Cooke Chile CEO Clashes with Environmental Authority Over Salmon Farming Concessions

The battle between Cooke Chile, the Chilean arm of Cooke Aquaculture and Chile's Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) rages on.

In a handful of social media posts, Cooke Chile’s CEO Andres Parodi indicated that issues between the company and the SMA have not gone away.

“We are approaching the fourth year that the SMA does not allow us to work two concessions for salmon farming, granted by the State,” Parodi wrote at the start of his LinkedIn post.

Parodi highlighted the trouble...

Russia's Fish Catch Declines 8% in 2024, Totaling 4.88 Million Tons

Russia reduced its overall fish catch by 8% in 2024 to 4.88 million tonnes, compared to 2023, according to the latest data from Russian fishermen and local media reports.

According to the Russian Izvestia TV channel, fishing in the Far Eastern fishery basin, the center of Russia’s fish production, decreased by 7.7% year-over-year. At the same time, almost the same decline was observed in the Northern basin.

In the Far Eastern fishery basin, pollock became an absolute leader in terms of catch with...

Lerøy Midt AS Reports Salmon Escape in Møre og Romsdal

Norwegian salmon farmer Lerøy Midt AS reported an escape incident on Sunday, January 5, at its Sandholmane location in the Aukra municipality of Møre og Romsdal.

Employees at the facility discovered the escape after performing a routine inspection following a storm. During the inspection, employees noted that major damage had occurred to a seine, thus notifying them of the salmon escape.

Currently, the average size of salmon at the facility is just over one kilogram. At this time, the company is unable to determine the number of escaped fish...

Russian Fish Prices Surge as Raw Material Costs Soar

Leading Russian fish processors will significantly increase prices for their products this year due to a significant increase in prices for raw materials and other costs.

So far, a decrease in the catch of some types of fish and rising prices for raw materials have led to increased costs for processors, while some have already announced an increase in prices by up to 25% this year.

According to Russian media reports, leading local players such as Baltiysky Bereg, Russian Sea, Evroprom, and others recently announced these plans...

Norway’s 2024 Seafood Exports Rank as Best Year Yet

According to a statement from the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), Norway experienced its highest ever seafood export value in 2024, with a total of 2.8 million tonnes of seafood products exported, amounting to NOK 175.4 billion (approximately $15.4 billion).

Upward trajectory for Norwegian seafood exports

This marks a 2% increase from 2023, when the Scandinavian country experienced a seafood export value of NOK 171.7 billion (approximately $15.08 billion). The NSC recorded seafood exports of more than 60 different species to over 150 countries worldwide...

8F Asset Management Secures $460 Million for RAS Salmon Facility in Japan

8F Asset Management based in Singapore, the parent company of Soul of Japan of Tokyo, which aims to produce Atlantic salmon using a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in Mie Prefecture, has raised 460 million US dollars or 72.678 billion yen for the construction and operation of the facility. The company announced this on January 6. The amount raised includes 33 billion yen ($209.10 million) received from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in June 2024, and an additional 39.7 billion yen ($251.55 million) has been raised, according...

Trudeau Resigns Amid Controversy Over BC Salmon Farming Transition

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the leader behind the decision to shift British Columbia’s salmon farming industry away from net-pen farming, announced that he would resign from his post on January 6. 

Trudeau will leave office once a new ruling party leader is chosen, according to reports. The Liberal Party leader for the last 11 years, Trudeau, has faced rising discontent of late amid key resignations of close political allies. 

One of the lasting impacts of Trudeau’s term is the salmon farming transition plan the government first introduced in 2019...

Circle Seafoods Launches Wild Alaska Salmon Filets in H-E-B and Sprouts Markets

Circle Seafoods, a new processor in the wild Alaska salmon scene, announced that its frozen Wild Alaska Salmon filets have debuted in H-E-B stores across Texas and Sprouts Farmers Market stores across the country.

The company’s 12-ounce frozen salmon filets are now available in 23 states.

“Why is this a big deal? Because we’re not just slingin' salmon—we’re shaping the future of wild salmon,” the company said on LinkedIn. “Think fresher fish, less waste/ more taste, and a...

Biofilter Breach Occurs in Module B at Proximar Seafood’s Grow-Out Facility

On December 24, 2024, land-based salmon farmer Proximar Seafood AS (Proximar), reported a breach with the bio media filter of the B module at its Japanese grow-out facility.

No fish mortalities have occurred as a result of the breach, and measures were taken to maintain adequate water quality, including stabilization of biological levels and maintenance of water conditions adequate levels for Proximar’s fish.

Proximar anticipates for the incident to possibly delay growth due to a temporary reduction in feeding. The current biomass in the B module is...

Russia Expects Fish Catch to be Stable in 2025

According to recent statements made by representatives of some leading local producers and Russian media reports, Russia expects a stable fish catch in 2025 that will reach about 5 million tonnes.

As Alexander Panin, Chairman of the Russian Fish Union, a public association that unites some leading Russian fish producers, told the Russian Komsomolskaya Pravda business paper in an interview, a good catch is expected for most important Russian fish species next year, including ivasi, pollock, and salmon.

