U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Raids New Jersey Seafood Distributor

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a Newark, New Jersey seafood distributor on January 23, according to a statement from the city’s mayor, Ras Baraka. 

The raid took place at Ocean Seafood Depot in Newark’s Ironbound district. According to the company website, the family business has operated since 1998. It has served restaurants and has a retail location featuring fresh and frozen seafood. 

Local news outlet ABC 7 reported that the raid caught Ocean Seafood Depot’s owner, Luis Janota, by surprise...

GSMC 2025: A Look at Crab Market Narratives Including Tariffs, Russia and Supply

As the seafood industry navigates uncertainty in 2025, the conversations at GSMC revealed how global events, market trends, and policy shifts are shaping the future of shellfish, including crab. From tightening quotas in key fisheries to geopolitical pressures and evolving consumer preferences, the GSMC Shellfish Panel provided some key insights into what’s in store for crab this year.

Snow Crab

Roman Tkachenko, CEO of Direct Source Seafood, believed that snow crab hit its stride during the second half of the year after witnessing some lackluster demand...

ADF&G 2025 Forecast for Copper River Harvest is Mostly “Excellent” — 1.92M Sockeye Expected

Yesterday the Alaska Department of Fish. & Game released its forecast for returning salmon into the Copper River and Prince William Sound areas, noting “excellent” or “strong” returns for everything except Chinook salmon in the Copper River.

Chinook or king salmon, largest in body size and longest lived of Alaska’s five species of salmon, has been in decline across the state for many years. In the Copper River, Chinook returns exceeded forecasts in 2017, 2018, and 2019 with total runs of 55,000-65,000 each year. In 2020  ...

Seafood Nutrition Partnership Expands Fall in Love with Seafood Campaign with H-E-B

The Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) announced it would renew its partnership with retailer H-E-B in January 2025 after a successful ‘Fall in Love with Seafood’ (FILWS) campaign that launched last year.

SNP said it worked alongside the retailer’s seafood and marketing teams to launch the marketing plan, which spanned social, digital, influencer, and retail marketing. The plan included in-store seafood cooking demos and integration into H-E-B Wellness team communications promoting the nutritional benefits of seafood...

China's Russian Live Crab Imports Hit Record High in 2024, Up 17% to 35,000 MT

China's imports of live crab from Russia in 2024 set a new record for the fifth consecutive year. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, the quantity was 35,108 MT, up 17% or 5,000 MT, from the previous year. This trend is because live crabs are more expensive than frozen crabs, and Russian producers are focusing on exporting live crabs to China. A Japanese trading company said, "Not only land transport but also air transport has increased," Minato Shimbun reported...

GSMC 2025: The Growing Appeal of Seafood in Non-Traditional Restaurants

Circana’s SVP of Food and Foodservice, David Portalatin, highlighted that after two years of declines, restaurant seafood servings found positive momentum in the past year.

Notably, seafood has found success as a valuable add-on to dishes such as pasta and salads, witnessing growth rates of 8% and 4%, respectively, in 2023. Portalatin emphasized the potential for seafood beyond traditional restaurant formats, highlighting emerging chains like Playa Bowls, Cava, and sweetgreen as prime examples of venues where seafood can thrive...

GrubMarket Adds Advanced Catchweight Features to WholesaleWare for Seafood and Protein Industries

GrubMarket, the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food eCommerce companies globally, today announced the launch of new Catchweight Management features for its cutting-edge and proprietary WholesaleWare platform. This innovative solution is set to transform the way food distributors and wholesalers manage variable-weight products such as seafood, proteins, cheeses, deli meats, and certain types of produce, offering unparalleled inventory precision, traceability, and operational efficiency through a uniquely customizable SaaS platform...

GSMC 2025: Balancing Act in Sight for the Shrimp Market in 2025?

Did you have an appearance from former NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski on your Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC) 2025 bingo card?

