Access Determines Price: The Global Crab Market Tightens in 2026

Global crab trade expanded in 2025, but 2026 is developing into a more difficult operating environment defined by tighter positioning and more contested negotiations.

The structure of the market continues to narrow. Supply remains concentrated, and access to key destinations is increasingly controlled. The central issue is no longer how much crab is produced, but who can place product into the markets that set the price.

Most major producing regions enter the year with workable quotas. Russia increased total crab quotas by 2% to 109,485 metric tons and continues to...

US Extends Russian Seafood Ban as Alaska Pushes for Continued Restrictions

The US has renewed its national emergency declaration targeting Russian activities, effectively extending the ban on Russian seafood imports that has benefited Alaska's fishing industry since 2022.

President Donald Trump signed a continuation of the national emergency on March 24, extending Executive Order 14024, which underpins the prohibition on Russian seafood imports. The order was published in the Federal Register on March 27, 2026.

The extension comes just days before Alaska lawmakers passed House Joint Resolution 29 on March 30, urging federal authorities to maintain and strengthen the Russian...

Gulf Snow Crab Season Gets Underway as Newfoundland Harvesters Weigh Price Decision

Snow crab fishermen in the Gulf of St. Lawrence have begun the 2026 season after brief ice-related delays, moving quickly to capitalize on fishing opportunities before endangered North Atlantic right whales arrive in southern waters.

The Gulf's Total Allowable Catch was set at 16,267.90 tonnes, down 11% from 2025 levels using a 34.82% exploitation rate under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' Precautionary Approach harvest decision rules. The reduction marks the third consecutive year of quota declines for Canada's second-largest crab fishery...

ANALYSIS: Argentina's Illex Squid Landings Surge 73% Year to Date, While Prices Show Upward Pressure in April

The Illex squid (Illex argentinus) 2026 season has been under operation since February 2, 2026. According to market participants, the start of the season was difficult, especially because it was hard to find squid in stock. However, after a few days of difficulty, they managed to improve catches. According to Argentina's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, cumulative landings from January 1 to March 31 totaled 169,387 MT, up 73% from 97,829 MT in the same period in 2025 (Figure 1)...

NOAA Enforcement Nets New Jersey Captain, Seafood Dealer in Illegal Scallop Scheme

NOAA Fisheries' Office of Law Enforcement highlighted its successful prosecution of a New Jersey fishing captain and seafood dealer who operated an illegal scallop harvesting conspiracy from October 2017 to April 2021.

While NOAA's announcement omitted the defendants' names, court records and DOJ Environmental Crimes Bulletins identify them as Captain Darren McClave and seafood dealer Antonio Pereira. The sentencing details and timelines in DOJ notices precisely match NOAA's case summary.

McClave was sentenced to a $10,000 fine, two years' probation, and six months of home detention...

Trident Seafoods Files $100 Million Suit Alleging Tacoma Fire Department Destroyed Kodiak Enterprise

More than three years after a devastating fire aboard a commercial fishing vessel, reports say Trident Seafoods has filed a lawsuit against the City of Tacoma.

The complaint accuses the Tacoma Fire Department of causing excessive damage and seeks $100 million in compensation. Trident states in the suit that a tactical decision by the department led to the total destruction of the Kodiak Enterprise on April 8, 2023.

King 5 News reported that a Tacoma Fire battalion chief overruled the....

PEIXE BR Welcomes Brazil's New Fisheries Minister Araújo

The Brazilian Association of Fish Farming (PEIXE BR) welcomed the appointment of Édipo Araújo as Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) in an April 13 announcement.

Araújo, a fisheries engineer who graduated from the Federal Rural University of the Amazon, is described by the association as part of a generation that helped shift the North’s industry away from predatory extractivism toward a more structured and sustainable production chain. PEIXE BR said his sector experience and technical knowledge bolster expectations for management focused on the real needs of Brazilian...

