NOAA Fisheries Unveils Action Plan for Enhanced Seafood Import Monitoring Program

NOAA Fisheries will implement an action plan to enhance its Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP).

Last November, NOAA conducted a comprehensive review of SIMP to identify areas for improvement. That led to engagement from over 7,000 stakeholders, including seafood industry professionals, foreign governments, researchers, and civil society groups.

Based on the input, NOAA has shaped an action plan that is “designed to strengthen its impact, focusing on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and bolstering seafood traceability.”

NOAA Fisheries said it would work to limit the impact...

Industry Coalition Fights for Federal Support of Offshore Aquaculture

An offshore aquaculture industry coalition has embarked on a month-long campaign to educate Members of Congress in an effort to raise support for future projects.

The Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) group will release various campaign materials including a fact sheet, social media assets and targeted paid advertisements. Digital ads will also be present in D.C.-based publications like Politico and Axios in hopes of reaching eyeballs on Capitol Hill.

“Without federal action, the U.S. will continue to miss out on the benefits that a thriving aquaculture industry would provide...

Alaska and Washington Get Federal Boost for Port Infrastructures From Saint Paul Island to Tacoma

Six coastal communities in Alaska and five in Washington state will receive nearly $150 million for improvements in critical port and maritime infrastructure. The grants are funded by both annual appropriations and the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IIJA provided $2.25 billion in funds available over five years to the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which was created to improve the movement of goods through our nation's ports and supply chain and enhance port resiliency.

Alaska has more coastline than ...

New Advisory Board on Ocean Acidification Set; Asks for Member Nominations

The Administrator of NOAA and the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST) announced recently that a new Ocean Acidification Advisory Board (OAAB) has been set up to provide independent advice and recommendations to the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification (IWG-OA) and SOST. 

Ocean acidification has been a critical issue at NOAA for years. The new board will be called upon to understand impacts and develop mitigation techniques for ecosystems and human communities. The Federal Register notice also requested nominations for membership on the OAAB.

The OAAB's ...

Forsea Achieves Record-Breaking Cell Density for Its Cultivated Seafood

Cell-cultivated seafood innovator Forsea struck a major breakthrough in making freshwater eel farming a viable commercial reality. The start-up announced its organoid technology reached a record-breaking cell density of more than 300 million cells/ml, and with minimal and precise use of cultured media ingredients.

This is the highest cell density recorded in the field, moving Forsea to the forefront of cultured seafood production efficiency. The landmark technology allows for a scalable and highly cost-effective supply for the hugely popular traditional Japanese delicacy...

New Infrastructure for P.E.I.’s Commercial Fisheries

Malpeque, Prince Edward Island · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

Commercial small craft harbours have long been cultural hubs for Prince Edward Island’s coastal communities, inspiring art, tourism, and world-renowned culinary goods. They also serve as vital engines of economic activity and employment. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring safe, modern infrastructure for working harbours to position the fishery for long-term, sustainable growth...

ADF&G Forecasts 51.3 Million Sockeye Salmon Run to Bristol Bay in 2025, 16% Below 10-Yr Average

Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game’s annual pre-season forecast of a total run of 51.31 million sockeye salmon and a harvest of 34.8 million sockeye is 16% smaller than the most recent 10-year average of 61.23 million fish but 38% greater than the long-term average of 37.07 million fish (1963– 2024).

It is slightly higher than the only other prediction for the world-class fishery in Bristol Bay, which was released August 15 by the University of Washington last ...

The Retail Rundown: This Year's Thanksgiving Dinner May Cost Less 

This week’s protein promotions spotlight seafood, which makes up 33.1 percent of all ads, with pork following at 25.6 percent and beef at 24.3 percent. Chicken features come in at 13 percent, while turkey ads saw a small increase to 3.8 percent, up from 3.3 percent last week but below the 5 percent seen two weeks prior.

Frozen turkeys make up 27 percent of all turkey ads, up 25.7 percent last week, with prices ranging between $2.79 and $5.00 discounted last week.

According to the Expana Thanksgiving Dinner Index 2024...

National Fisheries Institute Welcomes New Members to its Board of Directors

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) approved a new slate of Directors of the Board at its Annual Membership meeting.

