Atlantic Sapphire Appoints Former Cermaq Chile Managing Director as New CEO

Atlantic Sapphire has found its new CEO in Pedro Courard, a former Managing Director of Cermaq Chile. Courard is set to replace founder Johan Andreassen, who had informed the Board of Directors in October 2023 of his decision to step down as CEO. 

Courard spent the past four years at Cermaq Chile, joining the company in August 2019 as Director of Production before getting promoted in March 2022 to Managing Director. Prior to joining Cermaq Chile, he held positions with Multi X and Ocea Chile (Scale)...

Trader Joe’s Introduces 3 New Seafood Products, Including RTE Salmon Item

Trader Joe’s is constantly introducing new items to their shelves. And this month, three of their new products just so happen to be seafood-related.

The grocer’s refrigerated section has plenty of ready-to-eat (RTE) options, and the latest addition to that lineup involves salmon. Trader Joe’s is encouraging customers to “shake up” a classic with their new Caesar Salad with Salmon. This RTE offering features romaine lettuce and kale blend with grilled salmon, parmesan crisps and romano Caesar dressing...

ANALYSIS: Strong Demand and Sporadic Landings Lead to High Prices to Start the Spring King Season

Spring troll season for king (Chinook) salmon is in full swing, with landings reported from various regions. However, the market is facing challenges in maintaining steady pricing and supply. Product is coming in from Neah Bay, the Columbia River, as well as the Coast of Oregon. Additionally Southeast Alaska and Yakutat recently commenced with landings for weeks 18 and 19 hovering around 400 fish each, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game, as of...

Mowi Acknowledges “Biologically Challenging” Q1 in Norway

Mowi released its Q1 2024 results this week, reporting revenues of 1.33 billion euros in the first quarter, compared to 1.36 billion euros in Q1 2023. Mowi CEO Ivan Vindheim chalked up the decrease in revenue to “challenges” related to a cold winter, winter sores and an “unusually high prevalence of string jellyfish."

“Consequently, I am pleased to see the situation in Norway has improved considerably in the second quarter,” said Vindheim. “We are now vaccinating our smolt with an improved winter sore vaccine which has...

Cermaq Deficit JPY 20 Billion: Consolidated Mitsubishi Corp. Profit/Loss for FY Ending March 2024

Among the consolidated results of Mitsubishi Corporation for the fiscal year ending March 2024, the Cermaq Group, a subsidiary dedicated to salmon farming, processing, and sales, faced significant challenges. The profit and loss of the group was in the red, recording a loss of 20.3 billion yen ($130.44 million), a stark contrast to the previous fiscal year's surplus of 30.8 billion yen ($197.91 million). Minato Shimbun reported that the factors contributing to this downturn were...

Lerøy Faces Escape of Estimated 14,000 Salmon

An estimated 14,000 fish are reported to have escaped a Lerøy Midt facility in Norway’s Hitra municipality. The company confirmed the escapement, with general manager Harald Larssen commenting that “this should not happen.”

“We have a vision of zero escapes, and take this very seriously,” said Larssen.

The escaped fish in question are said to weigh approximately 7.3 kilos each. The company has brought in additional resources to not only secure the pen, but also recapture as many of the escaped fish as possible. Lerøy has already deployed more than...

USDA Kicks Off May With Open Purchase Requests For Alaska Pollock, Catfish, Salmon and Walleye

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) kicked off the month of May with three seafood open purchase requests.

On May 2 a bid invitation went out for a total of 392,000 lbs of catfish products for use in domestic food distribution programs. According to the document, the USDA is seeking 152,000 lbs of catfish fillets (unbreaded, raw, pkg 20/2), and 240,000 lbs of catfish strips (breaded, oven ready, pkg 4/10). Offers are due by May 9, with acceptances set to...

ANALYSIS: 2024 Buying Opportunites Inch Ahead of 2023 for Farmed Salmon

The farmed salmon market at retail has seen the average retail pricing starting to tick above the 3-year average. The last two weeks at retail, the average retail price was 5.6 and 8.4 percent higher than the 3-year average respectively. In addition, the number of buying opportunities or retail features has also increased; levels in the last three weeks have been above the 3-year average.

This is in contrast to one of the lowest buying opportunity weeks about...

Russia Begins Preparations for 2025 Salmon Fishing Season

Russia has begun preparations for the 2025 salmon fishing season. According to preliminary forecasts made by Rosrybolovstvo during the recent Far Eastern Scientific Council in Vladivostok, the catch of Pacific salmon is expected to reach about 320,000 tonnes.

“All the work will be carried out as in previous years. Once again I want to say that 320,000 tonnes is still a preliminary forecast. I think it will increase,” said Ilya Shestakov, the head of Rosrybolovstvo. 

Of the 320,000 tonnes, 192,900 will account for pink salmon, while chum salmon will account for...

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...

