Seafood Industry Wins Key Exemptions as US Imposes 25% Tariff on Brazilian Goods

The Trump Administration's 25% Section 301 tariff on Brazilian goods takes effect July 22 — and the US seafood industry secured meaningful relief, with many of Brazil's most commercially significant seafood export categories landing on the exemption list.

USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer announced the final action on July 15, following a yearlong investigation into Brazilian practices related to digital trade, anti-corruption enforcement, intellectual property, ethanol market access, and illegal deforestation. After receiving more than 360 written comments and holding two public hearings...

US Seafood Sector Weighs in on China Tariff Framework

The US seafood industry is navigating a pivotal moment in its trade relationship with China, as the Trump Administration moves to formalize a new bilateral framework that could reshape tariff rates on a wide range of fish and shellfish products.

In June, USTR published a Federal Register notice seeking public comment on the scope of a proposed US-China Board of Trade, a managed trade mechanism announced during President Trump's May 2026 visit to Beijing. The Board is intended to identify "non-sensitive" goods on both sides eligible for reciprocal tariff...

ANALYSIS: El Niño Threatens Fishmeal and Fish Oil Supply as Global Aquaculture Output Surges

Feed costs represent up to 55% of total production costs for white shrimp and Atlantic salmon. Diet formulation is species-specific; however, the same species may require different dietary compositions depending on the region. Ingredient selection is driven by cost considerations and the biological benefits for farmed aquatic animals. In recent years, consumer preferences regarding feed ingredients have also gained considerable importance in formulation decisions...

House Committee Advances Bill to Delay Right Whale Gear Regulations for Lobster Fishery Until 2035

House Resolution 9436, the Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act, passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee on a 22-13 bipartisan vote, advancing legislation that would extend the current regulatory moratorium protecting Maine lobstermen from new gear entanglement rules for North Atlantic right whales through 2035.

The bill was led by Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). It would extend a pause on new regulations first enacted in 2022 — originally under President Biden with bipartisan support from the Maine congressional...

Captain Fresh Eyes Polish Seafood Processor Morex in Latest European Expansion

Global seafood firm Captain Fresh is seeking to acquire Morex, a major Polish seafood processor and distributor, in what would mark the company's latest move to deepen its European footprint.

Captain Fresh's Norwegian holding company, Infifresh Foodtech AS, filed an application with Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection on July 2, with the filing published July 7. The case is currently pending.

Morex, headquartered in Gdynia, operates across both commercial distribution, selling products in the same form they were purchased, and finished goods...

Sustainable Seafood Interest Grows as Trusted Certification Guides Shoppers

A new global study of nearly 15,000 consumers across 14 countries shows rising interest in sustainable seafood and finds trusted certification is increasingly what helps shoppers act on that intent.

The research shows the share of consumers who say they prefer environmentally friendly products and look for sustainability claims on food increased by more than 10 percentage points since 2024.

Still, when buying seafood, taste, health and quality remain the top priorities. Where sustainability breaks through is trust: independent certification schemes are now the most trusted...

Fulton Fish Market Secures $25 Million for Infrastructure Upgrades and Workforce Development

New York City Council Member Justin Sanchez has announced a $25 million investment in the Fulton Fish Market Cooperative, the nation's largest wholesale seafood market, to fund infrastructure upgrades and a new community demonstration kitchen at the Hunts Point facility.

According to the cooperative, the funding will help modernize critical infrastructure at the Hunts Point facility while supporting the construction of a community demonstration kitchen for education, workforce development, and events.

The investment marks a significant milestone for the cooperative and the Hunts Point community, where...

Mowi Posts Record Q2 Harvest of 150,000 MT, EBIT Jumps 23%

Mowi delivered a record second-quarter harvest of 150,000 tonnes gutted weight in Q2 2026, up 13% from 133,000 tonnes in Q2 2025 and ahead of the company's own guidance of 140,000 tonnes. Norway led output at 85,000 tonnes, followed by Scotland at 26,500 tonnes and Chile at 17,500 tonnes. Canada contributed 10,000 tonnes — a notable rebound given the pressures flagged in the 2025 annual report.

