Ocean Beauty Rebrands Smoked, Value-Added Business as Echo Falls

Ocean Beauty Seafoods Smoked and Value-Added division will now be known as Echo Falls Seafood.

The company announced the rebranding earlier this month and decided to use its top-selling Echo Falls brand to establish its smoked and value-added operations as a separate business unit.

Alex Klein, who was at the helm of the smoked and value-added seafood divisions when it was under the Ocean Beauty brand, will now lead the Echo Falls Seafoods team as President. The ownership will remain the same, and it will continue...

U.S. Department of Commerce Found Vietnam Exporters Didn’t Dump Pangasius into U.S. Market

In its latest antidumping administrative review, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) determined that frozen pangasius fillets from Vietnam were not sold at below-normal values.

According to the document posted on the Federal Register earlier this week, the DOC shared the preliminary results of its antidumping administrative review of certain fish fillets from Vietnam. The review was focused on the period of August 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023.

The notice published in the Federal Register indicated that the review covered eight exports of...

Canada’s Conservative Party Rips Federal Government Handling Atlantic Canada Lobster Fishing

Canada’s Conservative Party slammed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government’s handling of alleged poaching around the Bay of Fundy.

Headlines in Canada have emerged with local fishing organizations in the New Brunswick areas alleging that both local and foreign poachers are targeting Lobster Area 36 ahead of the start of its November season.

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association told news outlets that it wasn’t aware of the allegations and denied the claims. Maine Department of Resources spokesperson Jeff Nichols said in a statement...

Cousins Maine Lobster Franchisees Expanding Footprint in Southeastern Florida

Cousins Maine Lobster is at it again. This time, the brand is teaming up with long-time franchisees and brothers Yunus and Thameem Shahul, to expand into the Fort Lauderdale area, expanding the Cousins footprint into Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

The brothers began their relationship with Cousins Maine Lobster in 2018, and the new truck will mark its 17^th unit with the brand.

The brothers shared their excitement for the move with the following statement...

Menhaden Fisheries Coalition Thank Governor Youngkin for Declaring "Commercial Waterman Safety Week"

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared this week, September 15-21, 2024, “Commercial Waterman Safety Week.” The governor’s proclamation recognizes that Virginia’s more than 1,500 commercial watermen “risk their lives sustaining a tradition passed down through generations,” help generate over $1 billion in economic impact for the Commonwealth, and deserve “access to a secure and safe work environment.”

The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition and the Virginia Waterman’s Association are grateful to Governor Youngkin for recognizing the vital role of Virginia watermen, including menhaden fishermen...

Norway, EU Sign Agreement for Duty-Free Seafood Import Quotas

The European Union (EU) has agreed to open 12 duty-free import quotas for Norwegian seafood, a move that is expected to boost Norway’s seafood sector.

The deal covers the period from May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2028, and the duty-free imports will provide more access for seafood firms to Norway's critical market.

“The EU is by far the most important market for Norwegian seafood, and more duty-free quotas provide more export opportunities for Norwegian products, both from fisheries and aquaculture,” said Fisheries and Oceans Minister...

Florida Rep. Announces FISHES Act Legislation Aimed at Expediting Fisheries Disaster Relief

Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) announced that a broad coalition of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate, and organizations supports the FISHES Act, which aims to expedite fisheries disaster relief.

Donalds’ FISHES Act was described as bipartisan legislation aimed at improving the federal regulatory process association with fishery disaster relief allocation. The bill wants to expedite fisheries disaster relief once declarations are confirmed, something that Donalds has become familiar with as Florida has requested relief on six separate occasions since 2012...

Seafood Nutrition Partnership Adds Steven Summerfelt to Scientific Nutrition Advisory Council

The Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) added Dr. Steven Summerfelt, Ph.D., P.E., to its Scientific Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC).

The SNP described its council as a team of leading researchers in science, nutrition, and health. Summerfelt currently serves as the Chief Science Officer at Superior Fresh, the first land-based Atlantic salmon producer in the United States.

Dr. Summerfelt works to ensure that Superior Fresh’s production methods are safe for the environment, doesn’t impact water quality or safety and gives back to the land...

Mowi Salmon Escape Incident Reported in Norway

Mowi Seawater Norway AS reported an escape incident on September 17 at the Kveitskjeret locality in Frøya municipality in Trøndelag.

