Hodges: US Crab Sales are Strong with Limited Inventories

The year ended as it began, with strong retail support for snow crab. According to Urner Barry, April prices when the 2024 Canadian snow crab season began rose by 19% compared to the remarkable levels of 2023. Despite the higher prices, the trade perceived snow crab as being a strong value, leading to 78 million pounds being imported in the first three months of the season. Favorable import prices persisted throughout the summer and into fall.

Canada dominates the U.S. snow crab market, accounting for 91% of total snow crab imports through...

Largest US Shrimp Farmer Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy; Robin Pearl Back in as CEO

American Mariculture (AMI), the largest shrimp farmer in the United States, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 8, per court documents.

According to its bankruptcy petition, the Florida-based company has 50-99 debtors. American Mariculture estimated that its assets range between $1 million and $10 million, and its liabilities range from $10 million to $50 million.

On January 9, Judge Caryl E. Delano of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida granted an expedited motion directing the joint administration...

Russian Fish Prices Surge as Raw Material Costs Soar

Leading Russian fish processors will significantly increase prices for their products this year due to a significant increase in prices for raw materials and other costs.

So far, a decrease in the catch of some types of fish and rising prices for raw materials have led to increased costs for processors, while some have already announced an increase in prices by up to 25% this year.

According to Russian media reports, leading local players such as Baltiysky Bereg, Russian Sea, Evroprom, and others recently announced these plans...

GAO Submits FDA Recommendations to Congress for Increased Inspection Efforts

On January 8, 2025, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its Q&A report to Congress, titled “Food Safety: FDA Should Strengthen Inspection Efforts to Protect the U.S. Food Supply.”

FDA inspections fail to meet mandated annual targets

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of nearly 80% of the nation’s food supply including fruits, vegetables, processed foods, and most seafood.

Since 2007, the FDA has been on the GAO's High-Risk List, which highlights 37 areas across the federal government that are...

Gidrostroy Built Two Pollock Processing Plants in Japan’s Northern Territories that Russia Occupies

Last year, the foremost Russian fishery company, Gidrostroy Group, built two new fishery processing plants in Japan's disputed Northern Territories, which Russia occupies. The investment amounted to approximately RUB 3.2 billion ($31,29 million). The plants were built on Etorofu Island and Shikotan Island and will process Alaska pollock. The Russian Federal Fisheries Service announced this on January 6.

Minato Shimbun reported that the new plants were built based on the winning bid in the second round of investment fishing quotas...

FDA Releases Draft Guidance on Labeling Plant-Based Foods

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its Draft Guidance on the Labeling of Plant-Based Alternatives to Animal-Derived Foods, which outlines recommendations for naming plant-based alternative foods for egg, seafood, poultry, meat, and dairy products (excluding milk).

Specifically, the draft guidance excludes any “animal proteins produced by microflora,” including those produced via precision fermentation.

This federal guidance comes as U.S. retail sales for plant-based foods grew $2.6 billion between 2019 and 2023, as stated in the FDA’s recommendation report. Meanwhile, numerous new...

Norway’s 2024 Seafood Exports Rank as Best Year Yet

According to a statement from the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), Norway experienced its highest ever seafood export value in 2024, with a total of 2.8 million tonnes of seafood products exported, amounting to NOK 175.4 billion (approximately $15.4 billion).

Upward trajectory for Norwegian seafood exports

This marks a 2% increase from 2023, when the Scandinavian country experienced a seafood export value of NOK 171.7 billion (approximately $15.08 billion). The NSC recorded seafood exports of more than 60 different species to over 150 countries worldwide...

Proximar Seafood Overcomes Biofilter Challenges, Optimistic About Future Production 

Land-based salmon farmer Proximar Seafood said it experienced a pair of biofilter incidents in Q4 of 2024. While the incidents didn’t lead to any abnormal mortalities, feeding was reduced to maintain water quality, the company said in its sixth production update published on January 7. 

The company, which farms the fish in Japan, said the reduction in feeding has led to lower growth, but mortality remains low, and fish health was cited as good. Proximar Seafood noted that the implementation of the ozone system has solved the issues...

