Federal Judge Upholds Rule Requiring Herring Fishermen to Pay for At-Sea Monitors

A federal judge in Rhode Island has upheld a rule requiring commercial Atlantic herring fishermen to pay for at-sea monitoring.

US District Judge William E. Smith ruled in his decision that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) acted lawfully under the Magnuson-Stevens Act when it implemented an "industry-funded" monitoring program for the Atlantic herring fishery.

Smith’s decision comes on the heels of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Chevron doctrine, which had forced courts to defer to federal agencies’ interpretations...

ANALYSIS: EU-UK Shrimp Imports Hit Record High in May 2025

The European Union has released its latest trade data for May 2025, showing that total shrimp imports in the EU-UK region reached 63,869 metric tons—a figure that remains well above the five-year average. This represents a 19.1% increase over April and a 9.7% year-on-year (y-o-y) growth. While the seasonal boost in demand ahead of summer and holiday-driven consumption explains part of the surge, this volume marks a 10-year record high, it stands 27.5% above the 5-year average for...

Bristol Bay’s Sockeye Fishery Receives Federal Support in Pebble Mine Lawsuits While Decision Pends

In a press release yesterday from Alaskan eco-initiative SalmonState, fishermen, community leaders, and local businesses in the state’s Bristol Bay region applauded the Trump administration’s support for the wild sockeye fishery in its ongoing battle against the Pebble Mine project.

According to SalmonState, the Trump Administration has agreed to stand by a decision to stop the toxic Pebble Mine from being built in the headwaters of Bristol Bay's two most important rivers. 

The Vancouver-based company behind the proposed mine is Northern Dynasty, Canadian parent...

Zhanjiang Guolian Tilapia Export Unit Lands $13M Investment

Chinese seafood giant Zhanjiang Guolian Aquatic Products Development Co. has announced a RMB 95 million ($13 million) capital injection into its tilapia subsidiary, Guangdong Gourmet Aquatic Food Co., through the introduction of a new shareholder, Ocean Fund.

According to a notice published by Guolian, Guangdong Gourmet’s capital will jump from RMB 65.9 million to RMB 83 million. Ocean Fund will also hold a roughly 20% ownership stake in Guangdong Gourmet. The funds will be used to optimize and upgrade the company’s production capacity, as well as expand its marketing...

Iceland Seafood International Subsidiary Acquires Two Argentine Freezer Trawlers for $5.8 Million

Iceland Seafood International hf. recently announced that THORPESCA S.A.S., the newly established Argentinian subsidiary of ISI’s branch Iceland Seafood Ibérica, acquired two freezer fishing vessels from FOOD ARTS S.A., along with their respective fishing permits and historical fishing rights, for USD $5.8 million.    

The vessels, ENTRENA UNO and ENTRENA DOS, currently opérate in Argentina, as does Iceland Seafood Ibérica through its subsidiary Achernar, which Iceland Seafood Ibérica acquired in 2017. Once under ISI’s umbrella, the seafood processing and trading company underwent substantial investment and modernization...

Ecuador’s Shrimp Sector Calls for Private-Public Security Partnership Amid Crime Threats

Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) highlighted the thousands of operations carried out to contain the threat of criminal activity targeting the nation’s shrimp farming sector on July 17.

CNA said that despite the efforts of the National Police and the General Directorate of Aquatic Spaces (DIRNEA) of the Ecuadorian Navy, there are limitations in resources, technology and equipment.

The group called on the participation of the private sector in strengthening security for the shrimp farming industry. CNA noted a regulation that allows private organizations to directly...

Mitsubishi-Owned Salmon Farmer Cermaq Buys Key Grieg Seafood Assets for $900 Million

Salmon farmer Cermaq announced it has acquired Grieg Seafood’s operations in Finnmark, Norway and British Columbia and Newfoundland, Canada, in a $987 million (NOK 10.2 billion) deal.

Cermaq CEO Steven Rafferty stated that the move will enhance the company’s competitiveness and contribute to its growth.

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC)-owned Cermaq will acquire the businesses on a cash and debt-free basis. Grieg Seafood Finnmark, Grieg Seafood Newfoundland, Grieg Seafood British Columbia and Grieg’s North American sales organization will now fall under Cermaq’s umbrella...

West Coast Sees Third Directed Halibut Fishery Opener Later in July

Poor weather over much of the West Coast and sub-par landings for the first two halibut openers this year means fishermen will get another chance next week to clean up the Area 2A non-Tribal directed commercial quota.  

Of the 118 metric tons available for the directed fishery, 39 mt remain.  

NOAA Fisheries said a third fishing period will open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 22, and close at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 24. NOAA Fisheries said a third fishing period...

