Russia's Salmon Catch Declines to the Lowest Figures Since 2005

The salmon catch in Russia has declined to the lowest figures since 2005, according to the latest statements of representatives of local industry associations and Russian media reports.

According to data from the All-Russian Association of Fish Producers (VARPE), as of November 19, the salmon catch in Russia had “barely reached” 235.400 tons. The result became the worst in almost 20 years. VARPE recalled that less than a week remains until the end of the season, and active fishing is no longer underway...

Novo Holdings to Acquire Benchmark Genetics

Novo Holdings, the Denmark-based holding and investment company responsible for managing the assets and the wealth of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, just announced that it will acquire the Norwegian fish genetics company Benchmark Genetics from Benchmark Holdings plc for an enterprise value of up to £260 million.

Benchmark Genetics is an aquaculture biotechnology company headquartered in Bergen, Norway, with customers in more than 50 countries and breeding centers located in Norway, Iceland, Chile, the U.S., and Colombia. A leader in aquaculture genetics, Benchmark Genetics employs more than...

Threatened Coho Salmon Return to Upper Klamath River Basin for First Time in More Than 60 Years

Now this is something to salmon-brate!

First Chinook, now threatened coho have been documented returning to the upper Klamath River Basin after four dams were removed this year.

The California Department of Fish Wildlife said it’s been at least 60 years, not since the construction of the former Iron Gate Dam in the early 1960s, since agency personnel documented coho salmon occupying their historic habitat in the upper watershed. 

On Nov. 13, seven coho salmon ...

Acme Smoked Fish Joins 1% For the Planet

The family-owned and operated Acme Smoked Fish Corporation joined 1% For the Planet, a nonprofit entity started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, that utilizes a global network of thousands of businesses and environmental partners to raise money and implement environmentally focused initiatives across the world.

All partners are vetted and approved based on referrals, track record, and environmental focus. As a member of this effort, Acme commits to donating 1% of its cold smoked salmon retail sales to support verified...

Final UW 2025 Bristol Bay Forecast is 2.8 Million Salmon More, or 5% Higher Than ADF&G Forecast

University of Washington’s Fisheries Research Institute (US-FRI) released its final pre-season forecast for Bristol Bay’s 2025 run late last week at numbers that are higher than the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s or even UW’s own preliminary estimate from last August.

UW’s forecast is for 54.1 million sockeye to return to the Bristol Bay Area, 12% lower than the recent 10-year average (61.2 million) and 8% higher than the recent 20-year average (49.9 million). 

A run that ...

ADF&G Forecasts 51.3 Million Sockeye Salmon Run to Bristol Bay in 2025, 16% Below 10-Yr Average

Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game’s annual pre-season forecast of a total run of 51.31 million sockeye salmon and a harvest of 34.8 million sockeye is 16% smaller than the most recent 10-year average of 61.23 million fish but 38% greater than the long-term average of 37.07 million fish (1963– 2024).

It is slightly higher than the only other prediction for the world-class fishery in Bristol Bay, which was released August 15 by the University of Washington last ...

Alaska Salmon Fishery Achieves Fifth MSC Certification; Marks 25 Years of Program Engagement

For the fifth time, the Alaska salmon fishery has achieved certification against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard. The milestone also means the fishery has reached 25 years of engagement with the MSC program.

The Alaska salmon certificate is held by the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF), per the MSC.

The Alaska salmon fishery was described as a “pioneer of high standards for sustainable fishing and environmental stewardship.” Not only was it one of the first fisheries to join the MSC program, but...

A Look at the Top 10 Most Consumed Seafood Items in 2022

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) debuted its annual Top 10 List of the most consumed seafood in 2022. NFI’s list comes shortly after NOAA Fisheries unveiled its Fisheries of the U.S. 2022 Report, which saw Americans consume roughly 19.7 pounds of seafood, a slight downturn from the 20.5 pounds seen in 2021.

