ANALYSIS: Thai Tuna Exports by Country and the Factors Influencing Prices

The Expana Benchmark Prices (EBP) for Thai skipjack tuna saw a decline of around $150 per metric ton (mt) in May, accounting for a decrease of 8.8% month-on-month. The whole frozen skipjack tuna market saw a notable drop in May as canning factories reduced their purchasing activities due to uncertainties surrounding potential tariffs on tuna exports to the US. In addition to enhanced landing levels in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, these have contributed to overall downward price pressure.

Recent shifts in...

Samherji Names Baldvin Thorsteinsson as CEO, Succeeding His Father After 42 Years

Iceland-based seafood company Samherji announced that Baldvin Thorsteinsson assumed the role of CEO on June 26.

Baldvin Thorsteinsson will take over for his father, Thorsteinn Már Baldvinsson, who stepped down from his role atop the company after 42 years. He has led the company since its founding in 1983.

"Like many people from Akureyri, I started working for Samherji at a young age and have held various positions at the company over the years. I have therefore gradually become well acquainted...

From One Truck to a Billion in Sales: Cousins Maine Lobster Hits Major Milestone

Seafood food truck company Cousins Maine Lobster announced it had surpassed $1 billion in systemwide sales since its inception in 2012.

Cofounders and cousins Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis celebrated the milestone, "This is an incredible moment, growing from a single food truck in Los Angeles to more than 85 units across the nation, we've brought the taste and spirit of Maine to diners nationwide—and built a franchise family along the way."

The company highlighted its journey...

Russian Authorities Tighten Control Over Domestic Fish Prices 

Russian authorities plan to significantly tighten control over domestic fish prices. According to official data from the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rostat), fish prices in Russia have increased by roughly 8% since the start of 2025, attracting attention from local regulators.  

The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) has requested information from 37 domestic fish producers and processors regarding their price increases. The FAS has also inquired about actual volumes of production and the cost of fish products.  

The requests have raised concerns from a variety of...

Starway International Group Expands Recall for Ineligible Frozen Siluriformes Imported from Vietnam 

New York-based Starway International Group is expanding its recall of Siluriformes fish products imported from Vietnam.  

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Wednesday that another 15,980 pounds of product from a Vietnam facility that is not authorized to export Siluriformes to the United States, has been recalled. This is in addition to the 9,513 pounds of Siluriformes initially recalled on June 12, as reported by Expana. 

The expansion includes the following Siluriformes sausage products, which were shipped to...

Container Ship Afflame and Drifting for Weeks Off Aleutians Sinks with Thousands of Cars Onboard

After three weeks aflame and adrift in the North Pacific, the Morning Midas, a 600-foot Liberian-flagged cargo ship carrying 3,048 vehicles, sank on Monday in 16,400 feet-deep waters about 450 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska.

The trouble began June 3 when smoke was seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles. The 22-person crew deployed the CO-2 fixed firefighting system, but the fire grew in intensity, and the shipmaster made the decision to abandon ship...

Hokkaido Fall Chum Return Forecasted to Fall 36% to a Record-Low of 11 Million

On June 23, the Hokkaido Research Organization and Inland Waters Fisheries Research Institute announced that the forecasted number of fall chum salmon returning this year (total number of coastal catches and river captures) is 11.4 million fish, a 35.5% decrease from 2024.  

Due to the record-low return of 3-year-old salmon last year, the return of the dominant 4-year-old school is not expected to be high this year, leading to a forecast below the previous low of 17.37 million...

Rafael Sanchez Joins Bloomin’ Brands as Chief Information Officer

Bloomin’ Brands Inc. announced the appointment of Rafael Sanchez as Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer. Sanchez joins the company from Davidson Hospitality Group where he served as Senior Vice President of Information Technology. His appointment is effective June 30, 2025.

“Rafael has a strong history in out-of-home entertainment and restaurants.” said Mike Spanos, CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. “He is a strong leader that focuses on the team members and guests.”

Before joining Davidson Hospitality Group, Sanchez served as a Senior Technology Advisor and...

Bristol Bay Sees First Landings of Forecasted 35 Million Sockeye Salmon This Season

The first landings of the year from Bristol Bay, Alaska's phenomenally rich sockeye salmon fishery, showed up on ADF&G’s leaderboard, otherwise known as the Bluesheet, last weekend with 392,000 sockeye. That, along with additional landings from the Copper River and Aleutian Peninsula, brings the total sockeye catch to date to nearly 1.2 million fish. 

