia and North Korea, has...

Innovasea Repositions with New Brand Identity and Reorganized Leadership

Innovasea, the aquaculture technology and fish‑tracking firm, rolled out a refreshed brand identity and a reorganized leadership structure this week, positioning the company to more clearly link its product portfolio to its mission on sustainability and global seafood systems. The update includes a reimagined logo, new color palette, a redesigned website and a regrouping of offerings to highlight fully integrated open‑ocean and land‑based solutions.

The rebrand explicitly ties Innovasea’s identity to its affiliations with innovaciones Alumbra (iAlumbra) and the Cuna del Mar portfolio and emphasizes the company’s push...

Friendly’s Brings Joy to the Table With Fiesta Flavors, Dirty Sodas and 10 Under $10 Value Menu

Friendly’s is turning mealtime into a fiesta this spring with the launch of its Fiesta Flavors menu, a trio of new Dirty Sodas and an all-new 10 Under $10 Value Menu, all available starting March 11. The limited-time offerings blend comfort and creativity, giving families new reasons to gather while keeping value front and center.

Headlining the launch is the Fiesta Flavors lineup, featuring four limited-time entrées (each starting at $15.99):

Southwest Taco Burger...

US Department of Commerce Issues Preliminary CVD Results for Ecuadorian Shrimp

The US Department of Commerce (Commerce) has released preliminary results in its expedited countervailing duty (CVD) review for frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador, covering the period January 1–December 31, 2022.

The review followed requests from six Ecuadorian producers/exporters, but was rescinded for Natluk and Total Seafood after both companies withdrew their review requests within the required 60-day window.

The expedited CVD review continues for the remaining four companies. Preliminary subsidy rates announced in the March 10 Federal Register notice are as follows...

ANALYSIS: Farmgate Price Dynamics in Major Shrimp Origins and Their Impact on US Markets

Understanding how farmgate prices in key producing countries translate into US wholesale shrimp pricing requires careful attention to timing and the strength of statistical relationships. By examining five years of data—factoring in newly implemented tariffs (excluding antidumping and countervailing duties), yield loss and exchange‐rate movements—we uncover distinct lead-lag patterns and correlation intensities for two core product forms: Peeled and Deveined Tail-On (PDTO) and Headless Shell-On (HLSO).

India

In India, PDTO farmgate prices and US wholesale PDTO...

Day 13 of Iran War: Strait of Hormuz Tensions Continue, Brent Crude Tops $100 Again

US and Israeli strikes on Iran continued Thursday as the war entered its 13th day, while Tehran intensified retaliatory attacks that have unsettled global energy markets.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran could consider ending the war if its “legitimate rights” are acknowledged, reparations are paid, and binding international guarantees are put in place to prevent future attacks.

Maritime tensions are increasing around the Strait of Hormuz, with reports of tanker attacks off Iraq and drone strikes targeting energy infrastructure throughout the Gulf...

Olav Holst-Dyrnes to Lead Hofseth International AS

Hofseth International AS, the vertically integrated seafood group, has announced the appointment of Olav Holst-Dyrnes as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective in the third quarter of the company’s fiscal year 2026.

In this role, Holst-Dyrnes will lead the company’s development, focusing on sustainable salmon farming and processing, and will draw on the extensive experience he has gained through various executive positions held throughout his career in the industry.

Previously, he served as CEO of the listed seafood company Havfisk ASA from 2012 to 2014 (now...

Washington State Adjusts Strategy to Limit Dangerous Low-Oxygen Levels in Puget Sound 

Across the country, states and regions are facing outdated permit processes, overwhelmed wastewater treatment plants, and competing land use policies that are creating oxygen ‘dead-zones’ where marine life cannot survive. 

Some of the worst areas in the U.S. are the northern Gulf of Mexico (now known as the Gulf of America) fanning out from the Mississippi River; the Chesapeake Bay, fed by the Susquehanna, Potomac, and James Rivers; and in the Pacific Northwest’s Puget Sound, into which the Skagit, Stillaguamish, Snohomish, Nisqually, and the Skokomish...

FDA Issues Warning Letters to Iowa Wholesaler, Chicago Importer Over Seafood HACCP Violations

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a pair of Warning Letters on March 10, citing Chicago-based El Rey USA Meats & Seafood Inc. and Iowa-based Rio Verde Food Service Inc. for serious violations of seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations.

Rio Verde Faces Oyster Temperature Control Issues

Rio Verde Food Service Inc., located in Des Moines, received its warning letter dated February 27 following a July 2025 inspection that found critical deficiencies in the company's live oyster HACCP program...

Three Recreational Fishers Fined a Combined $11,600 for Illegal Sea Cucumber Harvesting

Illegal harvesting poses risks to fish stocks, marine ecosystems, and local economies. Fishery officers with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) play a vital role in protecting Canada’s vital aquatic resources by enforcing fishing laws, conducting inspections, monitoring ecosystems, and promoting public education and conservation.

A total of three judgements in Campbell River Provincial Court were issued between November 24, 2025 and January 29, 2026, concluding three...

NOAA: Gulf Shrimp Fishery “Not Economically Sustainable” After Decades of Thin Margins

NOAA Fisheries' new economic snapshot lays out a stark picture for the Gulf shrimp industry: landings, revenues, and fleet participation are down sharply, while long-term profitability remains effectively nonexistent.

The agency found Gulf shrimp revenue plunged from $489 million in 2021 to $221 million in 2023, a drop of more than 50%. At the same time, the share of U.S. shrimp supplied by Gulf harvests fell to just 4.5% of the market in 2023, down from 28.7% in 1984, as imports, especially farmed shrimp...

Benson Seafood Rebrands, Opening New Processing Plant to Add Crab, Scallops and Value‑added Lobster

Benson Seafood, the former Benson Lobster, has rebranded and is opening a new processing facility on Grand Manan, New Brunswick, the company announced in a LinkedIn post and in comments to Navigator Magazine.

The move shifts the family business beyond live Atlantic lobster into frozen and value‑added lobster, crab and scallop products. The company said the expansion will help open “new market opportunities” for its partners and broaden its product portfolio.

CEO Casey Benson told Navigator the plant is on track to open this...