Seafood Industry Split at USTR Forced Labor Tariff Hearings as July 24 Deadline Looms

The US seafood industry arrived at this week's USTR Section 301 hearings divided — importers warning of a $2.86 billion annual tariff hit, domestic shrimp and catfish producers pushing for higher duties and outright import bans — with a hard statutory deadline adding urgency to the entire proceeding.

The three-day hearings, held July 7–9 at the US International Trade Commission, covered USTR's proposed forced labor tariffs on 60 economies: 10% on countries with at least partial forced labor import bans, including Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, and...

EU Extends US Seafood Catch Certificate Deadline Following Months of Industry Pressure

The European Union has granted an extension of flexibilities for US seafood export catch certificate requirements through November 30, 2026, providing American exporters a reprieve from a July 10 compliance deadline that industry groups warned could effectively block Alaska seafood from European markets.

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) applauded the announcement on July 9, thanking President Trump, Commerce Secretary Lutnick, and NOAA staff for their advocacy on behalf of the US seafood sector. "This extension provides much-needed certainty for American exporters while NOAA...

ANALYSIS: European Frozen Squid Imports Fall 21% in H1 2026 as Peru Surges

Frozen squid imports into Europe (EU and UK) decreased by 21.2% year-to-date (YTD) in the first half of the year. The decline affected most of the seven key source countries; only Peru recorded growth, with a 47.5% YTD increase. India, Peru, and China have historically been Europe's main squid suppliers, but in 2026, Indian and Chinese exports declined by 27.7% and 49.4%, respectively.

Peru has had a very successful season. In the 2025 season for Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas), total capture...

Peru Raises Giant Squid Catch Limit to 589,230 MT as Season Approaches Capacity

Peru's Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) has raised the Maximum Allowable Total Catch Limit (LMCTP) for giant squid — also known as jumbo squid or pota — from 539,230 MT to 589,230 MT for 2026, citing the latest scientific advice from the Peruvian Marine Institute (IMARPE). The measure was approved under Ministerial Resolution No. 00191-2026-PRODUCE and published in the official gazette El Peruano on July 4.

The revision was triggered by accumulated catches reaching 95.44% of the previous limit. For the remainder of the season...

Just Shrimp Introduces High‑protein Shrimp Nuggets to CPG market

Just Shrimp is expanding its frozen consumer packaged goods (CPG) portfolio with the introduction of its new, BAP certified, Shrimp Nugget. This better-for-you snack was designed to meet the growing demand for clean-label, protein-forward seafood options.

The new product delivers 12 grams of shrimp protein per serving and is made with a short list of simple, recognizable ingredients. At its core is Pacific white shrimp sourced from coastal Mexican waters, a region with a long-established shrimping and aquaculture industry known for producing shrimp with...

St. James Smokehouse Extends Seven-Year Food Safety Streak with 2026 BRCGS Grade AA Recertification

St. James Smokehouse has extended a seven‑year run of top‑tier food safety performance after its Miami production facility was recertified at BRCGS Grade AA for 2026.

The supplier, known for premium smoked salmon, has held BRCGS Grade AA status since 2019 and earned an AA+ designation following an unannounced audit in 2025,  a distinction industry buyers will note because it signals day‑to‑day compliance without the benefit of advance preparation. After this rigorous audit...

ANALYSIS: US May Shrimp Imports Rise 7% as Ecuador Posts Record Monthly Volume

Total US shrimp imports for May 2026 came in at 152.9 million lbs, up 7.0% year over year versus 143.0 million lbs in May 2025. The monthly gain was driven almost entirely by Ecuador, while declines across the major Asian origins continued to weigh on the broader supply picture. YTD through May, imports stand at 690 million lbs, down 7.9% against 749 million lbs in the same period of 2025.

Ecuador recorded 64.0 million lbs in May, up 46.8% year over year and...

Salmones Camanchaca Workers Launch Strike at Tomé Plant Over Pay and Conditions

Workers at Salmones Camanchaca's processing plant in Tomé, Chile, began a legal strike Tuesday after collective bargaining negotiations broke down, marking the first industrial action of its kind at the facility.