Shrimp topped the Top 10 List once again despite a minor decrease in consumption. Salmon finished in second place, and it also witnessed a slight drop in consumption. In third place was canned tuna, which saw...

Bakkafrost Q3 Results Disappoint, Citing Low Salmon Prices 

Faroese salmon farmer Bakkafrost shared its Q3 financial results, and CEO Regin Jacobsen said it was “not satisfied” as low salmon prices impacted its performance.

Jacobsen said:

"We are not satisfied with our financial results this quarter, primarily impacted by low salmon prices.  The strike in May combined with unplanned harvest of A-19 impacted negatively our ability to adapt to market needs to optimize market value for our products. The early harvest of remaining fish from farming site A-19, where the ISA virus was detected in two pens back in...

Scotland Fish Farming 2023 Survey Points to Lower Production

The Scottish Government published the Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2023, which details statistics on the employment and production of the country’s fish farming operations.

The government highlighted a few key figures from the survey:

- In 2023, production of Atlantic salmon decreased by 18,245 tonnes (11%) to 150,949 tonnes.

- The total number of smolts produced in 2023 decreased by 3.6 million (7%) to 51.5 million.

- Production tonnage of rainbow trout increased by 6% in 2023 to 9,258 tonnes. This is the highest level of rainbow trout production recorded in Scotland...

ADF&G: Prince William Sound Pink Salmon Season is Worst Since 1993

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s summary of the 2024 salmon season in Prince William Sound was released on October 23, underscoring the alarmingly low return on pink salmon.

The 2024 season marked the worst pink salmon harvest since 1993 and the second worst since the late 1970s when PWS hatcheries were established. This year’s forecast for pink salmon in the Sound was a total run of 32.18 million fish, made up of 15.53 million returning to the Valdez Fisheries Development Association’s (VFDA’s) Solomon Gulch hatchery and 10.20 ... 

Chicken of the Sea Expands On-the-Go Lineup with New Tuna, Salmon Packets

Chicken of the Sea expanded its on-the-go seafood options with its Packet Up! Tuna and Salmon Salad Kits.

The company said the introduction of the new items helps bolster its on-the-go seafood options at retailers across the country with customizable kits.

The Packet Up! options include a full-size, wild-caught tuna or salmon packet along with an accompaniment to create a tuna or salmon salad.

- Chicken of the Sea Packet Up!...

Bumble Bee Seafoods Expands Product Line with 11 New Convenient Seafood Options

Bumble Bee Seafoods added 11 new products to its canned, pouched and kit-based seafood product lines.

"Everything we create is driven by what consumers value most: nutrition, flavor, and convenience that fits into real life," said Jeremy Zavoral, Senior Director of Innovation & Insights, Bumble Bee Seafoods. "Our goal is to make it easier than ever for people to enjoy seafood in ways that are both practical and delicious."

Find a breakdown of all the new items below...

Scotland's Largest Salmon Producer Faces Massive Fish Die-Off Amid Rising Sea Temperatures

Over one million salmon have died at adjacent Mowi Scotland sites during a year-and-a-half production cycle, according to various media reports.

Mowi told The Guardian that 1.05 million salmon died during the period, which was the combined figure for a pair of sites at Loch Seaforth and Noster. Scotland’s Coastal Communities Network (CCN) and NGO Free Salmon analyzed government data on the Mowi sites, which marked the largest die-off in Scotland in over a decade...

Japan: August Salmon Imports Up 25%, Frozen Coho Tripled

According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, the total import volume of salmon and trout in August (including salted, smoked, and processed products) was 12,701 tons, up 25% from the same month last year, and the CIF import value was 18,674 million yen($122.09 million), up 20%. Of this, the import volume of fresh and frozen fillets was 5,501 tons, up 23%, and the import volume of non-fillets was 7,200 tons, up 27%.

Minato Shimbun reported that among the raw materials other than fillets, the import volume...

Russia Faces Surge in Fish and Seafood Prices Amid Rising Production Costs

Russia is poised for a sharp rise in fish and seafood prices this year due to the ever-growing costs of producers.

