ANALYSIS: US Peeled Shrimp Wholesale Prices Fail to Keep Pace With Falling Replacement Costs

Shrimp prices have declined across the market, but the more relevant question is whether wholesale values are falling faster or slower than the current replacement cost.

The ratio addressed here compares each form's wholesale index to its replacement cost, tariff included. It is not a measure of margin, since product moving through the market today was typically purchased weeks or months earlier at a different cost basis. Rather, the ratio indicates whether wholesale is trading ahead of or behind current replacement cost, relative to its own...

US Seafood Industry Calls for Reform of EU CATCH System

After months of collaborative meetings with EU and US authorities trying to sort out the requirements of the EU's new CATCH system with the way the US — and Alaska in particular — accounts for its harvest, a coalition of US seafood groups is now urging practical changes to accomplish the new system's goals: eliminating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in EU trade.

The Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA), Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), and At-sea Processors Association (APA) released a new whitepaper, Advancing EU Efforts to Combat IUU...

Sullivan's Bycatch Bill Passes Out of Committee and Trawl Groups Take Issue With Section 2

Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan’s S.4938, the Bycatch Reduction Act, had just passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation after markup when a statement of concern was released by a coalition of three trawl associations — At-Sea Processors Association (APA), Midwater Trawlers Cooperative (MTC) and United Catcher Boats (UCB). 

“We are not asking anyone to accept the status quo: we are always looking to raise the bar even further,” the group said in its September 16 statement...

House Passes Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act

The House of Representatives has passed S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, incorporating provisions aimed at giving federal enforcement agencies a chemical-testing methodology to verify the country of origin of seafood and crack down on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and seafood fraud.

House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX) announced the bill's passage on September 15, noting that the House-passed version folds in provisions from his own bill, H.R. 3706, the Standards for Understanding Source and Habitat Identification Act...

One-Third of Shoppers Now Use AI to Shop, New Acosta Group Study Finds

Generative AI is rapidly becoming a fixture of the shopper journey across the food and consumer goods landscape, according to a new study from Acosta Group, with 34% of shoppers now using AI tools to shop and nearly half of Gen Z shoppers saying AI has influenced a recent purchase decision.

The findings, released ahead of Groceryshop 2026, arrive as food brands, CPG manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice operators reassess how their commerce strategies must adapt to a shopping landscape increasingly shaped by AI-driven product discovery...

Emma Hernan's Coast to Coast Kitchen Expands Target Lineup With Lobster Empanadas, Crab Rangoon

Coast to Coast Kitchen, the seafood brand founded by third-generation food entrepreneur and Selling Sunset cast member Emma Hernan, has launched new empanadas and a Crab Rangoon at Target, expanding a partnership that began with the brand's seafood appetizer debut at the retailer in February 2026.

The new lineup includes two flavors developed exclusively for Target — Lobster Empanada and Sweet Chili Shrimp Empanada — alongside a new Crab Rangoon. All three products are rolling out nationwide, including Alaska and Hawaii...

Acme Smoked Fish Launches Sauced Smoked Salmon Filets, Targeting Ready-to-Eat Protein Demand

Acme Smoked Fish, the Brooklyn-based smoked seafood producer with more than 120 years in the category, has introduced a new line of Sauced Smoked Salmon Filets aimed at consumers looking for convenient, protein-rich meal solutions that require no additional preparation.

The 4.5-ounce filets use premium Atlantic salmon, hot smoked and finished with chef-inspired sauces, and deliver 12g of protein per serving. The product is positioned as a ready-to-eat option that can be served hot or cold with no cooking, marinating...

Ocean Mineral Mining Hits Headwinds in Virginia, Faces Transparency Calls in Pacific

Efforts to extract minerals from the ocean floor, pushed by the Trump administration, are attracting interest from mining companies while drawing strong opposition from fishing, shipping, and tourism interests across the country.

On August 22, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management closed a two-month public comment period on potential lease sales in a 2,764-square-mile region off Virginia. The area contains heavy mineral sands that could hold rare earth-bearing minerals, zircon, and titanium, according to the US Geological Survey...