Yes, the man known as Gronk made a quick video appearance in the middle of the GSMC Shrimp panel discussion, but let’s quickly shift focus to more pressing topics discussed by the panelists.

The National Fisheries Institute’s Richard Barry moderated the panel featuring Patrick Kraver of Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Gabriel Luna of Glunashrimp, Jamie Marshall of AZ Gems Inc. and Guy Pizzuti of Publix Super Markets, Inc...

GSMC 2025: Shellfish Panel Highlights the Lobster Meat Era

The lobster market has entered its ‘Lobster Meat Era.’ While the ‘era’ phrase may typically be found on TikTok, Expana’s Managing Editor Janice Schreiber summed up the lobster meat craze well during the Global Seafood Market Conference’s Shellfish Panel on January 21.

Owen Kenney, VP of Sales for Champlain Seafood, noted that until relatively recently, lobster meat was a byproduct as people searched for lobster tails and it was highly seasonal.

About a decade ago, lobster meat saw a massive increase in the usage of non-seasonal applications of lobster meat...

New Hampshire Rejects Federal Lobster Catch Restrictions, Aligning with Maine's Stance

New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte sent a letter to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) stating that the state would not comply with the new guidelines focused on increasing the minimum size of lobsters caught in the Gulf of Maine.

The move mirrors a decision made by the State of Maine earlier this month, as Expana reported.

“New Hampshire’s commercial fishing industry is a proud part of our heritage, and I have heard loud and clear from our lobstermen...

Acme Smoked Fish Foundation Announces Seafood Industry Climate Awards

Earlier this week, Acme Smoked Fish Foundation announced the three winners of its annual Seafood Industry Climate Awards (SICA).

Awards of $70,000 each went to the following recipients: the Council of Great Lakes Governors, Inc. (Great Lakes, which is pictured in photo), Oceans 97, LLC (Oceans 97), and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI).

Launched in 2022, the SICA grant program helps to support early-stage efforts that reduce the carbon footprint and increase diversity within the U.S. seafood industry. This round, projects display a particular focus on circular...

GSMC 2025: Diving Into What’s Working in Seafood Retail

The Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC) 2025 started with Chris DuBois, of Circana, who presented “Finding New Paths for Growth: What’s Working in Retail”.

Seafood at retail didn’t have the best year in 2024 compared to other food departments. While many saw sales increase in dollars and units, seafood fell by 3.6%, according to DuBois.

The dip was attributed to double-digit declines in refrigerated and frozen shellfish, followed by a more modest dip in shelf-stable seafood.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a...

BOEM Issues Final Guidance for Fisheries Mitigation Before Temporary Halt on Offshore Wind Leasing

Last week, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), issued its final guidance for mitigating the impacts of offshore wind energy projects on commercial and for-hire recreational fisheries.

Key notes of BOEM’s final guidance

Per the final guidance, any plan approvals for siting offshore wind energy projects on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) should be accompanied by key information regarding the potential social and economic impacts of said development operations, including any impacts on recreational and commercial fishing seasons and...

Trump Fires Admiral Linda L. Fagan as Coast Guard Commandant

Within Donald J. Trump’s first 24 hours as president, he issued an order to fire the first female officer to head any branch of the military, 4-star Admiral Linda L. Fagan. Yesterday morning, acting secretary of the Homeland Security Department, Benjamine C. Huffman, sent a message to all Coast Guard units relieving Fagan of her duties. The Coast Guard, unlike all other military branches who are overseen by the Department of Defense, is within the Homeland Security Department. 

Huffman initially praised her as serving “…a long and illustrious career..."

ANALYSIS: China Shrimp Imports Declined by 6.7% in 2024

According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), the country experienced a decline in its frozen shrimp imports in 2024. Total volume imported reached 1,000,507 metric tons, marking a decrease of 6.7% compared to the previous year. This decline follows a y-o-y growth in both imports and exports in 2023, which saw an increase of 12.3% in imports and 2.0% in exports between 2022 and 2023...

