Shrimp Giant Thai Union Faces $295M Lawsuit Over Red Lobster's Collapse

Creditors of Red Lobster are suing former owner Thai Union Group, alleging the Bangkok-based seafood giant used the restaurant chain as a captive distribution arm for its own shrimp business, ultimately helping drive it into bankruptcy.

The complaint, filed in Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit Court on behalf of creditors owed approximately $295 million, alleges that Thai Union — which held a controlling stake in the chain while simultaneously serving as its primary shrimp supplier — orchestrated a deliberate scheme to “squeeze every drop of value” from the company...

Norwegian Seafood Takes the Spotlight as National Team Competes in the US

The news that the Norwegian national football team brought 500 kilos of seafood from Norway to the largest international soccer championship game in the US has travelled far beyond the pitch, quickly turning into a global talking point.

What began as a detail about the team’s diet has gone viral, with the story generating more than 120 news articles so far, according to a preliminary overview from media monitoring service Meltwater. International outlets including The New York Times, CNN, The Korea Times and...

New Fishery Management Council Seats Announced Amid Criticism of the Process in Alaska

Last Friday, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced 22 new and returning members to the nation's eight regional fishery management councils.

Nominations to those seats come from the governors of the states or territories represented and tribal governments in the region. A variety of groups are represented — commercial and recreational sectors, academia, and government agencies.

Each year, the Secretary appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight regional councils. The Secretary usually honors the priority given by governors...

US Fish and Wildlife Service Expands Shellfish Definition to Include Squid, Octopus and Cuttlefish

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has finalized a rule updating the regulatory definition of "shellfish" to include cephalopods — squid, octopus, and cuttlefish — bringing federal regulations in line with modern scientific understanding and longstanding commercial practice.

Under 50 CFR Part 10, the FWS regulates the import and export of wildlife and wildlife products, with certain exemptions for shellfish. The revision extends that exemption to cephalopods, which were previously excluded despite being treated as conventional seafood products across commercial markets...

BAP, Great British Chefs Team Up to Promote Responsible Aquaculture

Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), a third-party certification program developed by the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA), has partnered with Great British Chefs in a new campaign launched June 15 aimed at raising awareness and understanding of the BAP label.

The campaign features recipes from five BAP-certified producers: Hiddenfjord; I.D.I. Corp; Kilic Seafood; The Kingfish Company and Regal Springs Tilapia, alongside renowned Chef Jude Kereama, owner of Kota and its sister restaurant Kota Kai in the fishing village of Porthleven, Cornwall in the...

ANALYSIS: Scottish Atlantic Salmon Exports Decline Despite Record Health in 2026

The production of farmed Atlantic salmon in Scotland is showing positive momentum, with Salmon Scotland reporting that the survival rate reached a record high of 99.1% in March 2026. However, the current favorable health conditions have not yet been reflected in 2026 export volumes. Total exports in 2025 for fresh salmon, including whole fish and fillets, reached 115,914 MT, a record according to national customs, representing a 9.0% increase year over year (YOY)...

Red Lobster Brings Back Crabfest With Expanded Customization and New Crab Boil Options

Red Lobster is bringing back its signature summer promotion with a more customizable approach as Crabfest returns to menus beginning June 29. This year’s limited-time lineup gives guests more control over crab type, flavor, and spice level, building on the popularity of last summer’s Seafood Boils and expanding the chain’s hands-on seafood offerings.

At the center of the promotion is Crab Your Way, a long-standing Crabfest favorite that now offers a choice of Snow or Bairdi crab paired with on...

Global Seafood Alliance Highlights Certification Growth, Consumer Trust in 2025 Annual Report

The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) has released its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting growth across its certification programs, expanding industry engagement and continued investment in education, marketing and responsible seafood initiatives.

The report details progress across the organization's standards, marketing efforts and global impact while outlining key initiatives completed throughout the year.

According to the report, GSA increased certifications by 3% year over year, reaching 4,308 certified producers across 45 countries. Certified producers also implemented 7,808 operational improvements in 2025 as...

Canada Reopens Northern Shrimp Fishery Off Newfoundland for First Time in Over a Decade

The commercial Northern shrimp fishery will open off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time in over a decade, Canada's Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson announced on June 22.