According to Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries, a large tear was discovered in a groove in connection with delivery to slaughter. The salmon in the cages weighed an average of 5 kg. The company has deployed recapture nets at the site.

The Directorate of Fisheries said it would follow up on the incident...

Alaska Governor Dunleavy Asked to Declare Federal Disaster for Southcentral Salmon Fisheries

Alaska State Representative Sara Vance, from Homer, sent a letter to Governor Mike Dunleavy earlier this week asking him to declare the 2024 fisheries for salmon, particularly pink salmon, a federal disaster.

“The unprecedented low return of pink salmon has left many fishermen without income, while others are burdened with significant debt from this disastrous season,” Vance wrote. “For those whole livelihoods depend on the salmon harvest, this is an economic crisis with profound and far-reaching impacts.”

Statewide pink salmon harvests have reached 37.8 million fish to ...

Seagriculture Draws 200 To Ketchikan, Discuss Future of Seaweed Farming in Alaska and World

Experts from Europe and Asia, as well as researchers and farmers from around the U.S., met with Alaska mariculturists in Ketchikan last week for two days of discussions on where seaweed farming is headed.

The summit, SeagricultureUS is a spin off of SeagricultureEU and SeagricultureAsia. It has been held in Maine in recent years, but with a nod to Alaska’s rapid rise in seaweed farming in recent years (becoming the nation’s second largest seafood producer), the event was held in Ketchikan this year. 

Nearly 200 guests ...

A Look Ahead at Lobster Promos to Celebrate National Lobster Day 2024

National Lobster Day is right around the corner on September 25, and the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) is ready to celebrate Maine’s iconic seafood item.

"National Lobster Day highlights the hardworking individuals and communities that make the fishery thrive," said Marianne LaCroix, Executive Director at the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. "We encourage lobster fans across the country to show their support for the families who make it all possible by choosing sustainably harvested Maine Lobster."

There will be various promotions and products for consumers to get...

The Retail Rundown: Going All-Out for Autumn

Fall is just around the corner, with the official start of autumn this Sunday, September 22. As cooler weather sets in and travel plans wind down, grocers are ramping up their offerings of seasonal favorites to align with the change in consumer preferences. 

According to the Expana Retail Activity Index, seafood continues to lead for the fourth week in a row, making up 30% of total protein ads. Beef and pork are close behind, each at around 25%, while chicken accounts for 14%. Eggs represent 2.8% of retail opportunities, and turkey has 2.3%...

New $100 Million-plus Arctic Char Facility Gets Support from Canadian Government

The Manitoba government said it will support the development of Sapphire Springs Inc.'s CA$145 million (US$106 million) Arctic char facility.

The planned aquaculture and processing facility would be Canada’s largest for Arctic char and position the province as a leader in production of the species. The facility will be located a short drive north of Winnipeg in Rural Municipality (RM) of Rockwood, providing more than 100 full-time jobs for Manitobans, per Minister Jamie Moses and Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn...

U.S. Troops Deployed to Remote Aleutian Island In Response to Heightened Military Activity in Area

About 130 troops have arrived in Shemya Island, part of the western tip of the Aleutian Island Archipelago, in response to increased activity by Russian and Chinese military exercises in the region.

Shemya Island is home to the COBRA DANE radar system, operated by the United States Space Force, used for tracking ballistic missiles and other weapons and spacecraft. It is also home to an air station and a 10,000-foot runway. U.S. Air Force radar, surveillance, and weather station that was built in 1942 ...

Island Institute Kickstarts Initiative to Support Maine’s Lobster Industry

The Island Institute received a $1.4 million award from the Small Business Administration to support Maine’s vital lobster industry and the communities that rely on it.

The Institute noted that the Congressionally Directed Spending request was led by Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and would lead to the creation of the ‘Future of Fishing,’ “described as a collaborative effort designed to expand economic opportunities for Maine’s coastal communities.”

“This funding is not just an investment in the lobster industry, it is an investment in the communities that have...

ANALYSIS: U.S. Shrimp Imports Grow, Driven by India and Ecuador

U.S. shrimp imports continue to rise, and the gains from 2014 are driven primarily by India and Ecuador. In the last 10 years, imports from India and Ecuador have grown 10.54% and 8.35% CAGR, respectively. Indonesia's growth is a slower 3.54% CAGR. The market shifted in 2021, when Ecuador overtook Indonesia for second place...