AquaBounty Winds Down Operations, Cuts Senior Management Roles

AquaBounty Technologies, the firm behind the first genetically engineered salmon, announced it would wind down all its fish farming operations and exit several members of its senior management team.

AquaBounty’s CFO and interim CEO David Frank said the company will wind down its Bay Fortune operation, its last farm. The process will include culling all remaining fish and reducing “substantially all personnel over the course of the next several weeks.”

“We prioritized maintaining operations at the Bay Fortune facility but do not have sufficient liquidity to continue to do so...

Trump Tariffs Loom for US Seafood Imports

The re-election of Donald Trump as US president on November 5 has sparked speculation among industry players about the outlook for the global trade environment. Trump has stated that he will implement a stringent import tariff regime, with a particular focus on products from China. He has proposed a blanket tariff of 10% for all imports to the US and a 60% tariff for Chinese goods.

Once tariffs are eventually implemented, importers of agri-food commodities may feel an impact. According to Angel Rubio, lead analyst at...

Onda Announces New Research Project Examining Sustainable Feed Alternatives for Aquaculture

Canadian research organization Onda just announced a new research project that will examine the use of canola-based feed meal for sustainable aquaculture production use. The goal of the 18-month project is to expand the market for Canadian canola and provide a sustainable alternative for aquafeed.

For the project, Onda—which specializing in aquaculture research—will partner with the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) and evaluate fish feed containing Canadian canola meal and its impact on growth, disease resistance, and the environment. Study objectives include updating nutrient digestibility...

NOAA’s Ocean Research Examines Varied Conditions for Juvenile Salmon Off Oregon Coast

According to a news release by NOAA Fisheries on December 6, 2024, researchers at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center have reported varied oceanographic shifts in the northern California Current in 2024.

During the winter of 2023-2024, a strong El Niño event brought warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures to the Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA Fisheries data, the California Current has experienced an increase in El Niño events since the 1980s, with this higher frequency of events seemingly characteristic of recent extended periods of warm ocean conditions...

Size Matters When it Comes to Chinook Spawning Success in Alaska’s Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers

In a new study titled “Body size and early marine conditions drive changes in Chinook salmon productivity across northern latitude ecosystems” scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks found that the size of a Chinook salmon, which has been steadily decreasing in recent years, impacts their ability to reach adulthood, successfully spawn, and produce young that are as capable of surviving their first few years in fresh water and subsequent years in the ocean. 

Scientists looked at 26 Chinook salmon populations in Alaska’s two biggest ...

FDA Announces 2026 Application Round for the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program

On December 10, 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the upcoming application round for the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) for fiscal year (FY) 2026.

The voluntary, fee-based program will allow food importers who maintain safe and secure supply chains to have the benefit of expedited review and importation for their human and animal foods in the United States.

To participate in the program, food importers must ensure that foreign suppliers are utilizing FDA-certified facilities, per FDA’s Accredited Third-Party Certification Program, in addition...

ANALYSIS: Canadian Lobster Prices Stabilize Amid Export Slowdown

Canadian live lobster prices have been stabilizing this autumn, following a gradual increase since June. Latest data from Expana shows a market price for live chix exported to Europe standing at 12.18 USD/lb (C+F incoterm) on 5/12/24, which represents a 60% rise since the year-low value of 7.6 USD/lb at the beginning of June...

Illex Squid Fishing Season to Open Early in January 2025

The Chamber of Argentine Fishing and Freezing Vessel Owners (CAPA) has requested an early start to the squid fishing season south of the 44° S parallel, proposing an opening date of January 10, 2025. The Council of Argentine Fishing Companies (CEPA) subsequently supported this request on November 7, 2024.

The Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) approved this application on Nov. 14, 2024. The decision to open the season early was backed by positive results achieved from implementing this measure in previous years. This decision has been supported by the National...

Approximately 65,000 Smolt Escape Mowi ASA’s Nordland Hatchery

Over the weekend, Norwegian-based seafood producer Mowi ASA reported an escape incident at their Glomfjord II hatchery located in the municipality of Meløy in Nordland, Norway.

The escape was connected to a smolt delivery to one of Mowi ASA’s well boats. According to a company statement submitted to the Directorate of Fisheries, approximately 65,000 salmon smolts have escaped.

Mowi ASA has set up recapture nets outside the site. As of December 8, the company has recaptured approximately 1,400 smolts, with an average size of 120 gi.

