ANALYSIS: MMPA Enforcement and Section 301 Tariffs Are Rewriting the Rules for US Crab Meat Sourcing

The Marine Mammal Protection Act's import provision and a newly permanent Section 301 forced labor tariff regime have converged on the US crab meat supply chain. The result is a market operating under two independent and compounding enforcement frameworks, neither of which is going away, while prices for pasteurized crab meat have climbed to levels not seen in the modern history of the category, surpassing even the supply shock highs recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic...

Federal Government Signals Potential Changes to Seafood Import Monitoring Program

The US National Marine Fisheries Service has placed a new rulemaking on the federal government's Unified Agenda that could bring meaningful changes to the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, the documentation and traceability system that governs how imported seafood enters the US market. The listing, published July 5 under RIN 0648-BK85, represents the earliest official signal that the agency intends to develop new rules.

The Unified Agenda is the federal government's semiannual roadmap of planned regulatory actions. Its publication does not mean a rule is imminent — any substantive changes would...

Consumers Sue Amazon Over Seafood Sustainability Claims in Greenwashing Class Action

Amazon.com faces a class action lawsuit filed July 31 in federal court in Seattle alleging the company misled consumers through unsubstantiated sustainability claims on dozens of seafood products sold through its platform — including products under its own Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh brands.

The complaint, filed by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro on behalf of two consumers, targets what it calls "Greenwashed Seafood Products" bearing claims such as "MSC Certified Sustainable Seafood," "wild caught," "responsibly sourced," "traceable," and "dolphin safe...

Fishermen Fight to Keep Atlantic Monument Waters Open in Federal Court

Two New England commercial fishermen have asked a federal court to let them join the defense of the Trump administration's decision to lift a fishing ban across 5,000 square miles of Atlantic Ocean, arguing the ban was illegal from the start and should never be reinstated.

Frank Green, a Long Island tilefish fisherman, and Robert Conrad of Vermont, who trawls for whiting, squid, butterfish, and mackerel, filed a motion to intervene as defendants on July 31 in Conservation Law Foundation v. Trump in the US District Court for the...

ASC Study Finds 52% of US Consumers Recognize Seafood Certification Labels as North America Campaign

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council says its largest-ever consumer study has found that independent certification programs are the most trusted source of seafood sustainability information globally — but significant awareness gaps remain among US shoppers, with barely half able to recognize seafood certification labels at point of sale.

The survey, conducted by The Conversation Studio on behalf of ASC, polled nearly 15,000 consumers across 14 countries. While ASC ranked as the most recognized and trusted farmed seafood certification globally, only 52% of US seafood consumers said...

Mexico Seizes More than 462 Metric Tons of Illegal Fish Products in June Enforcement Push

Mexico's National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca) seized 462,550 kilograms (462.6 metric tons) of illegally harvested or traded fish products during enforcement operations conducted in June across 11 states and Mexico City, highlighting the country's ongoing efforts to combat illegal fishing.

According to Conapesca, the seizures resulted from inspections carried out in Baja California, Baja California Sur, Colima, Mexico City, Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora, Veracruz and Yucatán.

The agency, a decentralized body within Mexico's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Agricultura), reported...

RealCold opens Colton Facility, Expanding Cold-Storage Footprint in California

RealCold has opened a new cold-storage facility in Colton, Calif., expanding its presence in the western US and adding capacity in one of the country’s most important food distribution markets.

The company said the San Bernardino County site is designed to provide an affordable temperature-controlled storage option for food brands in California as part of its broader national growth strategy. Located less than 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles, the facility is positioned to serve customers across the state with warehousing and e-commerce fulfillment services.

Whole Foods, Fishwife Launch Grocery Tote Tie-Up

Whole Foods Market and Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co. have unveiled a new retail merchandise collaboration, marking what is described as the grocery chains’ first-ever partnership of its kind.

“Fishwife was a natural first choice because of our shared commitment to sustainable sourcing and high-quality products,” Megan Causgrove, Lifestyle and Whole Body Merchandising Manager at Whole Foods Market, told Good Housekeeping.

The launch features a limited-edition summer collection of reusable grocery totes made from 100% regenerative cotton. The bags are available in three sizes: micro ($4.99)...

