The Winding Glass:  On the Eve of Trump, Tariff Outlook May Moderate

Last month, I wrote about a worst-case scenario for U.S. seafood if major tariffs are imposed on Canadian lobster and crab. The interdependence of production and consumption in these two countries is so entwined that any dramatic action could be hugely disruptive.

Now, on the eve of the inauguration, I believe the worst-case scenario is unlikely. In fact, the lobster and crab seasons could begin in Canada without a clear picture of tariffs. In short, the seafood industry may have time to make the necessary market...

Fast-Casual Seafood Chain Captain D’s Sets Sail for the UK

Top U.S. fast-casual seafood chain Captain D’s is traveling across the Atlantic after signing a 20-unit franchise agreement in the United Kingdom.

This marks the restaurant’s first venture into Europe and the second international development deal following its recent Canadian expansion in Toronto.

The deal, signed with an experienced team of restaurant operators, will introduce Captain D's signature seafood offerings to Europe. In 2025, the first restaurant will open in the London area.

By entering the UK, Captain D's is advancing...

Town Dock CEO Ryan Clark Named Chairman of National Fisheries Institute

Ryan Clark, the President and CEO of Rhode-Island based seafood company The Town Dock has been named Chairman of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), for a one-year term.

Clark will guide the NFI’s direction and advocate for the U.S. seafood industry. He will work with NFI President and CEO Lisa Wallenda Picard and the NFI membership on industry priorities, advocacy, and strategic planning.

“I am honored to become Chairman of the National Fisheries Institute,” said Clark. “The U.S. seafood industry plays a vital role...

Russian Barents Sea King Crab Catch Hits Record High in 2024

The 2024 king crab catch in the Barents Sea, northwest of Russia, was 12,363 tons, up 16% from the previous year, setting a new record. December saw a particularly dramatic increase of 3,714 tons, 5.9 times the amount from the same month last year. A Japanese trading company responded, "Maybe they saved their quota for December 2024, when the crabs are full. It's also possible that the large reduction in the quota for the largest producer in 2025 had an impact." 

Minato Shimbun conducted an analysis...

Russia's Fish Catch Declines 8% in 2024, Totaling 4.88 Million Tons

Russia reduced its overall fish catch by 8% in 2024 to 4.88 million tonnes, compared to 2023, according to the latest data from Russian fishermen and local media reports.

According to the Russian Izvestia TV channel, fishing in the Far Eastern fishery basin, the center of Russia’s fish production, decreased by 7.7% year-over-year. At the same time, almost the same decline was observed in the Northern basin.

In the Far Eastern fishery basin, pollock became an absolute leader in terms of catch with...

Cargill and Mowi Feed Sites in Scotland and Norway Achieve ASC Certification

Mowi Feed and Cargill Canada recently received Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certifications for their respective feed operations in Scotland and Norway.

The ASC Farm Standard certification program lays out a set of aquafeed production regulations, focusing on areas like social and labor rights, health and safety, environmental stewardship, and responsible sourcing of raw materials.

According to the ASC, the program aligns with the European Union’s upcoming supply chain regulations and encompasses all major agriculture crops, including wheat, corn, canola, soy, palm oil, and marine ingredients...

Cooke Chile CEO Clashes with Environmental Authority Over Salmon Farming Concessions

The battle between Cooke Chile, the Chilean arm of Cooke Aquaculture and Chile's Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) rages on.

In a handful of social media posts, Cooke Chile’s CEO Andres Parodi indicated that issues between the company and the SMA have not gone away.

“We are approaching the fourth year that the SMA does not allow us to work two concessions for salmon farming, granted by the State,” Parodi wrote at the start of his LinkedIn post.

Parodi highlighted the trouble...

CP Foods Wins Global MIKE Award 2024 for Excellence in Knowledge Management and Innovation

Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) recently received the 2024 Global Most Innovative Knowledge Enterprise Award (Global MIKE Award 2024).

