ANALYSIS: Chile Controls 70% of US Fresh Salmon Imports as Norwegian Supply Falls 35%

Chile controls more than 70% of US fresh salmon fillet imports, Norwegian supply is down more than a third year-over-year, and a 12.5% tariff deadline is six weeks out. Despite all of that, the fresh benchmark is drifting lower and buyers are hesitant to commit. The frozen market, running below a three-year average in volume, is the steadier of the two. Understanding why requires looking past the price series and into how Chilean producers get paid...

Private Brands Gain Momentum as Quality, Health Drive Shopper Loyalty, FMI Reports

Private brands/labels continue to build market share and consumer loyalty, with new research from FMI showing shoppers are increasingly choosing store brands for quality, taste and health benefits and not just value.

According to FMI’s Power of Private Brands 2026: Consumer Trends – From Stores to Homes report, 92% of US grocery shoppers currently have store brand products in their homes, up from 89% last year. Private brand dollar sales also increased 2.8% year-over-year (YOY), outpacing national brand...

Federal Judge Denies Bumble Bee Motion to Dismiss Forced Labor Case

A California federal judge has denied Bumble Bee Foods' motion to reconsider her earlier ruling allowing an Indonesian fishermen's human trafficking lawsuit to proceed.

Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant's June 11 order acknowledged that her previous ruling incorrectly stated that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had definitively held that trafficking claims apply to overseas conduct, when the appeals court had only "assumed without deciding" this point.

Despite the correction, Bashant maintained that the four Indonesian plaintiffs can pursue claims under the...

First Copper River Salted Sockeye Roe Shipment Arrives in Sendai, Prices Rise

Chilled salted sockeye salmon roe from Copper River, Alaska, arrived at the Sendai Central Wholesale Market on June 12th, marking the first shipment of the season. The quantity was approximately 310 kg (eight 40kg packs), a 16% decrease compared to the first shipment last year.

Despite the challenging production situation due to rising labor costs from the weak yen and higher raw material prices, market participants welcomed the products.

According to a report by Minato Shimbun, the shipment was received by Sento...

Young Right Whale Entangled in Gulf of St. Lawrence as Rescue Efforts Begin

Canadian authorities are working to track and potentially rescue a 5-year-old North Atlantic right whale spotted entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on June 8.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) reported that an aerial survey near Shippagan, New Brunswick, identified the whale as Catalog #5192, an unnamed male with fishing rope caught in its mouth and trailing several body lengths behind its body.

Scientists at the New England Aquarium confirmed the whale was last seen gear-free...

ANALYSIS: Atlantic Halibut's Seasonal Slide Hits Harder From a Higher Perch

Atlantic halibut prices have retreated sharply over the past two weeks, with the average price falling from $14.25/lb on May 28 to $9.00/lb as of June 11 — a drop of $5.25/lb in a span of just two reporting periods. While this type of late-spring softening is not unusual for this market, the sheer velocity of the descent has drawn attention across the trade...

USITC Extends Antidumping Order on Vietnamese Fish Fillets Through 2031

The US International Trade Commission determined that revoking the existing antidumping order on certain frozen fish fillets from Vietnam would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury, extending the trade remedy for another five years.

The unanimous decision by Chair Amy A. Karpel and Commissioners David S. Johanson and Jason E. Kearns ensures the antidumping order will remain in place through 2031, maintaining import duties on Vietnamese fish fillet shipments.

The determination concludes the Commission's fourth five-year sunset review of the trade remedy, which was instituted...

Global Shrimp Council Plans First Consumer Pop-Up at Venice Beach in August

The Global Shrimp Council will launch its first-ever live consumer activation August 6-9 at Venice Beach, California, operating a branded shrimp food truck offering free dishes to the public with no purchase required.

The four-day event extends GSC's "Shrimp More Often" campaign beyond digital marketing into direct consumer engagement. On-site chefs will prepare multiple shrimp preparations, including tacos, grilled skewers, and power bowls, drawing from global culinary traditions, all centered around the message that "shrimp is the happy protein...

