ANALYSIS: Tight Norwegian Cod Supply Continues to Drive Higher Prices

The European whitefish market has remained active throughout 2026, with Norwegian cod prices holding above 2025 levels. This firm market sentiment has been sustained by tighter Norwegian supply, following the lowest total allowable catch (TAC) set for the Barents Sea since 1999. At 285,000 metric tonnes (mt), the TAC represents a 16% year-on-year (YOY) reduction, with Norway's share of the quota standing at 139,827 mt...

Expana Expands Global Seafood Coverage with 5 New Algorithmic Tilapia Forecasts

Expana today announced the addition of five new tilapia algorithmic forecasts to its platform, linked to the UB Frozen (IVP) Shallow/Standard Skin Moisture Added, Tilapia, Fillet, China, 5-7 oz EBP (3870) parent series. The forecasts cover China and the United States and are classified under the Seafood category. The forecasts (14284, 14283, 14285, 5420, 3871) are available immediately to Expana subscribers...

Faroese PM Presses Von der Leyen on Salmon Tariffs, Comes Away Empty-Handed

The Faroe Islands' push for better EU market access for processed seafood ran into diplomatic reality this week, as Prime Minister Beinir Johannesen's face-to-face appeal to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen produced no concrete movement on the tariff structure Faroese industry says is holding back domestic salmon processing.

The meeting took place in Nuuk, Greenland, on September 7 — not Brussels — on the sidelines of von der Leyen's two-day visit to sign a new EU-Greenland partnership declaration alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette...

BioMar Completes Global ASC Feed Certification Pipeline With Greece Milestone

BioMar has finished rolling out ASC Feed Certification across its entire global production network, with its Greek facility becoming the latest — and final — plant to achieve the standard.

The certification in Greece caps a multi-year process that saw BioMar progressively bring its production facilities in Europe, Latin and Central America, Australia and Asia into compliance with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council's feed standard. With Greece now certified, every BioMar plant where the ASC program is currently available holds the certification...

Cousins Maine Lobster to Take Dallas Food Truck on West Texas Tour

Cousins Maine Lobster is taking its Dallas food truck on a five-day tour of West Texas, with stops planned in Midland, Odessa, Lubbock and Amarillo from Sept. 9-13.

The regional tour marks the Dallas-based team's return to West Texas following time away from the market. The company said the truck will serve its core menu of wild-caught Maine lobster products, along with newer offerings.

"West Texas has always shown tremendous enthusiasm for Cousins Maine Lobster, and our Dallas team...

Santa Barbara Fishermen Land $500K State Grant to Build Ocean Collective Career Hub

The Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara (CFSB) has secured $507,500 from the California State Coastal Conservancy to launch the Ocean Collective, a partnership aimed at building career pathways and shared infrastructure for the region's blue economy. The funding comes from the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 — the voter-approved measure known as Proposition 4 or the "2024 Climate Bond."

The award marks a major step forward for...

ANALYSIS: US Shrimp Imports Land On Target in July, but Country and Product Splits Diverge

July US shrimp imports came in at 168.5 million lbs, almost exactly matching the Expana model estimate of 167.3 million lbs and landing comfortably inside the 157.4–177.2 million lb range. The total told a clean story. The composition underneath it did not.

By product type, peeled cleared the top of the estimate range at 94.9 million lbs against an upper bound of 90.0 million lbs. Shell-on landed within range at 42.2 million lbs. Cooked ran below range at 16.2 million lbs...

USDA Finalizes $22.9 Million in Catfish, Atlantic Pollock Awards for Child Nutrition Programs

The US Department of Agriculture has awarded contracts worth nearly $23 million for frozen catfish and Atlantic pollock fillets, closing out two Section 32 solicitations that Expana has been tracking since USDA returned to the seafood market in mid-August.

Catfish awards fall short of original ask

Under solicitation 12-3J14-26-B-0396, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service awarded contracts for 3,952,000 pounds of catfish fillets, unbreaded and raw, packaged 20/2 lb, at prices ranging from $4.58 to $5.38 per pound...

HF Foods Closes $35M Acquisition of Canadian Seafood Distributor Searay

HF Foods has closed its acquisition of Searay Foods Inc. and related entities, completing the company’s first expansion outside the United States and entry into the Canadian market.

The company announced the deal in July. The CAD$47.9 million (about US$35 million) transaction includes 100% of Searay’s issued and outstanding equity interests and represents approximately 5.0 times Searay’s 2025 Adjusted EBITDA.

