ANALYSIS: Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Landings Up 30% Through April, but Monthly Momentum Is Fading

Gulf of Mexico shrimp landings through April 2026 totaled 15.48 million pounds — 30% above the 11.91 million pounds recorded in the same period of 2025 and 9% ahead of the prior five-year average. The four-month cumulative figure is notable in context: 2025 was the weakest full year in the 10-year NMFS dataset, at 80.3 million pounds. The 2026 start suggested a recovery from that baseline. The monthly trajectory since January complicates that read...

Oregon's Commodity Commissions Meet With Gov. Kotek on Chronic Processing Wastewater Issue

Wastewater treatment remains a persistent challenge for seafood processors, as state water quality agencies issue notices—and eventually fines—when new regulations are not met. In earlier eras, hoses cleaned off floors and decks and the tide took care of the rest. Today, wastewater must be treated to remove a long list of pollutants, some of which are already present in the municipal water supplied to the plant. Requiring processors to output water cleaner than the drinking water they receive creates serious problems...

Court Closes NRDC Lawsuit That Forced MMPA Seafood Import Rules Into Effect

The federal lawsuit that compelled the US government to implement long-dormant Marine Mammal Protection Act import restrictions on seafood has been formally closed, with a judge ruling that nothing remains to adjudicate.

Judge Gary S. Katzmann of the US Court of International Trade dismissed the case on August 19, denying as moot a motion by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Biological Diversity, and Animal Welfare Institute to enforce an earlier settlement agreement. All parties — including the government and the seafood industry intervenors led by the...

Norway's Polar Quality and Fram Seafood to Merge, Creating $800M Northern Norwegian Export Player

Norwegian seafood exporters Polar Quality AS and Fram Seafood have announced plans to merge, creating a Bodø-based export company with combined annual revenues of approximately NOK 7.7 billion — roughly $800 million — and a strengthened position in international salmon markets.

"Our goal has always been to build a solid and future-oriented export company with a long-term perspective and a clear position in the world market," said Jarle Solemdal, Chairman of the Board of Polar Quality AS...

Peru Declares 120-Day Fishing and Aquaculture Emergency as Coastal El Niño Intensifies

Peru's Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) has declared a state of emergency across its fishing and aquaculture subsectors for 120 calendar days, activating a framework of exceptional measures to protect the livelihoods of fishers, aquaculturists, and workers across the sector's supply chain as Coastal El Niño conditions worsen.

The declaration, announced August 23, comes as Peru's El Niño monitoring body ENFEN maintains its Coastal El Niño Alert and warns that the event is expected to continue through the 2026–2027 period at a magnitude ranging from strong...

Japan's Salmon Imports Soared 40% for Frozen Chilean Coho, Sockeye Plummeted 80% in June

According to Ministry of Finance trade statistics, June imports of salmon and trout (frozen and fresh) totaled 9,811 metric tons, down 7% year-on-year (YOY), while the value rose 4% to 16.611 billion yen ($104.5 million). Imports of the key product—frozen Chilean coho salmon—increased, according to a report by Minato Shimbun.

Imports of frozen Chilean coho salmon (dressed) rose 42% to 2,596 tons. Prices for the new season's catch hovered just under $7.00/kg during...

China Southern Launches Direct Oslo-Shanghai Cargo Route for Norwegian Salmon

China Southern Airlines has launched a new direct cargo route between Oslo Airport and Shanghai, adding approximately 200 tonnes of weekly Norwegian salmon capacity to a trade lane that has become increasingly central to Norway's export strategy as US tariffs bite.

The route began operations on August 19, running twice weekly with Boeing 777F freighters carrying roughly 100 tonnes per flight. It is China Southern's first cargo route to Norway.

"China is one of the most important growth markets for Norwegian seafood, and we see significant potential for further...

