ANALYSIS: Chile Controls 70% of US Fresh Salmon Imports as Norwegian Supply Falls 35%

Chile controls more than 70% of US fresh salmon fillet imports, Norwegian supply is down more than a third year-over-year, and a 12.5% tariff deadline is six weeks out. Despite all of that, the fresh benchmark is drifting lower and buyers are hesitant to commit. The frozen market, running below a three-year average in volume, is the steadier of the two. Understanding why requires looking past the price series and into how Chilean producers get paid...

Boudreaux's Brand Owner Sues Former Licensee Over Trademark Counterfeiting and UPC Code Theft

Gulf Marine Products Co., Inc. (GMP), the Westwego, Louisiana-based owner of the Boudreaux's seafood brand and crawfish importer, has filed a federal lawsuit against a former business partner, alleging trademark counterfeiting and the deliberate misappropriation of its retail product codes after a two-decade licensing relationship collapsed.

The complaint, filed June 12 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, names A La Carte Specialty Foods, L.L.C. (ALC) and its sole member Karl D. Turner as defendants. GMP is seeking...

Indonesia Secures EU Aquaculture Market Re-entry After Regulatory Gap

Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has confirmed the country is back on the European Union's authorized list of aquaculture exporters, closing a market access gap that had unsettled industry players and put a key export corridor at risk.

The re-entry was formalized through EU Commission Implementing Regulation No. 2026/1189, enacted June 4, 2026, after Indonesia had been left off the original list published under Regulation (EU) 2024/2598. The KKP's quality and supervision agency (Badan Mutu) said the outcome was the result of sustained engagement...

Federal Judge Denies Bumble Bee Motion to Dismiss Forced Labor Case

A California federal judge has denied Bumble Bee Foods' motion to reconsider her earlier ruling allowing an Indonesian fishermen's human trafficking lawsuit to proceed.

Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant's June 11 order acknowledged that her previous ruling incorrectly stated that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had definitively held that trafficking claims apply to overseas conduct, when the appeals court had only "assumed without deciding" this point.

Despite the correction, Bashant maintained that the four Indonesian plaintiffs can pursue claims under the...

First Copper River Salted Sockeye Roe Shipment Arrives in Sendai, Prices Rise

Chilled salted sockeye salmon roe from Copper River, Alaska, arrived at the Sendai Central Wholesale Market on June 12th, marking the first shipment of the season. The quantity was approximately 310 kg (eight 40kg packs), a 16% decrease compared to the first shipment last year.

Despite the challenging production situation due to rising labor costs from the weak yen and higher raw material prices, market participants welcomed the products.

According to a report by Minato Shimbun, the shipment was received by Sento...

Young Right Whale Entangled in Gulf of St. Lawrence as Rescue Efforts Begin

Canadian authorities are working to track and potentially rescue a 5-year-old North Atlantic right whale spotted entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on June 8.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) reported that an aerial survey near Shippagan, New Brunswick, identified the whale as Catalog #5192, an unnamed male with fishing rope caught in its mouth and trailing several body lengths behind its body.

Scientists at the New England Aquarium confirmed the whale was last seen gear-free...

Scottish Salmon Farmers to Fund Wild Fish Conservation Following Escape Incidents Under New Deal

Scotland's farmed salmon industry will help finance wild fish conservation efforts in the event of escape incidents, under a new agreement between Salmon Scotland and Fisheries Management Scotland, the country's leading fisheries body.

The Scottish Government has welcomed the deal as an example of cross-sector collaboration in support of wild salmon recovery. An independent firm will administer the scheme, with directors drawn from both the aquaculture and wild fisheries management sectors...

Maine Supports Multi-State Recall of Mussels Tied to Islesboro Harvest Site

The State of Maine is supporting a voluntary recall of live shellstock mussels harvested from aquaculture lease site PEN FI in Islesboro after the product tested above the regulatory limit for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).

The recall covers mussels identified with traceability lot code 6/10/26 PEN FI, harvested on June 10, 2026 and shipped on June 11, 2026 by Islesboro Marine (ME 10806 SS).

