SalMar Reports Satisfactory Q4 Results, Shares Acquisition Plans

It was a challenging year for SalMar, one of the largest farmed salmon producers in the world, with farming operations in Central Norway, Northern Norway and Iceland. Last year they were hit with string jellyfish during harvest along with weather delays.

"Throughout the quarter, we have seen good biological development in the sea,

especially in Northern Norway,” said Frode Arntsen, CEO of SalMar ASA. “Together with the solid structure we have in SalMar, and thanks to our employees who have handled a challenging year in an impressive way, we delivered...

Nordic Aqua Resumes Sale of Atlantic Salmon at Facility in Ningbo, China

On February 13, 2025, salmon aquaculture company Nordic Aqua announced the resumption of Atlantic Salmon sales at its facility in Ningbo, China.

This marks a big step in the land-based salmon farmer’s Chinese market presence, as Nordic Aqua is once again capable of producing Atlantic salmon for China. With a population of more than 1.4 billion people, China remains a significant salmon customer with a robust growth potential, according to Nordic Aqua.

Nordic Aqua went on to explain that its Ningbo facility is situated within five hours...

North Council Sets Options for Reducing Chum Salmon Bycatch in the Bering Sea

Salmon Evolution Achieves Record Harvest and Strong Financial Results in Q4 2024

Salmon Evolution said it generated NOK 149.5 million ($13.3 million) in revenues for the final quarter of 2024, translating into a group EBITDA of NOK 9.2 million and a Farming EBITDA of NOK 15.3 million.

“We are very pleased by ending 2024 with a new harvest record and strong KPIs, highlighting the significant milestones we have achieved the last 12 months”, CEO of Salmon Evolution, Trond Håkon Schaug-Pettersen said. “2024 have further strengthened our position as the leading land-based salmon farmer globally...

Cermaq Norway’s Top Executive Knut Ellekjær Steps Down After Eight Years

The top executive of Cermaq’s Norwegian operations decided to leave the company after eight years at the helm. 

Salmon farmer Cermaq announced that Knut Ellekjær would step down as head of Cermaq Norway’s operations, with Kristin Hurum set to take over. 

"After 8 years, it is the right time to pass the baton on. It has been fantastic years in a strong, committed and competent organization, with major investments, and doubling of volume and turnover with a clearer responsible profile. We have designed and are now launching a new...

US Becomes Largest Market for Norwegian Seafood Exports in January Amid Tariff Talks

The US was the largest market for Norwegian seafood exports in January 2025 on a value basis. The Norwegian Seafood Council said the country exported NOK 1.5 billion ($133.7 million), accounting for 9.7% of total exports.

“Even though President Donald Trump has talked a lot about increased tariffs for his trading partners, we note that January was a historic month for Norwegian seafood exports to the US. Never has Norway exported fish and shellfish worth as much to the US market as we did in January...

Japan’s 2024 Fishery Product Imports Up Slightly by 1% at 2.09 Million MT

According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance on January 30, the import volume of fishery products (preliminary figures, fish and shellfish and their preparations, fishmeal, and seaweed) in 2024 was 2,093,112 tons, up 1% from the previous year. The import value was 1,947.8 billion yen ($12.71 billion), up 2%.

According to the Minato Shimbun report, Fresh and frozen tuna increased 7% to 175,088 tons, fresh and frozen salmon and trout increased 9% to 219,750 tons, and fresh and frozen shrimp increased 10%...

Mowi Acquires Majority Stake in Nova Sea in $656M Deal

Salmon farming giant Mowi has acquired a controlling stake in fellow Norwegian salmon farmer Nova Sea in a NOK 7.4 billion ($656.4 million) agreement.  

Mowi negotiated a deal with Nova Sea's founding family, Vigner Olaisen AS, to acquire its controlling stake in Nova Sea AS. According to a company announcement, Mowi increased its ownership in Nova Sea from 49% to 95%.

“Nova Sea is a frontrunner in the Norwegian aquaculture industry and is known for its excellent biological performance and industry-leading margins...

GSMC 2025: Opportunities Abound for Under-the-Radar Salmon Species

At the Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC) 2025, panelists spotlighted the growing potential of under-the-radar salmon species. Discussions centered on emerging trends in wild salmon catches and the rising momentum of alternative species in the farmed salmon segment, signaling new opportunities for the industry.