ANALYSIS: Canadian Lobster Exports Drop Sharply in November Year-Over-Year

In November, exports of live lobsters from Canada dropped by nearly a third compared with the same time last year, falling by 36.2%. According to the the latest census data, 1,358 metric tons of live Homarus Americanus from Canada were sent abroad in November compared to 2,014 MT last year and 3,305 MT two years ago. In value, the month of November represents 41,501 CAD ($28,807) or a 21.9% yearly decline...

Japan: November Imports for Salmon and Trout Fall 8%, and Sockeye from the US Plummets to 60 MT

According to the Ministry of Finance's trade statistics, the total import volume of salmon and trout (including salted, smoked, and prepared products) in November 2024 was 21,009 tons, down 8% from last year. The CIF import value was 27,856 million yen ($178.49 million), up 6%. The value excluding fillet imports were 14,474 tons, down 17%, while fillets (fresh, frozen, salted, and dried) increased 24% to 6,535 tons.

Minato Shimbun reported that the decrease in frozen sockeye salmon affected raw materials other...

StarKist Teams up with TikTok Celebrity Chef to Unveil the ‘StarKist Mashup Challenge’

StarKist unveiled its “StarKist Mashup Challenge,” which challenges consumers to mix and match different StarKist Creations pouches and flavors to showcase the variety and inventiveness of healthy snacks and meals.

To help bring its challenge to the masses, StarKist has partnered with Celebrity Chef Nick DiGiovanni.

"We at StarKist are thrilled to partner with Celebrity Chef Nick DiGiovanni, whose culinary creativity and adventurous approach to food perfectly align with our mission to inspire bold flavor exploration," said Michael Merritt, Jr., Director of Marketing at StarKist...

Global Seafood Alliance Welcomes Two New Members to Board of Directors

Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Szemerda and Trin Tapanya to its Board of Directors. Their extensive expertise and commitment to the seafood industry will guide GSA as it continues to promote responsibility and innovation in global seafood production.

Michael Szemerda serves as the Global Chief Sustainability Officer at family-owned Cooke Inc., where he oversees environmental programs, regulatory compliance, industry certifications, and sustainability initiatives across Cooke’s global wild and farmed seafood operations...

Luke and VTT Develop Technology Solutions to Remove Off-Flavors and Water Mold in Aquaculture

Off-flavors in fish and water mold cause significant economic losses to fish farming globally. The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and VTT have developed capture solutions based on chemically treated fiber materials to address these challenges in fish farming.

Unpleasant off-flavors can accumulate in fish and reduce the market value and consumer interest in fish products. Managing off-flavors is key to the profitability of sustainable fish production both in Finland and globally.

Water mold is also a common problem in fish farms...

GSMC 2025: Flexibility and Optionality Key to Scallop Market Amid Shrinking TACs

The headline for scallops in 2025 is the supply constraints facing the marketplace, particularly in many of the major production areas like the U.S., Canada and Japan.

This was the primary message showcased during a portion of the Shellfish Species Panel at the National Fisheries Institute (NFI)’s Global Seafood Market Conference in Palm Springs, California.

Marder added that the North Atlantic Total Allowable Catches (TACs) in the U.S. will be down by about 25%, Canada will see its...

Despite Sanctions, Russia Hopes to Maintain Fish Exports to Western Europe

Russia hopes to continue exports of its fish and seafood to Western European countries in 2025. The country is leaning on a stable demand picture and a lack of full-fledged alternatives to replace Russian supplies.

This is also reflected by the earlier decisions of the authorities of many EU states to continue such supplies. For example, at the end of last year, the UK authorities refused to introduce new duties on fish products made from Russian fish.

Commenting on this, German Zverev, head of the All-Russian...

Trump Orders Temporary Halt on Offshore Wind Leasing, Calls for Federal Review

President Donald Trump issued a memorandum that directed the temporary withdrawal of all areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from wind energy leasing and called for a comprehensive review of federal wind leasing and permitting practices on January 20.

