Over 21 Million Pounds of Alaska Pollock Among USDA’s Latest Seafood Purchase Requests

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking bids on various seafood products, including catfish, shrimp, and Alaskan pollock, through Section 32.

The USDA stated that the products, announced in three separate solicitations, will be used in domestic food distribution programs. Bids are due by February 27, and acceptances will be announced on March 6. The largest purchase is focused on Alaskan pollock, with the USDA looking for bids on over 21 million pounds of product. The offerings range from frozen pollock fillets...

Ecuadorian Shrimp Companies Unite Under “Ecuador First Class Shrimp” Brand to Expand Global Reach

Ecuadorian shrimp companies have adopted the “Ecuador First Class Shrimp” brand as they look to promote the 60-year industry at trade shows and beyond.

The new brand, created with the help of Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), aims to tell the industry's story. It focuses on characteristics like sustainability, quality, and innovation.

The Ecuador First Class Shrimp brand will be on display at the upcoming Seafood Expo North America show and was on display at some trade shows...

CenSea and Ocean Garden Join Forces, Boosting Captain Fresh’s Global Reach

CenSea, a top US seafood importer and distributor, announced it had acquired Ocean Garden’s brand portfolio, bringing another significant name under the Captain Fresh umbrella.

Two of the largest US-based seafood companies have joined forces with the deal, which is now inked. CenSea boasts a strong foundation in Asian shrimp and other products and can combine with San Diego-based Ocean Garden, which specializes in Mexican and Ecuadorian shrimp.

Jeff Stern, Co-President, CenSea, added, “We at CenSea are committed...

Tassal and Visy Collaborate on Sustainable Cardboard Boxes for Australian Shrimp

Seafood producer Tassal recently partnered up with Australian food and beverage manufacturer Visy to create new sustainable cardboard boxes for Tassal’s shrimp products.

The boxes, which are made from 74% recycled material, are made locally at Visy’s Carole Park site in Ipswich, Queensland, before being sent to Proserpine for packing.

According to Adrian Dalgleish, Executive General Manager for Fiber Packaging at Visy, keeping the manufacturing within Australia ensures Australian jobs while also maintaining proximity for any customer needs as they arise.

Together, Visy and Tassal ran numerous market trials...

96% of Tampa-St Petersburg Restaurants are Misleading Shrimp Consumers

According to recent genetic testing conducted by Seafood Development Consulting (SEAD), approximately 96% of shrimp in Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida restaurants (42 out of 44 establishments) were determined farm-raised imported shrimp instead of the wild-caught local shrimp they were advertised as.

This coincides with previous SEAD genetic tests and repeated cases of shrimp mislabeling in the U.S.A.’s Gulf of Mexico region, as we reported on earlier this month.

“When diners think of Tampa and St. Pete, they think of seafood fresh from the Gulf..."

Largest US Shrimp Farmer Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy; Robin Pearl Back in as CEO

American Mariculture (AMI), the largest shrimp farmer in the United States, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 8, per court documents.

According to its bankruptcy petition, the Florida-based company has 50-99 debtors. American Mariculture estimated that its assets range between $1 million and $10 million, and its liabilities range from $10 million to $50 million.

On January 9, Judge Caryl E. Delano of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida granted an expedited motion directing the joint administration...

Zhanjiang Guolian Aquatic Products Signs Exclusive Shrimp Sales Contract with Ecuador's AQUAGOLD

According to Minato Shimbun, AQUAGOLD in Guayaquil, a major Ecuadorian vannamei producer, has signed a three-year exclusive agency contract with Zhanjiang Guolian Fisheries for the Chinese market, according to reports from multiple Chinese media outlets on January 8, 2025.

Ecuador is a major producer of farmed vannamei, with more than half of its exports going to China. The largest vannamei producer in Ecuador is Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscilla (IPSP), followed by Sociedad Nacional Galapagos (SONGA) and AQUAGOLD...

Eight-Year High for FDA Entry Line Refusals of Antibiotic Contaminated Shrimp

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released data showing a total of 64 seafood entry line refusals in December 2024—not including entry line refusals of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics—and a total of 79 entry line refusals of shrimp for the presence of banned antibiotics, as determined by product traces of veterinary drug residues.

The latter datum marks an eight-year high since 2016, when the FDA refused 134 shrimp entry lines due to the presence of banned antibiotics. Meanwhile, the...

China Announces 2025 Tariff Increases on Key Seafood Imports

China’s State Council announced adjustments for tariff rates in 2025, with some of the adjustments leading to rate increases for key imported seafood items like shrimp, whitefish and abalone.