The strike was approved by 99.46% of members of the company's Sindicato No. 1, which represents around 230 workers, according to Radio Bío Bío. The union's press release said the action took effect at 00:00 on Tuesday, following the conclusion of both collective bargaining and mandatory mediation stages without agreement. Traffic disruptions were also reported...

NOAA Links Chinook Salmon Declines in Yukon River to Bering Sea Heatwaves

In a new study, NOAA scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center have linked the rapid decline of Chinook salmon in the Yukon River to marine heatwaves during 2016–2019, a period when adult run sizes reached their lowest levels on record.

The researchers used a new modeling approach to reconstruct the full Chinook life cycle by combining data from multiple sources: juvenile marine survey data and bycatch information collected by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and adult monitoring data collected by the Alaska Department...

Hokkaido Surimi Production Plummeted 55% to 760 Tons in May

The Minato Shimbun reported that frozen surimi production in Hokkaido for May—based on data compiled by the National Surimi Manufacturers Association based in Abashiri City, Hokkaido—fell 55% year-on-year to 755 tons. This marked the third consecutive month of decline, driven by sluggish landings of the primary raw material, Alaska pollock.

Of this total, pollock surimi production dropped 59% to 672 tons, also marking a third straight month of decline. According to surimi manufacturers, raw fish landings fell across the board...

New Zealand Supports Green-lipped Mussel Industry With NZ$4.5M Loan for Spat Nursery

New Zealand’s most valuable aquaculture species — Green-lipped mussels — is getting a boost from the New Zealand government, according to a press release last week from Mark Patterson, Associate Regional Development Minister. Green-lipped mussels generate approximately NZ$336 million annually in export revenue, making it New Zealand's most valuable aquaculture species.

“The New Zealand mussel industry is a high value food and export sector that relies heavily on wild-caught spat. That supply is often unpredictable leading to shortages and limiting the ability of our mussel farmers to fully utilise their consented marine space,” Patterson said.

Portugal Grants First Permit for Offshore Open-Sea Fish Farm

Portugal has issued its first-ever permit for an offshore aquaculture facility in the open sea, marking a notable step for the country’s marine farming sector and wider European offshore aquaculture development.

Israel-based Mariculture Systems said it has secured an Aquaculture Activity Title from Portuguese authorities, clearing the way for construction of an offshore fish farming facility off the Portuguese coast.

The project will use the company’s CORALIS offshore aquaculture technology, built around a semi-submersible platform designed to operate in exposed...

Les Hodges: Market Access Becomes the New Measure of Value

The defining issue in the global crab market is no longer production alone. Across every major producing region, the ability to access the highest-value markets is becoming a more important factor of profitability than the size of the harvest itself. Biological conditions continue to improve in Alaska, Norway remains constrained by lower king crab quotas, Russia continues directing premium live product into Asia, and Japan is finding it more difficult to compete for available supply. The result is a global market increasingly shaped by tariffs, sanctions...

NOAA Lifts Suriname Seafood Import Ban After Drift Gillnet Fishery Reforms

NOAA Fisheries has reinstated a comparability finding for Suriname's drift gillnet fishery under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), removing an import prohibition that had been in effect since January 1, 2026 and restoring US market access for products harvested from the fishery. The finding, published in the Federal Register on June 22 (91 FR 37086), is valid through December 31, 2029.

The restoration of access matters commercially: Suriname shipped 11.6 million pounds of seafood to the US in 2025, valued at $40.2 million across 569 shipments, according...

The Retail Rundown: The Battle for the Summer Food Dollar Intensifies

With the Fourth of July behind us, the protein industry is entering the "dog days of summer," when seasonal demand typically slows. Holiday movement over the past weekend was reportedly mixed, with retail performance varying by region as weather patterns influenced consumer plans and outdoor activity.

This year, the seasonal slowdown is unfolding against a challenging economic backdrop. Although inflation has moderated, consumers continue to face elevated costs for housing, utilities, and other essentials.