So far, some of the country’s leading fish processors have notified domestic retail chains about increased wholesale prices for seafood by about 15-20%.

According to Russian RBC business paper, citing Russian retail chains, the biggest price growth is currently observed in the cases of herring, mackerel, and red fish.

Last week, the head of the Council of Federation, the upper house of the Russian Parliament...

Pacific Seafood Lands $1.3 Million USDA Salmon Contract

Clackamas, Oregon-based Pacific Seafood Group won a $1.3 million contract to sell 108,000 pounds of frozen wild salmon fillets to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for use in child nutrition and domestic food distribution programs.

Specifically, the Purchase Award Description from the USDA indicated that Dulcich Inc., Pacific Seafood Group’s parent company, won the entire contract. The USDA did note that 12,160 cases (8 truckloads) of Kosher caned pink salmon and an additional 48,640 (32) truckloads of product was not awarded due to price consideration.

Salmon Shortfall Threatens Russia's Red Caviar Supply

Russia may face a shortage of red caviar this year due to a sharp drop of its production, according to latest data of the Russian National Center for the Safety of Aquatic Products and Aquaculture.

According to its data, the production of natural red caviar in Russia in 2024 decreased by threefold to 10,000 tons, compared to 29,000 tons for the same period last year. The reason for such a decline is an unsuccessful fishing season.

If in 2023 608,000 tons of salmon were caught, then in 2024 - only 230,000 tons...

Russia's 2024 Fish Catch Expected to Fall Short of 2023 Levels

The total volume of fish caught in Russia as of November 12, 2024, has amounted to 4.4 million tons, which is 8.2% lower on a year-on-year basis, according to the latest data from the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo). The agency expects that by the end of the current year, the overall volume of production will reach 5 million tons. This is lower than last year's figure when it was 5.3 million tons. The most significant decline...

Norway Sees Strong Exports in October Behind Mackerel, Improved Salmon Export Value to U.S.

The Norwegian Seafood Council examined Norway’s record-breaking October for seafood exports, which was primarily due to a historic month for mackerel exports.

“Never before has a higher value of seafood been exported in a single month. This is primarily due to exceptionally strong mackerel exports that we have never seen before. This alone accounted for almost all the growth in value in October," said Christian Chramer, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council.

For the month, Norway exported seafood...

Record Price for Hokkaido Ikura Exceeds JPY10,000/kg, Demand Receding

With the increasing possibility that Hokkaido's fall chum salmon catch will end at a record low of around 40,000 tons, Hokkaido ikura salmon roe prices are soaring.

According to the Minato Shimbun report, the wholesale market price for this season's ikura is 11,000-13,000 yen/kg ($72.06-85.17/kg) for soya-seasoned ikura and 13,000-14,000 yen/kg ($85.17-91.72/kg) for salted ikura. Soya-seasoned ikura is 60-70% higher than in the same period last year, and salted ikura is 40-50% higher, both of which...

USDA Seeks Bids on Salmon and Alaska Pollock; Awards Catfish Contracts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is looking for bids on a notable amount of Alaska pollock and wild salmon products. Plus, it unveiled its purchase awards for 270,000 pounds of farmed catfish products.

Focusing on pollock, the USDA said it is looking for offers to sell pollock products, with bids due on November 13, 2024. In all, the USDA is looking for 920,000 pounds of pollock products ranging from frozen Alaska pollock sticks, fillets and bulk containers of product...

Mowi's Current Biomass Drives Confidence in Future 600,000t Harvest Target

Salmon farming giant Mowi achieved record-high operating revenues of EUR 1.44 billion (US$1.56 billion), leading to an operational profit of EUR 173 million.

“This was yet another good quarter for Mowi, with our best ever seawater production and harvest volumes of 161,000 tonnes. We’ve never had more fish in the sea, with biomass in sea up 4.4% year-on-year at quarter end,” Mowi CEO Ivan Vindheim said.

