ANALYSIS: Front-Loaded Shrimp Inventories Set Stage for Market Shifts Under New Import Tariffs

Our June shrimp import forecasts performed well, with peeled and cooked imports landing within our expected confidence intervals. Peeled imports, in particular, reached unprecedented first-half levels of around 465 million pounds, surpassing the previous high of approximately 417 million pounds set in 2022. This surge aligns with our expectations of front-loading ahead of new tariff deadlines, as importers built inventory in anticipation of significant cost changes. This inventory buildup closely mirrors the pattern seen in 2022...

Ecuador’s Shrimp Sector Still Facing $20 Million Monthly Tariff Burden Even with Rate Advantage

Even with the lowest US tariff rate among leading shrimp importers, Ecuador’s shrimp industry faces a hefty $20 million monthly tariff cost, posing serious challenges for the sector, according to the country’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA).

Ecuador was the second-largest supplier of shrimp to the US, exporting 412 million pounds worth $1.28 billion, per the CNA. Between January and June 2025, the country shipped 296 million pounds of product valued at $867 million...

Champlain Seafood Expands with Purchase of BA Richard, a Long-time New Brunswick Lobster Processor

Champlain Seafood, a major Canadian snow crab and lobster processor, announced its acquisition of BA Richard, a lobster processor based in Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, New Brunswick.

Champlain noted that BA Richard’s operations trace back to the late 1800s. The company said it has been operated by four generations of the Richard family and has become a local staple.

BA Richard has had a 30-plus-year partnership with Cape Bald Packers, a company under the Champlain umbrella...

Amazon Launches Same-Day Perishable Grocery Delivery in Over 1,000 Cities

Amazon is set to make one of its largest-ever grocery expansions, bringing same-day delivery of fresh and perishable food items to customers in more than 1,000 cities and towns, starting August 13.

Shoppers can now order produce, dairy, meat, seafood and other essentials for rapid delivery, with plans to reach over 2,300 communities by the end of 2025.

“Customers are looking to make their budgets stretch further, and that’s why Amazon is focused on offering a wide selection of national and local brands, including organic and natural options...

FDA Updates Advisory on South Korean Oysters Over Norovirus Concerns

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its advisory warning restaurants and retailers to not serve or sell certain frozen, raw, half-shell and individually quick frozen (IQF) oysters processed in South Korea.

The FDA said on August 11 that it was aware that additional oysters, processed by JBR KR-15-SP, could be contaminated with norovirus.

The product of concern includes all half-shell and IQF oyster products harvested between December 30, 2024, and February 6, 2025, from Designated Area No. 1 and processed by JBR...

Samherji Reports Lower Profits In 2024, Maintains Strong Investment in Operations

Icelandic seafood company Samherji hf. reported a decrease in operating and net profit in 2024. Still, CEO Baldvin Thorsteinsson said the company would continue to invest in its fishing, processing, and land-based aquaculture operations.

The company said it saw its operating profit drop year-on-year by EUR 12 million ($14 million) to EUR 42.4 million ($49 million). Net profit, including the share of profit from associated companies and financial items, amounted to EUR 45.6 million after taxes, compared to EUR 58.7 million in 2023...

Sernapesca, Chilean Navy Seize 66 Tons of Illegally Caught Anchovy

Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca), along with the Chilean Navy, discovered illegal anchovy harvesting in a restricted area off the coast of the Tarapacá Region. Authorities were able to seize 66.8 tons of anchovies.

Individuals were fishing with purse seine nets within the first nautical mile, a protected area. Once detected, Sernapesca and naval personnel intercepted and inspected a vessel once it arrived at the Port of Iquique.

Following the corresponding inspection, the illegality of the fishing operation was confirmed, leading to the...

SEAS Act Returns to Congress, Seeking Parity for US Seafood Producers in USDA Programs

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) reintroduced the Supporting Equity for Aquaculture and Seafood (SEAS) Act, a bipartisan bill that would ensure seafood producers get “equal treatment” under US Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.

The bill would also spark new investments in US aquaculture.

Pallone, who is the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, explained that the SEAS Act would direct the USDA to treat aquaculture and seafood producers with the same consideration as livestock and crop farmers for grant and assistance...

NOAA Adds to Scientific Armada with New Mapping Ship Bound for Alaska

This Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will host a keel-laying ceremony in Houma, Louisiana marking the beginning of construction for an ocean-floor mapping vessel that will be home-ported in Ketchikan when finished. 