Particular hopes are also put on the increase of squid catch...

Japan: October Sockeye Imports Fall 32%

According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, total salmon and trout imports in October (including salted, smoked, and prepared products) increased 3% year-on-year to 19,435 tons, and the CIF import value increased 2% to 24,443 million yen ($155.19 million). Fillets (fresh, frozen, salted, and dried) increased 5% to 5,954 tons; other than fillets increased 2% to 13,482 tons, reported Minato Shimbun.

Frozen sockeye and coho salmon, other than fillets, decreased by 32% to 2,407 tons and 3% to 6,778 tons.

Other frozen Pacific salmon...

Russia Boosts Global Frozen Fish Exports

According to the latest report of the Russian Association of Fishing Fleet Owners (AFFO), Russia currently accounts for more than 17.4% of global frozen fish exports, which is higher than the figure for 2023 (16.2%).

Over three-quarters of the current year, Russian frozen fish supplies amounted to more than 1 million tons. China (11.7%), the Netherlands (7.2%), Norway (7%), and the US (6.6%) are also prominent suppliers.

According to the AFFO, frozen fish remains the main product of Russian fish exports. Its supplies account for 50% of the value of fish exports...

NOAA’s Ocean Research Examines Varied Conditions for Juvenile Salmon Off Oregon Coast

According to a news release by NOAA Fisheries on December 6, 2024, researchers at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center have reported varied oceanographic shifts in the northern California Current in 2024.

During the winter of 2023-2024, a strong El Niño event brought warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures to the Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA Fisheries data, the California Current has experienced an increase in El Niño events since the 1980s, with this higher frequency of events seemingly characteristic of recent extended periods of warm ocean conditions...

Size Matters When it Comes to Chinook Spawning Success in Alaska’s Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers

In a new study titled “Body size and early marine conditions drive changes in Chinook salmon productivity across northern latitude ecosystems” scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks found that the size of a Chinook salmon, which has been steadily decreasing in recent years, impacts their ability to reach adulthood, successfully spawn, and produce young that are as capable of surviving their first few years in fresh water and subsequent years in the ocean. 

Scientists looked at 26 Chinook salmon populations in Alaska’s two biggest ...

Grieg Seafood Faces Challenges in British Columbia as Q3 Operating Result Falls NOK 175 Million

In a report released by Grieg Seafood on November 27, 2024, the international seafood company provided detailed information on its financial and operational highlights for Q3 2024.

Despite its operating result being down NOK 175 million, overall sales reached NOK 1.5 billion, with the total EBIT reaching NOK 75 million for Q3 and NOK 500 million for 2024 so far. As of now, Norway’s EBIT is also up NOK 69 million, which is an all-time high for the company.

The negative operating...

Norway's November Seafood Exports Reach Highest Value to Date, Says Norwegian Seafood Council

According to information published recently by the Norwegian Seafood Council, seafood exports in Norway reached a total worth of NOK 17.3 billion in November, making it the most successful November seafood export value to date, increased by NOK 1 billion, or 6%, from last November.

At this rate, Norway is headed for a new export record, with already NOK 160.4 billion exported this year, which is 1.5% higher than this time last year.

Christian Chramer, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council, said that Norway has been seeing...

Cargill and Mowi Feed Sites in Scotland and Norway Achieve ASC Certification

Mowi Feed and Cargill Canada recently received Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certifications for their respective feed operations in Scotland and Norway.

The ASC Farm Standard certification program lays out a set of aquafeed production regulations, focusing on areas like social and labor rights, health and safety, environmental stewardship, and responsible sourcing of raw materials.

According to the ASC, the program aligns with the European Union’s upcoming supply chain regulations and encompasses all major agriculture crops, including wheat, corn, canola, soy, palm oil, and marine ingredients...

Næra® Snacks to Unveil New Crunchy Salmon Bites at Winter Fancy Food Show 2025

Næra® Snacks (a brand by Responsible Foods, ehf.) recently launched a new salmon snack line, Crunchy Fish Bites.

The all-natural salmon bites are batch-crafted and gently dried and come in the following flavors: wasabi, jalapeno, and ranch.

Næra® Snacks will be showcasing additional Crunchy Fish bite varieties at the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) Winter Fancy Food Show 2025, Booth 941, which takes place this Sunday, January 19, 2025.

“Næra® Crunch Fish Bites are truly snackable and conquer hunger without sinking..."

Proximar Seafood Overcomes Biofilter Challenges, Optimistic About Future Production 

Land-based salmon farmer Proximar Seafood said it experienced a pair of biofilter incidents in Q4 of 2024. While the incidents didn’t lead to any abnormal mortalities, feeding was reduced to maintain water quality, the company said in its sixth production update published on January 7. 

The company, which farms the fish in Japan, said the reduction in feeding has led to lower growth, but mortality remains low, and fish health was cited as good. Proximar Seafood noted that the implementation of the ozone system has solved the issues...

