ANALYSIS: Live Lobster Faces Post-Holiday Demand Lull as Maine Supply Steps Up

The live lobster market is entering its next seasonal transition as Canadian spring production tapers off and Maine landings continue to build. Holiday demand provided the expected support through early summer, but buying interest has faded following July 4. Sales have become harder to secure, with buyers focusing on short-term and weekend needs rather than building inventory. Lower Canadian offers continue to surface while improving Maine landings add to the softer tone.

This softer demand pattern is typical for midsummer, though broader consumer pressures are reinforcing...

ANALYSIS: US Frozen Scallop Prices Hit Record Highs as Tariffs and Tight Supply Squeeze Imports

Total frozen scallop imports into the US are down 48.9% year-to-date in 2026, falling from 27.5 million pounds to just 14.1 million pounds. The headline decline is heavily influenced by the front-loading that inflated Q1 2025 — importers aggressively accelerated shipments ahead of tariff implementation, creating an artificially elevated baseline. As the year progresses and both periods fall within a tariff environment, the year-over-year comparisons begin to...

Seafood Industry Split at USTR Forced Labor Tariff Hearings as July 24 Deadline Looms

The US seafood industry arrived at this week's USTR Section 301 hearings divided — importers warning of a $2.86 billion annual tariff hit, domestic shrimp and catfish producers pushing for higher duties and outright import bans — with a hard statutory deadline adding urgency to the entire proceeding.

The three-day hearings, held July 7–9 at the US International Trade Commission, covered USTR's proposed forced labor tariffs on 60 economies: 10% on countries with at least partial forced labor import bans, including Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, and...

ANALYSIS: European Frozen Squid Imports Fall 21% in H1 2026 as Peru Surges

Frozen squid imports into Europe (EU and UK) decreased by 21.2% year-to-date (YTD) in the first half of the year. The decline affected most of the seven key source countries; only Peru recorded growth, with a 47.5% YTD increase. India, Peru, and China have historically been Europe's main squid suppliers, but in 2026, Indian and Chinese exports declined by 27.7% and 49.4%, respectively.

Peru has had a very successful season. In the 2025 season for Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas), total capture...

Just Shrimp Introduces High‑protein Shrimp Nuggets to CPG market

Just Shrimp is expanding its frozen consumer packaged goods (CPG) portfolio with the introduction of its new, BAP certified, Shrimp Nugget. This better-for-you snack was designed to meet the growing demand for clean-label, protein-forward seafood options.

The new product delivers 12 grams of shrimp protein per serving and is made with a short list of simple, recognizable ingredients. At its core is Pacific white shrimp sourced from coastal Mexican waters, a region with a long-established shrimping and aquaculture industry known for producing shrimp with...

St. James Smokehouse Extends Seven-Year Food Safety Streak with 2026 BRCGS Grade AA Recertification

St. James Smokehouse has extended a seven‑year run of top‑tier food safety performance after its Miami production facility was recertified at BRCGS Grade AA for 2026.

The supplier, known for premium smoked salmon, has held BRCGS Grade AA status since 2019 and earned an AA+ designation following an unannounced audit in 2025,  a distinction industry buyers will note because it signals day‑to‑day compliance without the benefit of advance preparation. After this rigorous audit...

ANALYSIS: US May Shrimp Imports Rise 7% as Ecuador Posts Record Monthly Volume

Total US shrimp imports for May 2026 came in at 152.9 million lbs, up 7.0% year over year versus 143.0 million lbs in May 2025. The monthly gain was driven almost entirely by Ecuador, while declines across the major Asian origins continued to weigh on the broader supply picture. YTD through May, imports stand at 690 million lbs, down 7.9% against 749 million lbs in the same period of 2025.

Ecuador recorded 64.0 million lbs in May, up 46.8% year over year and...

Salmones Camanchaca Workers Launch Strike at Tomé Plant Over Pay and Conditions

Workers at Salmones Camanchaca's processing plant in Tomé, Chile, began a legal strike Tuesday after collective bargaining negotiations broke down, marking the first industrial action of its kind at the facility.

The strike was approved by 99.46% of members of the company's Sindicato No. 1, which represents around 230 workers, according to Radio Bío Bío. The union's press release said the action took effect at 00:00 on Tuesday, following the conclusion of both collective bargaining and mandatory mediation stages without agreement. Traffic disruptions were also reported...