Mowi’s Suit Against National Salmon Tax Rebuffed by Norwegian Court

Mowi, one of the world’s largest producer of farmed salmon and the largest opponent of Norway’s new ‘ground tax’ — a basic rent tax of 25 percent on the profit from their sea-based farming activities — lost the first round in what likely will be further challenges to the progressive tax. 

The district court in Hordaland county, home to Bergen, dismissed the case on the basis that it was premature because the federal government has not yet determined the full details of the salmon tax, which is expected this fall or  ...

...

CDFW, Tribes Release First Hatchery Salmon That Will Return After Klamath Dam Removal

Young Klamath River salmon are getting a helping hand from the state and California tribes.

Last week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and leaders from the Karuk, Yurok and Shasta Indian Nation and the Quartz Valley Indian tribes released about 90,000 yearling coho salmon just below the Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River. It was the first major release of coho salmon, a state and federally listed threatened species, into the Klamath River since dam...

Russian Salmon Sector Booming These Days

The Russian salmon sector is booming these days despite a significant drop of imports and maintaining stable domestic demand for salmon, according to recent statements made by representatives of producers and some local media reports.

According to latest data of the Russian Fisheries Union, imports of Atlantic salmon to Russia have declined by almost half over the last five years and amounted to 44,000 tons in 2023. At the same time, since last year, the supplies of chilled salmon products have completely stopped: both headless salmon and fillets. Prior to introduction of sanctions...

Peter Pan Halts Operations For Summer And Winter Production Cycles For The “Foreseeable Future”

Peter Pan Seafood’s fate has been up in the air since the company announced in January that it would be closing its King Cove plant for the winter fisheries of cod, whitefish and crab. Now, the company has confirmed that it will be “halting operations at its processing plants, leading to the discontinuation of both summer and winter production cycles for the foreseeable future.”

The decision to halt operations comes just a few weeks after Peter Pan...

ANALYSIS: Farmed Salmon at Retail Wanes

The market conditions in the farmed salmon complex post-Easter appears to be highly dependent on country of origin.

On the Chilean side, with Easter behind us, retail demand has dwindled. Retail buying opportunities or promotions were down significantly the week after Holy Week. The amount of buying opportunities recorded was the lowest number of promotions the market has seen in two years outside of the week of Thanksgiving in the United States. When retail demand wanes, the fresh spot market feels it, almost instantaneously. Fresh Chilean fillets moved lower both Tuesday and...

Europe’s BLUU Seafood Opens First Pilot Plant For Cultivated Fish

BLUU Seafood announced this week that they have opened the doors to their first pilot plant in Europe. 

Founded in Germany in 2020 as BLUU Biosciences, the company quickly expanded in 2021 after raising €7.2 million in funding. That year, the company also established a lab in Lübeck, Germany, as well as co-founded CellAg Europe. In 2022 the company rebranded as BLUU Seafood and presented its first products to the world: fish balls, fish fingers and caviar. Each of these products are...

Nordic Aqua Partners Reaches Total Harvest Volume of 92 Tonnes At China Farm

Nordic Aqua Partners confirmed last week that it has reached a total harvest volume of 92 tonnes at its fish farm in Gaotang, China.

The salmon farming company began production of fresh salmon in March 2022. Since then the company has welcomed former Mowi executive Ragnar Joensen as their new Chief Executive Officer, as well as new directors to their board and a new CFO. Earlier this year the company provided a 2024 outlook, revealing that they planned to have their first harvest in...

Norway Food Safety Authority Confirms ISA At Sjøtroll Havbruk 

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority confirmed earlier this week that Sjøtroll Havbruk AS is facing an infectious salmon anemia (ISA) outbreak at its facility in Sveio municipality in Vestland county.

Sjøtroll Havbruk first notified the Norwegian Food Safety Authority of a possible finding compatible with ISA on April 25. Samples were conducted by the agency a few days later, and by May 8 the Food Safety Authority was able to confirm that the disease was indeed present at the fish farm.

Sjøtroll Havbruk, which is...

ANALYSIS: Chilean Salmon Fillet Imports Through First Quarter Down 5.9 Percent

The farmed salmon market saw imports of fresh fillets through the first quarter of the year fall behind 2023. Year-to-date levels are trailing 2023 by 4.2 percent. Out of Chile, the leader in the category with a 73 percent market share, imports of fresh fillets are down 5.9 percent YTD. Imports out of Norway, on the other hand, are up 11.4 percent through March 2024 as compared to 2023. The Netherlands, another European producing country that processes, are also...

A Deep Dive Into Mother’s Day: Seafood Wins With Special Brunch Menus

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and the National Retail Federation reports that spending in 2024 is expected to reach $33.5 billion. While greetings cards and flowers are always at the top of the list for gift purchases, special outings round out the top three in gift categories for mom. And although “special outings” can mean anything from a concert or exhibit to brunch or dinner, we’re going to focus on the dining element of the holiday—because let’s be honest…mom doesn’t want to cook...

