ANALYSIS: May US Shrimp Imports Land at Low End of Model Range as June Estimates Point Higher

May official US shrimp imports came in at 152.9 million lbs., at the low end of the revised model range of 151.1–170.9M lbs. published in the June 22nd edition, and close to the original mid-estimate of 150.5M lbs. The original estimate proved the closer call; the subsequent revision pushed higher than the data ultimately supported, though the directional read was correct. May landed within the published range, which reflects the margin of error each estimate carries...

ANALYSIS: US Sockeye Prices Hold Firm as Reports of Increased Freezing Surface

Prices for fresh wild sockeye H&G have held firm through the 2026 season, establishing a year-over-year premium that has become one of the more notable storylines of this year's Bristol Bay campaign. As of mid-July 2026, pricing carries an average of $7.625/lb, compared to an average of approximately $5.90/lb at the same point last year — a spread of roughly $1.70/lb or approximately +29% year-over-year.

What makes this year particularly notable is the shape of the pricing curve, not just the absolute levels. In 2025, the season...

De Heus Opens Vietnam Cold-Water Fish Feed Mill

De Heus Animal Nutrition has opened a new marine and cold-water fish feed mill in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam. It is the De Heus' first facility dedicated exclusively to cold-water fish feed production, the company stated. Its annual production capacity will amount to 84,000 MT.

According to De Heus, the facility will serve both domestic Vietnamese producers and international markets. It will cater to growing opportunities in marine aquaculture for species including sea bass and barramundi destined for regional and export markets.

WA and OR Legislators and Industry Respond to Sudden Loss of BPA Funding for Columbia River Hatchery

State and federal lawmakers are joining industry to object to the Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) June 18 decision to end its $2.4 million annual fund for the Select Area Fisheries Enhancement (SAFE) Program in the Lower Columbia River. The SAFE Program is a collaboration of three partners: the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and Clatsop County.

Withdrawal of the funds places more than 7 million hatchery salmon currently in production at immediate...

Chile Defines 'Micro-Relocation' in Aquaculture Reform, Unlocking 95 Stalled Concession Requests

Chile's Senate Environment Committee has approved a key definition within the country's sweeping aquaculture reform legislation, establishing the concept of "micro-relocation" for salmon farming concessions and exempting such moves from the country's full environmental impact assessment process.

Under the approved language — put forward by President José Antonio Kast's administration — a micro-relocation is defined as a shift of no more than 350 meters from any vertex of an existing concession, undertaken solely to improve environmental conditions such as water depth and current velocity, which affect the dispersion...

No Landings of Eastern Hokkaido Japanese Sardine One Month After Season Opening; Abnormal Situation 

The Japanese sardine fishery using purse seine vessels off the coast of eastern Hokkaido opened in mid-June. Although a month has passed, no landings had been recorded as of July 21. The Minato Shimbun reported concerns about the outlook, noting that this is the first time since 2018—an eight-year gap—that the initial landing has been delayed until July or later.

The fishing season runs from June 16 to the end of October. In recent...

Norwegian Salmon Mortality Falls 35.7% as Industry Improvements Drive Decline

Mortality among Norwegian farmed salmon and trout has fallen significantly in recent years, with new data from the Directorate of Fisheries showing a 35.7% decline compared with the same period over the past three years.

The decline marks the lowest mortality level recorded for the first half of the year since 2018, with June 2026 also recording the lowest figures for the month across the same period.

The improvement has been seen across most of Norway’s production areas (POs), with 11 of 13 POs reporting lower...

Nova Scotia Awards C$2.22M to Seafood, Aquaculture Firms for Energy-Efficiency Upgrades

Nova Scotia is providing C$2.22 million to support 20 seafood and aquaculture companies as they invest in technologies aimed at cutting fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The funding marks the third round of support through the Fisheries and Aquaculture Energy Efficiency Innovation Fund, a three-year program administered by Efficiency Nova Scotia. The fund is designed to help companies adopt upgrades ranging from solar panels to hybrid propulsion systems for fishing vessels.

“The seafood sector is a pillar of...

Canadian Seafood Not Targeted by Trump's New 50% US Tariffs

Fish and seafood do not appear in any of the three proclamations President Trump signed on July 20 imposing 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, continuing a pattern of protection that has shielded the sector through each round of the US-Canada trade dispute.

Trump signed three separate proclamations invoking Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, each targeting a specific grievance: discriminatory treatment of US motor vehicles, a near-total ban by Canadian provinces on US alcoholic beverages, and unequal dairy tariff-rate quota access compared to EU producers...