NOAA Links Chinook Salmon Declines in Yukon River to Bering Sea Heatwaves

In a new study, NOAA scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center have linked the rapid decline of Chinook salmon in the Yukon River to marine heatwaves during 2016–2019, a period when adult run sizes reached their lowest levels on record.

The researchers used a new modeling approach to reconstruct the full Chinook life cycle by combining data from multiple sources: juvenile marine survey data and bycatch information collected by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and adult monitoring data collected by the Alaska Department...

Ecuador's Shrimp Sector Targets Electrification as CNA and Government Sign Energy MOU

Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) and the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MAE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate the electrification of the country's shrimp farming sector — an industry where 90% of operations still run on diesel, according to the CNA.

The agreement, developed over more than six months of technical working groups involving the CNA, the Export and Investment Promotion Corporation (Corpei), the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP), the MAE, Arconel, and CNEL, establishes a roadmap of 16 strategic actions structured around...

EU Extends US Seafood Catch Certificate Deadline Following Months of Industry Pressure

The European Union has granted an extension of flexibilities for US seafood export catch certificate requirements through November 30, 2026, providing American exporters a reprieve from a July 10 compliance deadline that industry groups warned could effectively block Alaska seafood from European markets.

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) applauded the announcement on July 9, thanking President Trump, Commerce Secretary Lutnick, and NOAA staff for their advocacy on behalf of the US seafood sector. "This extension provides much-needed certainty for American exporters while NOAA...

Peru Raises Giant Squid Catch Limit to 589,230 MT as Season Approaches Capacity

Peru's Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) has raised the Maximum Allowable Total Catch Limit (LMCTP) for giant squid — also known as jumbo squid or pota — from 539,230 MT to 589,230 MT for 2026, citing the latest scientific advice from the Peruvian Marine Institute (IMARPE). The measure was approved under Ministerial Resolution No. 00191-2026-PRODUCE and published in the official gazette El Peruano on July 4.

The revision was triggered by accumulated catches reaching 95.44% of the previous limit. For the remainder of the season...

Deepening Fuel Crisis in Russia May Threaten Fish Production and Processing Sectors

Russia's fish sector may face serious near-term disruption as the country's fuel and gasoline shortage continues to worsen.

Ukrainian armed forces recently struck the Omsk refinery — Russia's largest, located more than 2,000 km from the front line. The attack is the latest in a series of strikes on Russian refining infrastructure that have forced facilities across the country to reduce output, contributing to a growing fuel shortage with direct consequences for the fish industry...

FFAW Renews Push for Commercial Mackerel Reopening after DFO Maintains Closure

The Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW-Unifor) is ramping up pressure on the federal government to revisit its 2026 Atlantic mackerel management decision, arguing that the latest stock assessment and conditions on the water no longer justify keeping the commercial fishery closed.

The call comes after Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) released its latest science assessment, which found Atlantic mackerel biomass increased by nearly 50 per cent over the past year. Despite the improvement, the stock remains in the critical zone under Canada's rebuilding...

SalMar to Acquire 70% Stake in Måsøval in $350 Million Deal

SalMar ASA has agreed to acquire Heimstø AS's entire 70% stake in Måsøval AS, the Central Norway salmon farmer, in a deal valuing Måsøval's total share capital at approximately NOK 4.84 billion. The transaction was announced on 8 July 2026.

Under the terms of the agreement, SalMar will pay NOK 39.50 per share for Heimstø's 85,727,553 shares — a premium of 71.7% to Måsøval's closing price on 25 March 2026, the day before Heimstø announced a strategic review of its ownership. The NOK 3.4 billion consideration is structured...

Norway Doubles Down on Seafood as Tournament Diet Captures Global Headlines

Norwegian seafood has received a notable publicity boost since the start of the world's most competitive soccer tournament.

Earlier last month, ahead of the opening matches, Norway's national soccer team arrived in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Word quickly spread that the squad had brought a substantial shipment of seafood from home to fuel the players throughout the tournament. The detail soon took on a life of its own, generating global headlines and widespread discussion across social media.

Media intelligence firm Meltwater tracked more...

US Identifies Costa Rica for IUU Fishing Over Longline Monitoring Failures, Conservation Groups Warn

The United States has formally identified Costa Rica as engaged in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, citing years of failed commitments to establish a national observer program for its industrial pelagic longline fleet. The finding comes in NOAA's 2026 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management and was highlighted in a July 3 press release from CREMA, a Costa Rican marine conservation organization.

According to CREMA, NOAA found that Costa Rica failed to meet mandatory observer coverage requirements set by the...