Supreme Court Halts NL Snow Crab Tie-Up; Sackton Warns of Market Risk

The Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court has granted an injunction against the Fish Food and Allied Workers Union-Unifor (FFAW), ordering the union to halt "declaring or authorizing" the ongoing tie-up in the province's snow crab fishery.

According to local news outlet VOCM, the injunction targets comments made by union leadership encouraging harvesters not to fish for the current minimum price of $5.30/lb ($11.68/kg) set by the province's Standing Fish Price Setting Panel on April 2. The panel accepted the price submitted...

Commerce Drops 283 Indian Shrimp Exporters from AD Review Over No Entries

The Commerce Department has rescinded antidumping duty administrative review for 283 of 391 Indian frozen warmwater shrimp companies originally covered in the 2024-2025 review period, citing no reviewable entries during the timeframe.

The partial rescission, published April 10 in the Federal Register, leaves 108 companies still subject to the ongoing review covering February 1, 2024, through January 31, 2025. Companies dropped from the review will have their duties assessed at the existing cash deposit rates rather than at newly calculated assessment rates...

Japan-Russia Trade Official Highlights Strong Crab Demand Growth

Japan continues to increase crab imports from Russia due to their high quality and relatively competitive pricing.

According to Yukio Asadzuma, vice chairman of the Japan-Russia Relations Society and foreign trade adviser, most supplies consist of Kamchatka and snow crab, which are the species in highest demand among Japanese consumers.

In addition to Russia, Japan also imports crab from Canada and Norway. In the processed segment, China and Vietnam are among the leading suppliers of crab products to the Japanese market...

NFWF Announces $3.4 Million in Grants to Modernize Data Collection in US Fisheries

Collecting, sharing, and analyzing fishery data is the single most important factor in the sustainability of a resource and the management of the U.S.’s $5 billion seafood industry.  How data is gathered and applied to real-world challenges changes as technology improves.  

One of the engines of this change is the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and NOAA Fisheries, which annually fund matching-grant support for data collection. Their partnership for this financial support is the Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program...

NOAA Closes Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Area After Quota Reached

NOAA Fisheries announced that the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area will close to all federally permitted Limited Access General Category scallop vessels effective April 13, 2026.

The closure follows NOAA's projection that 100% of the 2026 Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside allocation will be harvested, according to an April 10 bulletin. The area will remain closed through the end of the fishing year on March 31, 2027.

Vessels that declared trips in the area and crossed the Vessel Monitoring System demarcation...

Proximar Reports Strong Q1 Biological Performance, Seeks Added Financing Amid Cash Pressure

Norwegian land-based salmon farmer Proximar Seafood reported solid operational and biological performance in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, even as lower harvest weights weighed on pricing and cash generation.

The company harvested 697 tonnes HOG during the quarter, bringing total harvest since September 2024 to more than 2,000 tonnes HOG. Biological performance remained strong, with a 95.4% superior grade rate and a 98.9% survival rate in grow-out. As of March 31, 2026, standing biomass totaled 1,880 tonnes, down...

ANALYSIS: Fish Meal Prices Surge as Peru Cuts Anchovy Catch Limits

The first 2026 anchovy (Engraulis ringens) and white anchovy (Anchoa nasus) season in the North-Central zone of the Peruvian coast opened April 1. The Peruvian Marine Institute (IMARPE) recommended a Total Allowable Catch Limit (TAC) of 1,914,049 MT, representing a 36% reduction compared to the same season in 2025 when the TAC was set at 3 million MT. The same season last year closed early on July 24 due to environmental and biological factors, with juveniles comprising a significant portion of the catch...

Maine Senators Press NMFS on Ropeless Gear Concerns as Industry Testing Continues

Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) are urging the National Marine Fisheries Service to fully consider Maine lobstermen's documented concerns about ropeless fishing gear requirements, and to continue stakeholder engagement as the agency prepares future North Atlantic right whale conservation rulemaking.

