NOAA Fisheries Unveils Action Plan for Enhanced Seafood Import Monitoring Program

NOAA Fisheries will implement an action plan to enhance its Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP).

Last November, NOAA conducted a comprehensive review of SIMP to identify areas for improvement. That led to engagement from over 7,000 stakeholders, including seafood industry professionals, foreign governments, researchers, and civil society groups.

Based on the input, NOAA has shaped an action plan that is “designed to strengthen its impact, focusing on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and bolstering seafood traceability.”

NOAA Fisheries said it would work to limit the impact...

CLF Claims Cooke’s Salmon Farms Violate Clean Water Act; Cooke Pushes Back

Cooke Aquaculture USA, a subsidiary of seafood giant Cooke Inc., denied the allegations made by the Conservation Law Foundation in its November 14 notice of intent to file suit over claims of Clean Water Act violations.

CLF alleged that Cooke violated the Clean Water Act at 13 active sites in Maine where it farms salmon. The organization claimed that “(Cooke) regularly pollutes Maine’s iconic bays and negatively impacts recreation and the lobstering and fishing industries.”

Canada-based Cooke “vehemently” denied the claims, stating, “Cooke is in full...

Commercial Bay Crabbing Closure in Southern Oregon Clouds Ocean Crab Season Opening

Oregon agencies announced Thursday that bay crabbing is closed from Cape Blanco, near Port Orford, to the California border due to biotoxin levels above the safety threshold.

The Oregon Departments of Agriculture and Fish and Wildlife said domoic acid levels in Dungeness crab viscera exceeded the levels of safety. The closure also affects recreational fisheries and applies to both Dungeness and red rock crab harvested from bays and estuaries.

Commercial bay crab fisheries are relatively small in volume compared to ocean fisheries, but the ...

Shrimp’s Health Benefits Spotlighted in New Guide for Nutrition Experts

The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) and Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) debuted the Shrimp Nutritional Guide earlier this week.

The new resource, developed alongside the Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP), aims to help dietitians better understand shrimp's health benefits, debunk myths about the food, and highlight the various ways to cook shrimp.

The launch event took place on November 13 and was attended by more than 120 participants, including nutritionists, chefs, industry entrepreneurs, and other notable figures from the culinary field, per a press release from the SSP...

Industry Coalition Fights for Federal Support of Offshore Aquaculture

An offshore aquaculture industry coalition has embarked on a month-long campaign to educate Members of Congress in an effort to raise support for future projects.

The Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) group will release various campaign materials including a fact sheet, social media assets and targeted paid advertisements. Digital ads will also be present in D.C.-based publications like Politico and Axios in hopes of reaching eyeballs on Capitol Hill.

“Without federal action, the U.S. will continue to miss out on the benefits that a thriving aquaculture industry would provide...

Alaska and Washington Get Federal Boost for Port Infrastructures From Saint Paul Island to Tacoma

Six coastal communities in Alaska and five in Washington state will receive nearly $150 million for improvements in critical port and maritime infrastructure. The grants are funded by both annual appropriations and the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IIJA provided $2.25 billion in funds available over five years to the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which was created to improve the movement of goods through our nation's ports and supply chain and enhance port resiliency.

Alaska has more coastline than ...

New Advisory Board on Ocean Acidification Set; Asks for Member Nominations

The Administrator of NOAA and the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST) announced recently that a new Ocean Acidification Advisory Board (OAAB) has been set up to provide independent advice and recommendations to the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification (IWG-OA) and SOST. 

Ocean acidification has been a critical issue at NOAA for years. The new board will be called upon to understand impacts and develop mitigation techniques for ecosystems and human communities. The Federal Register notice also requested nominations for membership on the OAAB.

The OAAB's ...

Forsea Achieves Record-Breaking Cell Density for Its Cultivated Seafood

Cell-cultivated seafood innovator Forsea struck a major breakthrough in making freshwater eel farming a viable commercial reality. The start-up announced its organoid technology reached a record-breaking cell density of more than 300 million cells/ml, and with minimal and precise use of cultured media ingredients.

This is the highest cell density recorded in the field, moving Forsea to the forefront of cultured seafood production efficiency. The landmark technology allows for a scalable and highly cost-effective supply for the hugely popular traditional Japanese delicacy...