Thompson confirmed the reopening of Shrimp Fishing Area (SFA) 7, the domestic portion of NAFO Division 3L off eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, along with the establishment of a Total Allowable Catch of 1,367 tonnes for the 2026-2027 season.

The fishery was shut following a 2015 NAFO moratorium...

EU Restores Zero-Duty Access for US Lobster, Expands Coverage to Processed Products

The European Union's Council of Ministers formally adopted two regulations on June 25 implementing the bloc's tariff commitments under the EU-US joint trade framework, restoring duty-free access for American lobster exports and opening new preferential market access for a range of US seafood products.

The most immediate development for the seafood industry is the reinstatement of the EU's zero-duty regime on US lobster imports, which had lapsed on July 31, 2025, when an earlier agreement — first struck between the US and EU in 2020...

New Survey Highlights Growing Appetite for Seafood Among US Consumers

Americans are increasingly embracing seafood, with a new survey revealing strong demand driven by its health benefits, freshness and taste.

The research found that Alaska remains the strongest association with high-quality seafood among US consumers. When asked where they associate premium seafood, 32% of respondents ranked Alaska first, followed by the southern US at 17% and the West Coast at 12%.

The findings highlight shifting consumer preferences and reinforce the opportunity to position wild Alaska seafood as a premium yet accessible choice for everyday...

Century Pacific Resumes Tuna and Coconut Operations After Philippines Earthquake

Century Pacific Food has begun restoring partial operations at its tuna and coconut manufacturing facilities in General Santos City, Philippines, following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that forced a temporary shutdown of both plants.

The company said all employees and personnel were confirmed safe and that evacuation protocols were successfully carried out. Structural safety assessments cleared the way for a partial restart roughly a week after the quake, with full operations expected to return over the following one to two weeks as repairs are completed...

Cooke to Take Over Mowi's Atlantic Canada Salmon Farms in CAD 225 Million Deal

Mowi has agreed to sell its Atlantic Canada salmon farming operations to Cooke Inc. for CAD 225 million ($158 million) on a debt-free basis, the companies announced Tuesday, as the Norwegian salmon giant moves to exit a region that has weighed heavily on its financial performance.

The Share Purchase Agreement covers Mowi's operations across New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, including freshwater hatchery facilities, sea farming sites, and two processing plants. Standing biomass at the time of the deal was approximately...

Silver Bay Seafoods Wins $11.2 Million USDA Canned Salmon Contract; Frozen Fillet Lines Go Unawarded

Silver Bay Seafoods has been awarded an $11.2 million contract to supply canned pink salmon to the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) domestic food distribution programs, according to a purchase award document released June 18 by the Agricultural Marketing Service.

The Sitka, Alaska-based company will supply 118,560 cases of 24 14.75-oz cans of pink salmon under two product specifications. The larger lot, 94,240 cases, carried prices ranging from $85.95 to $107.20 per case, while a secondary Kosher-designated...

Lineage Prepares Cleanup After Week-Long Fire Contained at LA Cold Storage Site

Firefighters have brought a major blaze under control at a Los Angeles cold storage warehouse, after flames burned for nearly a week at a facility central to the region’s frozen food supply chain.

The fire began June 17 at Lineage’s Big Bear facility in the Boyle Heights area of central Los Angeles. The site stores and distributes frozen seafood, pork, beef and poultry destined for West Coast grocery stores and restaurants, according to Lineage and local reports.

Lineage said it is ready...

Nordic Halibut Buys Pure Norwegian Seafood from Måsøval

Nordic Halibut has agreed to acquire 100% of Pure Norwegian Seafood (PNS) from salmon farmer Måsøval, securing full ownership of the Averøy processing facility it has relied on since 2025 and completing the final link in its vertically integrated supply chain.

The deal, first announced June 28, values PNS at approximately NOK 60 million (around $6 million), with the purchase price to be settled in cash at completion, expected on or around June 30. Nordic Halibut said it plans to finance the acquisition through a new bank loan...

Russian Fish Exports to China Surge 50% in Value Through May

Russian fish exports to China jumped sharply in the first five months of 2026, driven by growing Chinese market demand and an increase in Russian catch volumes across key species.

According to data from the Russian Fish Union, citing statistics from China's General Administration of Customs, Russia's fish export revenue to China reached $2.06 billion from January through May — up 1.5 times compared to the same period last year. In volume terms, exports rose 16% to 672,000 tons...