ODFW Marine Researchers Head Offshore to Cobb Seamount Searching for Old Female Rockfish

A team of researchers from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in collaboration with two members of Oregon State University’s (OSU) College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences will leave Newport, OR tomorrow headed west to an underwater volcano to look for old female rockfish, specifically black, canary and yellowtail rockfish.

These three fish species are unique because, as they get older, most of the population are males. The scientists also know that older fish are rarely caught in...

ANALYSIS: Pacific Halibut Landings Gap Narrows, but Supply Remains Historically Constrained

Since the June analysis, Pacific halibut production has improved and the year-over-year landings gap has narrowed. According to the International Pacific Halibut Commission, coastwide landings through Week 28, ending July 5, totaled approximately 7.6 million pounds, down 3.8% from the same period in 2025. Fishing effort is expected to continue improving as vessels return from the Bristol Bay salmon season and redirect activity toward halibut...

Norwegian Cod Farmer Ode Becomes First in History to Deliver a Profitable Full Year

Ode, Norway's largest farmed cod producer, has achieved what no cod farming company has managed since the industry's early attempts in the 2000s — a full year of profitability. The company reported a net profit of NOK 66 million ($7 million) in 2025, a NOK 301 million improvement from the prior year.

Revenue more than doubled, growing 118.7% from NOK 401 million in 2024 to NOK 877 million ($91 million). EBITDA reached NOK 109 million ($11 million)...

Thai Union Posts Record Gross Profit Margin, Raises Guidance as PetCare Subsidiary Delivers Growth

Thai Union Group reported a record-high gross profit margin of 21.4% in the second quarter of 2026 — already in line with the company's 2030 target — while its pet food subsidiary i-Tail Corporation posted its strongest first-half performance to date, raising full-year guidance sharply across both businesses.

Thai Union: Record Margins and Rising Dividends

Second-quarter sales at the Thai seafood giant rose 1.4% year-on-year to THB 33.8 billion, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of organic growth. Sales volume increased...

Japan's H1 Seafood Export Value Rose 24% Driven by a 69% Increase in Yellowtail

According to trade statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance on July 30 and published by Minato Shimbun, seafood exports, including finfish, shellfish, processed products, and fishmeal, for the first half of the year (January–June) totaled 256,494 tons in volume, down 9% year-on-year (YOY), and 203.114 billion yen ($1.29 billion)) in value, up 24%. Scallop exports saw a 3% drop in volume to 21,063 tons but a 6% rise in value to 41.841 billion yen...

Coalition Celebrates First Chinook Salmon to Mount St. Helens Watershed Since 1980 Eruption

The plan began shortly after the cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. The upper Toutle River watershed, source of abundant populations of spring and fall Chinook, coho salmon, and winter steelhead, took the hardest hit, buried under hundreds of feet of ash, volcanic debris, and sediment. Work began almost immediately by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to build a Sediment Retention Structure (SRS), a large earthen dam, to stop downstream sediment flow, and a Fish Collection Facility (FCF)...

US Shrimp Coalition Launches to Fight Import Curbs, Defend Affordable Shrimp

The US Shrimp Coalition today launched as the unified national voice for businesses, workers, retailers, restaurants and supply‑chain partners committed to preserving access to affordable shrimp for American consumers.

Created in response to efforts to tighten import rules that would raise consumer costs and disrupt seafood supply chains, the Coalition said it will press policymakers to protect year‑round availability, support US seafood businesses and safeguard the hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on imported shrimp.

“Shrimp is a staple on dinner tables across...

Nueva Pescanova Scraps World's First Commercial Octopus Farm Plan

Nueva Pescanova has formally withdrawn its bid to build what would have been the world's first commercial octopus farm, filing an official request with the Port Authority of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to abandon its application for the facility's concession, according to reporting by Europa Press and WeAreAquaculture.

The Spanish seafood company said the decision was driven solely by "business and regulatory considerations" stemming from the evolution of the administrative process — not an acknowledgment that octopus farming is unfeasible...

Spanish Government Approves €23.1M Investment Package for Canary Islands' Primary Sector

The Spanish Government has approved a €23.1 million investment package designed to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and long-term resilience of the Canary Islands' primary sector, with funding targeting agriculture, fisheries, water infrastructure and workforce development.

Approved by the Council of Ministers following a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the package combines €17.9 million in direct financial support with €5.2 million for strategic investments in irrigation infrastructure and maritime training.

The funding will be distributed through...