ANALYSIS: Raw Material Scarcity Drives Skipjack Tuna Prices to Near All-Time Highs

The latest data from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) show that cumulative yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) landings in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) from January to August 2026 remained stable, down only 73 mt year over year (YOY). Mexico leads yellowfin landings with a 41% share, followed by Ecuador with 22%...

NOAA Signals Lower Right Whale Mortality From US Gear; Maine Lobstermen Welcome Shift

NOAA Fisheries has postponed the December meeting of its Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team to March 2027. Preliminary analysis suggests right whale deaths and serious injuries from US commercial fixed-gear fisheries, including the lobster and Jonah crab fleets, will come in substantially below the 2022 estimates, the agency said Nov. 5. The Maine Lobstermen's Association (MLA) called it a major shift in federal whale policy...

UW-FRI Forecasts 53.4 Million Sockeye Run for Bristol Bay in 2027, 35.6 Million Catch

Four days after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) issued its forecast of a 49.31 million sockeye run for Bristol Bay in 2027, the University of Washington's Fisheries Research Institute (UW-FRI) released a larger one. Its run is about 4 million fish bigger, and its harvest is about 1.6 million bigger.

"This forecast is 12% lower than the recent 10-year average (61 million) and 5% higher than the recent 20-year average (51 million) of observed sockeye runs...

ASMFC Board Cuts Atlantic Menhaden Catch Limit 34% by 2028, Lowers Bay Cap

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Atlantic Menhaden Management Board adopted reductions to both the coastwide total allowable catch (TAC) and the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap. The Board set the 2027 TAC at 170,000 MT and the 2028 TAC at 155,000 MT, a 17% reduction from the 2026 TAC and a 34% reduction from the 2025 TAC over the next two years, ASMFC said.

The decision represents a compromise between the positions of environmental groups and Virginia-based Ocean Harvesters. The company's union workforce accounts...

US Indictment Alleges Cocaine Smuggled in Ecuadorian Seafood Shipments

US prosecutors say a Manta-based seafood exporter owned by a prominent Ecuadorian political family was used to smuggle cocaine in shipping containers of tuna. The allegations are in a Southern District of New York indictment unsealed Nov. 5 against five Ecuadorians. They include a former National Assembly member and the son of a former president.

The charges are against individuals. The company is not named as a defendant in the DOJ's release, which calls it "a major Manta-based seafood company...

FMI Research: Holiday Shoppers Put Family Meals First & Lean on Grocery Loyalty Programs to Save

Holiday food remains the centerpiece of the season, and shoppers are protecting it. According to U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2026: Holidays, released today by FMI – The Food Industry Association, 45% of shoppers are extremely or very concerned about rising prices for holiday foods, up 8 points from fall 2025. Yet shoppers say they would rather cut back on holiday clothing, décor or events than scale back their holiday feast, and many are turning to their grocery store’s loyalty program to make the math work.

Shoppers also report feeling more in control of their grocery budgets. The share reporting a lot or some control over...

FDA Warns Minh Phu's US Importer Over Shrimp Ring Cocktail Sauce Verification Gaps

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to California importer Mseafood Corp., saying it failed to verify the safety of the cocktail sauce packed with its shrimp ring products.

The letter, dated Aug. 21, was posted by FDA on Nov. 10. It followed an April 20-28 inspection of the company's Fountain Valley, CA, facility under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). That program requires US importers to confirm that imported food meets US safety standards...

Haaland World Cup Campaign Lifts Norwegian Salmon Awareness in US, China; Germany Lags

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) says its World Cup campaign with soccer star Erling Haaland sharply raised awareness of Norwegian salmon in the US and China, but had little effect on buying preference in Germany.

Haaland became a Norwegian seafood ambassador in 2024. The NSC ran paid campaigns around this summer's FIFA World Cup, which marked Norway's men's team's first appearance in the tournament in the partnership's run...

Dr. Wilson Laney Receives Award for Outstanding Contributions to Atlantic Coast Fisheries

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is pleased to announce Dr. Wilson Laney, formerly with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, as the recipient of the Captain David H. Hart Award, the Commission’s highest honor recognizing outstanding individual contributions to marine fisheries along the Atlantic coast.

Dr. Laney is being recognized for more than three decades of exceptional service to Atlantic coast fisheries science and interstate fisheries management. Throughout his career, he has been a dedicated scientist, collaborator, mentor, and advocate for...

Chile Truckers' Fuel Strike Hits Shipping Routes, Putting Salmon Logistics on Watch

Chilean truckers began a national strike Tuesday over diesel costs. Organizers say more than 4,000 trucks are stopped along routes from Arica in the north to Puerto Aysén in the south, according to ADN Radio's live coverage. Aysén is one of Chile's salmon-farming regions.

Truckers are blocking stretches of Route 5 North and South and Route 68. Blockades have been reported in the Tarapacá, Maule, Biobío, La Araucanía and Metropolitan regions. Interurban buses also cut Route 5 South at San Bernardo...