According to the announcement, the action was triggered by “a biotoxin/PSP score of 101 ug/100g associated with...

ANALYSIS: Atlantic Halibut's Seasonal Slide Hits Harder From a Higher Perch

Atlantic halibut prices have retreated sharply over the past two weeks, with the average price falling from $14.25/lb on May 28 to $9.00/lb as of June 11 — a drop of $5.25/lb in a span of just two reporting periods. While this type of late-spring softening is not unusual for this market, the sheer velocity of the descent has drawn attention across the trade...

Private Brands Gain Momentum as Quality, Health Drive Shopper Loyalty, FMI Reports

Private brands/labels continue to build market share and consumer loyalty, with new research from FMI showing shoppers are increasingly choosing store brands for quality, taste and health benefits and not just value.

According to FMI’s Power of Private Brands 2026: Consumer Trends – From Stores to Homes report, 92% of US grocery shoppers currently have store brand products in their homes, up from 89% last year. Private brand dollar sales also increased 2.8% year-over-year (YOY), outpacing national brand...

Dual Ocean Threats Put West Coast Fisheries, Marine Life on Notice

Two major ocean phenomena off the US West Coast will affect salmon, rockfish, squid, tuna, and crab fisheries, as well as whales, California sea lions, and seabirds, in the coming months. NOAA has tracked a large marine heatwave for a year now, and last week announced that a separate strong El Niño has been building and is expected to peak in the coming winter of 2026–2027.

The Pacific Ocean's El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is arguably the most influential climate driver on Earth, NOAA scientists say...

SAWA Bill Would Reshape US Farmer's Labor Costs

As of June 15, a newly proposed bill called "Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act" (SAWA) would update the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program via changes related to worker eligibility, wage calculations, and administrative procedures, reported Fresh Plaza about a topic that would impact US vegetable growers, and other ag market participants as pressure builds to modernize the temporary visa program for farm labor.

Azuma Foods Recalls 545 Cases of Tako Wasabi Products Over Undeclared Fish Allergen

Azuma Foods International recalled 545 cases of its 3-pack Azuma Foods Brand Tako Wasabi-Seasoned Octopus with Wasabi retail packages on June 11.

The recall was initiated because the retail packs may contain undeclared fish, according to a notice published on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

The recalled product was distributed in California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington via retail stores, the FDA said...

New England Council to Mark 50 Years of Regional Fisheries Management at June Meeting

The New England Fishery Management Council will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) during its June 23-25, 2026 Council meeting in Mystic, Connecticut, highlighting five decades of regional fisheries management and the evolution of sustainable U.S. fisheries policy.

Established by Congress on April 13, 1976, through the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the regional fishery management council system has played a central role in managing the nation's marine resources. Over the past 50 years...

Certified Group Secures FDA Approval for PFAS Testing Method in Frozen Clams

Certified Group has received FDA approval for a validated analytical method to detect perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in frozen clams, providing seafood importers with a new testing option amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny of PFAS contamination.

The method, developed through direct guidance from FDA, is approved specifically for frozen clams. Certified Group said it can also perform PFAS testing across nearly all seafood matrices, with verification completed for sample types not already validated at its laboratory.

The approval comes as seafood...

Aquaculture Stewardship Council Fires Back at Senate Over Certification Safety Concerns

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is pushing back hard against US Senate criticism over seafood safety failures, emphasizing that none of its certified products were implicated in contamination cases that triggered a congressional investigation—while revealing significant enforcement actions within its own program.

In a detailed 12-page response to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, ASC CEO Chris Ninnes defended the organization's certification program after Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) questioned major seafood certification bodies about recurring safety failures among...

Canada Boosts Newfoundland Northern Cod Quota 55% to 59,000 Tonnes

Canada's Newfoundland and Labrador Northern cod quota will jump 55% to 59,000 tonnes in 2026, Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced, marking the third consecutive year of significant increases as global cod supplies tighten.

The increase in the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) to 38,000 tonnes continues the fishery's remarkable recovery trajectory since its reopening in 2024 after a 32-year moratorium. The decision comes as other major cod-producing regions face declining quotas, creating opportunities for Canadian suppliers in premium markets...