One of China’s Main Tilapia Exporters Achieves Better Performance in This First Half of the Year

During an online interview, Baiyang, a major seafood company in China, said its market performance, especially that of the wprocessing sector, has bettered during this first half of the year, according to a report from Stockstar.com. Within this period, the revenues from its seafood processing business ballooned by 62.11% to 0.534 billion yuan compared with the same period last year. And the number constitutes 36.77% of the company’s total, which only increased by 27.43%...

Gorton’s Tilapia Sustainability Lawsuit Update: Case Dismissed Following Private Settlement 

The lawsuit against Gorton’s has been dismissed by Judge Patti B. Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

News of Gorton’s facing a class-action lawsuit broke in April 2022. A complaint filed on behalf of New York and California consumers Jeffrey Alan Spindel and Kevin McCarthy stated that Gorton’s frozen tilapia products are misleading in that they are labeled sustainably sourced, but are not sustainably sourced because they are products from fish farms in China...

Gorton’s Tilapia Sustainability Lawsuit Will Move Forward, Despite GSA, New England Aquarium Support

A court battle involving U.S. seafood industry staple Gorton’s Inc. will continue.

U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris denied the company’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit claiming its tilapia products feature misleading sustainability messaging.

“To the extent plaintiffs are casting a wider net in arguing that only tilapia raised in the wild are sustainable, they will come up empty,” Saris wrote. “To the extent plaintiffs are casting a wider net in arguing that only tilapia raised in the wild...

GSA, New England Aquarium Want to Submit Breifs to Support Gorton’s in Tilapia Sustainability Lawsuit

Back in April, a complaint was filed by a pair of consumers Jeffrey Alan Spindel and Kevin McCarthy in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts which claimed that Gorton’s Inc. has misled consumers over its “sustainably sourced” labeling on its frozen tilapia products, as SeafoodNews reported.

In recent days, both the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) and the New England Aquarium, which has held a decade-plus long partnership with Gorton’s, motioned to file an Amicus Brief to support Gorton’s in the case...

Tropical Aquaculture Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Vermont-headquartered Tropical Aquaculture filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on June 30.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy means Tropical will immediately halt operations and have its assets liquidated. The company was founded in 1995 and had an office in Maine. It worked as a sales and distribution company that sold farmed fish, from several countries. According to its website, the company supported 5,000 jobs in the U.S., South America and Europe. Tropical’s LinkedIn page said it supplied fresh and...

Tilapia Prices Contract in China

This early May has seen a price decrease of some tilapia in China’s Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Many trucks have driven there to buy tilapia with more entering into the local market, but the sales have been influenced by preventions and controls of COVID-19. Overall demand is far from satisfactory.

In the region’s Huizhou city, for example, non-farm gate prices have dropped by about 0.1 to 0.3 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kilo) compared with the previous week to about 6.2 yuan/jin for those weighing over 1.5 jin each...

ANALYSIS: 2022 Q1 Pangasius Volume Outweighs Tilapia Second Year as Record Prices Retreat

The first quarter for 2022 has once again reported higher import volumes of pangasius frozen fillets compared to tilapia frozen fillets. Historically, tilapia largely outweighs pangasius volume, however, 2021 monthly import data saw that trend reversal for six out of the twelve months last year, where pangasius brought in higher volumes.

As supply improves and backorders are caught up on, pricing on pangasius out of Vietnam has allowed for discounts. As previously reported by industry players, demand...

Class Action Suit Claims Gorton’s Misled Consumers Over Sustainability of Tilapia Products

Gorton’s Inc. is facing a class-action lawsuit that claims its frozen tilapia products have misled consumers because the products are labeled as "sustainably sourced."

The 35-page complaint was filed on behalf of New York and California consumers Jeffrey Alan Spindel and Kevin McCarthy in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on April 21.

The consumers argue that the fish are not sustainably sourced because they are products from fish farms in China.

“The products are in fact not sustainably sourced but instead are made from tilapia...

VIDEO: Most Favored Nation Treatment; Fresh Tilapia Update; China Suspends Shrimp Importers

Join SeafoodNews video co-hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione as they break down the biggest stories of the week, including the passing of Congressman Don Young; Japan's withdrawal of the Most Favored Nation trade incentive for Russia; the latest in the tilapia market; and China's suspension of Ecuador shrimp imports.

This video is sponsored by Urner Barry's Seafood Market Update webinar. Join us Tuesday March 29th at 2 PM EST for an in-depth look at the major influencers of the seafood market such as the ban on Russian crab imports, the impact of the Lenten season, and more! Click here to register for free.

Tilapia Prices Increase in China

During this mid-March, China’s farm gate price of tilapia increased by about 11.2% to 5.8 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kilo) compared with the same period last year. It has gone up by 9.5% from the early March, according to statistics from Agricultural Wealth. The main reasons for this increase are said to be linked to farmers changing to other fish species in Guangdong. It's resulting in supply contraction, and they're waiting for higher prices.

In places like Jiangmen of Guangdong, for instance...

CFIA Announces Another Seafood Recall Due to Undeclared Allergen

After the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced a pair of recalls for seafood products due to undeclared milk on February 11, more products were recalled for the same reason on February 17.

The latest recall impacts Frobisher International Enterprises Ltd. and its 3Fish brand Sauerkraut Fish (Szechuan Style) and Tilapia Soup with Pickled Vegetables from the marketplace because they may contain milk which is not declared on the label.

