ANALYSIS: Fresh Tilapia Prices Rise as Imports Fall

There was a notable decrease in the total import volume of fresh tilapia fillets in February 2024 compared to January 2024, with volumes dropping from just under 4.1 million pounds to 3.2 million pounds, a 21.9% decline. Year-over-year, the decline is even more pronounced at 28.1%, with February 2023 volumes at 4.4 million pounds. This indicates a significant contraction in import volumes over both a monthly and yearly basis.

The year-to-date numbers running January through February show a similar trend, with a decline of...

The Retail Rundown: Maximizing May’s Buying Occasions

The grocery sector is maximizing several buying occasions this month as the change in weather and outdoor grilling season breathes new life into the meat case.

May brings about a seasonal shift as daily life bustles with spring activities like sports and outings—boosting the supermarket's convenience and snack food sections. Busy families will also frequent the deli counter more often and turn to quick dinners and frozen options for weekday meals.

Retailers are currently highlighting holiday items for Cinco de Mayo this Sunday. The upcoming holiday, which commemorates the anniversary of Mexico’s...

Maruha Nichiro Estimates Worldwide Surimi Production in 2023 Reached 800,000 Tons

Ryota Masaki, General Manager of Maruha Nichiro's North American Division, delivered a compelling speech on April 24 after the Fish Protein Health Research Group general meeting in Minato-ku, Tokyo. He shared a company estimate that the world's total surimi production reached 800,000 tons in 2023. Masaki emphasized the dynamic changes in the supply and demand side of surimi, particularly the rapid increase in the production of Russian Pollock surimi, which is primarily imported into China. 

Consumption of Russian Pollock Surimi Soars in China

Masaki provided detailed...

American Seafoods’ Tim Fitzgerald On The Importance Of Telling The Sustainability Story

What exactly is “sustainability”? Consumers know that they want to purchase sustainable products, but the definition of “sustainability” often varies. Ultimately, when it comes down to it, the only thing a company can do is share their story and hope that it reaches the appropriate audience.

Compiling the data to tell that sustainability story can be time consuming. But if a company has a good story to tell, it can be rewarding. 

Leading up to Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, American Seafoods published its annual sustainability report...

2024 Snow Crab Landings Update For NL, Gulf and Maritimes Region As of April 29

Canadian snow crab harvesters are continuing to haul in their catch. According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO),  Area 12 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has already landed 65.68% of their total allowable catch for this year. As of April 29, harvesters have caught 14,289.416 t, with 7,466.658 t left in the water.

Landings in CFA 20-22 in the Maritimes Region are on par with Area 12. Harvesters there have landed 66.13% of their TAC. The total quota for CFA 20-22 is 937.635 metric tonnes, so harvesters have 317.566 metric tonnes left in the water. 

CFA 23-24E in the Maritimes Region is moving a bit slower...

Latitude 45 Salmon Candy Targets Growing Demand For Grab and Go Category

People want convenience…without sacrificing taste. And Multi X’s Latitude 45 brand hit the nail on the head with their newest product innovation, Smoked Salmon Candy Bites.

Latitude 45 has made a name for itself as one of the top selling smoked salmon brands in the U.S. But last week in Barcelona for Seafood Expo Global the company turned heads for its packaging. The new Latitude 45 Smoked Salmon Candy Bites won the Special Award for Best Retail Packaging category at the Seafood Excellence Global Awards...

Department of Commerce Publishes Amended CVD Determination on Shrimp From Ecuador 

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has officially published the amended preliminary affirmative countervailing duty (CVD) determination on shrimp from Ecuador. 

In late March the DOC announced its preliminary affirmative determinations in the CVD investigations of frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador, as well as India and Vietnam. (At the same time the DOC also confirmed a negative determination in the CVD investigation of shrimp from Indonesia.) Ecuador exporter/ producer Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila was slapped with a 13.41% preliminary subsidy rate...

What Caused Massive Alaska Snow Crab Die-Off? Author of Study Linking Ocean Heat Event Explains

The disappearance of 10 billion Bering Sea snow crab in two years, perhaps the largest loss ever reported of marine animals to ocean heatwaves, was a devastating blow to the fishery. NOAA scientists and researchers were puzzled. Industry experts and fishermen posed many theories. Did they migrate beyond the survey grid in the Bering Sea, perhaps to Russian waters? Were they killed by disease or a parasite, or a combination of factors? Did they starve to death?

Last October, a team of NOAA...

