Snow Crab Quota Drops 28% in Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence for 2025

The 2025 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for snow crab in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence dipped to 18,334 metric tons (t), per a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) notice.

The quota is lower than 2024’s 25,710mt TAC but the drop off from last year’s quota was less dramatic than projections indicated earlier this year.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported last month that the DFO recommended a 33% quota cut for the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Instead, the quota dipped by about 28% in 2025...

NL Delegation to Meet with New Buyers at Seafood Expo North America and Explore Market Opportunities 

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s (NL) Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture division recently announced that Minister Honorable Gerry Byrne and a delegation of provincial fishery representatives will meet with key global buyers during the 2025 Seafood Expo North America (SENA).

The annual seafood expo takes place on March 16 – 18 in Boston, Massachusetts, and will allow the NL government to explore global market opportunities with key players in the seafood sector.

This year, NL will be co-exhibiting with the following companies...

The Winding Glass: Seafood Consumption in Crossfire as Global Tariff War Erupts

The biggest loser in the global tariff wars that have erupted in seafood will be American consumers, importers, processors and distributors.

This week Pres. Trump unilaterally imposed 25% tariffs on all Canadian seafood.  This covers almost all the snow crab, 55% of domestic live lobster, and about 50% of whole farmed Atlantic salmon consumed in the US.

In response to US pressure on Canada to follow its tariff war with China, the Canadians imposed higher tariffs on some Chinese products last fall...

Trump Pauses Tariffs on USMCA-Compliant Imports from Mexico, Canada Until April 2

President Donald Trump’s social media posts are shaping trade policy in real-time: The president announced that some of the previously enacted 25% tariffs on Mexican goods will be delayed until April 2.

“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement. This Agreement is until April 2nd.”

An hour prior, Trump also posted about Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau on Truth Social...

‘The Tariffs Are All Set’: Trump Imposes 25% Tariffs on Canada and Mexico

It’s official. The US will implement a broad 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico on March 4. Trump also noted that he would add another 10% tariff on Chinese goods, on top of the initial 10% tariff he placed on the country in February.

“No room left for Mexico or Canada (to make a deal),” Trump told reporters at the White House. “The tariffs are all set. They go into effect tomorrow.

Trump said the neighboring countries had no chance for a last-minute deal that would...

Grieg Seafood Completes Successful Placement of Perpetual Green Hybrid Bond

On February 27, 2025, British Columbian (B.C.) salmon farmer Grieg Seafood ASA announced the successful placement of a new perpetual green hybrid bond issue of NOK 2 million ($177.6 million) with a first call date after four years.

Bond details

Proceeds for the bond—which has a coupon, or interest rate, of three months at a Norwegian Inter-Bank Offer Rate (NIBOR) of 5.75%—will go towards financing Grieg’s green projects, as further defined by the Green Bond Framework.

Among its financial activities will be the refinancing of existing...

DFO Says NL Snow Crab Fishery in Good Shape, But Cautious on Long-Term Outlook as Season Draws Near

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) showcased mostly good news for the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) snow crab fishery in its latest stock assessment update. However, findings did indicate that the stock may see poor growth rates due to “unfavorable ecosystem conditions and low abundances of small snow crab observed in surveys.” 

The DFO indicated that stocks appear to sit at healthy levels, which may pave the way for a similar quota in 2025. Last year’s quota was...

Trump Signs Memo to Advance Reciprocal Tariffs, Aims to Balance Trade

President Trump signed a memorandum that could lead to the implementation of reciprocal tariffs on the trading partners of the United States.

“The ‘Fair and Reciprocal Plan’ will seek to correct longstanding imbalances in international trade and ensure fairness across the board,” per a fact sheet from the White House. “Gone are the days of America being taken advantage of: this plan will put the American worker first, improve our competitiveness in every area of industry, reduce our trade deficit, and bolster our economic and national security...

A Major Paradigm Shift in King Crab and Shellfish Sector

As we enter the second month of 2025 we are witnessing a paradigm shift where king crab is taking over premium lobster tails as the "luxury" shellfish. Despite record-breaking prices, demand remains strong with consumers willing to support the continued price growth.

The record-high prices of 2024 have carried into 2025, with red and golden king crab reaching all-time highs. Total supply ----combining Alaska production and imports from Norway and Argentina ---declined again by over 7% from the prior year to just 7.7 million pounds...

The Winding Glass: Importers to Face $79 Million in Fresh Seafood Taxes Over the Next 90 Days

The US has ignited a unilateral trade war with Canada and Mexico this week. It will have an immediate impact on fresh seafood prices and availability, hitting retailers, wholesalers, and distributors. Having worked with Canadian fisheries for 40 years, I wanted to examine how deeply Canadian fresh imports are embedded in the US supply chain.

To conduct our analysis, we looked at the actual import figures in 2024 for the months of February, March, and April...

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...

Hodges: US Crab Sales are Strong with Limited Inventories

The year ended as it began, with strong retail support for snow crab. According to Urner Barry, April prices when the 2024 Canadian snow crab season began rose by 19% compared to the remarkable levels of 2023. Despite the higher prices, the trade perceived snow crab as being a strong value, leading to 78 million pounds being imported in the first three months of the season. Favorable import prices persisted throughout the summer and into fall.

Canada dominates the U.S. snow crab market, accounting for 91% of total snow crab imports through...

