China Lifts Four-Year Ban on Australian Live Rock Lobster Trade, Boosting Industry

China notified Australia on December 20 that the live rock lobster trade between the two nations can resume after a four-year import ban, per Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 

In October, Albanese announced that trade between the two nations would resume before the year ended.  

“This is a major win for our hard-hit live rock lobster industry and follows sustained engagement and advocacy by government and industry. We thank the Australian live rock lobster industry for its patience and resilience as we worked to reinstate...

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...

Strong Middle Eastern Demand Boosts Thai Tuna Export Figures

The export of Thai tuna increased by 33.27% y-o-y in September, as Global Trade Tracker informed. The increase in export levels was linked to a strong rise in demand led by Middle Eastern markets such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel, with a growth in exports of 10.84%, 129.93%, and 120.36% YTD, respectively.

Thailand’s Office of Trade Policy and Strategy (OTPS) under the Ministry of Commerce credited Middle East nations behind Thailand's strong canned tuna exports in an update published earlier this month. OTPS pointed towards stockpiling...

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...

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%...

Russia to Boost Fish Exports to $8.85 Billion by 2030 Amid Declining Stocks and Rising Competition

Russia plans to increase its fish exports to US$8.85 billion by 2030, although declining commercial stocks and the ever-growing competition in world markets could complicate their implementation.

Implementation of these plans will be part of the more significant target set by the Russian government, which is to increase exports of all agricultural products by 1.5 times by 2030.

According to Rosrybolovstvo data, in 2023, fishermen exported fish and seafood worth a total of $5.8...

Norwegian Salmon Exports Strong in Q3 Despite Headwinds; Farmed Cod Outpaces Wild-Caught

The Norwegian Seafood Council said it just wrapped up the best third quarter ever for seafood exports.

“Thanks to a historically high export value in September, we have put behind us the best third quarter ever. This time there is virtually no currency effect from a weak Norwegian krone, since we are comparing with the same period last year. High volumes of salmon, trout, mackerel and prawns are driving up the export value," said Christian Chramer, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council...

ILA Dockworkers to Return to Work as Port Strike Ends Following Tentative Agreement

Dockworkers from the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) returned to work on Friday after reaching a tentative wage agreement with the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) Thursday, bringing an end to the three-day strike that halted shipping operations along the East and Gulf Coasts.

"Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease, and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume,” according to a joint statement issued by both parties Thursday. The Master Contract will be extended until January 15, 2025, giving negotiators additional...

Norway's Seafood Export Values Boosted By Weak Krone; Salmon Market Trends Cloudy

The Norwegian Seafood Council announced that Norway reached its highest export value for the month of August but that was largely credited to the weaker Norwegian krone.

“Compared with last year, higher salmon volumes and a weaker Norwegian krone drove up the value of Norwegian seafood in August. We also see that higher volumes of trout and mackerel are contributing positively, in addition to an increase in prawn exports. At the same time, the price of salmon measured in foreign...

China Opens Market for Live Norwegian Snow Crab

Chinese authorities have approved the import of live snow crab from Norway. The news comes shortly after Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, met with the Minister of Chinese Customs and Veterinary Authorities, Yu Jianhua, in Beijing last month.

"The fact that China is opening up imports of live snow crab from Norway so quickly after I had political talks in China is very positive, and shows the importance of visits to promote Norway's interests,” Sivertsen Næss said.

“Live snow crab is of increasing interest in Asian markets...

Japan: Q1-Q3 Surimi Product Exports up 12%, Surging to the Middle East

According to the Ministry of Finance's trade statistics, the cumulative export volume of fish paste products (excluding fish sausages) such as kamaboko from January to September 2024 was 7,522 tons, up 12% from last year. The increase was due to a significant increase in exports to the emerging Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which tripled; Saudi Arabia, which nearly doubled; and the United States, the largest export destination, which grew 1.5 times. However, this was down 17% compared to the...

Russia Shifts Crab Exports to Asian Markets; Domestic Demand Remains Strong

Russia has been increasing crab exports to the Asian region lately due to the ever-growing demand and increased sales.

According to Japanese customs data, in September 2024, Russia sold a record volume of crabs to Japan since the end of 2023.

According to the results of September, Russia increased crab supplies to Japan by almost 1.5 times compared to August, to 1.900 tons worth US$34.8 million. This became a record in value and volume since the end of 2023...

Russian Fish Industry Warns of Profit Decline, Calls for Tax Relief Amid Rising Export Duties

Leading Russian fish producers have once again called on the state to reduce the industry's tax burden, which has led to a serious decline in the profitability of the country's fish sector.

According to the latest predictions of the Russian Association of Fishing Fleet Owners (AFFO), the operating profitability of marine fisheries in Russia next year may decrease from the current 7% to 2% if the current export duties (which are based on the rouble’s exchange rate) are maintained...

Norwegian Government Targets Seafood as Next Major Export Focus

The Norwegian government announced that seafood has become the focus of the country’s next strategic export promotion initiative.

Norway is one of the significant seafood exporters on the planet, and various species like salmon and cod are shipped worldwide.

The government said that the new export venture “will contribute to increased exports throughout the value chain.”

“In the Hurdal platform, the government has set itself the goal of increasing exports outside of oil and gas by 50 per cent by 2030. In order to achieve this, we wanted to...

Russian Government Plans to Keep Duties on Exports of Domestic Fish, Seafood

The Russian government plans to keep the existing duties on exports of domestic fish and seafood despite criticism from local fishermen.

According to recent calculations of the Russian Association of Fishing Fleet Owners (AFFO), from the beginning of October 2023 to the end of September 2024, the overall duties paid on the export of pollock, cod, haddock and crab products from Russia may amount to more than 19.2 billion rubles, which is a big figure for the industry...

Hurricane Helene Intensifies U.S. Agriculture Disruptions As Port Strike Officially Starts

Hurricane Helene, a powerful Category 4 storm, made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region on September 26, 2024. The storm caused widespread destruction across the southeastern U.S., with the death toll approaching 125 as of this writing. 

Its damaging winds, storm surge, and flooding led to power outages and infrastructure damage in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas–with the Carolinas seemingly suffering the greatest impacts. Parts of North Carolina are submerged under water, where roads have been washed out and properties have been flattened. As of October 1...