HF Foods paid CAD$38.4 million (approximately US$27.8 million) in cash and 1.7 million shares...

Court Upholds Shrimp CVDs on India, Ecuador, Vietnam in Trilogy of Rulings

The US Court of International Trade sustained the International Trade Commission's finding that subsidized shrimp imports from India, Ecuador, and Vietnam materially injured the domestic shrimp industry, rejecting exporter challenges from all three countries in a trio of opinions issued September 4. The rulings keep countervailing duties in place on shrimp from all three nations, covering an investigation period from January 1, 2021, to March 31, 2024.

India (Seafood Exporters Association of India): Indian exporters argued the Commission wrongly folded frozen cooked shrimp into the same...

Sysco Reaffirms 2027 Guidance, Raises Mid-Term Growth Targets

Sysco is reaffirming its fiscal 2027 guidance while raising its mid-term growth targets, citing momentum in the business and a new multi-year AI-powered efficiency program. The company delivered solid results in fiscal 2026, helping set the stage for the reaffirmed outlook.

According to Expana’s report, Sysco’s sales rose 3.9% to $84.7 billion in 2026, while US Foodservice sales increased 4.4% to $15.4 billion and International Foodservice sales grew 6.7% to $4.2 billion.

"We finished fiscal 2026 with momentum, and that...

US Labor Department Recovers $732K for Florida Seafood Restaurant Workers in Wage Case

The US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has recovered $732,976 for 31 workers at Miyako Japanese Buffet, a Pompano Beach seafood restaurant operated by Lucky King LLC.

Investigators found the employer paid staff flat monthly sums of between $1,000 and $3,000 regardless of hours worked, failing to meet minimum wage and overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The case is the latest in a string of DOL wage-recovery actions against restaurant operators this year, following an August settlement...

Wagamama Revamps US Menu with Customizable Formats and Expanded Drinks Lineup

Wagamama is overhauling its US menu, adding 26 dishes, 15 Asian-inspired beverages and more customizable formats as the pan-Asian chain looks to widen its appeal with American diners.

The rollout includes several seafood additions, among them Thai Chili Shrimp Bao Bun Tacos, poke bowls with fresh ahi tuna and Thai Chili Shrimp, and Salt + Pepper Calamari as a new shareable item. The company is also expanding its ramen and salad offerings, giving guests more ways to tailor meals...

Two Charged in West Haven Harbor Illegal Net, Undersize Fluke Bust

Connecticut DEEP Environmental Conservation Police arrested Qidong Chen and Yuqing Lin, both 53, of Meriden, following a West Haven harbor operation prompted by boater complaints about illegal nets posing a fouling hazard. Charges include commercial fishing without a license, fishing for summer flounder without the required endorsement, possession of 15 undersize fluke (smallest measured 3.5 inches against a 14-inch minimum), illegal harvest of 99 eastern oysters, shellfishing after sunset, and possession of 51 undersize blue crabs. Seized fish were donated to a raptor rehabilitation center...

UK Air Traffic Control Meltdown Disrupts Key Export Gateway for Scottish Salmon

A nationwide air traffic control failure that grounded more than 1,000 UK flights this week briefly disrupted one of Scottish salmon's key export gateways. Heathrow suspended arrivals as the outage — traced to a technical fault at UK air traffic control provider NATS — hit airports across the country on Tuesday, September 8. NATS said it fixed the issue and operations returned to normal, though disruption continued into Wednesday as airlines worked to reposition aircraft and crews. The Guardian noted it marked Britain's third major NATS stoppage in just...

Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods Taps Former Cox's Seafood Exec Bedi to Lead Business Development

Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods has appointed Vnay Bedi as Senior Vice President, Business Development, tasking him with leading strategy and innovation for the company's value-added seafood portfolio, according to a LinkedIn announcement from the brand. Bedi will focus on building strategic partnerships and driving new commercial opportunities across retail, foodservice, and other channels.

"I am thrilled to join Chicken of the Sea and to be part of such an iconic, trusted brand," Bedi said in a statement. "Chicken of the Sea...

Russia Cuts 2027 Pollock Quota by 2.7% Amid Stock Decline

Russia has set new total allowable catch (TAC) quotas for pollock and other species for 2027, according to the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo).

Russia's overall 2027 catch quota was set at 3.6 million tonnes, about 4% lower than 2026 figures. The pollock quota specifically was reduced by 2.73% year-over-year to 2.53 million tonnes. Rosrybolovstvo did not disclose specific reasons for the reduction, though it is likely linked to declining stocks in some of Russia's major pollock fishing areas...