Those empty cells of the Bluesheet will not be empty for long. Another 393,000 salmon were recorded as catch from the Nushagak District yesterday.  

Bristol Bay’s five river systems each have differently...

UNFI Restores Core Systems After Major Cyberattack Disruption

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) announced that it has safely restored the core systems its customers and suppliers use after suffering a significant cyberattack earlier this month.

“With our electronic ordering and invoicing systems back online, we are delivering products to grocery stores across our network at more normalized levels,” the company said in a June 26 statement. “We are grateful to all our customers and suppliers for their patience and partnership as our UNFI associates continue working to support their needs...

Study Finds 61% of US Consumers are Scaling Back on Restaurants, Spending Less on Groceries 

As tariffs and inflation continue to impact consumers, Americans are spending less on food. According to Popmenu, which currently serves over 10,000 restaurants, 67% of consumers are scaling back their budgets.  

The nationwide study tracked the dining and spending habits of 1,000 people 21 and older from June 16 to June 17, 2025. When asked to name the areas where they are cutting back the most, restaurants landed the number one spot, with 61% saying they are eating out less and staying in...

The Retail Rundown: Independence Day Deals in Focus

As the Fourth of July holiday draws closer, competition for front-page ad space among proteins is heating up. Seafood is currently leading with a 29% share, followed by beef and pork, each capturing 24%. Chicken accounts for 18%, while turkey trails at 2.6%.

Burgers and hot dogs remain backyard barbecue mainstays. Several national grocers were promoting 78–84% lean ground beef under $5 per pound, with eye-catching specials as low as $2.27 on a discounted basis.

Over Father's Day weekend...

Chile's Small-Scale Fishers Win Big in Landmark Quota Redistribution Law

The Chilean government announced significant changes to its fisheries law, which will create updated fishing quotas for the industrial and artisanal sectors, with a larger share going to artisanal fishers.

According to a notice from Chile’s congress, the new quota laws impacted the fisheries of anchovy, sardines and hake.

The Chilean government said the law will lead to a “fairer and more equitable distribution between artisanal and industrial fishing.” The government estimated that $160 billion pesos ($169 million) will be transferred from industrial to artisanal fishermen...

Groundfish Harvester in British Columbia Fined $37,000 For Illegally Catching and Selling Halibut

A commercial groundfish harvester in British Columbia was fined nearly $37,000 for illegally catching and selling halibut during a fishery closure last year in the Haida Gwaii Archipelago.  

According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Stefan Grega, owner of the commercial fishing vessel Pacific Sunrise, pled guilty to multiple violations of Canada’s Fisheries Act. As a result, the court imposed a $30,000 fine and ordered Grega to pay back the $6,989 he made from the illegal harvest, resulting in a...

Norwegian Government Proposes New Lobster Conservation Areas

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries recently proposed new conservation areas for lobster in the Oslo Fjord, Agder, Rogaland and Vestland.

Accompanying each of the four conservation area proposals, the Directorate of Fisheries also sent out a parallel consultation.

Specific areas that were proposed include the following:

* Inner Oslofjord: with six new areas in Asker, Horten, and Bunnefjorden;

* Kristiansand and Farsund: with five total areas, some of which require the discontinuation of sea grazing activities;

* Karmøy and Haugesund: with four areas proposed after local cooperation and professional advice; and 

* Øygarden: with two areas near...

DoorDash Doubles Down on Grocery and Food Retail Offerings With New Merchants

Today, we’re thrilled to announce new on-demand grocery and food retail delivery partnerships with several beloved merchants across the country. From restocking inventory to grabbing last-minute dinner ingredients or discovering unique local items, shoppers on DoorDash can now enjoy even more convenience with on-demand delivery from these trusted partners.

Now available on DoorDash:

Big Y: A family-owned supermarket serving its local communities for nearly 90 years, Big Y offers everything from fresh, locally sourced produce and premium meats to hand-decorated bakery items and...

New Report Finds Aquaculture Could Create More Than 20 Million Jobs By 2050 

Aquaculture could generate as many as 22 million jobs by 2050, according to a new report from the World Bank and the World Wildlife Fund.  

The report titled “Harnessing the Waters: A Trillion Dollar Investment Opportunity in Sustainable Aquaculture,” anticipates roughly $1.5 trillion in investments within the sector over the next 25 years.  

Based on the current state of the industry, business-as-usual (BAU) investments of even $0.5 trillion within this time frame could lead to a production increase of...