Atlantic Sapphire CFO Gunnar Aasbo-Skinderhaug to Step Down at Year-End

Atlantic Sapphire ASA announced that Gunnar Aasbo-Skinderhaug will step down from his position as CFO and Deputy CEO effective December 31, 2026, according to a company disclosure filed with Oslo Børs on September 14.

Aasbo-Skinderhaug, who has held the role for two and a half years, framed his departure around the operational progress made during his tenure at the Miami, Florida-based land-based salmon farming company. "After 2.5 years in...

Province Proclaims Aquaculture Week in Newfoundland and Labrador

The Honourable Loyola O’Driscoll, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, today joined Bradley George, executive director, Newfoundland and Labrador Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA), to officially proclaim September 13-19, 2026, as Aquaculture Week in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Aquaculture Week is being held in conjunction with the 2026 Cold Harvest Conference, being co-hosted by NAIA and the Aquaculture Association of Canada, at the JAG Hotel in St. John’s, September 15-17, 2026.

The Newfoundland and Labrador aquaculture industry employs more than 500 workers directly...

Fisheries Issues Front and Center in Alaska's 2026 Governor and US Congressional Races

For the first time in recent memory, fisheries and seafood issues are taking center stage in Alaska's political discussions, just seven weeks ahead of the November midterms. Part of the reason is that two candidates on the ballot have spent a lifetime in commercial fishing; part of it is the ongoing controversy over trawl bycatch of salmon.

In the Bering Sea pollock fishery, unintentional salmon bycatch continues even as salmon returns to the rivers feeding the Bering Sea have dwindled to levels that won't support even subsistence...

ANALYSIS: Norway's Salmon Exports Maintain Growth Despite Mixed Performance in Key Markets

Norwegian Atlantic farmed salmon exports through week 36 show an increase of 11.8% year-to-date (YTD), with an upward trend in exports since week 30 (Figure 1). Exports grew 1.0% week-over-week (WOW) in week 36, according to Statistics Norway. This recovery follows a slight dip in week 35, after exports hit an all-time weekly high of 31,378 mt in week 34...

Six Rescued After Yacht Becomes Entangled in Northern Ireland Salmon Farm

Six sailors were rescued following a seven-hour overnight operation after their yacht became trapped in a salmon farm off Cushendall, County Antrim, marking the second such incident involving an Irish salmon farm in just over a month, according to the RNLI.

Red Bay RNLI's all-weather lifeboat launched at 3:22am on September 12 after Belfast Coastguard received a Mayday call from the 46ft yacht, which was sailing from Oban, Scotland, to Portugal, the RNLI said in a news release...

Europeche Demands EU Scrap 35,000-Tonne Tuna Loins Tariff Quota Ahead of 2027

Europêche is pressing the EU Council to reject a rollover of the bloc's 35,000-tonne Autonomous Tariff Quota (ATQ) for zero-duty tuna loins, arguing that a rapidly expanding web of preferential trade deals has made the quota obsolete and increasingly damaging to European tuna fishermen.

The European fishing industry association contends the case for the ATQ has been overtaken by events. All African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) nations — including Indonesia, Mexico, India and Vietnam...

ADM Inaugurates Aqua Feed Facility in Tianjin, China

ADM has inaugurated its Tianjin Early Nutrition Aqua Feed Facility. The newly operational facility produces specialized early nutrition aquafeed products for fish and shrimp targeting hatchery and nursery stages, the company said in an announcement.

With an annual capacity of approximately 5,000 MT, the Tianjin operation produces micro-particles ranging from 50 microns to 3 millimeters using cold micro-extrusion and marumerization technology to ensure water stability and nutrient integrity, ADM said. It will serve customers across China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

ANALYSIS: Pacific Halibut Supply Improves but Market Remains Historically Firm

The Pacific halibut market has entered the latter part of the 2026 season with a somewhat different tone than earlier this summer. According to the International Pacific Halibut Commission, coastwide landings through Week 34, ending Aug. 16, have nearly caught up with the 2025 pace, with roughly 64% of the annual quota harvested to date. This marks a signif

Ocean Rainforest Clears Final Hurdle for 2,000-Acre California Kelp Farm

Seaweed farmer Ocean Rainforest has secured the last major regulatory approval needed to build a commercial-scale offshore kelp farm in California, the company said in a Sept. 10 statement. The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously on Sept. 9 to approve the project's consistency certification, according to Ocean Rainforest and the trade publication Fish Farming Expert.