NFI explained that it elects a new slate of board members annually to serve three-year terms. The group’s bylaws allow for a 51-person Board, with 45 at-large Directors. There is an 18-person Executive Committee drawn from the Board and six officers as well.

“This Board is comprised of some of the most knowledgeable individuals in the seafood community,” said NFI President and CEO Lisa...

ANALYSIS: Is Shrimp Demand in Decline? A Quantitative Approach

Shrimp demand in the U.S. keeps contracting. Now, this number can be deceiving because demand is typically measured on a year-over-year basis. In other words, because demand surged abnormally in 2021 and 2022 due to the effects of the pandemic, it seems only normal that demand would contract back once the previous consumption habits returned or settled...

High Liner's Q3 Earnings: Profit Up, Sales Down, Strategic Investments Continue

Nova Scotia-based High Liner Foods announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2024. The company reported an increased adjusted EBITDA despite a dip in both gross profit and sales volume.

High Liner reported an adjusted EBITDA increase of US$1.5 million, or 7.5%, to $21.5 million compared to Q3 2023. Meanwhile, its gross profit fell by 2.6% ($1.3 million), and its sales volume fell by 4.2 million pounds, or 6.9% compared to Q3 2023...

Despite Lower Q3 Volumes, BioMar Maintains Guidance for a Strong 2024

BioMar's third quarter reveals a decline in sales volumes year-on-year, while the company is still heading for a strong full-year result. Although revenue has decreased due to stable volumes and lower raw material prices, earnings have increased due to anemphasis on commercial and operational efficiency and a shift towards long-term customer relationships.

BioMar reports solid third quarter results for 2024, still indicating that the company will reach the expected earnings for the year. However, full-year revenue expectations are slightly...

Onda Partners with Brazilian Facility for Shrimp Research

Onda, an aquaculture research organization, announced the opening of a satellite location in Brazil to expand its work into the whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) sector.

“This expansion of services will be conducted in collaboration with an aquaculture facility in Brazil, marking a pivotal step in advancing sustainable shrimp farming research globally,” Onda shared in a press release.

Onda said its push into the shrimp sector through its external partner comes from a market push to provide trials and testing for whiteleg shrimp. Onda said the trials...

Natural Balance Joins Friend of the Sea Certification for a Green and Healthy Future

Natural Balance Limited, a pioneering company in bioscience and technology, has made a significant stride towards sustainability by joining the Friend of the Sea project with its Omega-3 Fish Oil products. Founded in 1996 in Auckland, New Zealand, Natural Balance Ltd. is committed to tapping into the power of natural ingredients and scientifically formulating them to create healthy and nutritious diets.

The Friend of the Sea standard has certified Natural Balance’s products, specifically fish oil and fish oil extracts from its leading brands BIO-H...

Red Lobster Unveils New Menu; CEO Makes Stop on TODAY Show

Red Lobster’s new CEO, Damola Adamolekun, appeared on TODAY earlier this week to promote the seafood chain’s new menu and discuss its future as Red Lobster moves past its bankruptcy.

“Relevant, compelling and exciting is what we want Red Lobster to be for the future, and so we’re working on that now,” Adamolekun told TODAY’s Savannah Sellers.

In hopes of achieving that goal, Red Lobster debuted a new TV spot highlighting the new menu, which features seven new menu options, including...

Russian Crab Industry Struggles with Investment Pressures Amid Falling Demand and Export Limits

Quotas for Kamchatka crab in the Barents Sea will be sold at a reduced price at the end of November, as the planned auctions for the sale of quotas for catching crab in the Northern Basin, which was scheduled for November 13, will not take place due to the lack of applications.

According to the documentation on the Russian Auction House (RAD) website, the latest auctions failed because not a single application was received for participation.

The Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo) was organizing the auctions...

Norway Sees Strong Exports in October Behind Mackerel, Improved Salmon Export Value to U.S.

The Norwegian Seafood Council examined Norway’s record-breaking October for seafood exports, which was primarily due to a historic month for mackerel exports.

“Never before has a higher value of seafood been exported in a single month. This is primarily due to exceptionally strong mackerel exports that we have never seen before. This alone accounted for almost all the growth in value in October," said Christian Chramer, CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council.

For the month, Norway exported seafood...