CP Foods was among 20 companies across eight countries and regions recognized for exceptional management and innovation throughout 2024.

Decisions were made by the Global MIKE Award’s diverse International Review Panel, which is comprised of world experts specializing in effective knowledge management and innovative practices.

The Global MIKE Awards—which pulls from the global enterprise recognition values of the 1998 Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise...

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Julie Packard Transitions from Executive Director to Board of Trustees

Yesterday, Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) announced via press release that Executive Director Julie Packard will be stepping down from her post in order to transition to a leadership role on the aquarium’s Board of Trustees.

Packard—who holds a master’s degree in marine algal ecology from UC Santa Cruz—has led MBA for the last 40 years, ever since MBA’s planning and construction phase began in 1978 and its doors opened in 1984.

Leading a world-renowned aquarium

Today, MBA is widely considered one of the best...

Sysco and Teamsters Face Off in Houston: Strike Looms as Contract Deadline Nears

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) have threatened strikes across multiple states if their demands are not met with foodservice distribution giant Sysco and other major food distributors and retailers.

The most pressing issue between the two sides is focused in the Houston area as the contract between IBT’s Teamsters Local 988, which represents truck drivers in the city, is preparing to strike if it cannot reach a new contract agreement with Sysco Houston before the current deal expires on January 17...

Norwegian Prime Minister Met With Export Companies on Incoming Trump Presidency

Last week, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a closed-door summit with nine leaders of Norway's biggest companies, as they all “braced for the next four years” wrote the Nordic Daily.

Ivan Vindheim, CEO of salmon farming giant Mowi, was joined by the CEOs of Norway’s eight largest exporters: oil and energy firm Equinor, defense contractor Kongsberg, energy and industrial firm Aker, finance company DNB, renewable power supplier Statkraft, metals producer Hydro, Chemicals giant Yara, and the Wilhelmsen group of shipping companies.

Industry leaders are ...

FFAW Calls for Transparency and Accountability in Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre 

ST. JOHN’S, NL – It’s been more than nine months since the Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre (FRC) has refused to call a board meeting or provide members with important information regarding the organization’s operations. FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street is now calling for the FRC to operate with transparency and accountability. 

FRC is a nonprofit, governed by a board of directors, that  provides dockside monitoring services to fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Our elected Inshore Council has been calling for increased transparency and accountability regarding the boards our Union ...

The Retail Rundown: Weekly Protein Recap; CPI Update

Seafood leads protein advertising for a third consecutive week, accounting for nearly 31% of total ad space. Pork follows with nearly 23% and beef makes up 21%. Chicken represents 19% of the advertising share, while eggs capture less than 1%.

The seafood category shows mixed price trends year-over-year (YOY), with fresh cod fillets discounted to $8.37 per pound last week—down 53 cents from the previous year. Prices for catfish and tilapia remained steady YOY, each averaging about $6.60 discounted...

ANALYSIS: Review of Chilean Atlantic Salmon Exports Through November 2024

Chile is the second-biggest salmon producer worldwide after Norway. The Chilean National Fisheries Service (Sernapesca) reported a total production of 769,239 metric tonnes (MT) in 2023, accounting for growth of 1.36% year-on-year (y-o-y). However, as market participants have reported, a decline in production is expected in 2024. According to the Chilean Customs export database, the main Atlantic salmon (Salmon salar) categories (Fig 1) saw a 5.32% reduction in total exports from January...

Pacific Seafood Responds to Labor Union's Campaign on Environmental Violations

A California-based labor union had its sights on Pacific Seafood as it unveiled a website showcasing the Oregon-based seafood firm’s past environmental violations.

UNITE HERE Local 49, a group that represents gaming, hotel, food service, and airport workers in the greater Sacramento, California, region,, showcases the public violations Pacific Seafood has already faced in recent years in the states of Oregon and Washington.

Expana spoke with Lacy Ogan, director of communications at Pacific Seafood, and shared that the company...

