Rodger May Wins Auction for Peter Pan’s Western Alaska Assets; Silver Bay Wins Back-Up Bid

In a series of events that rival a Hollywood thriller, over the course of five months Peter Pan Seafoods has shut down all operations in Alaska, Silver Bay Seafoods has purchased or leased key facilities just in time for the 2024 salmon season, Wells Fargo Bank asked that Peter Pan be put into a receivership, $27 million of Peter Pan’s frozen seafood assets were sold to Silver Bay, and yesterday the remaining assets were auctioned off to Rodger May, both a co-owner ...

New Jersey Police Arrest Four Suspects Linked to Organized Theft of Meat and Seafood

The New Jersey State Police arrested four men from Philadelphia on numerous charges relating to an Organized Cargo Theft Ring focused on meat, seafood and alcohol.

For the past two months, the police have been leading “Operation Beef Bandit,” which targeted an organized crew responsible for nine burglaries at service areas along the New Jersey Turnpike.

The suspects allegedly broke into parked and often occupied trailers and stole high-value meat, alcohol and seafood. The crew...

Norwegian Seafood Council Rolls Out Campaign with Soccer Superstar Erling Haaland

The Norwegian Seafood Council announced that its first major campaign with Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland has begun to roll out in the South Korean market.

Back in April, the council partnered with the goal-scoring star for the Premier League’s Manchester City on a two-and-a-half-year deal to help promote farmed salmon, as SeafoodNews reported.

The council has collaborated with several grocery chains in South Korea and Norwegian exporters, with SalMar being one of the first firms to feature Haaland...

Commentary: Changing Course on Climate Change

John Sackton’s op-ed about climate change and fisheries, Winding Glass: Climate Change Turns Fisheries Sustainability on its Head, hit me hard, as I expect it did most fishermen. With these words: "the reality is that many fisheries are vulnerable to climate-induced collapse over the next decade,” he  ...

Linda Behnken, a longliner since 1982, is the Executive Director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and recipient of the 25th Heinz Award for the Environment. In recent years she established the Fishery Conservation Network, the Young Fisherman’s Initiative, and the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust.

NOAA Names James Binniker as New Law Enforcement Director

NOAA announced that James Binniker has been selected as the new director of the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. Binniker will be tasked with leading the agency’s work to enforce laws, conserve and protect U.S. marine resources, battle IUU fishing, and promote sustainable fisheries management.

Binniker will be at the helm of the office charged with “enforcing more than 35 federal statutes over more than 3 million nautical miles of open ocean, 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline, 16 National Marine Sanctuaries, and Marine National Monuments,” per an announcement from NOAA...

Fisheries Agency of Japan to Implement Strict Management of Tuna Sport Fishing

There is a move to apply stricter regulations to tuna fishing for leisure. According to a Minato Shimbun report, to grasp the actual situation of bluefin tuna catches by recreational fishing boats and pleasure boats, the Fisheries Agency plans to introduce a notification system for applicable boats by FY 2026 and then move to full-scale total quantity restrictions at an early stage.

For recreational bluefin tuna catches, an annual quota of 40 tons is set for each period from the "reserved quota," Japan's total catch volume minus...

U.S. Department of Commerce Found Vietnam Exporters Didn’t Dump Pangasius into U.S. Market

In its latest antidumping administrative review, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) determined that frozen pangasius fillets from Vietnam were not sold at below-normal values.

According to the document posted on the Federal Register earlier this week, the DOC shared the preliminary results of its antidumping administrative review of certain fish fillets from Vietnam. The review was focused on the period of August 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023.

The notice published in the Federal Register indicated that the review covered eight exporters of...

Canada’s Conservative Party Rips Federal Government Handling Atlantic Canada Lobster Fishing

Canada’s Conservative Party slammed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government’s handling of alleged poaching around the Bay of Fundy.

Headlines in Canada have emerged with local fishing organizations in the New Brunswick areas alleging that both local and foreign poachers are targeting Lobster Area 36 ahead of the start of its November season.

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association told news outlets that it wasn’t aware of the allegations and denied the claims. Maine Department of Resources spokesperson Jeff Nichols said in a statement...

Cousins Maine Lobster Franchisees Expanding Footprint in Southeastern Florida

Cousins Maine Lobster is at it again. This time, the brand is teaming up with long-time franchisees and brothers Yunus and Thameem Shahul, to expand into the Fort Lauderdale area, expanding the Cousins footprint into Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

The brothers began their relationship with Cousins Maine Lobster in 2018, and the new truck will mark its 17^th unit with the brand.

The brothers shared their excitement for the move with the following statement...

Menhaden Fisheries Coalition Thank Governor Youngkin for Declaring "Commercial Waterman Safety Week"

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared this week, September 15-21, 2024, “Commercial Waterman Safety Week.” The governor’s proclamation recognizes that Virginia’s more than 1,500 commercial watermen “risk their lives sustaining a tradition passed down through generations,” help generate over $1 billion in economic impact for the Commonwealth, and deserve “access to a secure and safe work environment.”

The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition and the Virginia Waterman’s Association are grateful to Governor Youngkin for recognizing the vital role of Virginia watermen, including menhaden fishermen...