The Directorate of Fisheries will...

Kyokuyo's Ocean’s Kitchen Opens $25M Imitation Crab Meat Facility in Washington

Kyokuyo Co., a Japan-based firm, announced that its subsidiary, Ocean’s Kitchen Corporation, completed the construction of its $25 million imitation crab meat facility in Washington state.

The company linked the investment to the increasing popularity of imitation crab meat in the US, particularly in urban areas, as a key ingredient in salads and California rolls. Kyokuyo expects consumption to grow in local areas as well.

Ocean’s Kitchen, the Washington-based subsidiary, strategically built the facility in Washington because it is close to Alaksa, the primary production site.

European Commission to Aid Danish Seafood Processing Companies with €155M for Green Investments

The European Commission recently approved €155 million (approximately $162.5 million) in grant funding in an effort to foster green investments in the fisheries and aquaculture processing sector.

The funding will support large-scale Danish seafood processing companies as they work to reduce their CO2 emissions and move towards more eco-friendly energy sources for their operations.

The funding relates to the EU’s Guidelines for State aid in the fishery and aquaculture sector as well as Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the...

The Retail Rundown: Seasonal Trends for Ribs vs. Hams

With Christmas just two weeks away, this week’s retail rundown takes a closer look at two traditional holiday centerpieces: rib roasts and hams. These festive favorites have followed differing paths in the wholesale markets this year, potentially influencing their retail performance in the lead-up to the year-end celebrations.

The wholesale rib market began its seasonal ascent in the third quarter, gaining traction in early August. From August 1 through December 10, prices surged by 42 percent, far surpassing the 5-year average increase of 17 percent for the same period...

New Greenpeace Report Links Alleged Forced Labor Cases to Bumble Bee Tuna Cans

According to a new report published on December 9, 2024, by Greenpeace Southeast Asia in collaboration with the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, some of Bumble Bee Seafood's canned tuna products sold in the US have been linked to alleged forced labor practices onboard Taiwanese-flagged fishing vessels.

The report, titled “Seabound 3: Netting Profits, Risking Lives: The Unresolved Human and Environmental Exploitation at Sea”, includes complaints from ten Indonesian fishers filed between 2019 and 2024 and marks the third edition of Greenpeace Southeast Asia-Indonesia and SBMI’s...

NOAA Makes $100 Million Available for Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Projects

On Friday, December 6, 2024, NOAA Fisheries announced the availability of $100 million in funding through the Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Program.

The program, funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has helped more than 2,200 coastal habitat restoration projects and restored more than 94,000 acres of fish habitats since its 1996 creation. Through this funding opportunity, NOAA will continue supporting habitat restoration approaches that enhance the resilience of coastal and Great Lakes communities — including tribes — against climate hazards.

Gina Raimondo, US Secretary of Commerce...

China Opens Market for Live Norwegian Snow Crab

Chinese authorities have approved the import of live snow crab from Norway. The news comes shortly after Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, met with the Minister of Chinese Customs and Veterinary Authorities, Yu Jianhua, in Beijing last month.

"The fact that China is opening up imports of live snow crab from Norway so quickly after I had political talks in China is very positive, and shows the importance of visits to promote Norway's interests,” Sivertsen Næss said.

“Live snow crab is of increasing interest in Asian markets...

Russia Considers Overhaul of Deep-Sea Crab Quotas Amid Industry Challenges

The Russian government plans to ease existing requirements for deep-sea crab fishing by abolishing quotas under the current investment quota program. The industry's profitability continues to decline, with 40% of enterprises currently operating at a loss.

As for deep-sea crabs, Rosrybolovstvo has repeatedly attempted to sell quotas for its catch since 2019, each time reducing the starting price. Despite the reductions, demand for the quotas remained low.

Still, as experts of the Russian All-Russian Association of Fish Producers (VARPE) told in an interview with...

Supreme Crab & Seafood Adds to Sales Team

Supreme Crab & Seafood announced a pair of additions to its sales team.

Andrea Meneses joined the team earlier this year and has already made a significant impact, per the company.

“Her impressive background in marketing fish with Aqua Chile and Multi X has made her transition seamless, especially in promoting our frozen on-board AAA Tuna line,” said Troy Turkin, Chief Executive Officer. “Andrea brings intelligence, expertise, and kindness—a combination that makes her an invaluable asset to our team.”

The company said she holds a Master’s degree in International Business...