ANALYSIS: Chilean Frozen Salmon at 52-Week Highs as Summer Correction Fails to Materialize

The Chilean frozen salmon market is firmly supported across both fillets and portions, with values currently sitting at or near 52-week highs and showing little willingness to ease. What makes this year's market particularly notable is not just where prices are, it is how they got here and what is driving the scarcity of spot supply that now defines the...

NOAA Prioritizes Policy Changes Resulting From EO to Restore American Seafood Competitiveness

Two months ago, Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, announced region-specific actions in support of Executive Order 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. His letters to each of the eight fishery management councils gave them some of what they wanted, then encouraged each to do more, all in the name of a common theme. Soler described it as: "Fishermen just want to fish, and they are asking for our support in overcoming the barriers preventing them from doing so...

New Bill Prohibits Chinese Seafood From Being Served at Any Dining Facility in the Capitol Building

Introduced by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) last week, H.R.10176, the “No PRC Seafood in Congress Act,” will prohibit Chinese seafood from being served in any of the congressional dining facilities in the nation’s Capitol Building.  

The legislation is driven by information released in a series of congressional hearings that forced labor is widespread in the Chinese seafood supply chain. The lack of transparency there makes it impossible to ensure the seafood was ethically sourced...

Vinh Hoan Wins Seafood Excellence Asia Award for Cured Panga Croquette

Vinh Hoan Corporation took home the Best New Product award at the fourth annual Seafood Excellence Asia awards, held Wednesday during Seafood Expo Asia and Seafood Processing Asia in Singapore.

The Vietnamese seafood company was recognized for its Cured Panga Croquette, a retail product. Singapore-based Lam Kee Fisheries placed second with its Japanese Curry Cod Cube, while Hai Sia Seafood took third for Kami No Ebi.

Products were judged by seafood industry buyers on criteria including eating experience, packaging, market potential, originality...

Esther Luiten Named Executive Director of Global Shrimp Council

The Global Shrimp Council (GSC) has appointed Esther Luiten as its new executive director, as the organization looks to expand its global platform and boost consumer-facing demand for shrimp.

Luiten brings more than 20 years of experience spanning international seafood, aquaculture and sustainability. Most recently, she spent more than 12 years with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). She has also held leadership roles at IDH and the North Sea Foundation, and has been closely involved in the development of the Global Shrimp...

Louisiana Wildlife Agents Cite Three Houma Residents in Illegal Seafood Sales Scheme

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agents cited three Houma residents on July 21 for alleged illegal seafood sales across south Louisiana, primarily in Terrebonne Parish, according to a notice issued Aug. 31 by the agency.

Agents cited Ana Reyna Beiza Lopez, 46, and Juan Rebollar Aguilar, 42, on multiple charges including the illegal sale of oysters, blue crabs, and various species of raw fish; exporting crab products without a wholesale/retail crab shipping license; violating interstate commerce regulations; selling fish without a wholesale...

ANALYSIS: US Groundfish Market Holds Full Steady Amid Tightening Supply and Shifting Trade Dynamics

The US frozen groundfish market continues to hold a steady-to-firm tone, with supply-side constraints providing a durable price floor even as an evolving trade policy backdrop adds uncertainty. Sellers are well-supported by high replacement costs and limited raw material availability, while buyers are largely purchasing to cover immediate needs rather than building forward...

Bumble Bee Foods to Shutter Santa Fe Springs Plant by 2027, Cutting More Than 230 Jobs

Bumble Bee Foods is closing its fish canning facility in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., with the plant expected to shut down "sometime in 2027, most likely in late March 2027," according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letter the company filed with the state, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The San Diego-based canned seafood giant will lay off 197 workers on Nov. 19, 2026, with an additional 36 positions eliminated when the facility finally closes...

The Retail Rundown: The 2026 Labor Day Grill Balances Value and Variety

Labor Day weekend is nearly here, and retailers are putting grilling favorites front and center for one last major cookout of summer. The 2026 holiday protein mix offers plenty of variety, but pricing is influencing how shoppers build their menus, with value particularly important across meat and poultry.

Despite higher prices, beef remains a centerpiece of the backyard cookout, with retailers featuring ground beef alongside strip, sirloin, porterhouse, and other steaks, as well as roast cuts such as top round.