Some key seafood items will see increased tariff rates from 2% to 5% in 2025. Specifically, the tax rate for frozen shrimp will see a 3% tariff jump, along with frozen Arctic shrimp, while fresh abalone will jump from 7% to 10%.

EU SME Centre highlighted the following species with increased tariffs (all impacted items are frozen product): Greenland halibut, flounder...

Robin Pearl Steps Down as CEO of American Mariculture Amid Shareholder Disputes 

Robin Pearl, the co-founder and CEO of American Mariculture, announced on LinkedIn that he has resigned from his post at the helm of the firm, along with its affiliates American Penaeid and Sun Shrimp Gourmet, on December 29.

Pearl said the back-to-back hurricanes that hit Florida had a “extensive impact” on the organization. Pearl noted that an “influential” group of AMI shareholders took a more active role and demanded changes that Pearl disagreed with.

“While I am very disappointed with the way...

SeaD Consulting Finds 30% of Shrimp Dishes Misrepresented in Baton Rouge Restaurants

Earlier this month, SeaD Consulting unveiled findings from its investigation into the mislabeling and misrepresenting of shrimp served at Mississippi restaurants. Now, the group is back after its first investigation into eateries in another state in the Gulf region.

This time, the firm focused on monitoring seafood mislabeling via genetic testing and had Louisiana restaurants in its sights. 

SeaD said that following sampling menu items at 24 restaurants across Baton Rouge, LA, 30% of the dishes sampled were misrepresented. Seven of the 24 randomly selected restaurants were misleading...

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...

Captain Fresh Eyeing Profitable Fiscal Year with Looming IPO Push

India-based Captain Fresh is aiming for a profitable end to the fiscal year ahead of its looming IPO push, according to the Financial Express.

The founder of the B2B seafood firm, Utham Gowda, explained to the publication that Captain Fresh had become a “global-to-global firm” at the end of FY2024, and FY2025 would mark the first time the company's global scale would be felt.

The global push has the company eying profitability and revenue growth in the range of $500-550 million...

USITC Finds Imported Shrimp Harmful to U.S. Industry, Duties Imposed

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that the U.S. shrimp industry was “materially injured” by imported shrimp that was sold at less than fair value or gained an advantage via subsidies.

The USITC affirmed the Department of Commerce (Commerce)’s determination that frozen warmwater shrimp from Indonesia was sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. It also affirmed Commerce's findings that imports of shrimp from Ecuador, India, and Vietnam were subsidized by the respective governments.

This decision paves the way for the Department of Commerce to issue...

Onda Partners with Brazilian Facility for Shrimp Research

Onda, an aquaculture research organization, announced the opening of a satellite location in Brazil to expand its work into the whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) sector.

“This expansion of services will be conducted in collaboration with an aquaculture facility in Brazil, marking a pivotal step in advancing sustainable shrimp farming research globally,” Onda shared in a press release.

Onda said its push into the shrimp sector through its external partner comes from a market push to provide trials and testing for whiteleg shrimp. Onda said the trials...

Prime Shrimp’s Value-Added Products Hits Whole Foods Shelves

Following a handful of product line expansions throughout 2024, value-added shrimp brand Prime Shrimp will now be on the shelves in select Whole Foods Market stores across the U.S. through four of its flavors—Signature, Lemon & Cracked Pepper, Garlic Herb Butter, and New Orleans-Style BBQ.

The products will be available in over 200 Whole Foods stores in the Northeast, North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South, and Southwest.

“Expanding Prime Shrimp’s availability in the U.S. by launching with Whole Foods Market marks the achievement of a long-held aspiration for our... 

Japan: Shrimp Imports Rose 8% in 2024, with Ecuador Imports Doubling and Argentina Imports up 40%

Japan's shrimp imports in 2024, including frozen and processed shrimp, reached 213,826 tons, an increase of 8% from the previous year and exceeding the lowest level since 2012. The increase is due to a doubling of frozen shrimp imports from Ecuador. Japan’s 2024 shrimp import value came in at 186.3 billion yen ($1.22 billion), reported Minato Shimbun.

According to the Ministry of Finance's trade statistics, frozen shrimp increased by 10%, amounting to 152,451 tons and a total value of 199.8 billion yen...

Shrimp Farmers in India Cite Struggles as Vannamei Seed Prices Rise

Vannamei shrimp seed prices have risen of late, causing headwinds for shrimp farmers in India, according to media reports.

The New Indian Express reported that shrimp seed prices in the Nellore region have been driven up by increased demand for high-quality seed and broodstock. Nellore is in Andhra Pradesh, the main hub for Vannamei shrimp production in India.