Rather than pulling back on discretionary spending entirely, households are becoming more intentional about where they spend their food dollars, placing greater emphasis on value. That dynamic is especially evident in the restaurant industry...

Russian Pacific Salmon Catch Lags Behind 2025 Amid Declining Stocks

Russia may face one of the worst red caviar production and salmon catch figures this year in the last two decades due to weak results from the ongoing salmon fishing season.

Regarding red caviar, according to recent Rosrybolovstvo forecasts, the catch will not exceed 227,000 tons, which would be among the lowest figures for the country and its salmon sector.

According to fishermen, the Russian salmon sector is already lagging compared to last year's results, which may lead to price growth for both salmon and red caviar...

Bakkafrost Q2 Trading Update: Faroe Islands Clean on Mortality, Scotland Chalks Up 32 mDKK in Losses

Bakkafrost harvested a combined 29.9 thousand tonnes head-on gutted (HOG) in Q2 2026 across its Faroe Islands and Scotland operations, bringing year-to-date volumes to 61.3 thousand tonnes HOG, according to the company's Q2 trading update published on Oslo Børs.

The Faroe Islands operation drove the bulk of output, delivering 26.7 thousand tonnes in Q2 at an average harvest weight of 5.6 kg, with volumes building steadily through the quarter from 7.7 thousand...

Deepening Fuel Crisis in Russia May Threaten Fish Production and Processing Sectors

Russia's fish sector may face serious near-term disruption as the country's fuel and gasoline shortage continues to worsen.

Ukrainian armed forces recently struck the Omsk refinery — Russia's largest, located more than 2,000 km from the front line. The attack is the latest in a series of strikes on Russian refining infrastructure that have forced facilities across the country to reduce output, contributing to a growing fuel shortage with direct consequences for the fish industry...

FFAW Renews Push for Commercial Mackerel Reopening after DFO Maintains Closure

The Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW-Unifor) is ramping up pressure on the federal government to revisit its 2026 Atlantic mackerel management decision, arguing that the latest stock assessment and conditions on the water no longer justify keeping the commercial fishery closed.

The call comes after Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) released its latest science assessment, which found Atlantic mackerel biomass increased by nearly 50 per cent over the past year. Despite the improvement, the stock remains in the critical zone under Canada's rebuilding...

SalMar to Acquire 70% Stake in Måsøval in $350 Million Deal

SalMar ASA has agreed to acquire Heimstø AS's entire 70% stake in Måsøval AS, the Central Norway salmon farmer, in a deal valuing Måsøval's total share capital at approximately NOK 4.84 billion. The transaction was announced on 8 July 2026.

Under the terms of the agreement, SalMar will pay NOK 39.50 per share for Heimstø's 85,727,553 shares — a premium of 71.7% to Måsøval's closing price on 25 March 2026, the day before Heimstø announced a strategic review of its ownership. The NOK 3.4 billion consideration is structured...

Norway Doubles Down on Seafood as Tournament Diet Captures Global Headlines

Norwegian seafood has received a notable publicity boost since the start of the world's most competitive soccer tournament.

Earlier last month, ahead of the opening matches, Norway's national soccer team arrived in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Word quickly spread that the squad had brought a substantial shipment of seafood from home to fuel the players throughout the tournament. The detail soon took on a life of its own, generating global headlines and widespread discussion across social media.

Media intelligence firm Meltwater tracked more...

US Identifies Costa Rica for IUU Fishing Over Longline Monitoring Failures, Conservation Groups Warn

The United States has formally identified Costa Rica as engaged in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, citing years of failed commitments to establish a national observer program for its industrial pelagic longline fleet. The finding comes in NOAA's 2026 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management and was highlighted in a July 3 press release from CREMA, a Costa Rican marine conservation organization.

According to CREMA, NOAA found that Costa Rica failed to meet mandatory observer coverage requirements set by the...

UNFI Shuffles Leadership to Strengthen Operations and Commercial Execution

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) is making leadership changes aimed at strengthening execution, improving efficiency and supporting long-term profitable growth.