Norway, EU Sign Agreement for Duty-Free Seafood Import Quotas

The European Union (EU) has agreed to open 12 duty-free import quotas for Norwegian seafood, a move that is expected to boost Norway’s seafood sector.

The deal covers the period from May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2028, and the duty-free imports will provide more access for seafood firms to Norway's critical market.

“The EU is by far the most important market for Norwegian seafood, and more duty-free quotas provide more export opportunities for Norwegian products, both from fisheries and aquaculture,” said Fisheries and Oceans Minister...

Florida Rep. Announces FISHES Act Legislation Aimed at Expediting Fisheries Disaster Relief

Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) announced that a broad coalition of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate, and organizations supports the FISHES Act, which aims to expedite fisheries disaster relief.

Donalds’ FISHES Act was described as bipartisan legislation aimed at improving the federal regulatory process association with fishery disaster relief allocation. The bill wants to expedite fisheries disaster relief once declarations are confirmed, something that Donalds has become familiar with as Florida has requested relief on six separate occasions since 2012...

Seafood Nutrition Partnership Adds Steven Summerfelt to Scientific Nutrition Advisory Council

The Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) added Dr. Steven Summerfelt, Ph.D., P.E., to its Scientific Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC).

The SNP described its council as a team of leading researchers in science, nutrition, and health. Summerfelt currently serves as the Chief Science Officer at Superior Fresh, the first land-based Atlantic salmon producer in the United States.

Dr. Summerfelt works to ensure that Superior Fresh’s production methods are safe for the environment, doesn’t impact water quality or safety and gives back to the land...

Mowi Salmon Escape Incident Reported in Norway

Mowi Seawater Norway AS reported an escape incident on September 17 at the Kveitskjeret locality in Frøya municipality in Trøndelag.

According to Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries, a large tear was discovered in a groove in connection with delivery to slaughter. The salmon in the cages weighed an average of 5 kg. The company has deployed recapture nets at the site.

The Directorate of Fisheries said it would follow up on the incident...

Red Lobster Emerges from Bankruptcy, Officially Names New CEO

Red Lobster has closed the book on its bankruptcy and enters a new era with a new captain at the helm.

The seafood restaurant chain announced its exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the completion of its acquisition by RL Investor Holdings LLC. The firm also officially announced Damola Adamolekun as its new CEO.

Earlier this month, a federal court approved Red Lobster’s bankruptcy plan, paving the way for RL Investor Holdings to snatch up the company and keep its over 500 locations in operation, along with the...

Biden-Harris Administration Announce First Offshore Wind Lease Sale in Gulf of Maine

The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced the first-ever offshore wind energy lease sale in the Gulf of Maine. The leases will be located in eight areas off Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.

This marks the fifth offshore wind lease sale under the Biden-Harris administration, with others located off New York, the Pacific, the Central Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico. The administration also approved 10 commercial-scale wind projects.

“The growing enthusiasm for the clean energy future is infectious. Today’s announcement...

Seafood Nutrition Partnership Scaling ‘Fall In Love With Seafood’ Campaign to More Retailers

The Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) announced the expansion of its ‘Fall In Love With Seafood’ campaign into 2025-26 after it saw success with various retailers, including H-E-B, Hy-Vee and Weis Markets, in the first half of 2024. 

The SNP will team up with Harris Teeter and Publix to launch the Fall in Love with Seafood campaign in their markets in September and October, respectively. The campaign, which encourages consumers to eat seafood twice a week...

Norway Says Recapture Efforts Underway Following Recent Escapement

Earlier this week, Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries announced that an escape incident occurred at a Mowi Seawater Norway AS site at the Kveitskjeret locality in Frøya municipality in Trøndelag.

In an update on September 19, the directorate indicated that Blue Revolution Center AS owned the farmed salmon that escaped at a site operated by Mowi.

The government said that Mowi has deployed recapture nets since the escape was first discovered and reported a catch of 1,100 fish thus far. The remainder of the cage is set...

Ocean Beauty Rebrands Smoked, Value-Added Business as Echo Falls

Ocean Beauty Seafoods Smoked and Value-Added division will now be known as Echo Falls Seafood.

The company announced the rebranding earlier this month and decided to use its top-selling Echo Falls brand to establish its smoked and value-added operations as a separate business unit.

Alex Klein, who was at the helm of the smoked and value-added seafood divisions when it was under the Ocean Beauty brand, will now lead the Echo Falls Seafoods team as President. The ownership will remain the same, and it will continue...

Alaska Governor Dunleavy Asked to Declare Federal Disaster for Southcentral Salmon Fisheries

Alaska State Representative Sara Vance, from Homer, sent a letter to Governor Mike Dunleavy earlier this week asking him to declare the 2024 fisheries for salmon, particularly pink salmon, a federal disaster.

“The unprecedented low return of pink salmon has left many fishermen without income, while others are burdened with significant debt from this disastrous season,” Vance wrote. “For those whole livelihoods depend on the salmon harvest, this is an economic crisis with profound and far-reaching impacts.”

