Hodges: Crab Inventory Is Committed. Demand Is Not.

The outlook entering fall is better than headline supply figures suggest, but the risks have changed. Much of the Canadian snow crab harvest has already been contracted or shipped, and major processors report little uncommitted inventory. This reduces the threat of widespread discounting, but it does not mean the crab has been sold through to the consumer.

Snow crab’s strongest demand period is normally during the summer, supported by crab boils, tourism, and foodservice activity. Foodservice movement has remained relatively good, particularly in the Southeast, but retail demand has been soft...

American Seafood Partners Acquires Cal Marine Fish Co., Building Coast-to-Coast Platform

American Seafood Partners (ASP) has acquired Cal Marine Fish Co., LLC, a West Coast commercial fishing, export, and vessel management company, in a move that extends the Rhode Island-based seafood platform from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

The deal brings Cal Marine's fishing fleet, cold storage infrastructure, and multi-species processing capabilities into ASP's portfolio, with the California company's proximity to Pacific ports seen as a strategic complement to ASP's existing East Coast processing and distribution operations...

BPA Reverses Decision to End Funding for Oregon’s Salmon SAFE Program, At Least for the Next Year

Last Friday, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announced that Bonneville Power Administration will reverse its decision to end funding for the Select Area Fisheries Enhancement (SAFE) Program immediately and will fund the program for one additional federal fiscal year. 

The decision followed discussions with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Administrator Travis Kavulla. 

The SAFE program raises millions of salmon each year, supporting recreational and commercial fisheries in the Lower Columbia River.  BPA’s unexpected decision in June...

ASMI Consumer Research Finds Awareness Gap Fuels New Pan-European Alaska Surimi Campaign

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has launched a new consumer research initiative aimed at reshaping how European shoppers understand surimi, laying the groundwork for a Pan-European Genuine Alaska Pollock Surimi campaign designed to strengthen the product's position across the continent.

Europe is already a significant outlet for Alaska surimi, importing approximately 40,000 metric tons valued at $87.5 million in 2024. ASMI's new push aims to build on that base by tackling outdated perceptions of the product and reinforcing its quality, versatility, affordability...

ICFA Outlines Global Fisheries Priorities Ahead of COFI 37

Ahead of the Thirty-Seventh Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI 37), running September 7–11 in Rome, the International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA) has released its key priorities for the meeting, urging FAO members to keep science-based management at the center of an increasingly crowded international agenda.

ICFA is calling on FAO members to prioritize effective, science-based fisheries management, sustainable use of marine resources, global food security, and the elimination of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The group's submission argues that as international discussions...

ANALYSIS: India Farmgate Price Move Tracks Closely With Prior Years and the 11-Year Average

Last week's analysis flagged India whiteleg 30-count farmgate prices (exf Andhra Pradesh) moving higher, with a growing disconnect against softer US market conditions. That observation stands — but the seasonal record argues against treating the move as an isolated development.

The seasonal factor chart makes the case directly. The 2026 pattern — an early-year run-up, a pullback through the mid-year weeks, and the current push higher — tracks closely with where 2023, 2024, and 2025 were at the same point in the calendar, and...

Norway Posts Record August Seafood Export Value, Driven by Salmon Price Growth and US Rebound

Norway exported seafood worth NOK 16 billion (approximately €1.35 billion) in August, the highest August export value on record, according to statistics released Sept. 3 by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC). The figure represents an increase of NOK 1.9 billion, or 14%, compared with the same month last year.

"We are very pleased with the August figures. The high salmon price is the main driver behind the strong value growth," said NSC CEO Christian Chramer...

Louisiana Shrimp Assoc. Petitions Trump Administration for Import Relief, Targets 10,000 Signatures

The Louisiana Shrimp Association (LSA) has launched a petition urging the Trump administration to take immediate action to protect domestic shrimp producers against what the group calls an unsustainable influx of imported product, according to reporting by the Houston Chronicle.

The petition, authored by LSA's Marla Cooper, cites US shrimp imports of approximately 1.75 billion pounds in 2025, valued at more than $7 billion — a volume the group says has driven dockside prices below the cost of operations for Gulf Coast harvesters...

US House Passes PAIL Act, Creating DOJ Task Force to Prosecute Shrimp Trade Fraud

The US House of Representatives passed the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes (PAIL) Act of 2025 on September 1, clearing a significant legislative hurdle in a years-long effort by domestic shrimp producers to secure criminal enforcement against trade fraud schemes that have cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars in evaded antidumping duties.

