NOAA Fisheries Closes Federal Scallop Fishing in Northern Gulf of Maine Until April 2026

Today, NOAA Fisheries (NMFS) announced the closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Scallop Management Area to all scallop vessels fishing under federal scallop regulations, effective April 28, 2025, at 0001 hour.

According to NMFS’ recent press release, the federal entity projects that 100% of the set-aside for the NGOM Scallop Management Area will be taken by April 28, henceforth the end of the 2025 fishing season.  

Per the announcement, no scallop vessels within the federally permitted limited access general category may fish...

Fishermen’s Interest and Renewed Testing Allows Partial Opening of California Rock Crab Fishery

It’s been a rocky crab fishery for fishermen in California. Now, after being closed for almost a decade, fishermen can now harvest rock crab in northern California, thanks to a recent announcement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).  

The announcement comes after a recommendation from state health agencies, which was released by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment on April 23.

Per the recommendation and CDFW’s subsequent announcement on April 24, the commercial rock crab fishery in northern California...

Russia Reduces its Output of Fish Products This Year

This year, Russia has reduced its production of fish products, mainly due to unfavorable weather conditions, which have led to a decline in pollock catch, the most important fish in the country’s overall fish catch structure.

According to data from the Russian Fish Union’s Analytical Center, the production of Russian fish products in Q1 2025 amounted to 1.16 million tons, which is 3% lower on year-on-year basis. Of these products, frozen fish products decreased by 4%, amounting to 722,000 tons. At the same time, the production of frozen fish...

Exclusive International Trade Centre Interview: Implications of Trump’s Tariff Regime

Julia Spies is the Chief of Trade and Market Intelligence for the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Switzerland. Spies and team analyze trade information and publish findings about market-specific trade intelligence on multiple online platforms, like Tradebriefs.intracen.org.

Recent shifts in the world of trade, including the latest round of United States tariffs and trade measures by other countries, has kept Spies and company busy, to say the least.

However, ITC members have watched trade measures, and in particular their impact on developing countries, long before these recent changes...

Japan Expands Local Salmon Farming to 113 Brands Nationwide

The market for locally farmed salmon is expanding across Japan. According to a survey by Minato Shimbun, as of mid-April, there are 113 local salmon brands nationwide, an increase of nine since last year's survey.

Each producer is particular about the breeding environment and feed, and they differentiate their salmon as a domestic product with a strong regional flavor. With the unstable landing of wild fish and the high prices of imported seafood due to the weak yen, these Japanese salmon farmers are increasing their presence. They are receiving more inquiries...

US Coast Guard Detains 12 Fishermen Off Texas Coast, Seizes 1,400 lbs of Red Snapper and Shark

On Monday, April 21, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) intercepted and detained 12 Mexican fishermen who were engaged in illegal fishing in federal waters off southern Texas. In addition to taking the fishermen into federal custody, the USCG seized approximately 1,400 pounds of illegally caught fish.

Coast Guard Cutter Alert, Coast Guard Cutter Jacob Poroo, Coast Guard Station South Padre Island, and Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi crews coordinated with watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Center to detect detected...

SalMar Acquires Norwegian Salmon Farmer Wilsgård for USD $168.27 Million

SalMar ASA (SalMar) published a statement yesterday indicating its purchase of Norwegian salmon farmer Wilsgård AS (Wilsgard) for NOK 1.8 billion (USD $168.3 million).

According to the statement, the boards of Wilsgård, SalMar Farming AS (a wholly-owned subsidiary of SalMar), and SalMar have officially approved a triangular merger plan pursuant to Chapter 13 of the Norwegian Public Limited Liability Companies Act, listing SalMar Farming as the acquiring company, Wilsgård as the transferring company, and SalMar as the issuer of the consideration shares in the merger...

Kaldvik Issues New Shares After March Acquisition of Icelanding Fish Farming Operations

Icelandic salmon farmer Kaldvik AS (Kaldvik) recently announced the issuance of new shares related to its March 25 acquisition of two full salmon farming operations and one third of an additional salmon farming operation, all situated on Iceland’s east coast.

Per the determination made by its board on April 22, Kaldvik has resolved to increase its share capital to NOK 624,995.20 (USD $59,402.67) by issuing 6,249,952 new shares, with each share valued at NOK 27.60 (USD $2.62).

According to the company, its claim for capital contribution...

SimpliiGood's Microalgae-Based Smoked Salmon Product Enters Commercial Production Phase

In a press release published on April 22, food tech company SimpliiGood announced it is advancing to commercial production for its 100% plant-based smoked salmon analog.