NMFS Proposes Reopening Pacific Remote Islands Monument Waters to Commercial Fishing

The Trump administration on Monday proposed a rule to open the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM), which environmental groups call the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, to commercial fishing. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 9 and covers the monument expansion, US waters 50 to 200 nautical miles (nmi) around Johnston Atoll and Wake and Jarvis Islands. Comments are due Dec. 9...

Norway Orders Daily Fish Farm Mortality Reporting From January 2027

Norway will require fish farmers to report fish losses daily from the start of 2027, as the government seeks a clearer picture of when mortality events happen in its staple aquaculture industry. Mattilsynet, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, announced the rules Nov. 9.

Mortality is currently reported as one figure for the whole month, which makes it hard to tell when fish died...

Norwegian Seafood Producer Lerøy Seafood Group's Q3 Operational EBIT Rises to NOK 459M

Lerøy Seafood Group's operational EBIT rose to NOK 459 million in the fiscal third-quarter, which ended on September 30, from NOK 15 million a year earlier, the company said.

Lower costs and good biological development in Farming, plus a strong Market Operations quarter, drove the gain, the firm added. The Norwegian company farms salmon and trout, catches wild fish, and processes and sells seafood.

“We continue to see good biological development, and all three of our Norwegian farming regions delivered improved...

Russia Targets Bigger White Roe Output, Exports as Red Caviar Supply Drops

Russia hopes to significantly increase production, and possibly exports, of roe from white fish species in the coming years, as demand grows in both domestic and foreign markets.

Red caviar production has fallen sharply this year because of a much smaller salmon catch, according to the draft. Official statistics put output at about 4,000 metric tons, down from 12,000 metric tons in 2025. Prices have jumped, and local buyers are weighing roe from white fish as an alternative. Production of roe from pollock, capelin and herring is rising...

NAA: America First Seafood Strategy Leaves Aquaculture on the Sidelines 

The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) says the America First Seafood Strategy (AFSS) gives commercial fishing "overwhelming emphasis" and treats aquaculture as a "secondary, complementary role." The group is asking the USDA Office of Seafood to set tangible growth goals for farmed seafood.

NAA sent the letter Nov. 6 to Office of Seafood Director Michael Illenberg. It followed an Oct. 20 meeting between the two sides and the AFSS release on Oct. 23. NAA also issued a public statement the same day...

ANALYSIS: YTD Canadian Lobster Export Value Remains Stable Amid Shift to Frozen

Canadian lobster exports had a positive month of September, with both live and frozen Homarus americanus shipments performing well. According to Statistics Canada, exports reached 5,428 MT, worth CAD 224.8 million. That is up 5.3% in value from August and 11.5% from September 2025. The annual gain came mainly from frozen products, whose value rose 17.7% year on year, against 1.1% for live...

Alaska Seafood Harvesting Jobs Rise 4% in 2025, Ending Five Years of Losses

Alaska's seafood harvesting workforce grew 4% in 2025, according to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. It is the first annual increase after five straight years of job losses. The gain averaged 216 jobs per month and was the largest in more than a decade.

The recovery is modest. The industry has lost about 2,300 jobs since 2019, and July employment, the annual peak, was about 17,400 in 2025, well below the roughly 24,000 of the mid-2010s...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

Global commodity markets continue to navigate shifting supply dynamics, changing trade policies and uneven demand across sectors. From rising agricultural input costs and evolving protein markets to mounting trade pressures and industrial price movements, the latest developments highlight the challenges facing producers, suppliers and buyers as the industry heads toward the end of the year.

Global Commodity Markets and Industry Developments: Agricultural and Protein Markets

Expana Exclusive: India’s Animal Feed Industry Faces Rise in Feed Prices amid Corn Shortages by Nupur Gill

India’s animal feed industry is facing rising costs...

Workplace Holiday Party Budgets to Rise 13%, with Food Key to Employee Turnout

US companies are increasing spending on workplace holiday celebrations this year, with food and catering expected to play a central role in driving attendance, according to a new report from ezCater. The food technology platform’s 2026 Workplace Holiday Party Report found that holiday party budgets are projected to increase 13% on average this season. Nearly all planners surveyed (96%) said they expect to spend as much as or more than they did last year.

Employee interest in the events is also...

High Liner Q3 Adjusted EBITDA Nearly Triples on Tariff Refunds; Umios Deal Set for Dec. 15 Vote

High Liner Foods said third-quarter sales rose 15.8% to $288.0 million as volume climbed 5.9%. Adjusted EBITDA jumped 173% to $41.5 million, but most of the gain came from $21.8 million in refunds of IEEPA tariffs the company paid earlier. The results come two weeks after High Liner agreed to be acquired by Tokyo-listed Umios Corp., and one day before the company set a Dec. 15 shareholder vote on the deal.

The Nova Scotia-based frozen seafood...

