Colombia Will Host GSA’s 2025 Responsible Seafood Summit

The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) recently announced that Cartagena, Colombia will host the 24th edition of the Responsible Seafood Summit, which will take place during the week of September 29, 2025, at the InterContinental Cartagena.

The event will be attended by seafood industry stakeholders from across the world.

“It is exciting for us at GSA to bring our signature event back to South America for the first time in seven years,” said Mike Kocsis, CEO of GSA.

GSA’s 2024 event was hosted by St Andrews, Scotland. The last Summit hosted in...

Washington Recalls Oysters and Manila Clams from Rudy’s Shellfish, Potential Norovirus Contamination

According to an advisory posted yesterday by the U.S. Food and Drug Association, the state of Washington has recalled oysters and Manila clams from Rudy’s Shellfish in Pickering Passage, Washington, that were harvested between 11/15/2024 and 12/11/2024 due to a possible norovirus outbreak.

The FDA is currently advising restaurants and food retailers not to serve or sell the oysters and Manila clams in question. The FDA also advises immediate disposal of any products that were harvested in the designated time frame, as they might...

SZRK’s Barents Sea King Crab Quota Slashed by 62%, Impacting Japanese Imports with 2025 Price Hike

According to a report by Minato Shimbun, the total quota for king crabs by the Russian company operating in the Barents Sea, Russia, for 2025 has been halved to 6,484 tons, a 48% decrease from 2024. The North-West Fishing Consortium (SZRK), which previously held a quota of nearly 10,000 tons, has seen a significant drop of 62% to 3,741 tons. Japan imports more than 3,000 tons of frozen king crab produced by SZRK annually, which is likely to impact future prices and quantities...

FDA Releases Testing Results for PFAS in Clams

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just shared its most recent testing results for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in clams.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS are chemical contaminants that are found in various consumer, commercial, and industrial products and which have been linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. There are thousands of types of PFAS and can be found in water, air, fish, and soil worldwide.

The results follow the FDA’s 2022 findings, which presented information on eight of the National Fisheries Institute’s...

US Releases Progress Report of Recent Efforts to Combat IUU Fishing and Fishing Labor Abuses

On December 13, 2024, the U.S. Department of State published a press release on U.S. Efforts to Combat Illegal Fishing and Associated Labor Abuses, detailing the State Department’s progress on actions taken thus far under NSM-11 and the National 5-Year Strategy.

The National 5-Year Strategy for Combatting IUU Fishing was published by the Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing in 2022. Comprised of 21 U.S. government agencies and offices, the Interagency exists to coordinate and promote stronger fishing rules and stricter...

Atlantic Natural Foods Returns to Private Ownership

Plant-based food manufacturing company Atlantic Natural Foods (ANF) has withdrawn from its pending transaction with food processing company Above Foods.

The mutual withdrawal—effective as of November 1, 2024—comes three years after ANF, headquartered in Nashville, North Carolina, partnered with Canadian food processor Above Foods in order to enter the public environment.

This decision marks ANF’s transition back to private ownership, thereby resuming direct fiduciary oversight of the company and its operations.

Doug Hines, ANF Chairman, commented "Operating in the industry's ever-changing landscape has not been 

Production Trends and Market Dynamics of Scottish Atlantic Salmon

Scotland is one of the world's three largest Atlantic salmon producers, after Norway and Chile. The historical biomass harvest reported by the Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey in October 2024 reveals that production levels have been unstable over the last ten years (Table 1). While production declined significantly in 2023 by 11% year over year (y-o-y), the Scottish government forecasts a rebound in 2024, with a 23% increase based on current stock levels.

The global trade tracker updated in October has shown that the year-to-date...

USDA's 2023 Census of Aquaculture Results Reflect 26% Total Sales Increase Since 2018

The 2023 Census of Aquaculture was released on Dec. 16, 2024, by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, indicating that total sales of U.S. aquaculture products in 2023 were up by 26% from 2018, amounting to $1.9 billion.

The 2023 Census of Aquaculture is conducted every five years and provides updated information about the country’s aquaculture production and marketing practices.