Lilani Dunn, Executive Director of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA), highlighted the dip in the wild Pacific salmon catch in 2024. Although the decrease fell in line with the typical two-year cycle of salmon catches...

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  ...

Proximar Seafood Hires Michinori Hoshijima as Chief Commercial Officer

Proximar Seafood, a land-based salmon farmer with facilities in Japan, announced that Michinori Hoshijima has taken the position as Chief Commercial Officer of Proximar Ltd., effective January 15.

Hoshijima brings a plethora of experience in the Japanese Atlantic salmon market. He worked for Mowi Japan for 23 years as Director, heading the sales and distribution for the Japanese market...

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...

Mowi to Appeal Fine for Salmon Escape to Chile’s Supreme Court

Mowi will appeal to Chile’s Supreme Court after an environmental court confirmed sanctions imposed by Chile’s Environmental Superintendency (SMA) linked to a 2018 escapement.

On February 10, a ruling from the Third Environmental Court confirmed the 5.3 billion Chilean pesos (US $5.1 million) fine levied on Mowi Chile linked to a major salmon escapement at its CES Punta Redonda fattening center in the Los Lagos region.

“The court's response comes within the framework of the claim of illegality...

Salmon Giant Mowi Breaks Records in 2024, Raises Harvest Guidance for 2025

Mowi said that in 2024, the company reached a litany of records for Q4 and the full year. The largest fish farming company in the world said it had its highest turnover and harvest volumes last year, with revenue at EUR 5.62 billion ($5.8 billion) on 502,000 metric tons of salmon.

“I am extremely pleased that we have continued to deliver on our strategy and our goals, and I am impressed with the way the organisation was once again able to produce both record volumes and record...

Mowi Fish Farm Loses 27,000 Salmon in Storm-Related Incident

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries (Fiskeridirektoratet) said 27,000 farmed salmon escaped from a Mowi site in Storvika Vest in Troms this past weekend.

Mowi Seawater Norway AS reported an escape incident on the night of February 9, where a cage was damaged during a storm. The directorate was on site to carry out inspections to begin the week and supervise according to typical procedures.

The fish in the cage in question have been moved and counted, and the company estimates that approximately...

Hokkaido Fishery's 2024 Pollock, Cod, and Herring Production Increased Amid Overall Production Dip

In 2024, Hokkaido's fishery production volume was 1.049 million tons, down 8% from the previous year, with the value being 279.8 billion yen, down 4%. Scallops and sardines, which had been strong in recent years, have started to decline, falling below 1.1 million tons for the first time in five years since 2019. The Hokkaido government recently announced preliminary figures.

According to the Minato Shimbun report on February 5, scallop production was down 8% in volume, amounting to 390,000 tons, marking a dip below 400,000...

ASC Blasts Norway’s Surcharge on Certified Salmon in Latest Aquaculture Tax Proposal

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) raised concerns about the latest version of Norway’s aquaculture tax, which could see ASC-certified fish subject to a NOK 2.00 per kg surcharge.

ASC CEO Chris Ninnes wrote a letter to Norway’s Ministry of Finance raising concerns about the proposed resource rent tax on Norwegian salmon, trout, and rainbow trout. ASC said it was not informed of the details of the proposed tax, and nothing has been made public, so it had to rely on a newsletter report published...

Atlantic Sapphire to Rent-Out Danish Facility; Feed Costs Impacted by Trump’s Tariffs

Land-based salmon farmer Atlantic Sapphire announced that it has entered into a short-term lease agreement with Maiken Foods AS to rent out its Danish facility.

Maiken will facilitate a pilot for its fish farming solution as its time as a tenant. During the lease period, Maiken will have a purchase option for the entity which will allow the company to create a large-scale land-based salmon farming operation.

In 2021, Atlantic Sapphire was hit with a major fire at its...

Seafood Featured in Retailer Giant Food’s Latest ‘Fresh Low Prices’ Effort

Giant Food, a prominent retailer in the Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Washington D.C. region, expanded its ‘Fresh Low Prices’ campaign, which features price reductions for seafood and other key categories.

The company shared that over the last nine months, Giant has lowered the price of hundreds of items across its private brand portfolio, which includes the Giant brand, Nature’s Promise, Taste of Inspirations, Smart Living, Always My Baby, Companion, and CareOne.

The new reductions include essential items across categories, including seafood, like shrimp and salmon...

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...

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...

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...

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...