Hodges: US Crab Sales are Strong with Limited Inventories

The year ended as it began, with strong retail support for snow crab. According to Urner Barry, April prices when the 2024 Canadian snow crab season began rose by 19% compared to the remarkable levels of 2023. Despite the higher prices, the trade perceived snow crab as being a strong value, leading to 78 million pounds being imported in the first three months of the season. Favorable import prices persisted throughout the summer and into fall.

Canada dominates the U.S. snow crab market, accounting for 91% of total snow crab imports through...

Washington Crab Season Opens as State Releases the Third Season Review Edition

The weather is cooperating and crabbers in northern Oregon and Washington have begun setting their gear for the anticipated Jan. 15 Dungeness season opener.

While most of Oregon opened in December and some parts of California opened earlier this month, northern California and the Washington/Oregon area around the Columbia River were both set to open Wednesday.

Dungeness crab supports Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said. The value of state landings for the ...

EPIRB Saves Two Kodiak Fishermen After Vessel Capsizes in Gulf of Alaska

On Wednesday, January 15, watchstanders at the 17th Coast Guard District Command Center received a distress alert from the F/V Tanusha’s emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) at 9:48 a.m. They notified the helicopter aircrew in Kodiak and requested assistance from the Alaska State Troopers aboard the trooper vessel Stimson, enroute to crab fishing areas on a routine enforcement trip.

The distress call came just hours before Kodiak’s tanner crab season opened this year, expected to last less than a week catching the harvest limit of ...

European Public Prosecutor Investigates €4M Fraud in Aquaculture Funding

Nine individuals and five companies were charged with aggravated fraud to obtain €4 million ($4.1 million) for the aquaculture sector, funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), per the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). 

The EPPO said the issue revolves around five cooperative societies suspected of submitting false documentation and fictitious insurance policies to obtain funds for new fish tanks and a vessel for the aquaculture sector.

During the application procedure, the EPPO sanctioned one of the companies with an anti-mafia preventive measure, which barred...

Royal Greenland Unveils New Packaging for Frozen Cod and Halibut Boxes, 100% Recyclable

Royal Greenland just revealed new sustainable packaging for its 15-pound frozen boxes of cod and halibut, which is 100% recyclable and plastic-free.

The packaging—which is already being utilized on Royal Greenland fishing trawlers—was developed in collaboration with packaging solutions company Schur and replaces the polyethylene (PE) coating on the cardboard box with a water-based coating. As a result, the new coating offers durability while providing a more sustainable solution for the Greenland-based fishing company...

New Research Says Underexploitation is Greater Threat to Food Security than Overfishing

In fisheries management, finding the sweet spot between landing all that was allowed and not one pound more, defines success. It's called “full exploitation” or “reaching maximum sustainable yield (MSY),”  but it's not so easy to achieve. Fishermen hit dozens of barriers -- avoiding bycatch, bad weather and dangerous sea conditions, falling markets, the need to avoid certain ocean habitats, dealing with gear breakdowns, and many more, sometimes all in one trip.

Responsible fisheries managers are far more concerned about over-fishing — taking too much, thus jeopardizing the health ...

NFI Asks Trump to Withdraw FDA’s Proposed Front of Packaging Nutrition Rule

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) showcased its disappointment in the new proposed FDA rule that would add a new front-of-package label providing “at a glance” nutrition information on saturated fat, sodium and added sugar.

The NFI argued that by focusing on negative saturated fats, the FDA misses the point and misleads label readers. It noted that salmon, for example, contains almost entirely entirely unsaturated essential omega-3s, the healthiest fatty acids found in any protein. Meanwhile, the planned labeling provides no way to highlight nutritious components... 

With Maersk Leaving AK, Seafood Cargo Has Few Shipping Options as Groundfish Season Begins

The Bering Sea pollock fishery starts next Monday and they will have one last Maersk ship loading product in Dutch Harbor before heading south from Alaska for the last time. The shipping giant announced December 19 that it was withdrawing its trans-Pacific shipments from Alaska due to “ongoing effort to strengthen our product offerings and maintain reliability in the network.” The Cape Sorel, a Denmark-flagged container ship, is slated for a final voyage out of Dutch Harbor Feb. 11.

