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...

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...

USITC Extends Antidumping Order on Vietnamese Fish Fillets Through 2031

The US International Trade Commission determined that revoking the existing antidumping order on certain frozen fish fillets from Vietnam would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury, extending the trade remedy for another five years.

The unanimous decision by Chair Amy A. Karpel and Commissioners David S. Johanson and Jason E. Kearns ensures the antidumping order will remain in place through 2031, maintaining import duties on Vietnamese fish fillet shipments.

The determination concludes the Commission's fourth five-year sunset review of the trade remedy, which was instituted...

Global Shrimp Council Plans First Consumer Pop-Up at Venice Beach in August

The Global Shrimp Council will launch its first-ever live consumer activation August 6-9 at Venice Beach, California, operating a branded shrimp food truck offering free dishes to the public with no purchase required.

The four-day event extends GSC's "Shrimp More Often" campaign beyond digital marketing into direct consumer engagement. On-site chefs will prepare multiple shrimp preparations, including tacos, grilled skewers, and power bowls, drawing from global culinary traditions, all centered around the message that "shrimp is the happy protein...

DFO Arrests Four in Nova Scotia Lobster Poaching Operation

Federal fisheries officers arrested four individuals and seized a vessel, fishing gear and 76 lobsters during an enforcement action at Saulnierville wharf in Nova Scotia on May 31.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) said officers conducted a wharfside inspection that revealed the suspects had been fishing without authorization and possessed undersized lobster that was caught in contravention of the Fisheries Act.

Of the 76 lobsters seized, 46 were below the minimum legal carapace size and were released alive back into the ocean. Officers also confiscated the fishing vessel...

BioMar Sagun Secures ASC Feed Certification, Expanding Certified Feed Supply for Export Markets

BioMar has added another ASC-certified facility to its global footprint, with BioMar Sagun now officially achieving ASC Feed Certification. The move enhances the company’s ability to supply ASC-conforming feed solutions to producers in Turkey as well as to customers serving international export markets.

As demand for ASC-certified seafood continues to grow, feed compliance is becoming a more visible part of the certification equation. Producers supplying certified markets increasingly need assurance that feed inputs meet the same environmental, social and...

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.

Alaska 2026 Salmon Harvest Forecast 40% Lower Despite Pink Salmon Gains

If pre-season forecasts prove accurate, 2026 will be a lean year for Alaska wild salmon across most species. Alaska's total harvest forecast calls for 56 million pink salmon, 49.7 million sockeye salmon, 17.2 million chum salmon, and 2.4 million coho salmon. If realized, the forecast for the 2026 total Alaska commercial salmon harvest will be approximately 125.5 million fish—nearly 40% fewer than last year.

However, pink salmon are two-year fish, and even years have traditionally seen smaller returns compared to...

Peru Extends Fishing Ban Indefinitely as Global Fishmeal Output Plunges 26%

Peruvian authorities have extended the current fishing ban beyond its June 10 deadline with no termination date announced, covering the maritime area from Peru's northern border to 16°00′S latitude.

The indefinite extension reflects ongoing Coastal El Niño conditions, with warm waters and a high share of juvenile fish indicating a dispersed biomass. The Vice-Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture may lift the measure in full, in part, or gradually, based on IMARPE's scientific assessments and updated biological, fishing, and environmental conditions...

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...

Planned EU Sanctions on Russian Fishing Could Hit Bloc’s Fish Processors

Planned EU sanctions against the Russian fishing industry could harm the German fish processing industry as well as fish processing sectors of other EU states.

In accordance with the earlier report of the German business paper Berliner Zeitung, Germany has become the largest European buyer of Russian fish in recent years. In 2025, it accounted for approximately 40% of the value of all Russian fish imports to the EU.

Furthermore, in 2025, Germany imported approximately 109,000 tons of fish and fish products from Russia, valued...

Three New Icebreakers to be Homeported in Alaska — Two in Kodiak, One in Seward

Last Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard announced, and Alaska Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski held a press conference on the latest addition to their state’s security fleet: three new Arctic Security Cutters, a new class of medium-sized icebreakers, two to be home-ported in Kodiak and one in Seward. According to the Coast Guard, the vessels are the first of their kind in the United States and are designed with a heavier focus on security than the existing three icebreakers. Last April, Secretary...

ADM's Bern Aqua Becomes Belgium's First BAP-Certified Feed Producer

ADM subsidiary Bern Aqua has become Belgium's first Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)-certified feed producer, the Global Seafood Alliance announced June 11.

The certification covers Bern Aqua's Olen feed mill, which specializes in hatchery and nursery feeds for shrimp and fish across more than 50 countries. GSA said the milestone "underscores growing industry demand for greater traceability, responsible sourcing and third-party certified feed production."

"We are incredibly proud of this certification, which marks an important step forward in our mission to deliver superior nutrition solutions for...

Japan Ministry Launches Large-Scale Seaweed Carbon Absorption Demos

According to a Minato Shimbun report, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment recently selected project implementers for a large-scale demonstration project to cultivate seaweed to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), a major driver of global warming. Among these, Riken Foods will collaborate with Nichimo and others to begin efforts to maximize the productivity of Undaria seaweed and kelp cultivation. 

This project is a subsidy program called "Project for the Launch and Implementation of Large-Scale Demonstration Projects Related to Blue Carbon and Other Absorption Source Measures...

Trump Opens "Hundreds of Thousands" of Pacific Miles to US Commercial Fishing

President Donald Trump signed an Executive Proclamation on June 11 titled "Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific," opening expanded fishing grounds for American fishermen across three Pacific marine national monuments.

The proclamation restores commercial fishing access to:

-- The Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument

-- The Mau Zone and Ho'omalu Zone and areas seaward of 50 nautical miles within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

-- Waters between 12 and 50 nautical miles surrounding Rose Atoll within the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument...

USDA Office of Seafood Secures First Federal Funding in 2027 Appropriations Bill

The US House of Representatives passed the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act of 2027 (HR 8646) last week with a vote of 213 to 210, allocating $500,000 to fund the USDA Office of Seafood in fiscal year 2027.

The appropriation marks the first federal funding for the office since its establishment in April 2026. The Trump administration created the office, described as the "first of its kind," to provide customer service for American seafood cultivators, producers, and processors seeking to...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

From biosecurity threats and trade tensions to sustainability breakthroughs and climate-driven market risks, this week's Top 10 captures the developments commanding attention across global commodity markets. Industry participants are balancing innovation with uncertainty as new packaging and feed solutions emerge, tariffs continue to reshape trade flows, and concerns over animal health, inflation, and weather volatility create fresh challenges for the months ahead as we enter into the traditional summer lull. This list is in no particular order.

Shannon Behary checked in with a pair of headlines in the...