Group Operational EBIT came in at approximately EUR 231 million, a 23% year-on-year increase from...

WEBINAR: El Niño 2026/27 Fundamentals in Focus — Coffee, Cocoa & Seafood

El Niño does not affect every origin at once or in the same way. The timing and location of these shifts matter for the coming agricultural crops and seafood catch.

With El Niño conditions possibly strengthening into the Northern Hemisphere winter, dryness and heat could reshape agricultural crop balances into the 2026/27 cycle, while warmer Pacific waters could reshape seafood stocks and aquaculture.

On July 23 at 11 AM ET | 4 PM BST, our market experts will take a deep, fundamentals-led look to uncover...

Chile's Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector Tops $5 Billion in First Half of 2026, With Gains Spreading

Chile's fisheries and aquaculture sector generated $5.0 billion in export revenue in the first half of 2026, a 6.4% increase over the same period last year, according to ProChile's Non-Copper Non-Lithium Export Report for June 2026. The figures confirm the sector's continued strength — but the more notable story may be what's happening outside of salmon.

Salmon and trout, which account for the lion's share of Chile's seafood export value, grew 6.5% to $3.504 billion through June...

Landing Prices of Hokkaido Okhotsk Scallop Soar Due to High Prices for Frozen Adductors

Driven by high market prices for the region's frozen scallop adductor muscles, the price of whole scallops along Hokkaido's Okhotsk coast has reached "unprecedented highs," according to fisheries cooperatives in the Southern district.

Meanwhile, according to a Minato Shimbun report, although scallop growth was better than the previous year during the early stages of the season, growth has slowed in some coastal areas ahead of the summer peak. There is also a noticeable lack of inquiries for the "5S" size category...

WA Congresswoman Touts Bill Expanding Lethal Take of Sea Lions to Protect Columbia River Salmon

Last week, Washington Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez introduced a bill that would allow increased lethal removal of California and Steller sea lions by Southwest Washington's Indian Tribes and extend removal authority to nearly 292 miles from the mouth of the Columbia River.

Members of five tribal groups with ancestral history in the area, as well as state managers, have been taking California and Steller sea lions under a law passed in 2018 designed to protect endangered salmon...

Captain D’s Expands Texas Footprint With New Corsicana Restaurant

Fast-casual seafood chain Captain D's is expanding its Texas footprint with the opening of its newest restaurant in Corsicana, the company announced Tuesday.

The new location opened July 13 at 3920 W. State Highway 31.

The store marks Captain D's 19th location in the state and is owned and operated by multi-unit franchisee Joseph Omobogie.

"Joseph is a highly accomplished, growth-minded operator who understands how to scale successful restaurant concepts," said Brad Reed, Chief Development Officer of Captain D's. "His expansion into Corsicana...

Humane Stunning Gains Ground as Producers Target Welfare and Yield Improvements

Producers are increasingly looking for ways to improve harvest yields while meeting rising animal welfare standards. In a pair of announcements published by Ace Aquatec, the company highlighted producers that have invested in its technology as a humane way to streamline operations.

Vietnam Clean Seafood Corporation (Vina Cleanfood), a leading Vietnamese shrimp producer and exporter, has invested in Ace Aquatec's Humane Stunner Universal (A-HSU®) technology. The system stuns shrimp unconscious in less than one second.

"Shrimp welfare is becoming an increasingly important topic across...

ANALYSIS: Canada YTD Lobster Exports Decline Since Last Year

According to Canadian statistics, May exports of Homarus americanus fell 9.3% year‑on‑year to 8,629 MT. Two‑thirds of total volume is live lobster, with 61% shipped to the US, 16% to China and 13% to the EU‑UK...

Morey’s Launches New Fish and Shrimp Variety Packs Exclusively at Sam’s Club This Month

Morey's Fine Fish & Seafood is rolling out two new seafood variety packs exclusively at Sam’s Club this July, a strategic push into the club-retail channel timed for peak grilling and summer entertaining.