Effective Aug 3, Matteo Tarditi will become President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), overseeing product sales, enterprise customer relationships, supply chain operations, technology and lean implementation. Tarditi previously served as president and chief financial officer.

Louis Martin will serve as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), with responsibility for commercial strategy and capabilities across conventional and natural merchandising, supplier partnerships and services, private brands, professional and digital services...

Atlantic Mackerel Quotas Surge More Than 1,000 Percent After Stock Assessment Shows Recovery

Atlantic mackerel's decade-long rebuilding effort is showing results. A September 2025 management track assessment by NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center found the population is no longer dangerously low and overfishing is not occurring — with 2024 spring trawl survey abundance near a record high, egg production the highest since the 1980s, and estimated recruitment the strongest since 1983, according to NOAA Fisheries.

The turnaround has been years in the making. A 2017 benchmark assessment found the mackerel population dangerously low and overfishing occurring, triggering a five-year...

Alaska Salmon Harvest Trails YOY Catch, Bristol Bay On Track to Reach 33.5 Million Harvest

Bristol Bay’s current catch of sockeye salmon has reached 17.95 million sockeye, on track to achieve pre-season forecasted total harvest of 32.26 million.  

Of the five river districts in the bay, Egegik has reached its escapement goal of 1.4 million sockeye, and currently has 5.94 million landed out of a forecasted 7.44 million, a goal within reach now that escapement has been met. 

Ugashick’s escapement, however, was 370,000 out of a needed 950,000 sockeye. Current landings are at 3.85 million...

Farmed Fish Overtakes Wild Catch for First Time as Global Seafood Output Hits Record 188.2M Tonnes

Aquaculture has become the leading source of fish for human consumption, surpassing capture fisheries for the first time and marking what the UN Food and Agriculture Organization called a "turning point" for global food systems.

In its State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026 report, FAO said global fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record 188.2 million tonnes in 2024. Of that, aquaculture contributed 103.3 million tonnes, continuing a long growth trend that is reshaping seafood supply...

Thai Union Launches Industry-First Recyclable Shelf-Stable Tuna Pouch Under John West Brand

Thai Union Group has launched what it claims is the seafood industry's first shelf-stable tuna product in a recyclable mono-material pouch, rolling it out under its John West brand in the UK and Ireland as a product line called Stir & Serve. The launch, developed in collaboration with packaging supplier Mondi, is now available at Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, and Ocado, with further retailer expansion planned through 2026.

The innovation addresses a longstanding technical barrier in flexible seafood packaging. Conventional retort pouches...

Japan’s Mackerel Exports Show a 1.7 Fold Increase in January-May with Record High Price

Exports of Japanese frozen mackerel are recovering. The cumulative export volume for the January–May period reached 58,200 tons, 1.7 times the same period the previous year, driven by increased landings in Kyushu. In recent years, poor catches across domestic fishing grounds—particularly in the Sanriku and Joban regions—combined with a sharp drop in production in Norway (the world's largest producer) have caused landing prices to skyrocket. With high international demand for Japanese mackerel tightening the supply...

Pokeworks Expands Texas Footprint as Franchise Pipeline Grows

Pokeworks is continuing to build momentum in Texas, one of the brand’s key growth markets, as the fast-casual poke concept expands its development pipeline and strengthens its franchise network across the state.

The brand currently operates 26 locations throughout Texas with 11 franchisees, with six additional restaurants under construction across Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and El Paso. Pokeworks also recently expanded its Texas footprint with the opening of its newest location in The Woodlands area of Houston in June.

The Texas growth comes as Pokeworks continues to expand nationally, with 14 locations currently in development across Texas, Massachusetts, Colorado and New York.

NOAA Awards $4.2M to States, Tribes to Advance Endangered Marine Species Recovery

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded $4.2 million through its Species Recovery Grant Program to support state and tribal efforts to recover marine species protected under the Endangered Species Act.

The funding includes $1.9 million for six new projects across five states: Alaska, California, Florida, New Jersey and South Carolina. Another $2.3 million will continue 13 multi-year projects approved in previous grant cycles.

A significant share of the investment, $1.6 million, will support...