According to the release, in 2023, there were a total of 3,453 aquaculture farms with sales in the U.S., which is 18% more than in 2018...

Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service Rules Out Korean JV Pollock Fleet

In November, the Russian Antimonopoly Service concluded that eight pollock fishing companies operating in Russia are controlled by foreign capital. Minato Shimbun reported that this would forcefully halt "illegal fishing" by foreign capital and resource catch quotas.

According to the Hokkaido Trawl Fisheries Cooperative Federation, the companies found to be under foreign capital are joint ventures between Russian and Korean companies. These companies were established in the early 2000s, with Russian companies holding more than 51%...

Oregon Crabbers Start Delivering Dungeness to Processors

This year’s Dungeness crab season is already one for the record books, even though the season opened only two days ago. The opening ex-vessel price, according to fishermen, is higher than last year’s average price.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, last year’s average price was $3.79 per pound. Fishermen said an agreement reached with at least one of the processors was $4.50 per pound.

Last year’s season was the second-highest on record for Oregon in terms of value, at $93.6 million...

The Retail Rundown: Robust Retail Spending This Holiday Season

Retail spending has been robust this year, with recent data released by the U.S. Census Bureau indicating strong retail sales as the holiday season kicked off in November.

According to the Census Bureau, overall retail sales in November rose 0.7 percent month-over-month (MOM) and increased 3.8 percent year-over-year (YOY) In comparison, October saw gains of 0.5 percent MOM and 2.9 percent YOY.

“Job and wage gains, modest inflation and a heathy balance sheet have led to solid holiday spending," said National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz...

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...

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Oyster Season Closes on December 31

Oyster Season Closes on December 31

Pursuant to Section 9-12-28, Code of Alabama 1975 as stated by Rule 220-3-.02, the Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announces that all public water bottoms will close to the harvest of oysters at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

Summary of Alabama's oyster harvest

Alabama's public oyster reefs opened for harvest on October 7, 2024, and will close for the season at the end of the harvest...

US Unveils First Updated National Aquaculture Development Plan in 40 Years

The National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Aquaculture just finalized the draft Overview of the National Aquaculture Development Plan, which creates a holistic framework for how federal agencies should advance aquaculture contributions for the purpose of public health and nutrition, more resilient communities, a stronger economy, and a healthier planet overall.

The plan, which was released earlier this year for public comment for the first time since 1983, is comprised of three strategic plans: the Strategic Plan to Enhance Regulatory Efficiency in Aquaculture; the National Strategic Plan for...

Norway Chooses Italy for Salmon Investment Project

This year, the Norwegian Seafood Council has chosen Italy for a new case investment project for salmon, with main focus on increasing learning and testing new activities and approaches for the Italian market.

The Council has been exploring larger investments in one to two markets each year since 2017. The Italian market poses an opportunity with its recent growth in chain-based restaurants and the positive development in Italian salmon sales.

Tom-Jørgen Gangsø, Country Director for Italy, said, “Even though salmon has been performing well in Italy, we have analyses showing us..." 

Fish Catch in Russia Declines This Year, Leading to Price Increases

Fish catch in Russia declines this year, which has led to price increases in the domestic market.

According to Forbes Russia magazine as of December 2, citing the president of the All-Russian Association of Fishery Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters (VARPE) German Zverev, the volume of catch has amounted to 4.58 million tons, which is 9% lower than the same period in 2023, which experienced record-breaking catch. 

In case of pollock, the volume of catch increased by 1%, amounting to 1.85 million tons, while pacific herring - by 11%...

Seafood Distributor QPS and Two Managers Sentenced for Conspiracy and Misbranding Seafood

Mississippi seafood distributor Quality Poultry and Seafood Inc. (QPS) and two of its managers were recently sentenced for conspiring to mislabel seafood and commit wire fraud by marketing inexpensive and frozen imported substitutes as more expensive and premium local species, according to Mississippi state authorities.

QPS was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay the United States $1 million in forfeitures and a $500,000 criminal fine.

QPS was also ordered by the Court to maintain species, source, and cost records for five years...