Global Shrimp Council's First Consumer Pop-Up Draws 4,000+ at Venice Beach

The Global Shrimp Council wrapped up its first-ever direct-to-consumer event earlier this month, welcoming more than 4,000 guests to a four-day activation at Venice Beach, California, as the industry organization works to translate its "Shrimp More Often" campaign from digital messaging into real-world behavior change.

Held August 6–9, the pop-up centered on a branded food truck offering free shrimp dishes to beachgoers, with no purchase required. On-site chefs prepared a range of dishes including tacos, grilled skewers, power...

Long John Silver’s Adds Fried Pickles, OLD BAY Ranch Starting Aug. 24

Long John Silver’s is tapping into the pickle craze with a new limited-time menu item. Starting today, the chain is adding fried pickles coated in its signature batter to its offerings.

"Pickles are having a moment, but we weren't interested in making just another Fried Pickle," said Meredith Smith, director of brand marketing at Long John Silver's®. "We batter fish for a living, so putting it on pickles felt like the obvious place to start. Then we paired them...

NOAA Launches Fall Expeditions to Explore Deep Waters Around American Samoa

NOAA Ocean Exploration and its partners will embark on two expeditions this fall aboard the Okeanos Explorer. The missions will focus on the waters around American Samoa, mapping and characterizing the deep seafloor in a top-priority offshore critical-minerals region.

“The deep waters around American Samoa hold unknown secrets about our ocean, including unmapped habitats and potential mineral resources critical to our national prosperity and security,” said Captain William Mowitt, acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration. “By exploring these areas in an open...

ANALYSIS: June EU‑UK Shrimp Import Volumes Dip but Value Holds Steady

According to Eurostat, the EU and the UK together imported 58,378 MT of shrimp in June (wild and farmed, cold‑ and warm‑water species). That volume is 4.6% below last year but 5.7% above the five‑year average. Just under half (47%) of June shipments came from Ecuador, with India supplying 13% and Vietnam 10%.

Cold‑water shrimp from Greenland, Norway, Iceland and Canada made up 9% of June volumes, and 3% for Argentina’s wild red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri)...

Scott & Jon’s Goes Chainwide at Food Lion With Four Single-Serve Seafood Meals

Frozen seafood brand Scott & Jon’s has expanded its partnership with Food Lion chainwide, making four of its single-serve meals available in more than 1,000 stores across the grocer’s footprint.

The move comes as Scott & Jon’s continues to outpace the broader frozen meal category. The company cited SPINS data showing its dollar sales grew 15% in Total US MULO for the 52 weeks ending July 12, 2026, while single-serve frozen meal sales fell 1% over the same period...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

This week’s Top 10 spotlights how supply constraints and regulatory decisions, not so much demand, are steering markets. Tyson is overhauling its beef footprint as cattle supplies tighten, ICCAT-driven rule changes have pushed up Atlantic bluefin quotas, and sugar and dairy moves are being driven more by policy, logistics and weather risk than by volume. Price actions experience volatility as capacity and trade rules set the tone. Read more about these hot topics this week and more, below. This list is in no particular order.

Find archived recaps here. 

10. Tyson Foods...

Suempol Breaks Ground on 50,000-Tonne Salmon Plant That Would More Than Double Capacity

Suempol, Poland's oldest and one of the world's largest producers of smoked salmon, has announced plans to build a new fish processing center in the Pełczyce municipality of West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The facility is expected to become operational in Q4 2027 and will employ approximately 300 people.

The company said the investment is part of its long-term growth strategy, with the new center set to significantly expand Suempol's production capacity. Trade reports indicate the plant could handle up to 50,000 tonnes of salmon annually, more...

ANALYSIS: The Expana Shrimp Demand Index Returns to Steady Territory — What the Data Shows

When prices fall and more shrimp moves through the market, it can appear that demand is strengthening. The distinction matters: more consumption at a lower price is a price effect. Genuine demand growth requires either more consumption at the same price, or higher prices holding alongside higher volumes. Those are different mechanisms, and they resolve differently. The current environment reflects the former.