FDA Deems 52 Food Standards Obsolete, Proposes Their Repeal

On July 16, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a direct final rule revoking 52 food standards that the agency deemed obsolete and unnecessary. The food standards relate to canned fruits and vegetables, dairy products, baked goods, macaroni products, fish and shellfish, and dressings and flavorings.

If approved, the rule will repeal standards for 11 types of canned fruits and vegetables that are no longer sold in U.S. grocery stores, including seven standards for fruits that are artificially sweetened with saccharin or sodium saccharin...

Brazil Seafood Association Sounds Alarm Over Job Losses, Export Hit From US Tariffs

Brazil’s seafood industry is already feeling the fallout from President Donald Trump’s newly imposed 50% tariffs, warned Jairo Gund, executive director of the Brazilian fishing industry association (ABIPESCA), in a recent interview on local television.

The newly imposed 50% tariff created a massive headwind for Brazilian seafood exports to the US, as Expana reported earlier this month.

Abipesca highlighted that the tariffs would lead to significant losses for the aquaculture sector...

FMI 2025 Report Highlights Food Industry Shifts Amid Consumer, Economic and Supply Chain Pressures

The Food Industry Association (FMI) has released its 76th annual report, “The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2025,” offering a look into how the industry is advancing as the modern grocery experience continues to evolve.  

The report highlights strategies adopted by food retailers and suppliers, as they adapt to the shifting expectations of consumers, supply chain challenges, and economic pressures.  

Bracing for continued disruptions  

According to the report, about 80% of food retailers and suppliers expect trade policies and tariffs to affect pricing and...

First Western Pacific Typhoon of Season Strains Regional Agriculture in China and Vietnam

Typhoon Wutip, the first storm of the Western Pacific typhoon season, formed on June 11 in the South China Sea, about 160 miles off the southern coast of Hainan Island, China. The storm made a brief landfall on Hainan before strengthening to a Category 1 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson scale by June 14. It continued northward, making a second landfall in Guangdong Province as a tropical storm before dissipating. Along its path, Wutip brought storm conditions and heavy rainfall to central Vietnam...

US and Russian Frozen Pollock Roe Production Exceeds 50,000 Tons for Three Consecutive Years

According to the Minato Shimbun report, the estimated production of frozen pollock roe in the first half of 2025, combined from the US and Russia, was approximately 56,000 to 57,000 tons, marking the third consecutive year that large supplies have exceeded 50,000 tons. US production increased by 7% to 21,000 tons, while Russian production remained flat or decreased slightly compared to the previous year, amounting to 35,000-36,000 tons.

Although the bidding prices for new crop in both the US and Russia were revised downwards...

Investigation Reveals 65% of Jackson, MS Restaurants are Mislabeling Imported Shrimp as Local 

A recent investigation by SeaD Consulting (SeaD) found that 65% of seafood restaurants in the Jackson, Mississippi area have falsely advertised imported shrimp as domestic wild-caught.  

The research is part of an ongoing eight-state investigation funded by the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA). The study uses SeaD’s genetic testing method, RIGHTTest™ (Rapid ID Genetic High-Accuracy Test), to verify shrimp origins. 

This latest round of testing in Jackson took place from June 23–26, 2025, shortly before Mississippi’s new seafood labeling law...

Japan’s Shrimp Imports Increased 4% to 80,000 Tons During January-May

Japan's shrimp imports (total of frozen and processed products, excluding lobsters) from January to May increased by 4% year-on-year, reaching 80,158 tons. According to trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, processed shrimp saw an 11% increase to 25,517 tons, while frozen coldwater shrimp rose by 29% to 2,896 tons. Imports of frozen non-coldwater shrimp, including Vannamei and Black Tiger, remained flat at 51,746 tons. By country, imports from India and Ecuador, major producers of farmed Vannamei, increased...

Bakkafrost's Preliminary Q2 Report Reflects Poor Results in Scottish Segments

Bakkafrost recently released preliminary financial results from its second quarter performance, reflecting poor outcomes for its Scottish freshwater and farming segments, which saw negative earnings of DKK 199 million during Q2 2025.

Per the company’s unaudited consolidated second quarter accounts, the Faroese salmon farmer pulled a total of DKK 65 million (USD $ 10.14 million) in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), which was lower-than-expected for the quarter.

A significant contributing factor was the Scottish segments, which took a hit in Q2, earning a negative EBIT of...

Skretting Leads Project to Boost New Zealand’s King Salmon Exports 

Global aquafeed company Skretting is partnering with the New Zealand government on a new initiative to boost King salmon exports.  

Trade Minister Todd McClay has announced a $455,000 investment to support the development of specialized feed tailored specifically for New Zealand’s King salmon. 

“This funding comes from the Primary Sector Growth Fund, announced in Budget 2025 to support forward-leaning, high-impact projects that will drive productivity, innovation and export growth across the sector,” said McClay. 

The $1.2 million project, led by Skretting, will focus on...