The recalled products have been sold in British Columbia. As of February 17, CFIA noted no reported reactions associated...

China’s Tilapia Prices Increase in Late August, But the Industry Still Faced Various Problems

During late August, China’s tilapia market rebounded, and prices increased in several main aquaculture regions, according to bbwfish.com. In places like the western Guangdong, they increased between about 0.1 to 0.2 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kilo) compared with the mid-August, while the increase reached about 0.3 yuan/jin in such markets as those in Guangxi and Fujian.

The higher prices are said to have partially been a result of greater costs and supplies lower than before. With continuously hot days, disease... 

This Week in Retail: Wrapping Up July; Digesting the Latest GDP Data  

Wrapping up July, grocers are promoting fan-favorite grilling items like steaks, pork chops, and shrimp in an effort to encourage at-home cooking during the dog days of summer—a seasonally sluggish period for meat sales.

Seafood features make up nearly 33% of total protein ad volume this week, marking the fifth consecutive week that it has seized the top spot. Beef comes in second with 23%, closely followed by pork with 22%. Chicken claims 17.5% and eggs make up 1.3% of ad space, down from nearly 5% the week...

Regal Springs Partners with Ace Aquatec to Introduce ‘Gamechanger’ Technology for Tilapia Farming

Regal Springs, a major tilapia producer has partnered with aquaculture technology firm Ace Aquatec to bring in-water, high welfare stunning solutions into its processing facilities.

The new tech will be introduced in the coming months and follows months of successful trials in Mexico.

Regal Springs was eyeing a stunning solution to harvest its fish and address the interest from consumers for responsibly sourced seafood.

Research has shown that nine in ten global consumers prioritize buying from companies that have ethical sourcing strategies in place with...

ANALYSIS: Tilapia and Pangasius Under Downwards Pressure

As the second quarter of the year ends, tilapia and pangasius frozen fillets are both seeing downwards pricing pressure leading into the summer. While discounts on pangasius have steadily continued since the end of the first quarter due to backorders finally catching up, combined with consumer pushback to record premiums in the wake of inflation, tilapia remained firm with an active demand until recent.

Contributing to the discounts within the tilapia market includes ocean freight relaxing, the USD gaining strength against the RMB...

These Are The Top 10 Seafood Items Consumed In The U.S. For 2020

Seafood consumption figures are in for 2020, revealing how the pandemic helped - and hurt - the industry.

When the coronavirus began spreading in the U.S. in early 2020, the government took extreme lockdown measures, shutting down all non-essential businesses. While restaurants were allowed to remain open, their dining rooms were closed. This was a major blow to the seafood industry, where fish and shellfish thrived at dine-in. However, retail seafood purchases did increase with many people using the lockdown to learn how to...

Chinese Tilapia Farmers Still Worried Despite Prices Increasing

China has been challenged by a shortage of tilapias this April, especially large ones. One main reason for this is that processing plants are buying more to satisfy a great number of foreign orders. Some have raised purchase prices to get more supplies, and traders in regions like Guangdong have even driven around to buy from Hainan farmers.

Prices have risen in such a seller’s market, and they are said to have set a new high record within the past 10 years, according to Shuichan.cc. In Guangdong province, for example...

Regal Springs, aquaManager Partner to Boost Tech in Tilapia Farming Operations

Regal Springs and aquaManager have announced a long-term strategic partnership that will lead to state-of-the-art technology implementation in Regal Springs’ fish farming operations.

The initiatives focus on artificial intelligence, machine-learning and advanced algorithms, encompass data management and modeling, business intelligence, real-time data collection, and the latest smart devices and equipment, such as “state of the art” data-reading camera tracking systems, and have been successfully applied with more established species in marine environments, a press release from Regal Springs explained...

ANALYSIS: Ukraine Crisis Contributing to Fresh Tilapia Premiums

Multiple factors are contributing to the upwards pressure within the fresh tilapia market, resulting in record high or 52-week high premiums across all sizes. In addition to massive freight increases both domestically and globally, continued logistical issues, and supply constraints, fresh tilapia is also seeing upwards pressure due to rising feed costs on corn, wheat and soy.

As reported by Urner Barry's plant protein market reporter Andraia Torsiello in the Monthly Insider's Soy & Wheat Report, Ukraine accounts for roughly 12% of global wheat exports and...

A Look at the Most Popular Seafood During Lent

Tis the season for seafood! Today is Ash Wednesday, which is also the first day of Lent. Those that observe Lent refrain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday leading up to Easter, which this year falls on April 17. As a result, seafood sales tend to tick up.

Easter fell early last year, which according to IRI Worldwide resulted in an increase in fresh seafood sales in March.  Fresh seafood reached $548 million, a 13.3% dollar sales increase and 6.6% volume sales increase from March 2020...

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Announces Multiple Recalls Due to Undeclared Allergen

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) posted a pair of recalls for seafood products due to undeclared milk on February 11.

One of the recalls focused on Metro Marine Corporation’s Our Chinese Heart brand Sauerkraut Tilapia (Hot Spicy) and Golden Soup Sauerkraut Fish (Tilapia (Mild Spicy)). The recalled products were sold in British Columbia and Manitoba, and may have been distributed in other provinces and territories.

The CFIA noted the recall was triggered by CFIA test results and a food safety investigation is underway...