In a letter to NMFS Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñero Soler, the senators highlighted industry feedback from the recent Maine Fishermen's Forum, where lobstermen directly shared concerns about costs, safety risks, and operational challenges posed by ropeless technology mandates...

Vital Pet Life Brings First ASC-Certified Pet Supplement to US Market Through Walmart Launch

Vital Pet Life has launched what it calls the first ASC-labeled pet supplement in the US market, rolling out "Only Salmon Oil for Dogs & Cats" across more than 1,600 Walmart stores nationwide this spring.

The move marks a significant expansion for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council into North America's pet sector, as the certification body seeks to build on growing consumer demand for traceable, responsibly sourced ingredients in pet products.

Only Salmon Oil features responsibly farmed salmon oil...

MSC Report Shows Seafood Shoppers Demand Simplicity, Value and Trust

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has released new insights, in partnership with global growth and creative firm Prophet, showing that consumers are prioritizing simplicity, value, and trust when shopping for seafood.

The data highlights "the evolving mind of the conscious shopper," revealing that consumers are making more mindful decisions by balancing health, sustainability, affordability, and convenience, under the pressure of today’s economic climate.

"Shoppers want to do the right thing for their health, their budgets, and the environment, but don’t have the mental...

ANALYSIS: February Dip in French Shrimp Imports Reflects Typical Seasonal Slowdown

The French National Directorate of Foreign Trade Statistics published the latest figures for French imports last week, showing a 22.0% decline in February versus January. That fall aligns with the usual slowdown observed at this point in the year over the past five years. After the January restocking that follows the year‑end holidays, February typically sees weaker inflows. In 2026, Easter fell on 3–6 April, several weeks later, so importers and distributors relied on existing inventories to meet subdued winter demand during February...

UK Fish Stocks Face Growing Strain as Sustainability Ratings Slip for Cod, Scampi

The Marine Conservation Society has issued a fresh warning about mounting pressure on UK fish stocks, following its latest update to the Good Fish Guide.

The revised ratings show some of the UK’s most popular seafood choices, particularly cod and langoustine (commonly sold as scampi), are becoming less sustainable. Several UK cod stocks have declined since 2015 due to overfishing, climate change, and ecosystem disruption, and there are now no recommended options for UK-caught cod. Meanwhile, some langoustine fisheries have been...

ASC-Led Partnership Launches Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative in Songkhla Lake

A new partnership is set to improve sustainable aquaculture in southern Thailand’s Songkhla Lake, where environmental pressures have challenged small-scale fish farmers.

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Laylanta Co., Ltd., and Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park have signed an MoU to launch an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) focused on barramundi farming. The initiative will support farmers with technical guidance and market incentives, helping them adopt better practices and work toward ASC certification.

Center for Biological Diversity Sues NOAA Over Northern Fur Seal Protection, Targets Pollock Fleet

In late 2024, NOAA Fisheries finalized the Conservation Plan for the Eastern Pacific Stock of Northern Fur Seal in an effort to conserve and restore the stock to its optimum sustainable population. The Eastern Pacific (formerly Pribilof) stock of northern fur seals was designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act on June 17, 1988, because the population had declined by over 50 percent from the highest population levels of the 1950s. NMFS first published a Conservation Plan in 1993, followed by a revised version...

Chile Coordinates Salmon Industry Response as Harmful Algal Blooms Affect 11 Farms

Chile's National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) met with salmon farming companies and service providers this week to coordinate response efforts as harmful algal blooms continue impacting operations in southern Chile.

The blooms, caused by the Heterosigma akashiwo species detected since March, have affected 11 fish farms primarily in Salmonid Concession Groups 1 and 2 in the Reloncaví Sound area. All affected facilities have activated their preventative action plans in response to the harmful algal bloom (HAB) conditions...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

From geopolitical tensions reshaping global trade flows to shifting consumer trends redefining food demand, this week’s Expana Top 10 highlights the key stories driving commodity markets and the food industry. Ongoing developments in the Middle East, evolving trade policies, and supply chain disruptions continue to influence pricing and availability, while innovation in retail, foodservice, and consumer products signals where growth opportunities lie. Here’s a look at the most impactful headlines shaping the market right now. This list in no particular order. 