Statewide pink salmon harvests have reached 37.8 million fish to ...

Seagriculture Draws 200 To Ketchikan, Discuss Future of Seaweed Farming in Alaska and World

Experts from Europe and Asia, as well as researchers and farmers from around the U.S., met with Alaska mariculturists in Ketchikan last week for two days of discussions on where seaweed farming is headed.

The summit, SeagricultureUS is a spin off of SeagricultureEU and SeagricultureAsia. It has been held in Maine in recent years, but with a nod to Alaska’s rapid rise in seaweed farming in recent years (becoming the nation’s second largest seafood producer), the event was held in Ketchikan this year. 

Nearly 200 guests ...

A Look Ahead at Lobster Promos to Celebrate National Lobster Day 2024

National Lobster Day is right around the corner on September 25, and the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) is ready to celebrate Maine’s iconic seafood item.

"National Lobster Day highlights the hardworking individuals and communities that make the fishery thrive," said Marianne LaCroix, Executive Director at the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. "We encourage lobster fans across the country to show their support for the families who make it all possible by choosing sustainably harvested Maine Lobster."

There will be various promotions and products for consumers to get...

The Retail Rundown: Going All-Out for Autumn

Fall is just around the corner, with the official start of autumn this Sunday, September 22. As cooler weather sets in and travel plans wind down, grocers are ramping up their offerings of seasonal favorites to align with the change in consumer preferences. 

According to the Expana Retail Activity Index, seafood continues to lead for the fourth week in a row, making up 30% of total protein ads. Beef and pork are close behind, each at around 25%, while chicken accounts for 14%. Eggs represent 2.8% of retail opportunities, and turkey has 2.3%...

New $100 Million-plus Arctic Char Facility Gets Support from Canadian Government

The Manitoba government said it will support the development of Sapphire Springs Inc.'s CA$145 million (US$106 million) Arctic char facility.

The planned aquaculture and processing facility would be Canada’s largest for Arctic char and position the province as a leader in production of the species. The facility will be located a short drive north of Winnipeg in Rural Municipality (RM) of Rockwood, providing more than 100 full-time jobs for Manitobans, per Minister Jamie Moses and Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn...

U.S. Troops Deployed to Remote Aleutian Island In Response to Heightened Military Activity in Area

About 130 troops have arrived in Shemya Island, part of the western tip of the Aleutian Island Archipelago, in response to increased activity by Russian and Chinese military exercises in the region.

Shemya Island is home to the COBRA DANE radar system, operated by the United States Space Force, used for tracking ballistic missiles and other weapons and spacecraft. It is also home to an air station and a 10,000-foot runway. U.S. Air Force radar, surveillance, and weather station that was built in 1942 ...

Island Institute Kickstarts Initiative to Support Maine’s Lobster Industry

The Island Institute received a $1.4 million award from the Small Business Administration to support Maine’s vital lobster industry and the communities that rely on it.

The Institute noted that the Congressionally Directed Spending request was led by Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and would lead to the creation of the ‘Future of Fishing,’ “described as a collaborative effort designed to expand economic opportunities for Maine’s coastal communities.”

“This funding is not just an investment in the lobster industry, it is an investment in the communities that have...

ANALYSIS: U.S. Shrimp Imports Grow, Driven by India and Ecuador

U.S. shrimp imports continue to rise, and the gains from 2014 are driven primarily by India and Ecuador. In the last 10 years, imports from India and Ecuador have grown 10.54% and 8.35% CAGR, respectively. Indonesia's growth is a slower 3.54% CAGR. The market shifted in 2021, when Ecuador overtook Indonesia for second place...

Insights on Crisis Management, Industry Shifts, and the Future of Agri-Food from Former Domino’s Pizza Executive

As Expana’s Agri-Food Americas event in Chicago draws near, we're thrilled to present an exclusive interview with a distinguished leader in the food industry, who will be speaking at the conference.

Tim McIntyre spent over 30 years at Domino's Pizza Inc., the world’s largest pizza chain, rising through the ranks to the role of Executive Vice President in 2022. Tim is an expert in crisis management and this interview offers valuable insights into how the food industry has transformed over the years...

U.S. Coast Guard Encounters Russian Naval Vessels near Point Hope, Inside Alaska’s EEZ

For the fourth time in less than a week, U.S. Coast Guard and other military monitors located Russian military aircraft or warships near Alaska. The most recent one occured Sunday, when USCG Cutter Stratton observed four Russian Federation Navy (RFN) vessels 57 miles northwest of Point Hope, AK, within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Chukchi Sea.

The day before, Saturday September 14, two Russian IL-38 military aircraft were detected and tracked while operating within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) ...

Brazil Opens Market to Norwegian Seafood Exports

Norwegian seafood now has access to one of the largest markets on the planet. 

Brazil and Norway have reached an agreement that will allow Norwegian seafood to enter Brazil. According to Norway’s Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet), producers will be able to export wild fish, farmed fish, and fish by-products to Brazil if they are approved by the Brazilian authorities (DIPOA). 

Brazil has a massive population and is considered one of the top destinations for Chilean salmon. With Norwegian products now in the mix, the country could see added interest for its staple...