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...

Salmones Camanchaca Strike Ends After Less Than Two Days as Company and Union Reach Agreement

The legal strike at Salmones Camanchaca's processing plant in Tomé ended on Wednesday, July 8, after the company and Sindicato No. 1 reached an agreement under the supervision of Chile's Dirección del Trabajo, according to SalmonExpert and sabes.cl.

The work stoppage — the first in the facility's history — lasted less than two days. It was launched on Tuesday at midnight after collective bargaining and mandatory mediation concluded without agreement, with 99.46% of the union's roughly 230 members voting in favor of the action. Workers had been...

Russia on Track for Record Herring Catch in 2026, Driven by Surging Sakhalin-Hokkaido Stocks

Russia may set a new all-time record for herring catch in 2026, with total landings projected to reach approximately 700,000 tons. A significant share of that volume is expected to come from Sakhalin-Hokkaido herring, a stock that has grown substantially in recent years.

The outlook was confirmed by Denis Kiku, deputy head of the Pacific branch of VNIRO, Russia's federal fisheries research institution. "In the first half of the year, 327,000 tons of herring were caught. This is a significant figure compared 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...

USDA to Add US Wild-Caught Shrimp to TEFAP Foods List for FY27

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to add US wild-caught, peeled and deveined shrimp to the FY2027 Foods Available List for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a move expected to support future government purchases of domestic shrimp and provide an additional market for US harvesters.

The addition enables Section 32 purchases of shrimp harvested during the upcoming season, while expanding the availability of US wild-caught shrimp through the federal food assistance program.

"Adding US...

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...

Proximar Seafood Pursues Convertible Bond and Launches Strategic Review as It Eyes Profit

Proximar Seafood, the Norwegian land-based salmon farmer operating at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan, is planning a private placement of a convertible bond with a minimum initial tranche of NOK 100 million and has initiated a strategic review with the engagement of Japanese investment bank Nomura International, the company announced on July 10.

The convertible bond — structured with a July 2029 maturity and a conversion price of NOK 0.60 per share — will comprise at least NOK 75 million in new subscriptions and NOK 25...

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...