Recent Circana data highlights the continued price pressure...

Commerce Raises Indian Shrimp Antidumping Rates in 20th Review Final Results

The US Department of Commerce has released the final results of its 20th antidumping duty administrative review of certain frozen warmwater shrimp from India, covering the period of February 1, 2024 through January 31, 2025 — and every company subject to the review saw its rate climb significantly from the preliminary results published in May.

Those rates represent increases of 2.71, 2.20, and 1.68 percentage points, respectively, from the preliminary margins of 4.30%, 3.33%, and 2.36% set in May. The final rates...

Eastern Fisheries Appoints Nigel McGinn as CEO

Eastern Fisheries has appointed Nigel McGinn as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), according to a post from McGinn on LinkedIn.

He succeeds Joe Furtado, who has retired after more than three decades with the company, according to industry reports. Eastern Fisheries had been searching for a new CEO for approximately six months.

McGinn brings more than 30 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, with a career spanning operations, engineering and business development. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of corporate operations at Blount Fine Foods. He joined the company in 2020 as corporate operations executive before moving into the senior vice president role.

Center for Biological Diversity Wins Appeal to Uphold NMFS Rule for TEDs in Shrimp Trawls

A federal appeals court has affirmed a lower court ruling upholding a 2019 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) rule requiring skimmer trawl shrimp vessels 40 feet and longer to use turtle excluder devices (TEDs), according to a press release issued by the Center for Biological Diversity.

The unanimous Aug. 28 decision by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals found that NMFS provided a rational, evidence-backed explanation for the rule's requirements, citing federal observer data and post-interaction mortality studies...

Kroger Names Mark Ibbotson EVP, Chief Store Operations Officer

The Kroger Co. is bringing in veteran retail executive Mark Ibbotson as Executive Vice President and Chief Store Operations Officer, effective Sept. 14.

Ibbotson brings decades of experience across large-format and grocery retail, including leadership roles at Walmart, Asda and Sainsbury’s. He has held positions spanning loss prevention, productivity, retail and operations, ultimately serving as chief operating officer.

Most recently, Ibbotson spent more than a decade with Walmart US, joining in 2015 as senior vice president of innovation. In that role, he was tasked with simplifying store...

California Wildlife Conservation Board Approves $44M for Tribes, Salmon, and Desert Wildlife

California's Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved $43,868,000 in grants for 15 projects across 11 counties at its quarterly meeting on Aug. 27. The funded projects support Tribal land acquisition, native fish habitat restoration, public access expansion, and desert wildlife corridor protection.

The grants advance Governor Gavin Newsom's 30x30 goal of conserving 30% of California's lands and coastal waters by 2030.

Key projects with seafood and fisheries relevance include...

Norcod Detects Francisella Bacteria at Norwegian Cod Farm, Says Operations Unaffected

Norwegian cod farmer Norcod has confirmed the detection of Francisella noatunensis at its Mausund farm site, marking the first time the bacteria have been identified at a Norcod facility.

The presence of the bacteria was discovered during routine testing carried out ahead of planned harvesting at the site. Mausund operates four pens in total, and the bacteria were detected in individual fish from one pen currently under harvest. Norcod said it has not observed any significant increase in mortality and does not expect the detection to affect planned operations...

NOAA Opens 60-Day Scoping Period on Potential Changes to Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan

Maine lobster fishermen have until Oct. 16, 2026, to submit public comments as NOAA Fisheries launches a scoping period for potential modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP), according to an advisory from the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) Commissioner issued Sept. 1.

NOAA's announcement is not a notice of proposed rulemaking — rather, it is a request for public input on the scope of potential regulations. Comments gathered during the scoping period will inform discussions in 2026...

Marine Stewardship Council Launches New Sustainable Seafood Awards for Canada and US

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has announced the MSC Sustainable Seafood Awards, a new annual series recognizing Canadian and US companies and individuals who go above and beyond to protect the sustainability of seafood resources.

Applications and nominations are open through Oct. 31, 2026. Winners will be announced in January 2027, with an awards ceremony planned for Seafood Expo North America in March 2027.

MSC has established six award categories...