New Infrastructure for P.E.I.’s Commercial Fisheries

Malpeque, Prince Edward Island · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

Commercial small craft harbours have long been cultural hubs for Prince Edward Island’s coastal communities, inspiring art, tourism, and world-renowned culinary goods. They also serve as vital engines of economic activity and employment. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring safe, modern infrastructure for working harbours to position the fishery for long-term, sustainable growth...

Russian Crab Producers Seek Reform in Investment Quotas Amid Rising Costs

Leading Russian crab producers have called on the state to remove part of the crab catch quotas from the existing investment programs due to low profitability and high costs.

Recently, representatives of producers have called on Russian authorities to review the second stage of the program of investment quotas for crab fishing and exclude the Far East subzone from it.

In fact, Russian crab catchers signed agreements with the state in 2018 for the use of crab quotas for a period of 15 years, according...

NCLA Challenges Washington State's GPS Monitoring of Crab Fishermen in Court

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) has filed a lawsuit against the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Electronic Monitoring Program. This program uses GPS tech to track the location and movements of every state-licensed boat fishing for Coastal Dungeness crab, regardless of whether it is actively fishing or not.

The NCLA said the program is sustained by making fishermen pay for the electronic monitoring systems they must install on their boats, or else they face criminal sanctions...

Canada Invests C$463.3 Million in Port Improvements Over Next Three Years

On Wednesday, Canada’s Fisheries and Oceans Department (DFO) announced a total of CAD463 million (US$329 milion) has been set aside in the federal budget for repair and maintenance of small craft harbours, including those damaged by Hurricane Fiona, starting in 2024-25 and continuing for the next two fiscal years. The announcements — one for ports in Prince Edward Island and one for those in British Columbia — totaled to only CAD93 million, to be spend over three years.

Canada’s federal fiscal year runs from April 1 ...

ANALYSIS: Is Shrimp Demand in Decline? A Quantitative Approach

Shrimp demand in the U.S. keeps contracting. Now, this number can be deceiving because demand is typically measured on a year-over-year basis. In other words, because demand surged abnormally in 2021 and 2022 due to the effects of the pandemic, it seems only normal that demand would contract back once the previous consumption habits returned or settled...

High Liner's Q3 Earnings: Profit Up, Sales Down, Strategic Investments Continue

Nova Scotia-based High Liner Foods announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2024. The company reported an increased adjusted EBITDA despite a dip in both gross profit and sales volume.

High Liner reported an adjusted EBITDA increase of US$1.5 million, or 7.5%, to $21.5 million compared to Q3 2023. Meanwhile, its gross profit fell by 2.6% ($1.3 million), and its sales volume fell by 4.2 million pounds, or 6.9% compared to Q3 2023...

Despite Lower Q3 Volumes, BioMar Maintains Guidance for a Strong 2024

BioMar's third quarter reveals a decline in sales volumes year-on-year, while the company is still heading for a strong full-year result. Although revenue has decreased due to stable volumes and lower raw material prices, earnings have increased due to anemphasis on commercial and operational efficiency and a shift towards long-term customer relationships.

BioMar reports solid third quarter results for 2024, still indicating that the company will reach the expected earnings for the year. However, full-year revenue expectations are slightly...

Onda Partners with Brazilian Facility for Shrimp Research

Onda, an aquaculture research organization, announced the opening of a satellite location in Brazil to expand its work into the whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) sector.

“This expansion of services will be conducted in collaboration with an aquaculture facility in Brazil, marking a pivotal step in advancing sustainable shrimp farming research globally,” Onda shared in a press release.

Onda said its push into the shrimp sector through its external partner comes from a market push to provide trials and testing for whiteleg shrimp. Onda said the trials...

Natural Balance Joins Friend of the Sea Certification for a Green and Healthy Future

Natural Balance Limited, a pioneering company in bioscience and technology, has made a significant stride towards sustainability by joining the Friend of the Sea project with its Omega-3 Fish Oil products. Founded in 1996 in Auckland, New Zealand, Natural Balance Ltd. is committed to tapping into the power of natural ingredients and scientifically formulating them to create healthy and nutritious diets.

The Friend of the Sea standard has certified Natural Balance’s products, specifically fish oil and fish oil extracts from its leading brands BIO-H...