The new NOAA ships, the Surveyor and its sister ship, the Navigator, will be built by Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors under a $624.6 million contract that would allow NOAA to construct two more ships if funding is available...

ANALYSIS: Chilean Salmon Supply Climbs As Export Patterns Shift And Prices Ease

The Chilean salmon supply showed continued strength in June. The Undersecretariat for Fisheries and Aquaculture (SUBPESCA) reported that the accumulated Atlantic salmon harvest from January through June reached 348,989 metric tons (mt), a 10.0% increase year to date (YTD) versus the same period in 2024. Monthly harvest volume rose 12.3% month-on-month (m-o-m) in June, consistent with seasonal patterns. Chile typically reaches peak harvest levels around August...

Bloomin’ Brands Names New SVP of Bonefish Grill as Brand Seeks Turnaround

Casual dining company Bloomin’ Brands announced a leadership change for its Bonefish Grill brand after the seafood chain faced lower sales and traffic in the second quarter of 2025.

John Bettin was tapped to lead Bonefish Grill as he will join Bloomin’ Brands on September 2 as Senior Vice President and President of the chain. Bettin joins the company with over three decades of leadership experience in the restaurant sector.  He most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Miller’s Ale House, and was CEO of The Palm...

The Retail Rundown: Beef Tops Retail Ads as Grocers Prepare for Labor Day

With Labor Day just under three weeks away, grocers are preparing for summer’s last big grilling rush. Most holiday orders have already been locked in, and meat and prepared food departments are expected to see strong traffic as shoppers savor the last days of summer.

Beef has overtaken seafood as the most advertised protein this week, representing 27.0% of retail buying opportunities. Pork is close behind at 26.6%, while seafood has eased to 23.3%. Chicken remains steady at 18%, and turkey ads inched up to 3%...

Kingfish Company Announces CEO Transition as Vincent Erenst to Step Down in December

The Kingfish Company announced on August 12 that Chief Executive Officer Vincent Erenst will retire and step down from his role at the end of the year.

Since his appointment in 2023, the company said he has played a critical role in its expansion phase.

“After three years at the helm of The Kingfish Company, I believe the time is right for me to pass the baton to new leadership,” said Vincent Erenst. “It has been a privilege to work alongside such a talented and dedicated team...

Japan International Seafood Expo To Host Record 650 Exhibitors In Tokyo on August 20-22

On August 7, the Japan Fisheries Association provided to the press an outline of the 27th Japan International Seafood and Technology Expo, scheduled to take place in Tokyo from August 20 to 22. The exhibitor scale will be a record high of 1,592 booth spaces. The target number of visitors is 30,000, surpassing last year's total of 25,022. 

Minato Shimbun reported that the expo will be held from August 20-22 in Halls 5 and 6 of the East Building at Tokyo Big Sight...

ANALYSIS: US Sockeye Prices Hold Firm as Bristol Bay Surges, Copper River Landings Drop

 

Sockeye salmon remains a focal point in the U.S. wild salmon market during the 2025 season, as stakeholders pay close attention to shifting dynamics across major production areas. The Copper River run, which is sought after as some of the first sockeye of the season and typically garners a premium in price, fell well short of elevated pre-season expectations this year. Initial forecasts had projected a harvest of 1.92 million fish—an “excellent"...

Record Survival Rates for Scottish Farmed Salmon Drive Export and Domestic Sales Growth

Salmon Scotland, a body representing the Scottish farmed salmon sector, said survival rates of farm-raised salmon in the country have hit record highs.

The increased survival rates follow a significant technological investment from producers.

New figures show monthly survival averaged 99.12% between January and June – the best start to a year since data was first voluntarily published in 2018, per Salmon Scotland. The group said the sector has invested over £1 billion since 2018 in veterinary care, technology and stock management...

USCG  Suspends Search for Missing Man on F/V Das Bug Near Newport, Ore.; Boat Capsized 

The US Coast Guard suspended its search for a missing fisherman near Newport, Oregon, at 10:15 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 11.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a report at approximately 4 p.m., Sunday, reporting that the 40-foot fishing vessel Das Bug, a crab vessel with four people onboard, had taken on water and capsized while transiting inbound through the Yaquina Bay Jetty.

Three individuals – the captain and two crewmen, as reported by the Lincoln County Chronicle...