The Biggest Takeaways From NOAA’s 2023 Status of Stocks Report

Last week NOAA Fisheries released its annual “Status of Stocks,” a report that highlights the work that the government agency, the eight Regional Fishery Management Councils, and other partners are doing to ensure the sustainability of fisheries and fishing communities. 

As of 2023, NOAA Fisheries manages a whopping 506 stocks or stock complexes in 45 fishery management plans. Prior to last year, NOAA managed 492 stocks/ stock complexes. The latest report, an 11-page document, takes a look at the data from 2023, revealing stocks that have...

Spend Plan for Oregon's $7 Million Salmon Fishery Disaster Funds is Ready for Review

Funds for salmon disasters from six years ago are finally almost ready for distribution in Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this week that a total of $7,050,722 is available to address poor performance of Oregon's ocean commercial salmon fisheries for 2018, 2019 and 2020. This includes impacts to commercial fishermen, processors, and the fishing ecosystem and environment.

The "Oregon Spend Plan," vetted through NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, is now...

March Sales of Salmon Roe Products at Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets

Lower unit prices of salted herring roe resulted in a sales volume increase at Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets. Prices of salmon roe in particular fell significantly. However, items with sales volumes that remained at the same level as the previous year or had increased prices, declined.

Sujiko Salted Salmon Roe

Last year’s high prices of Sujiko salted salmon roe have been corrected considerably, with the price stabilizing at around 2,600 yen/kg ($16.57/kg) at the beginning of 2024. In March, the price was...

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...

Chinook, Coho to Benefit from Kellogg Dam Removal in Oregon

Once one dam was removed, more are following as restoring habitat has proven helpful for fish. The latest dam removal project in the West is on Kellogg Creek in Oregon.

Long-time NOAA partner American Rivers is leading a project team to remove the Kellogg Dam on the tributary of the Lower Willamette River. The work will help threatened Upper Willamette River Chinook and steelhead, Lower Columbia River coho, and Pacific lamprey to access upstream spawning and rearing habitat for juveniles.

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation awarded...

DOC’s Raimondo Declares Three More Fishery Disasters for Salmon in Alaska and Washington

Last week, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that three commercial fishery failures due to a fishery resource disaster have occurred in Washington and Alaska. They are:

- 2021 Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s Puget Sound fall chum and coho salmon fisheries
- 2022 Kuskokwim River salmon fishery
- 2021 and 2022 Upper Cook Inlet East Side setnet salmon fishery

The determinations are in response to requests from the late Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Jeromy Sullivan and Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy.

These three fisheries are now eligible for...

Nordic Aqua Partners Completes First Harvest of Atlantic Salmon At Gaotang, China Facility

Nordic Aqua Partners confirmed on Friday that it has completed its first harvest of Atlantic salmon from its facility in Gaotang, China.

“Our first harvest confirms the high-quality of our farmed Atlantic Salmon, achieving an average weight of approximately 5.7 kilograms LW, with mortality rates of below 2%, no signs of maturation issues and a superior rate of 99%,” commented CEO Ragnar Joensen. “These excellent biological results underscore Nordic Aqua’s capability to maintain superior fish health and welfare standards...

@FAN Spa Executive Director Explains the Latest Harmful Algal Bloom in Chile

Chilean salmon farmers are currently dealing with a new harmful algal bloom threat. 

The harmful algal bloom — identified by marine biologists @FAN spa. as Heterosigma akashiwo, a ichthyotoxic microalgae — was first detected in the Los Lagos region on April 1 in the area of Hornopirén and its surroundings. Fabiola Villanueava, a marine biologist/ phytoplankton analyst and executive director @FAN spa., told Seafoodnews that this specific algal bloom can cause irritation of the gill tissue, which could potentially lead to mortality. 

Mortality is not necessarily guaranteed with this type...

ANALYSIS: Navigating Shifts in the 2024 Sockeye Season

The 2024 sockeye season presents notable changes compared to recent years. In 2022, there were record landings in Bristol Bay, resulting in a robust frozen supply leading up to the 2023 season.

At this time last year, talk of frozen 2022 product in the millions of pounds, coupled with another strong forecast, created uncertainty heading into the fresh season. Prices on frozen sockeye fillets, for example, saw a steep decline as many sellers reduced prices to stimulate sales and maintain product flow in an effort to...

California Gov. Newsom Wastes No Time in Requesting Federal Aid for Salmon Fishery

In the wake of last week's Pacific Fishery Management Council decision to close California's sport and commercial salmon seasons for the second year in a row, Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately followed up with a request to the federal government for aid.

The April 11 letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo requests an expedited determination of a fishery resource disaster determination for Sacramento River fall Chinook and Klamath River fall Chinook salmon fisheries.

"A host of factors have...