The memorandum, titled, “ “Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects” goes into effect today, January 21, 2025, and Saving Seafood highlighted the following directives included in the document...

Of All the Gin Joints… New Crayfish Gin Makes its Market Debut

Kennet Crayfish Company (KCC) recently unveiled a unique product well outside the realm of the UK seafood processor’s typical crayfish line-up: an unprecedented craft gin made from crayfish oil and inspired by KCC’s namesake waterway.

From seafood industry to seafood beverage industry

The licensed crayfish company usually wheels and deals in wild-caught North American signal crayfish from the Kennet chalk stream, an offshoot of the River Thames.

KCC's debut alcohol distills its success in the UK seafood industry into a craft gin that balances the sweetness...

GSMC 2025: Trump’s Tariffs A Big Stick for Statecraft, Says Rabobank Strategist

Christian Lawrence, head of cross-asset macro strategy for Rabobank, got straight to the point when discussing what the top three things in the world of macroeconomics would be for the year.

“Trump, Trump and Trump,” he told the crowd at the Global Seafood Market Conference 2025.

Lawrence highlighted that in just about 24 hours since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, he had already signed 46 Executive Orders and his impact could be massive when attempting to forecast 2025 and the years ahead...

GSMC 2025: How Consumers Perceive Seafood in 2025

Throughout the opening session of the Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC) 2025, much of the focus revolved around seafood’s presence in retail.

Steve Markenson, vice president of research & insight for FMI – The Food Industry Association, provided a sneak peek of FMI’s annual Power of Seafood report.

Much of the conversation revolved around the perception of seafood at supermarkets and grocery stores.

Markenson noted that seafood is generally perceived to be healthy and environmentally friendly, creating a positive halo effect around the species in general. However, it is also perceived to be expensive...

The Retail Rundown: Arctic Blast Supports Egg Demand While Seafood Leads Ads

Seafood continues to lead the retail protein category for the fourth consecutive week, accounting for 29% of all featured advertisements. Beef comes in second with 25%, while pork and chicken are tied at 20% each.

Arctic air across much of the country and an unusual winter storm in the South have influenced product movement and demand this week. Expana reports that the frigid conditions have boosted egg demand as consumers stock up on essentials.

Wholesale egg prices have ascended to a fresh all-time high, with Expana’s Midwest large quotation at...

Russian Fishing Industry Hopes for High Revenue in 2025

The Russian fishing industry may show positive dynamics in terms of revenue this year, although much will depend on the further economic situation in Russia and its fish sector, as well as some external economic factors.

According to earlier predictions made by German Zverev, head of the All-Russian Association of Fish Producers (VARPE), an optimistic scenario might include the industry’s revenue exceeding 742.7 billion rubles (US $7.37 billion).

According to analysts, the Russian fish sector rests its hope in stabilizing the situation next year. That stabilization will not be...

Trump to Lay Out Trade Vision but Won't Impose New Tariffs Yet

President-elect Donald Trump is planning to issue a broad memorandum Monday that directs federal agencies to study trade policies and evaluate U.S. trade relationships with China and America's continental neighbors -- but stops short of imposing new tariffs on his first day in office, as many trading partners feared.

The presidential memo directs federal agencies to investigate and remedy persistent trade deficits and address unfair trade and currency policies by other nations, two longstanding Trump irritants. And it singles out China, Canada and Mexico for scrutiny, directing agencies...

US Coast Guard Medevacs Injured Man from Fishing Vessel 40 Miles Offshore Oahu

On Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard medevaced an injured man from a 72-foot commercial fishing vessel about 40 miles offshore of Oahu.

Watchstandrs at Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received a notification at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday from crew members aboard the fishing vessel Capt Davis, indicating that a 34-year-old man had suffered an eye injury while the vessel was approximately 350 miles southwest of Oahu...