The publication noted that farmers have become uncertain about the profitability of shrimp farming as seed prices rise daily. As a result, the farmers...

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...

GSMC 2025: Balancing Act in Sight for the Shrimp Market in 2025?

Did you have an appearance from former NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski on your Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC) 2025 bingo card?

Yes, the man known as Gronk made a quick video appearance in the middle of the GSMC Shrimp panel discussion, but let’s quickly shift focus to more pressing topics discussed by the panelists.

The National Fisheries Institute’s Richard Barry moderated the panel featuring Patrick Kraver of Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Gabriel Luna of Glunashrimp, Jamie Marshall of AZ Gems Inc. and Guy Pizzuti of Publix Super Markets, Inc...

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...

Genetic Testing Finds Texas Restaurants Mislabeling Shrimp

More restaurants in the Gulf region have been found to sell imported shrimp despite “claims, implications, or menu descriptions” that indicate the offerings were wild-caught shrimp from Texas.

SEAD (Seafood Development) Consulting conducted another genetic testing investigation in the Gulf of Mexico region, this time finding that just shy of 60% of restaurants tested in Galveston and Kemah, Texas, were serving imported shrimp.

SEAD noted that several sampled restaurants advertised Gulf shrimp on their menus but served imported farm-raised products instead. Restaurants also used “misleading marketing, imagery, or descriptions” that implied...

USDA’s Section 32 Program Agrees to Purchase up to $55M in Farm-Raised Catfish and Gulf Shrimp

Catfish and shrimp producers in the southern U.S. will soon benefit from a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchase agreement involving the procurement of up to $30 million in farm-raised catfish products and $25 million in Gulf shrimp for distribution to various nutrition assistance programs.

The $55 million seafood purchase agreement—allowed through the permanently authorized Section 32 Program—follows two USDA purchase agreements from 2024 for up to $36 million in Gulf of Mexico and...

Ace Aquatec Installs Humane Shrimp Stunning Technology in Thailand

Aquaculture technology firm Ace Aquatec recently installed a portable, high-tonnage prawn stunner at a shrimp farm in Thailand.

Ace Aquatec’s proprietary Shrimp Humane Universal Stunner (A-HSU®) was developed from an earlier prototype, which the company adapted for its client, seafood producer Marks & Spencer.

This development comes after Ace Aquatec announced its partnership with the Shrimp Welfare Project (SWP) in August of this year. As part of the company’s participation in the project, Ace Aquatec promised to provide technology needed to expand access to humane stunning solutions...

Commerce Updates Antidumping, CVD Trade Rules to Strengthen Protections for US Industries 

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) updated its antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) regulations. Commerce said the adjustments aim to “level the playing field for U.S. industries and workers by addressing unfair trade actions from foreign businesses and governments.”

“The Commerce Department continues to update our trade enforcement regulations to effectively respond to the evolving, real-world circumstances that U.S. businesses and workers face,” said Under Secretary for International Trade Marisa Lago. “We continue to use every tool at our disposal to safeguard U.S. businesses and workers...

ANALYSIS: After a Positive Summer, Argentinian Shrimp Exports Collapse in October

Latest figures from Argentinian customs show a significant drop in exports of muelleri wild shrimp in October. While the volume traded during the summer was at the highest in the last five years, exports collapsed in October at 13,026 MT, representing a 44% decline since September and a 42% decrease in value at $84,938...

Genetic Testing Reveals Mississippi Restaurants Misrepresenting Gulf Shrimp

A recent investigation found extensive mislabeling and misrepresentation of shrimp served at restaurants in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region.

SeaD Consulting, a firm focused on monitoring seafood mislabeling through genetic testing, said it found that many establishments in the area are misleading consumers by offering imported shrimp rather than locally caught fare.

Findings from SeaD Consulting indicated that restaurants in Biloxi, Gulf Shores, and surrounding areas featured marketing focused on “fresh local seafood,” but imported shrimp was frequently substituted for the local wild-caught shrimp, which remains a staple in the region...

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...

Shrimp’s Health Benefits Spotlighted in New Guide for Nutrition Experts

The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) and Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) debuted the Shrimp Nutritional Guide earlier this week.

The new resource, developed alongside the Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP), aims to help dietitians better understand shrimp's health benefits, debunk myths about the food, and highlight the various ways to cook shrimp.

The launch event took place on November 13 and was attended by more than 120 participants, including nutritionists, chefs, industry entrepreneurs, and other notable figures from the culinary field, per a press release from the SSP...

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...