Russia Expects Fish Exports to Reach US$5.6 Billion This Year

Exports of fish products from Russia in 2024 are expected to reach US$5.6 billion, according to recent statements made by Ilya Shestakov, head of Rosrybolovstvo.

Shestakov said that, despite the current pressure from West, Russia continues to expand the geography of supplies of its fish and seafood.

At present the Asian markets of China, Japan, South Korea remain the biggest sales markets for Russia. However, the volume of supplies to the Latin American and especially African market is steadily growing...

ANALYSIS: Countervailing Duties Reduction Would Have Significant Impact on Payments

As reported by SeafoodNews Managing Editor, Amanda Buckle, Jose Antonio Camposano, Executive President of Industry Association Camara Nacional de Acuacultura confirmed the yet unpublished report that Santa Priscila’s subsidy rate has been lowered.

To put this in perspective, here is a preliminary analysis of money that would be posted based upon data from 2023 imports. The red lines in the graph are estimated payments against last year’s total imports by company based upon the average price paid. The total paid would...

Vandal Poisons Young Salmon in Oregon Targeted for Sport and Commercial Fisheries

As it turns out, bleach and salmon don't mix.

Nearly 18,000 young salmon died after a vandal poured bleach into an Oregon fish hatchery tank last week, according to law enforcement authorities.

What may have started as vandalism evolved into poaching with the illegal killing of fish in one of four tanks at the Gardiner, Reedsport, and Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program hatchery in Reedsport.

Douglas County Sheriff's Office Deputies arrested Joshua Heckathorn, 20, of Gardiner, and lodged him at the Douglas County Jail on...

ANALYSIS: Blue and Red Swimming Crab Meat Hit 52-week Lows on Special Grade

As discussed last month, the crab meat market in the U.S. continues to be a tale of two different groupings of sizing grades: larger grades under upward pricing pressure and smaller grades seeing downward pricing pressure. Because the overall size of crabs has been smaller for the past several months out of the Asian producing countries, we have continued to see a smaller percentage of colossal, jumbo lump, and super lump available to the marketplace. When crabs run smaller...

Bering Sea Dungeness Crab Season Opens May 1

Fifteen vessels have registered for the Bering Sea Dungeness crab season in the North Peninsula district this year, just one down from 2022 and  above last year’s fleet size of 11 vessels.

Based on the number of vessels registered prior to the April 1, 2024 registration deadline, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is allowing 500 pots per vessel this year, indicating that the shellfish managers are expecting somewhat increased harvests over last year. 

KUCB Public Media interviewed Ethan Nichols last week for historical context of the fishery. Nichols is the ...

EDITORIAL: From Cartoons to Temporary Tattoos; Finding New Ways To Get Kids To Try More Seafood

Studies repeatedly show that children and adolescents are not consuming the recommended amount of seafood. 

The U.S. government is continuing to buy different species of fish for school lunch programs. And just a few weeks ago the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service finalized updates to the foods prescribed to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to expand seafood. These types of programs make seafood more accessible to children. But is it enough? And is there more that the industry can do to make seafood offerings more appealing to kids (and parents)?

2024 Snow Crab Landings Update For NL, Gulf and Maritimes Region As of April 26

Area 12 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence already has more than half of its quota caught. According to landings data from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 62.11% of the quota has been caught as of April 26. The initial quota for Area 12 — including traditional fleet (01), First Nations (02) and New Access (03) — was set at 22,236.416 t and revised to 21,756.074 t. The season opened April 1 and reporting as of April 26 shows that 13,513.539...

Wells Fargo: Peter Pan in “Imminent Danger of Insolvency,” Asks Court to Put in Receivership

Last Wednesday, Northwest lender Wells Fargo Bank asked the King County Superior Court to move Peter Pan Seafoods into receivership to protect creditors. The news comes as more lawsuits are being filed by fishermen who claim the company has not paid them for deliveries last year. 

Wells Fargo was the single biggest lender to the iconic but financially troubled seafood processor last year. Wednesday’s petition to the court names Peter Pan Seafood Company, Alaska Fish Holdings, and Raymond Machine Shop as owing more than...

LIVE! From Seafood Expo Global With InnaSea Media's Emily De Sousa and Bri Dwyer

The Seafoodnews Podcast is LIVE from Barcelona for Seafood Expo Global! In this latest episode, recorded right from Fira de Barcelona, Seafoodnews Senior Editor Amanda Buckle welcomes the founders of InnaSea Media — Emily De Sousa and Bri Dwyer. Listen in to learn more about how a fisheries scientist/ content creator and a visual storyteller with a background in Alaska's commercial fisheries have come together with the goal of transforming perceptions of seafood.