The Expana Shrimp Demand Index reached 95.95 in June–July, returning to the Steady band after an extended period in contraction territory...

86-Year-Old New Brunswick Seafood Co-op Seeks Creditor Protection With Nearly CAD $25M in Debt

Island Fisherman's Co-operative Association Limited, one of the largest snow crab and lobster processors on New Brunswick's Acadian Peninsula, has filed for protection under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The Lamèque-based co-operative — founded in 1940 — obtained a temporary protection order effective August 12, 2026, granted by a Saint John judge, shielding its assets from creditors for an initial ten-day period while it works to stabilize its finances, CBC News reported...

Conservation Groups Sue NOAA Over California Longline Permits, Alleging Buried Data on Sea Turtles

Two conservation organizations have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to grant longline fishing permits for California waters, alleging NOAA used a cherry-picked dataset that made the permits look far safer for endangered sea turtles and marine mammals than the agency's own data warranted.

The Center for Biological Diversity and the Turtle Island Restoration Network filed the complaint on August 14 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California (Case No. 3:26-cv-08429)...

US Sanctions 10 Ecuadorian Fishing Vessels for Alleged Role in Maritime Drug Network

The US Treasury Department has sanctioned 10 Ecuador-based fishing vessels and 15 individuals and entities as part of a crackdown on a maritime cocaine trafficking network operating out of Ecuador — a move with direct implications for the country's commercial fishing industry.

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the designations on August 20, identifying the vessels as blocked property for their alleged roles in covertly shipping thousands of kilograms of cocaine each month toward Mexico and ultimately...

BioMar Norway Orders New Hybrid Feed Vessel, Boosting Logistics Along Norwegian Coast

BioMar Norway has signed a long-term agreement with Norwegian shipping company Egil Ulvan Rederi for the construction and operation of a new fish feed carrier set to enter service in the second quarter of 2029, the company announced this week.

The vessel, designated the NSD 75CC and designed by the Norwegian Ship Design Company (NSD), is approximately 70 meters in length with a deadweight capacity of around 4,000 tonnes. It will be built at Jiangsu Soho Marine Heavy Industry in China and owned and operated...

BC Fisheries Fund Puts $106.5M Behind Innovation, Market Growth

Canada and BC are investing $106.5 million over five years in the province’s fish and seafood sector through a renewed British Columbia Fisheries Fund (BCFF). Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, BC Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and Minister Responsible for Fisheries Randene Neill, and BC Minister of Agriculture and Food Lana Popham announced the news Aug. 20.

According to the announcement, Canadian fish and seafood industry contribute more than $8 billion to its economy, supporting over 63,000 jobs and exporting...

Seafarms Group Fires CEO Peter Fraser, Rod Dyer Returns to Lead Company

Australian prawn aquaculture company Seafarms Group (ASX: SFG) has terminated Chief Executive Officer Peter Fraser for cause, effective immediately, the company disclosed in an ASX announcement on August 20, 2026.

Rod Dyer, who had been serving in a limited Managing Director capacity, has been elevated to the combined Managing Director and CEO role, effective the same date. His remuneration has been set at $440 per hour in the new expanded position.

Seafarms did not disclose the specific grounds for the termination...

Russia Eyes Record Bluefin Tuna Catch Off Kamchatka as Species Pushes North

Russia is anticipating a significant bluefin tuna harvest in Kamchatka waters this year, following an unprecedented influx of the species into the region driven by warming sea temperatures.

According to researchers at KamchatNIRO, the Russian fisheries science institute based in Kamchatka, Pacific bluefin tuna have appeared in large numbers in the coastal waters of Kronotsky and Kamchatka Bays. More strikingly, the species has been recorded in the waters around the Commander Islands for the first time in recorded history...

EU Clears German State Aid for Fishing and Aquaculture Companies Facing Increased Fuel Prices

The European Commission has approved a €4.5 million German State aid scheme for fishing and aquaculture companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis.

The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026.