Mowi Scotland to Transition from Loch Arkaig After 35 Years

Mowi Scotland announced that it was unable to come to an agreement on a lease extension at Loch Arkaig, one of its oldest freshwater sites in Scotland. The company has farmed at the site for over 35 years.

“We will cease farming here in April but take forward experience and strong scientific evidence showing that there is no detrimental environmental impact from farming salmon here,” the company said in a blog post recapping its 2024 operational highlights in Scotland.

The company will move to a pair of new production sites...

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...

Commercial Fisherman Caught with Hidden Catch Behind False Wall in San Francisco 

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) discovered a commercial fisherman illegally catching fish and trying to deceive authorities by hiding the catch behind a false wall on his fishing vessel.

CDFW said that an angler coming ashore at San Francisco’s Pier 45 was found to have fillets of salmon behind a false wall.

While under surveillance, the owner of the commercial trawl vessel was seen unloading several burlap sacks out of the boat and into a vehicle before leaving the scene. The vessel owner...

Japan’s November Seafood Exports up by 49% Y-O-Y; Scallops up 85% at 3,365 MT

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, November's fishery product exports increased 49% in volume compared to the same month last year to 33,306 MT and increased 35% in value to 30,083 million yen ($191.01 million).

According to Minato Shimbun, the increases are a rebound from the embargo on Japanese seafood products imposed by China, the leading destination for frozen scallops, in late August last year, and since September, both volume and value have been significantly higher than the same...

Japan's Fall Salmon Chum Landings Are Down 20% From Last Year, Coming in at 46,000 MT 

As of the end of November, the total return from fall salmon chum in Japan this season was 17.75 million, which is 22% less than last year. Meanwhile, the coastal catch was a little under 2.07 million, or 46,395 tons, which is 21% less than last year, according to Minato Shimbun.

The Fisheries Research and Education Agency's Salmon Department at the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute recently compiled and released a list of prefectural catches.

In Hokkaido, the total number of returns, including bycatch...

Russia's Fish Catch Holds Steady at 5 Million Tons Despite Salmon Shortfall

According to recent statements made by representatives of the Russian Federal Agency of Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), this year's fish catch in Russia will be comparable to the average of the last five years and amount to about 5 million tons.

As of the middle of December, a record catch of Iwashi sardine had been observed, exceeding 570,200 tons, the best figure for the entire post-Soviet period. In the Far Eastern basin, 1,88 million tons of pollock were also caught, 28.520...

So Far ADF&G Sees “Excellent” Pink Salmon Run in Kodiak, AK Peninsula But “Average” in SE Alaska

Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game is busy this time of year getting forecasts out for 2025 salmon seasons across the state.

They have predicted another big year for sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay — 51.31 million sockeyes, which is nearly 3 million less than the University of Washington-Fisheries Research Institute’s (UW-FRI) forecast of 54.1 million sockeye there, and big runs for pinks in Kodiak and the Alaska Peninsula’s South Region, but only an average run of pinks in Southeast Alaska...

Fish Catch in Russia Declines This Year, Leading to Price Increases

Fish catch in Russia declines this year, which has led to price increases in the domestic market.

According to Forbes Russia magazine as of December 2, citing the president of the All-Russian Association of Fishery Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters (VARPE) German Zverev, the volume of catch has amounted to 4.58 million tons, which is 9% lower than the same period in 2023, which experienced record-breaking catch. 

In case of pollock, the volume of catch increased by 1%, amounting to 1.85 million tons, while pacific herring - by 11%...

AquaBounty Winds Down Operations, Cuts Senior Management Roles

AquaBounty Technologies, the firm behind the first genetically engineered salmon, announced it would wind down all its fish farming operations and exit several members of its senior management team.

AquaBounty’s CFO and interim CEO David Frank said the company will wind down its Bay Fortune operation, its last farm. The process will include culling all remaining fish and reducing “substantially all personnel over the course of the next several weeks.”

“We prioritized maintaining operations at the Bay Fortune facility but do not have sufficient liquidity to continue to do so...

Approximately 65,000 Smolt Escape Mowi ASA’s Nordland Hatchery

Over the weekend, Norwegian-based seafood producer Mowi ASA reported an escape incident at their Glomfjord II hatchery located in the municipality of Meløy in Nordland, Norway.

The escape was connected to a smolt delivery to one of Mowi ASA’s well boats. According to a company statement submitted to the Directorate of Fisheries, approximately 65,000 salmon smolts have escaped.

Mowi ASA has set up recapture nets outside the site. As of December 8, the company has recaptured approximately 1,400 smolts, with an average size of 120 gi.

The Directorate of Fisheries will...

ANALYSIS: Key Drivers of Norwegian and Chilean Salmon Price Fluctuations

The average price reported by Expana of Norwegian Atlantic salmon whole, FOB Oslo, Norway, 4-5 kg during November 2024, shows an increase of 2.7% in the last three months. However, the price dropped by 9.5% year over year, averaging NOK 74.49 kg. The increase in price in the last three months may be associated with the rise in demand in Europe due to end-of-the-year festivities...