The alternative protein, composed of spirulina microalgae, is funded with US$4 million and has fresh regulatory clearance from the European Union.

SimpliiGood, whose parent company is AlgaeCore, Ltd., specializes in sustainable, protein-based microalgae products, producing fish and meat analogs made from spirulina that is cultivated and produced by AlgaeCore. AlgaeCore’s product Simplii Texture is the base for SimpliiGood’s salmon analog...

CSI Launches Global Certification Program for Wild-Capture Seafood

When it comes to certifications, Certified Seafood International is making some changes. 

Or, more specifically, it’s going global and encompassing the successes gained by the Responsible Fisheries Management Program, a certification program for wild-capture fisheries.  

CSI was developed in partnership with credible regional certification. The certificates and standards of the GSSI-benchmarked RFM program will now be part of CSI, meaning that approximately 3 million metric tons of fishery landings are currently certified under the updated umbrella of CSI’s certification program.  

The Program’s new global governing board currently includes individuals...

Cousins Maine Lobster Debuts Third Truck in Michigan; Celebrates 85 Units Amid 13th Anniversary

Fast-casual lobster roll company Cousins Maine Lobster (CML) recently announced the launch of a new food truck in Grand Rapids, Michigan, making it the 85th food truck on the company’s nationwide roster.

This addition marks the third CML food truck and the second market for operators Hussein (Hank) Kdouh, Muhammed (Moe) Zahr, and Rabih Zahr, who launched their first truck in Detroit in 2022 and a second truck three months later.

The new truck will provide seafood lovers in the Grand Rapids area with...

Ecuador Imposes Seasonal Ban on Titi Shrimp to Protect Juvenile Stocks

Ecuador has implemented a temporary and seasonal recruitment ban on titi shrimp (Camarón Pomada — Protrachypene precipua and Xiphopenaeus riveti) from April 22 to May 21, 2025, as outlined in Ministerial Agreement MPCEIP-SRP-2025-0037-A.

This measure, published on April 21 by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment, and Fisheries, prohibits the capture, commercialization, and transportation of the species during this period to protect juvenile shrimp and support resource sustainability.

Exceptions are allowed for shrimp caught before the start of the ban, provided that inventory is...

Russia’s Sakhalin Region Plans to Increase Fish Catch This Year

The authorities of the Sakhalin region, one of Russia’s major fish-producing regions, aims to increase its fish catch this year, according to recent statements from Sakhalin government officials and local media sources.

At present, most of Sakhalin’s fish catch consists of pollock, cod, herring, flounder, navaga, greenling, and Pacific salmon, as well as seafood, crustaceans, and mollusks. While local fisherman caught about 745,000 tons of both fish and seafood last year, Sakhalin authorities hope to increase these figures in 2025, with particular attention on increasing its salmon catch...

Tariff Talks 2025: Expana's Weekly Rundown #5

Expana’s global team of specialist reporters has been tracking every twist and turn in the fluid tariff situation.

Click to read "Tariff Talks 2025: Expana's Weekly Rundown #5."

This report allows the Expana community to see where key commodity markets stand as of this past week... Click the above PDF report, or keep scrolling to read in plain text...

The Retail Rundown: Post-Easter Pause Sets Stage for Protein Push

With Easter now in the rearview, retailers will largely tread water, positioning themselves for a seasonal surge in demand ahead of the start of summer.

Grilling demand is beginning to build toward a Memorial Day crescendo, prompting grocers to build inventory and plan aggressive promotions to jumpstart the season. 

But first up is Cinco de Mayo. While it's a smaller holiday, it can still drive foot traffic. Proteins like pork, steak, and chicken are expected to see solid movement as shoppers make tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and other festive fare...

Russia Increases 2025 Crab Exports by 26%

Russia has increased its 2025 crab exports by 26%, compared to the same period last year, according to data provided by Russian analysts and local media.

According to estimates from experts at the Federal Center for Development of Agricultural Exports of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia (Agroexport), Russia exported about 17,000 tons of crab during Q1 2025, worth more than US$440 million. Compared to the same period last year, supplies increased by 23% in volume and 26% in terms of value.

The majority of crab was exported to China, which...

Southern Shrimp Alliance Celebrates Trump’s Executive Order to Strengthen American Seafood Industry

The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) recently released a statement applauding President Trump’s executive order “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” which he signed on April 17.

According to the SSA, the action directly confronts the existential threats currently facing the U.S. domestic shrimp industry including unfair trade practices, imported shrimp that is unsafe or linked to forced labor practices, and regulatory imbalances. The Alliance added that foreign competitors do not have to face the same regulations or economic and logistic barriers as U.S. shrimpers...