H.R. 1869, introduced by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) with 42 co-sponsors, would establish a dedicated task force within the Justice Department's Criminal Division to investigate...

ANALYSIS: Scottish Salmon Exports Down 31%, Prices Up Despite Record Survival

Production health in Scotland continues to point to a positive year for Atlantic salmon producers, with Salmon Scotland reporting that the survival rate reached a record high of 99.2% in June 2026 (Figure 1). This exceptional farming performance has not boosted salmon availability, because cumulative exports of Scottish Atlantic salmon dropped by 31.3% year to date (YTD) from January to June 2026. Even with the drop in trade volume, market share distribution continues to be similar to that observed in 2025...

Eleventh Circuit Upholds Gag Grouper Rules Challenged by Alabama Fishermen

In an appeal of a 2024 case, Russo v Raimondo, a 3-0 decision from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals supported the lower court, upholding a rule to lower gag grouper catch limits and agreeing with other jurists that a part of the Magnuson-Stevens Act is unconstitutional.  

The part that concerns courts is a rarely used veto authority given to the members of the eight regional fisheries management councils. In determining cases brought by fishermen unhappy with council decisions affecting their livelihood, detailed analyses of the process...

Murray Pushes Bill to End Trade War With Canada, Criticizes Trump As She Tours Home State of WA

“Our maritime industry and our ports power the economy in Washington state—our fish and shellfish travel far on their own, but our fishermen and our ports are the reason they’re famous worldwide,” said Senator Murray last week in Bellingham, WA, during a tour of the western part of the state.  

“And this administration’s reckless and unpredictable tariffs have been nothing short of a disaster for them—driving up costs and making it impossible for any small business to plan...

Russia Anticipates Stable Ivasi Sardine Catch for Next Five Years Before Sharp Decline

Russia expects several more years of stable ivasi (Pacific sardine) catches before volumes drop sharply, according to Herman Zverev, head of the All-Russian Fish Producers Association (VARPE), in comments to Russian media.

Zverev noted that Russia's ivasi catch fell nearly tenfold last year compared to 2024, dropping to just 60,000 tonnes — a decline he attributed to unexpected hydrological shifts rather than any systemic depletion of the stock.

"Water temperatures in our catch areas — the Sea of Japan and the Bering Sea...

House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Delay New Right Whale Regulations for Lobster Industry Until 2035

Maine lobstermen moved closer to a near-decade-long reprieve from new federal regulations as the House passed the Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act (H.R. 9436) on Sept. 1, extending the current moratorium on new North Atlantic right whale gear rules from 2028 through 2035.

The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and now heads to the Senate. It passed the House Natural Resources Committee on a 22-13 bipartisan vote in July before advancing to...

Overnight Fire Destroys Young Ocean Seafood Warehouse in Kent, Washington

A two-alarm fire destroyed a Young Ocean seafood wholesaler warehouse in Kent, Washington, in the early hours of Wednesday, September 2, dealing a significant blow to a Pacific Northwest seafood distribution operation.

Puget Sound Fire responded to the 20400 block of 80th Avenue South, just west of Highway 167, shortly after 1:30 a.m. When crews arrived, flames were already burning through the roof of the building, prompting a defensive posture — firefighters did not attempt an interior attack but instead deployed three aerial master streams and portable monitors...

Hilton Food Group Posts Mixed H1 Results as Seafood Unit Drags on Profit

Hilton Food Group reported a challenging first half of 2026 for its seafood operations, even as the broader business delivered volumes and revenue ahead of the prior year, according to interim results published Sept. 3.

Group revenue from continuing operations rose 15.3% to £2,289.1m (H1 2025: £1,986.1m), driven primarily by higher raw material prices across all markets. Volumes from continuing operations were up 2.1% to 258,729 tonnes. However, adjusted profit before tax from continuing operations fell 5.2% to £32.8m (H1 2025: £34.6m)...

Expana's Weekly Top 10

The latest headlines point to a food and agriculture market under pressure from several directions at once. From rising input costs and weather-driven disruptions in Europe to changing crop demand in India and continued uncertainty across global food and commodity markets, the stories highlight how interconnected forces are influencing the outlook heading into autumn. This list is in no particular order.

Find archives recaps, here. 

Pressure Builds Across European Agriculture

10. AGF Nitrogen, Europe’s No. 2 fertilizer and nitrogen products producer, said it is considering cutting ammonia output as higher...