The Fish Variety Pack combines Atlantic Salmon Steakhouse (a Sam’s Club exclusive not currently available in stores), Wild Alaskan Flounder Garlic & Herb, and Tilapia Blackened.

The Shrimp Variety Pack introduces three new SKUs from Morey's: Teriyaki Shrimp, Garlic & Herb Shrimp, and Citrus Mango Shrimp. Both packs...

Expana’s Team Presents Webinar on Strengthening El Niño Conditions

On June 25, the message was clear: El Niño has begun, according to Expana's Weather & Crop Researcher, James Tyler, the Director of Fundamental Analysis, Philip Manamel, as well as Editor and webinar host, Thess Mostoles.

The weather pattern is one that has the capability to influence crop conditions, supply, and ultimately the prices of agri-commodities across the globe.

Chile Strengthens AgroSalmon Alliance to Boost Domestic Aquafeed Supply Chain

Chile’s AgroSalmon Alliance is a collaborative initiative that brings together leading organizations from the country’s agriculture and salmon farming sectors.

Minister Jaime Campos of the Ministry of Agriculture convened a meeting to strengthen the alliance with industry representatives. Attendees included Antonio Walker, president of the National Society of Agriculture (SNA); Juan Pablo Matte, secretary general of the SNA; Ricardo Montesinos, president of SAGO; Loreto Seguel, executive president of the Salmon Council; representatives from the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies (ODEPA); and leaders...

Trump Administration Rescinds ESA "Harm" Definition, Commerce Secretary Cites Relief for Fishermen

The Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce have finalized a rule rescinding the regulatory definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act, a move the Trump administration says will reduce burdens on landowners, businesses and fishermen.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pointed directly to the fishing industry in his statement on the rollback. "President Trump is rescinding overly broad and burdensome regulations that have restrained our fishermen for too long," Lutnick said, framing the change as a return to the ESA's "foundational purpose" without sacrificing economic...

Nichirei Hit by Cyberattack, Logistics and Frozen Food Shipments Disrupted

Japanese frozen food giant Nichirei Foods said it was the victim of a cyberattack on July 13 that disrupted inbound and outbound operations at refrigerated warehouses run by its logistics arm, as well as frozen food shipments.

The company launched an investigation immediately, and on July 15 confirmed its servers had been compromised. To prevent further damage, Nichirei said it would not disclose details of the attack.

Parent company Nichirei Corporation said some of the affected servers stored personal information and that the matter had been reported to Japan's Personal...

Traceability Inspection Leads Sernapesca to Seize 2,756 kg of Northern Octopus in Santiago

Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) in the Metropolitan Region seized 2,756 kilograms (about 2.76 metric tons) of frozen whole northern octopus after routine traceability inspections at a meatpacking facility in the commune of Independencia.

Inspectors determined the harvest lacked its required Accreditation of Legal Origin (AOL), a mandatory traceability document under Chilean seafood regulations. During the inspection of chamber No. 4, the team found the product stored without the requisite documentation. The items were being held by Comercial...

EU Fish Sanctions Against Russia Stall as 21st Sanctions Package Hits Resistance

Proposed restrictions on Russian seafood imports — the first of their kind to be included in an EU sanctions package — appear set to be dropped or softened after EU foreign ministers failed to finalize the bloc's 21st sanctions package at their July 13 meeting in Brussels. The failure has added urgency to ongoing negotiations, with a Wednesday, July 15 deadline looming over the oil price cap on Russian crude, currently set at $44.10 per barrel. If no agreement is reached...

The Retail Rundown: Grocers Push Promotions to Drive Summer and Back-to-School Baskets

As grilling season nears its peak, retailers are competing for consumer dollars with promotions aimed at increasingly value-conscious shoppers willing to switch proteins, or trade down within a protein category, to stretch grocery budgets.

Beef, along with several premium seafood products, command the highest retail prices, consistent with historical norms. However, price premiums have widened noticeably for several red meat and seafood categories, including steaks, shellfish, and finfish.