Fishing Industry on the Brink: FCC Calls for Urgent Government Action

The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) called China’s 25% tariff on Canadian seafood exports an “existential threat” to fishing operations across the country, especially as it follows US tariffs.

The FCC has pushed to sound the alarm on the impact of the China tariffs, with the March 20 deadline approaching. The double tariff situation could impact 83% of Canada’s seafood export markets within a span of days. The US and China represent roughly CA$6.6 billion ($4.6 billion) of Canada’s CA$8.1 billion in fish...

Government of Canada Invests $4.79 Million to Protect At-Risk Aquatic Species in B.C.

On March 5, 2025, the Honorable Diane Lebouthillier—Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (DFO)—announced CAD $4.79 million (USD $3.35 million) in funding for the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR) conservation program.

The investment will directly support ten projects within British Columbia that forward conservation and recovery efforts for currently at-risk aquatic species.

Seven projects will target species in the Fraser and Columbia River watersheds, which host 70% of the Pacific Region’s freshwater...

US Seafood Targeted in Canada’s Proposed Retaliatory Tariff List

Canada wasted no time hitting back at new U.S. tariffs, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing immediate 25% retaliatory duties on C$30 billion ($20.9 billion) worth of American imports after the levies took effect on March 4.

“Canada is being needlessly and unfairly targeted by these tariffs – and the US' decision leaves us with no choice but to respond to protect Canadian interests, workers and businesses. Working with provincial, territorial and industry partners, our singular focus is to remove these tariffs as quickly as possible...

Trade Tensions Ignite as Canada and China Hit Back at US Tariffs

Canada and China have announced retaliatory tariffs in response to new US tariffs that went into effect today, igniting trade tensions between the world’s largest economies. After a 30-day pause, the US administration imposed a broad 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico on March 4, Expana's Ryan Doyle reported.

One minute past midnight, the US administration imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian exports and 10% tariffs on Canadian energy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the decision had “no justification” and emphasized Canada’s efforts to combat...

Fisheries Council of Canada Appoints Jason McLinton as New President

The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) appointed Jason McLinton as its new president, effective March 24, 2025.

McLinton enters the role with over 25 years of experience in government and regulatory affairs. He most recently worked with the Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) where he was a Senior Project Leader with the Grocery Task Force and Office of Consumer Affairs. Before that, he was the Retail Council of Canada (RCC)’s Vice President of the Grocery Division and Regulatory Affairs, focusing on critical areas including food...

Canada Sees 582% Sales Increase for MSC Labeled Tuna

Recently, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) released its first-ever Canada Tuna Report, illustrating immense growth in Canada’s demand and sales for MSC-certified tuna products over the last two years.

Most significantly, the North American country saw a 582% increase in tuna volume sold between 2022 and 2024 — 99.5% of which was sold in cans. This volume grew from 1,907 MT in 2022 to more than 13,000 MT in 2024.

According to the MSC, tuna represents 60% of all MSC labeled seafood sold by weight in Canada, while tuna represents...

Canadian Countermeasures on Trump’s Tariffs Extend Throughout the Maritimes

Participants in some of the most inclusive and far-reaching fisheries, forestry and agriculture roundtables are showing unprecedented unity and resolve as they collectively prepare a plan of action for potential US tariffs and establish a long-term vision for growth and development,” the government of Newfoundland and Labrador wrote in a news release on Monday, February 10, 2025. Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture in NL, hosted a series of roundtables with representatives from the province’s three renewable resource sectors...

Government of Canada Invests $25M in Port Infrastructure for Atlantic Canada

On February 5, the Honorable Anita Anand, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, announced that the Government of Canada would be investing up to $25 million in the Halifax Port Authority to improve environmental sustainability and supply chain efficiency. Funding will also support decarbonization efforts in the transportation sector and infrastructure resiliency.

Of the total $25 million, up to $22.5 million will go towards developing Halifax as a green shipping corridor. This will be done through the Green Shipping Corridor Program, which focuses on establishing...

Trump Slaps Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China: Seafood Industry Braces for Impact, Latest Updates

After weeks of nonstop speculation, the White House confirmed that President Donald Trump would be implementing tariffs on various US trading partners, including Canada, Mexico and China.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reports on January 31 that Trump will implement 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and a 10% duty on China starting on February 1.

NBC News reported that the details of how tariffs will be distributed remained unclear, but the plan will be available for public inspection on February 1. No comments were...

FFAW Calls for Transparency and Accountability in Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre 

ST. JOHN’S, NL – It’s been more than nine months since the Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre (FRC) has refused to call a board meeting or provide members with important information regarding the organization’s operations. FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street is now calling for the FRC to operate with transparency and accountability. 

FRC is a nonprofit, governed by a board of directors, that  provides dockside monitoring services to fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Our elected Inshore Council has been calling for increased transparency and accountability regarding the boards our Union ...

Grieg Seafood NL Clarifies Temporary Pause in Post-Smolt Facility Construction

Grieg Seafood NL confirmed that the pause in construction for its planned post-smoltification (PSA) facility in Newfoundland and Labrador was a temporary measure.

The statement from the company follows a news report produced by NTV, which featured the mayor of Marystown, NL, showcasing his worries about the project's future, along with Grieg’s presence in the community.

“Is this just a ploy to let it go gingerly into the future to soften the blow?” Marystown Mayor Brian Keating theorized...