Russian Seafood Escapes EU's 21st Sanctions Package as Fish Measures Dropped in Final Deal

The European Union has finalized its 21st package of sanctions against Russia — but without the fish. A proposed ban on Russian seafood imports, touted as a historic first when the package was unveiled in June, was dropped from the final agreement after sustained resistance from member states with significant seafood processing industries.

EU countries clinched the deal on Thursday after weeks of fractious negotiations, resolving the final sticking point, a dispute over Russian gas transit, by granting Greece a limited exemption for gas contracts...

Guolian Aquatic to Sell Sunnyvale Seafood's California Property for $17 Million

China's Zhanjiang Guolian Aquatic Products (300094.SZ) has approved the sale of US real estate tied to its Sunnyvale Seafood subsidiary for approximately $17 million, the latest in a series of asset disposals as the company works to reverse years of deepening losses.

Guolian's board approved the move on July 15, with its wholly-owned US subsidiary Liancheng Investments, LLC set to sell the property at 2910 Faber Street, Union City, California — the longtime address of Sunnyvale Seafood, Guolian's US shrimp and seafood importing arm...

House Passes Bill Giving FDA Authority to Destroy Contaminated Food Imports

Legislation that would allow the US Food and Drug Administration to destroy imported food products deemed hazardous passed the US House of Representatives on July 21.

The Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act (H.R. 2715), introduced by Reps. Clay Higgins (R-LA) and Troy Carter (D-LA), advanced via the House suspension calendar, a procedural track typically reserved for broadly bipartisan measures that allows bills to move quickly with limited debate and no amendments, requiring a two-thirds majority for passage...

Robot-Assisted Ike Jime Comes to Cook Inlet as Shinkei Systems Eyes Premium Salmon Market

Shinkei Systems, the seafood robotics company that created Seremoni Grade™ premium fish, has developed new harvesting technology now in place on selected fishing vessels in Cook Inlet, Alaska. The wild sockeye salmon caught there will reach markets as Seremoni Grade, Shinkei’s distinctively higher-quality fish, this summer.

Seremoni Grade’s higher quality comes from killing the fish quickly and humanely, as traditional Japanese fishermen have done for generations. Shinkei has automated the Japanese slaughter technique...

Newfoundland and Labrador Seafood Sector Valued at C$2.11bn in 2025

Newfoundland and Labrador’s seafood industry generated a combined market value of C$2.11 billion in 2025, with the wild fisheries and aquaculture sectors continuing to underpin the province’s economy, according to newly released data.

"Our seafood industry continues to be a major economic driver for Newfoundland and Labrador, supporting workers, families and communities throughout the province," said Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Loyola O’Driscoll. "Surpassing $2 billion in market value is a significant milestone that reflects the strength of our local fishing...

NOAA, Scottish Fishing Leaders Advance Cooperative Research

Federal scientists and leaders from Scotland's commercial fishing industry spent three days in the Northeast exploring how cooperative research can strengthen fisheries management, improve trust between fishermen and scientists, and address shared challenges facing fisheries on both sides of the Atlantic.

The exchange, NOAA's first international cooperative research gathering with the Scottish Fishermen's Organization, brought together scientists, fisheries managers, academics and nonprofit organizations for discussions, vessel tours and industry visits. Organizers said the goal was to demonstrate how combining fishermen's firsthand knowledge with scientific expertise can improve fisheries science...

Mark Foods Completes Acquisition of Rhode Island Importer Endeavor Seafood

Mark Foods has announced the acquisition of Endeavor Seafood, a Newport, Rhode Island-based importer and marketer of frozen seafood products.

The deal is the next step in a relationship that began when Mark Foods made an equity investment in Endeavor in 2021. Mark Foods said the Endeavor team will be fully integrated into its operations.

"We are pleased to welcome the Endeavor Seafood team to Mark Foods. Since our initial investment in 2021, we have seen firsthand the talent, dedication, and quality this team brings. Fully integrating...

US Senators Investigate $2.6 Billion Offshore Wind Buyouts Under Trump Administration

A coalition of 14 US senators has launched an investigation into agreements between the Trump administration and several offshore wind developers, raising questions about deals they say resulted in nearly $2.6 billion in taxpayer-funded buyouts that halted major clean energy projects.

As part of the probe, the senators sent letters to Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies; Craig Windram, CEO of Ocean Winds; Harry K. Sideris, CEO of Duke Energy; and James Murphy, CEO of Invenergy.

The letter, signed...