DFO Arrests Four in Nova Scotia Lobster Poaching Operation

Federal fisheries officers arrested four individuals and seized a vessel, fishing gear and 76 lobsters during an enforcement action at Saulnierville wharf in Nova Scotia on May 31.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) said officers conducted a wharfside inspection that revealed the suspects had been fishing without authorization and possessed undersized lobster that was caught in contravention of the Fisheries Act.

Of the 76 lobsters seized, 46 were below the minimum legal carapace size and were released alive back into the ocean. Officers also confiscated the fishing vessel...

Indonesia Secures EU Aquaculture Market Re-entry After Regulatory Gap

Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has confirmed the country is back on the European Union's authorized list of aquaculture exporters, closing a market access gap that had unsettled industry players and put a key export corridor at risk.

The re-entry was formalized through EU Commission Implementing Regulation No. 2026/1189, enacted June 4, 2026, after Indonesia had been left off the original list published under Regulation (EU) 2024/2598. The KKP's quality and supervision agency (Badan Mutu) said the outcome was the result of sustained engagement...

SAWA Bill Would Reshape US Farmer's Labor Costs

As of June 15, a newly proposed bill called "Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act" (SAWA) would update the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program via changes related to worker eligibility, wage calculations, and administrative procedures, reported Fresh Plaza about a topic that would impact US vegetable growers, and other ag market participants as pressure builds to modernize the temporary visa program for farm labor.

Azuma Foods Recalls 545 Cases of Tako Wasabi Products Over Undeclared Fish Allergen

Azuma Foods International recalled 545 cases of its 3-pack Azuma Foods Brand Tako Wasabi-Seasoned Octopus with Wasabi retail packages on June 11.

The recall was initiated because the retail packs may contain undeclared fish, according to a notice published on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

The recalled product was distributed in California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington via retail stores, the FDA said...

Aquaculture Stewardship Council Fires Back at Senate Over Certification Safety Concerns

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is pushing back hard against US Senate criticism over seafood safety failures, emphasizing that none of its certified products were implicated in contamination cases that triggered a congressional investigation—while revealing significant enforcement actions within its own program.

In a detailed 12-page response to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, ASC CEO Chris Ninnes defended the organization's certification program after Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) questioned major seafood certification bodies about recurring safety failures among...

Canada Boosts Newfoundland Northern Cod Quota 55% to 59,000 Tonnes

Canada's Newfoundland and Labrador Northern cod quota will jump 55% to 59,000 tonnes in 2026, Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced, marking the third consecutive year of significant increases as global cod supplies tighten.

The increase in the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) to 38,000 tonnes continues the fishery's remarkable recovery trajectory since its reopening in 2024 after a 32-year moratorium. The decision comes as other major cod-producing regions face declining quotas, creating opportunities for Canadian suppliers in premium markets...

Planned EU Sanctions on Russian Fishing Could Hit Bloc’s Fish Processors

Planned EU sanctions against the Russian fishing industry could harm the German fish processing industry as well as fish processing sectors of other EU states.

In accordance with the earlier report of the German business paper Berliner Zeitung, Germany has become the largest European buyer of Russian fish in recent years. In 2025, it accounted for approximately 40% of the value of all Russian fish imports to the EU.

Furthermore, in 2025, Germany imported approximately 109,000 tons of fish and fish products from Russia, valued...

Three New Icebreakers to be Homeported in Alaska — Two in Kodiak, One in Seward

Last Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard announced, and Alaska Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski held a press conference on the latest addition to their state’s security fleet: three new Arctic Security Cutters, a new class of medium-sized icebreakers, two to be home-ported in Kodiak and one in Seward. According to the Coast Guard, the vessels are the first of their kind in the United States and are designed with a heavier focus on security than the existing three icebreakers. Last April, Secretary...

ADM's Bern Aqua Becomes Belgium's First BAP-Certified Feed Producer

ADM subsidiary Bern Aqua has become Belgium's first Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)-certified feed producer, the Global Seafood Alliance announced June 11.

The certification covers Bern Aqua's Olen feed mill, which specializes in hatchery and nursery feeds for shrimp and fish across more than 50 countries. GSA said the milestone "underscores growing industry demand for greater traceability, responsible sourcing and third-party certified feed production."

"We are incredibly proud of this certification, which marks an important step forward in our mission to deliver superior nutrition solutions for...