Retailers have limited flexibility to aggressively promote beef amid historically tight cattle supplies and elevated wholesale beef prices. While ground beef remains one of the strongest...

Norway's World Cup Run Ends with a Seafood Feast Fit for the Occasion

Norway's remarkable run to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals came to an end on July 11, when England edged past the team 2-1 in extra time in Miami, with Jude Bellingham scoring the decisive goal. But if the squad was going to bow out, they did so in style — with a farewell dinner loaded with Norwegian seafood.

The spread featured 15 kg of king crab, 20 kg of crayfish, 10 kg of snow crab, 3 kg of salmon fillet, and 3 kg of halibut fillet...

DFO Enforcement Roundup: Snow Crab, Lobster, and Groundfish Violations Highlight Busy Start to July

Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has released a series of enforcement updates this month, covering incidents from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The actions span illegal snow crab offloading, lobster violations, groundfish monitoring failures, and an earlier elver smuggling conviction.

860 Pounds of Snow Crab Intercepted in Newfoundland

On July 1, fishery officers from the Springdale Detachment in Newfoundland and Labrador intercepted a fishing vessel returning to port in the Triton area carrying approximately 860 pounds...

Study Backs Marine Conservation Farming as Tool for Atlantic Salmon Recovery

A newly published study on the Fundy Salmon Recovery (FSR) project is adding momentum to calls for Canada to adopt new tools to restore wild Atlantic salmon populations, arguing that habitat work alone will not be enough to reverse declines.

The research, published in Fisheries Research by scientists from the University of New Brunswick, Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, found that salmon raised through the project’s marine conservation farming approach produced more than four times as many offspring as fish reared entirely in traditional...

Piñeiro Soler Adds Clarity to Trump’s Sweeping Deregulation Efforts via Letters to Councils

Last week Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, NOAA’s Assistant Administrator for Fisheries sent letters to each of the nation’s eight regional fisheries management councils further clarifying and adding to Trump’s sweeping deregulation efforts. 

Soler’s letters urged councils to deprioritize development of ropeless gear solutions for trap or pot gear to avoid whale entanglements; rescind industry-funded monitoring requirements with no mention of where funding would come for that critical need; revise accountability measurements “to stabilize local seafood markets and prevent...

PanaPesca USA Partners with Cedar Key Aquaculture Farms for Florida-Grown Littleneck Clams

Frozen seafood supplier PanaPesca USA has announced a new sourcing partnership with Cedar Key Aquaculture Farms (CKAF), a fourth-generation family business farming clams in the Gulf of America off Florida's Nature Coast.

Under the agreement, PanaPesca will source hand-farmed littleneck clams from CKAF, adding a fully traceable, domestically farmed product to its supply chain. PanaPesca, which has supplied premium frozen seafood for over 30 years, said the partnership reflects its commitment to transparency and sustainable sourcing...

Handy Seafood Promotes Doug Santschi to President

Maryland-based Handy Seafood has promoted Doug Santschi to President, effective July 13. In the new role, Santschi will assume broader responsibility for the company's day-to-day operations, working alongside Handy's leadership team to drive growth, operational excellence, customer service, and innovation.

Santschi previously served as the company's Chief Commercial Officer, where he strengthened customer relationships, expanded market opportunities, and aligned commercial strategies across the organization.

"Doug has demonstrated exceptional leadership, business judgment, and commitment to our customers and employees," said Todd Conway, Chief Executive Officer of Handy Seafood...

Louisiana Harvesters Cited after Unrefrigerated Oyster Catch Seized

Two Louisiana oyster harvesters are facing alleged sanitation violations after enforcement agents found oysters intended for the raw market that had not been properly refrigerated during a patrol in Terrebonne Parish.

According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), enforcement agents cited Houma residents Juan Raul Cardenas Calderon, 23, and Luis Angel Perez-Macedo, 29, on June 24 for allegedly violating the state's oyster sanitation code covering refrigeration requirements.

Agents encountered the pair harvesting oysters in Four League Bay before conducting a routine inspection...