10.Expana proceeds to provide ample coverage...

Day 45 of Iran War: Oil Prices Surge Above $100 as US Tightens Control Over Iranian Gulf 

The United States said it will begin blockading all Iranian Gulf ports at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, tightening control over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after talks with Iran over the weekend ended without agreement.

US President Trump indicated that US forces would intercept vessels in international waters that had paid what he described as illegal tolls to Iran.

Iran condemned the move as “piracy” and warned it could retaliate against Gulf ports, signaling escalating tensions with no quick reopening of the...

Direct-to-Consumer Seafood Pioneer LobsterAnywhere Approaches Million-Package Milestone

LobsterAnywhere, a pioneer in the direct-to-consumer seafood space, is celebrating 27 years in business as it nears 1 million package deliveries of live Maine lobster and fresh seafood across the US.

The company has just surpassed 925k deliveries since its debut as a dot-com startup prior to the new millennium.

"We're basically the anti-Amazon of seafood," said founder Joe Bowab. "While others focus on speed and scale, we focus on keeping lobsters alive during cross-country journeys...

Alaskan Seafood Takes Center Stage on MasterChef Indonesia

Alaskan seafood took center stage on one of Indonesia's most popular cooking shows, MasterChef Indonesia, in a high-stakes culinary competition.

During the season finale, which aired March 15, finalists were challenged to create a dish showcasing their culinary expertise using a variety of wild-caught Alaskan seafood, including sockeye, coho, and keta salmon, sablefish, Alaska pollock, yellowfin sole, and halibut presented by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).

US Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke J. Lindberg appeared as a judge and...

Alaska’s Gubernatorial Candidates Focus on Trawl Behavior While Trawl Allies Fire Back in Radio Ads

The governor’s race in Alaska to replace termed-out Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy now includes 18 candidates, many of whom have found a common criticism against the mostly Seattle-based fleet of groundfish trawlers and their bycatch of salmon, crab, and other non-targeted species. 

Despite the primacy of the seafood industry in Alaska's economy, most political candidates have been less than up to date on the intricacies of fisheries management or policies. Mary Peltola’s campaign for Don Young’s House seat changed all that when...

USTR Greer Blasts WTO as "Not Serious Forum" After Cameroon Conference

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer delivered a scathing critique of the World Trade Organization following last month's ministerial conference in Cameroon, signaling continued US frustration with multilateral trade frameworks governing global seafood commerce.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Monday, Greer described the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé as a poorly attended gathering where "WTO staff bopped to the beat" of self-congratulatory presentations about an incomplete fisheries subsidies agreement while only "a couple dozen cabinet-level trade ministers" bothered to attend...

SeaPak's National Picky Eaters Day Builds Momentum for Family Seafood Adoption

SeaPak leveraged its second annual National Picky Eaters Day on April 4 to expand its family-focused marketing strategy, building on the frozen seafood brand's successful Lent campaign and reinforcing its position as a solution for parents navigating mealtime challenges.

The company partnered with child nutrition expert Diana Rice and launched a national influencer campaign to celebrate "mealtime wins" rather than demanding perfection at the dinner table. The approach continues SeaPak's broader push to position seafood as accessible and family-friendly, extending momentum from its Lent promotion covered by...

Evolving Strategies and Market Momentum in Foodservice

The foodservice industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with major consolidation moves, strategic partnerships, and value-driven innovation shaping the landscape. This biweekly roundup highlights a blockbuster acquisition poised to reshape distribution, high-profile collaborations bringing new offerings to consumers, and continued momentum in emerging categories like sushi. At the same time, operators are doubling down on menu innovation and aggressive value platforms to navigate cost pressures and drive traffic, signaling a competitive environment where scale, differentiation, and affordability are more critical...