Mowi expects to reach its harvest volume guidance for 2024 at 500,000 metric tons. And the company has even greater expectations for the coming years. Mowi announced that its current record-high biomass at sea supports its 520,000 MT volume guidance for 2025. This would be the first milestone as it looks to reach 600,000 MT of harvesting volume in 2029.

Mitsubishi-owned Cermaq Posts Loss Behind Lower Salmon Prices

Salmon farmer Cermaq, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, reported a substantial loss of JPY 1.9 billion (US$12.5 million) in the first half of FY 2024.

The company credited the decline of European salmon market prices for the lower results. Mitsubishi Corp. said an increased supply of Norwegian salmon led to lower market prices as higher water temperatures during the summer months led to additional harvesting.

Mitsubishi said that prices sat at roughly $6.38/kg (NOK 70/kg), and an increase is expected throughout...

Japan: September Exports Surged 24% to 33,000 MT, Frozen Scallops 4.8 Times to 7,000 MT

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, September's fishery product exports (fish and shellfish and their products, and fishmeal) increased 24% year-on-year in quantity to 33,075 tons and 27% value to 26.25 billion yen. The volume and value of frozen scallops were significantly higher than the same month last year. Frozen yellowtail fillets exceeded last year's month. Minato Shimbun highlighted them below.

Frozen scallops (shucked and whole in shell) increased 4.8 times to 7,004 tons and increased 99%...

Hokkaido Fall Chum Landings 12 Million Fish, 25% Short of Last Year, Value Up 17.5%

According to the Hokkaido Fisheries and Forestry Department, the total number of fall chum caught along the Hokkaido coast as of October 20 (preliminary figures) was 12,484,284, down 25% from the same period last year, and the value was 38.43 billion yen ($251.15 million), up 17.5%.

Minato Shimbun described that the total landings in early September 1-10 were 432,218, down 58% from the same period last year; 1,438,165 on mid-September 11-20, down 24%...

Costco Recalls Private Label Smoked Salmon Products Produced by Acme Smoked Fish

Acme Smoked Fish has issued a voluntary recall on certain packages of Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, according to a recall notice posted to Costco’s website.

The company sent alerts to customers who purchased "#1267000 Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon between October 9, 2024 to October 13, 2024.”

The affected packages of the smoked salmon product are limited to lot number 8512801270.

“We regret this unfortunate incident and have taken immediate corrective steps to ensure that this issue never happens again,” the...

Mowi: Ole-Eirik Lerøy Steps Down as Chairman of the Board

Salmon farming giant Mowi announced that Ole-Eirik Lerøy had stepped down as Chairman of the Board after spending 15 years with the company.

Mowi said Ørjan Svanevik is the proposed successor.

“It has been an honor to serve Mowi during the era of becoming the world’s largest supplier of farm raised salmon. Today, Mowi is a fully integrated global seafood company, bringing salmon of supreme quality to consumers around the world, and is perfectly positioned to continue the growth journey towards...

Akaroa King Salmon Achieves World First with Innovative Blue Impact Feed by BioMar

Akaroa King Salmon has become the first King Salmon producer globally to adopt the innovative Blue Impact feed program developed by BioMar. This groundbreaking initiative supplements wild-caught fish in their formulations with cultivated algal oil, fish trimmings, and insect meal. The new approach significantly reduces the impact on wild fish stocks while utilising clean, sustainable sources of Omega-3 to produce the healthiest fish possible.

As an early adopter of this technology, Akaroa Salmon trialled the algal oil, achieving outstanding results with their...

EU Council Sets New Catch Limits for Baltic Sea: Increases Herring Quotas, Cuts Cod and Salmon

On October 22, the EU Council reached a deal on new catch limits for the key fish stocks in the Baltic Sea.

The agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) and national quotas for 2025 were in line with the scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), and sets the maximum quantities each member state will be allowed to catch for each fish stock.

Herring

The Council shared that the Central Baltic herring stock has pushed above the...