The German scheme

Germany notified to the Commission a €4.5 million scheme to support companies active in the primary production of fishery and aquaculture products. The scheme, which will run...

Lee Fish USA Acquires Seattle's Dawsco Meat & Seafood in Pacific Northwest Expansion

Lee Fish USA has acquired Dawsco Meat & Seafood, a Seattle-based wholesale protein distributor with approximately 25 years of experience serving foodservice operators from Oregon to Canada, the companies announced this week.

The deal marks Lee Fish's first significant foothold in the Pacific Northwest and adds a multi-protein distribution platform to the company's largely seafood-focused operation. Dawsco, a family-owned business headquartered on South Hanford Street in Seattle's Industrial District, supplies pork, beef, poultry, and seafood to restaurants, hotels, and foodservice buyers throughout the region...

New Civil Liberties Alliance Wants WA State to End Electronic Monitoring of Crab Fleet

Last week, the New Civil Liberties Alliance sued the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for its Electronic Monitoring Program, claiming it “violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and its counterpart in the Washington Constitution, which prohibit unreasonable and warrantless searches,” according to a statement released by the NCLA on August 14, 2026. 

NCLA’s clients are three crab vessel captains, Sarah Franey, Brent Young and Mark Young, who claim the program does not protect wildlife and costs the fishermen too much...

El Niño Puts Pressure on Global Marine Ingredient Supply

El Niño is putting pressure on global marine ingredient production, with reduced raw material availability in Peru and Chile expected to drive much of the decline in 2026, according to IFFO.

Peru has been hit particularly hard. The country typically accounts for about 20% of global fishmeal production, but only around 25% of the 1.91 million-metric-ton quota for the first 2026 North-Central anchovy season was caught before fishing was suspended June 10. Production has remained well below historical levels, with...

Topsail Steamer Reports 12% Sales Growth in 2026, Driven by New Customers Not Price Hikes

Topsail Steamer, the North Carolina-based brand behind the ready-to-cook seafood "Bay Bucket," says sales are up 12% so far in 2026 — and the company is quick to point out the growth is coming from more families ordering, not higher prices.

The timing is telling. As restaurant costs continue to bite, Topsail Steamer is positioning its at-home seafood boil concept as an accessible alternative. Each Bay Bucket ships packed with fresh shrimp, crab, smoked sausage, corn, potatoes and house seasoning — steam...

40,000 Pounds of Squid Spill Onto Rhode Island Roadway After Tractor-Trailer Rollover

A tractor-trailer hauling approximately 40,000 pounds (roughly 18 metric tonnes) of squid overturned at the intersection of Point Judith Road and Galilee Escape Road in Narragansett, Rhode Island, on Sunday, August 17, spilling its entire load onto the roadway and triggering an hours-long cleanup operation.

Narragansett police said the fully loaded trailer was en route to a processing plant when the truck failed to negotiate a turn onto Point Judith Road. The trailer tipped onto its side, blocking all lanes of travel...

Oregon Adopts Electronic Monitoring Rule for Commercial Dungeness Crab Fleet

Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife Commission has approved new rules for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery, including mandatory electronic vessel monitoring starting Feb. 1, 2027, as the state steps up efforts to reduce whale entanglement risk.

Under the rule, commercial crab vessels must install devices that transmit location and other data at set intervals. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)  said the system will improve near-real-time tracking of fishing activity, help identify overlap with whales and support enforcement of season openings, area closures...

Bumble Bee Adds Single-Serve Tuna as On-the-Go Demand Grows

As the season shifts and demand for convenient meal solutions ticks up, Bumble Bee Seafoods is leaning further into portable protein options with the recent launch of Bumble Bee Snackers, a new line of single-serve, wild-caught tuna products positioned for lunches, snacks and other on-the-go eating occasions.

The rollout ties into the company’s broader “Bee You” campaign, which encourages flexible, personalized use occasions for tuna as consumers look for easy, mindful meals and snack options that fit increasingly busy...