Zhanjiang Guolian Aquatic Products Signs Exclusive Shrimp Sales Contract with Ecuador's AQUAGOLD

According to Minato Shimbun, AQUAGOLD in Guayaquil, a major Ecuadorian vannamei producer, has signed a three-year exclusive agency contract with Zhanjiang Guolian Fisheries for the Chinese market, according to reports from multiple Chinese media outlets on January 8, 2025.

Ecuador is a major producer of farmed vannamei, with more than half of its exports going to China. The largest vannamei producer in Ecuador is Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscilla (IPSP), followed by Sociedad Nacional Galapagos (SONGA) and AQUAGOLD...

Washington Crab Season Opens as State Releases the Third Season Review Edition

The weather is cooperating and crabbers in northern Oregon and Washington have begun setting their gear for the anticipated Jan. 15 Dungeness season opener.

While most of Oregon opened in December and some parts of California opened earlier this month, northern California and the Washington/Oregon area around the Columbia River were both set to open Wednesday.

Dungeness crab supports Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said. The value of state landings for the ...

Dubai’s Aqua Bridge Group Steps Into Greek Aquaculture with AVRAMAR Takeover

Dubai-based Aqua Bridge Group has confirmed its acquisition of the Greek arm of AVRAMAR.

AVRAMAR is one of the largest aquaculture players in Greece, primarily focused on farming seabass and seabream. Mohammad Tabish, the founder and CEO of Aqua Bridge Group, posted about the deal on LinkedIn.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us over the past six months. Your unwavering commitment, belief in our vision, and tireless efforts have been instrumental in reaching this milestone,” Tabish wrote...

ANALYSIS: Expana's Shrimp Demand Index Signals Market Stabilization Amid Industry Adjustments

US shrimp imports in November 2024 reached 157.8 million pounds, showing modest growth of 1.2% year-over-year despite persistent market pressures. Year-to-date imports through November totaled 1.530 billion pounds, maintaining a 3.7% decline from 2023 levels as the market continues to adjust post-pandemic dynamics...

Maine DMR Withdraws Proposed Lobster Size Increase Amid Industry Concerns

The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has withdrawn a rule that would increase the minimum catch size limits for lobsters.

The decision by DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher was made on January 9 and garnered praise from the industry. The Portland Press Herald also reported that Keliher said the DMR would consult lobstermen about any future conservation proposals regarding the state’s staple fishery.

The rule, developed by the Atlantic Staes Marine Fisheries Commission, was called Addendum 27 (XXVII). It would increase the minimum size of gauges fishers use to measure...

$47M Going to Alaska Road, Rail, and Marine Transportation Projects From RAISE Program

Last Thursday U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced $1.32 billion in Round 1 awards from the FY2025 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for 109 projects across the country. Of that, $47 million will go to Alaska in grants to invest in critical transportation projects from Western Alaska to Homer and Southeast. 

The $1.32 billion is part of a much larger program to provide nearly $5 billion in awards for more than 550 projects in all fifty ...

Mark Waddell Replaces Paul Ryall as Lead Canadian Commissioner in Upcoming IPHC Annual Meeting

Mark Waddell, Director General of Fisheries Policy at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in Ottawa, has been appointed to replace Paul Ryall, Director of Resource Management for DFO in Vancouver, B.C. and lead commissioner representing the government of Canada in the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). The appointment is effective "immediately" according to a letter from Waddell to IPHC Executive Director Dave Wilson. 

IPHC's Annual Meeting is taking place in Vancouver January 27-31, 2025. Every year the annual meeting toggles between the U.S. and Canada, ...

USDA to Purchase $50 Million in Wild Alaska Pollock

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an upcoming purchase of up to $50 million of Wild Alaska pollock. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) highlighted that the purchase will support fishermen, companies and communities involved in the industry that are battling low pollock prices amid a dip in demand and increased competition from Russia.

“We all appreciate the quick response by USDA to address the needs of the seafood industry and, at the same time, food insecure Americans by committing to purchase what may be...

Russia May Consider Ban on Fish Catch in Black and Azov Seas After Kerch Strait Oil Spill

Russia may consider imposing a ban on the fish catch in the Black Sea and Azov Sea due to the Kerch Strait oil spill, which occurred after two Russian-flagged river-sea class oil tankers—carrying approximately 4,900 tonnes of fuel oil—split in half and sank as a result of a December 15 storm just south of the Kerch Strait.

The December event resulted in the death of one crew member and the aforementioned oil spill, which involves mazut, a heavy petroleum...