Ecuador Shrimp Sector Links Mangrove Restoration to Sustainability Goals

Ecuador’s shrimp industry is looking to bring mangrove restoration and more sustainable farming practices together through a new initiative targeting 250 hectares of mangrove recovery on shrimp farms by 2030.

The Mangroves for Climate project, led by the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP), the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) and Conservation International Ecuador (CI-Ecuador), also aims to advance certified production practices across 20,000 hectares of shrimp farms. The restoration target is expected to deliver an estimated reduction of 112,870 metric tons of CO₂...

ANALYSIS: US Shrimp Wholesale Declines Reach Retail Slowly, and Only in Part 

Wholesale shrimp prices have declined since late November 2025, a period of roughly a full year. Retail prices have also moved lower, but by a smaller amount.

Part of the explanation is that pass-through from wholesale to retail has historically been slow, and it differs by direction. Expana ran the relationship monthly back to 2012 for frozen and fresh shrimp. It measured average moves over time rather than week to week, and split the results by whether wholesale was rising or falling...

ANALYSIS: Live Lobster Prices Under Pressure Ahead of Holiday, Chinese New Year Demand Test

The live lobster market continues to move at a measured pace, with buyers limiting purchases to immediate needs and showing little interest in building positions. Improved Maine catches and expanding Canadian fall production have added supply at a time when both live and processor demand remain restrained, shifting leverage toward buyers and pressuring prices across the complex...

Cermaq Developing New US Processing Plant as Mitsubishi Cuts Salmon Earnings Outlook

Cermaq is developing a new value-added processing facility in the US, according to its parent Mitsubishi Corporation's first-half earnings presentation. The same slide says Cermaq is adding capacity and automation at its existing facility in Chile. Mitsubishi framed the processing push as a way to improve profitability and make the business more resilient to market swings. The slide gives no location, investment amount or timeline.

The plans come as Mitsubishi warned that salmon earnings will fall short of its initial expectations this fiscal...

Scotland's New £7.5 million Salmon Farm Opens in Shetland

A new £7.5 million salmon farm in Shetland has officially opened, adding eight full-time jobs and expanding the company’s farming infrastructure with larger pens and new feeding technology designed to support fish health and welfare.

The Billy Baa marine farm, located west of South Whiteness and Weisdale Voe, is Scotland’s largest salmon farm. Stocked in September, the site is part of the company’s strategy to develop larger farms in deeper waters with stronger currents.

The farm features nine 160-meter-circumference...

Iceland Seafood International Lowers 2026 Earnings Forecast on Argentina Trawler Problems

Iceland Seafood International (ISI) cut its 2026 earnings forecast, citing weaker-than-expected performance in its Argentina operations. The company announced the revision Nov. 10.

ISI now expects normalized profit before tax of €8.5 million to €10.5 million (about $9.8 million to $12.1 million). That is comparable to 2025 but below its earlier outlook of €11.5 million to €13.5 million...

Seattle to Host Fifth Annual Bristol Bay Salmon Week Nov. 14–21

Seattle will host its fifth annual Bristol Bay Salmon Week from Nov. 14–21, an event organized by the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) to spotlight Alaska’s wild sockeye salmon and strengthen ties between Bristol Bay harvesters and the Seattle market.

BBRSDA, a fishermen-funded organization, works to increase the value of the Bristol Bay fishery through education, quality outreach and marketing. This year’s promotion will feature wild-caught, sustainably harvested Bristol Bay sockeye on limited-time menus at nearly 40 restaurants across the...

ADF&G Forecasts 'Strong' 49.3 Million Sockeye Run for Bristol Bay in 2027

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is forecasting a strong 2027 Bristol Bay sockeye run of 49.31 million fish. That would allow a potential harvestable surplus of 35.26 million fish. The department released the forecast Nov. 6.

The forecast comes with an 80% prediction interval of 35.47 million to 63.14 million fish. The 49.31 million point estimate is 3% below the most recent 20-year average of 50.96 million fish and 31% above the long-term average of 37.56 million (1963–2026)...

Judges Appear Divided as Chilean Sea Bass Importer Fights US Treaty Reading

A federal appeals panel on Friday heard a challenge to the US ban on Chilean sea bass from South Georgia. The ban stems from a four-year-old standoff over who sets the rules for one of the highest-priced fish in US supermarkets.

Texas-based importer Southern Cross Seafoods is asking the 11th Circuit to overturn the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) decision that blocked its shipments. The fish is Patagonian toothfish, sold in the US as Chilean sea bass. Southern Cross...

USDA Solicits 117,040 Cases of Canned Pink Salmon for Delivery Through June

The US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a solicitation for canned pink salmon for federal food and nutrition assistance programs. It is separate from the wild frozen salmon fillet and shrimp request Expana reported Monday.

Solicitation 12-3J14-27-B-0090 seeks 117,040 cases of pink salmon packed 24 cans to a case, with 14.75 ounces per can. That works out to roughly 2.6 million pounds. About 103,360 cases are standard pink salmon, and 13,680 cases are kosher...