Alaska Public Media reporters Davis ...

Lerøy Midt AS Reports Salmon Escape in Møre og Romsdal

Norwegian salmon farmer Lerøy Midt AS reported an escape incident on Sunday, January 5, at its Sandholmane location in the Aukra municipality of Møre og Romsdal.

Employees at the facility discovered the escape after performing a routine inspection following a storm. During the inspection, employees noted that major damage had occurred to a seine, thus notifying them of the salmon escape.

Currently, the average size of salmon at the facility is just over one kilogram. At this time, the company is unable to determine the number of escaped fish...

4ocean Announces Cleanup Partnership with Garden of Life® Brand

Ocean cleanup company 4ocean recently announced its new partnership with dietary supplements company Garden of Life®.

Garden of Life® is a Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified nutrition brand that was founded in 2000.

The two entities will team up to remove 500,000 pounds of plastic and trash from oceans, rivers, and coastlines by the end of 2027, while also delivering immediate support to a dozen active cleanup operations worldwide.

This partnership marks Garden of Life®’s official entrance into the clean ocean movement as...

Faroese Government Applies New Tax Model to Salmon Farmers in the Faroe Islands, Valid Until 2032

The Faroese government recently announced an industry-wide tax restructuring for salmon farming in the region, affecting all salmon farmers in the Faroe Islands as of January 1, 2025. Heavy hitters Bakkafrost, Mowi Faroes, and Hiddenfjord are impacted by the change.

The new tax model—which remains in place until 2032—is part of a broad, long-term agreement between the Faroese government and the largest opposition party. Per the agreement, Faroese salmon farmers will have a reduced maximum revenue tax and an additional...

Judges Confirm No Overtime Pay for Alaska General Seafoods Employees During Pandemic

A US appellate court ruled that Kanaway Seafoods, doing business as Alaska General Seafoods (AGS), did not have to pay its employees overtime for those who remained on-site during COVID-19 lockdowns.

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's ruling, which was issued on January 10, confirmed that the district court's ruling that AGS did not have to pay overtime to its employees was correct.

“First, the court correctly concluded that Plaintiffs were not entitled to compensation for their on-call time. Although Plaintiffs...

Næra® Snacks to Unveil New Crunchy Salmon Bites at Winter Fancy Food Show 2025

Næra® Snacks (a brand by Responsible Foods, ehf.) recently launched a new salmon snack line, Crunchy Fish Bites.

The all-natural salmon bites are batch-crafted and gently dried and come in the following flavors: wasabi, jalapeno, and ranch.

Næra® Snacks will be showcasing additional Crunchy Fish bite varieties at the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) Winter Fancy Food Show 2025, Booth 941, which takes place this Sunday, January 19, 2025.

“Næra® Crunch Fish Bites are truly snackable and conquer hunger without sinking..."

Largest US Shrimp Farmer Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy; Robin Pearl Back in as CEO

American Mariculture (AMI), the largest shrimp farmer in the United States, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 8, per court documents.

According to its bankruptcy petition, the Florida-based company has 50-99 debtors. American Mariculture estimated that its assets range between $1 million and $10 million, and its liabilities range from $10 million to $50 million.

On January 9, Judge Caryl E. Delano of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida granted an expedited motion directing the joint administration...

Russian Fish Prices Surge as Raw Material Costs Soar

Leading Russian fish processors will significantly increase prices for their products this year due to a significant increase in prices for raw materials and other costs.

So far, a decrease in the catch of some types of fish and rising prices for raw materials have led to increased costs for processors, while some have already announced an increase in prices by up to 25% this year.

According to Russian media reports, leading local players such as Baltiysky Bereg, Russian Sea, Evroprom, and others recently announced these plans...