The approval clears the way for construction of a 2,000-acre site in federal waters about four miles off the coast of Ventura County, where the company plans to cultivate native giant kelp...

Florida Vibrio Vulnificus Death Toll Hits Four for 2026 as Health Officials Track Rising Case Count

Florida has confirmed its fourth Vibrio vulnificus death of 2026, with the state's health department reporting 20 cases of the bacterium so far this year, according to Florida Department of Health data cited by multiple outlets this week.

The most recent fatality involved a Broward County resident between 75 and 79 years old, according to the Florida Department of Health. Previous 2026 deaths were reported in Bay, Palm Beach, and Broward counties, with the year's first fatality — a Palm Beach County patient — confirmed in...

USDA Report Shows US Agriculture Faces Higher Tariff Barriers Abroad

As of September 16, persistent challenges for US agriculture were said to be foreign markets which remain more protected than the US market, according to the USDA Economic Research Service report.

The USDA report does not call for specific tariff increases or cuts but lays out how US agriculture compares with foreign competitors under current most favored nation (MFN) tariff structures. The report may be used as a benchmark to show where tariff imbalances may influence export access...

BBRSDA Awarded S-K Grant for New Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon in Foodservice Campaign

With an eye to increasing demand for wild Alaska sockeye salmon in the domestic foodservice industry, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) sought and received its first-ever Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) grant, worth $499,400 over two years.

"This grant comes at an especially important time for Bristol Bay's fishermen, as the seafood industry continues to navigate a challenging and highly competitive market," said Lilani Dunn, executive director of BBRSDA. "Foodservice represents significant untapped potential for Bristol Bay sockeye salmon, and...

Russia Pins Hopes on Mackerel Catch Increases to Ease Price Pressure at Home and Abroad

Russia is hoping for a significant increase in its Atlantic mackerel catch over the coming years, a move officials say could help bring down prices for the species in both domestic and global markets.

According to the Russian Fishery Union, a sharp rise in mackerel prices has become a global trend, driven largely by declining catches in most producing countries. Russia's own decline has been compounded by tightening sanctions pressure on the country.

Russia is currently pinning its hopes on increasing catch outside its domestic...

Norwegian Seafood Industry Unites to Tackle Marine Litter with National, Global Clean-up Initiative

Together with businesses, schools, and public sector and voluntary organisations, the Norwegian seafood industry is participating in a bid to tackle plastic pollution in marine waters, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC).

In the runup to World Cleanup Day on September 20, Norway is participating in the nationwide Beach Cleanup Week (Strandryddeuka), which culminates in a joint effort to remove marine litter from the Hardangerfjord – one of the world's longest fjords – on September 17.

This year marks the fifth year of the 'Clean Hardangerfjord' campaign...

ANALYSIS: Domestic Scallop Landings Could Point to a Gradual Longer-Cycle Recovery

Domestic scallop landings continue to show a quietly improving underlying trend, even as the 2026-27 season now appears to be settling into a more normal late-summer pace. Through August, cumulative landings reached roughly 16.8 million lbs, effectively meeting the projected annual limit of 17 million lbs and running ahead of the same point in each of the prior two seasons. That is notable not simply because the fishery started strong, but because it adds to the evidence of a broader multi-season recovery...

Fire Destroys Former Bornstein Seafoods Cold-Storage Plant in Bellingham

A multi-unit fire broke out around 10:30 p.m. last Saturday night on the Bellingham, Washington waterfront at a seafood processing and cold-storage plant. By 4:25 a.m. Sunday, firefighters had extinguished the blaze and kept it from spreading to nearby buildings and boatyards. No injuries or deaths were reported. The cause and extent of the fire remain unknown at press time.

The building at 1001 Hilton Ave. was the former headquarters of Bornstein Seafoods, a family-owned business that operated continuously from 1934 until spring 2024.

The building is currently subleased to Michigan-based Lineage Logistics. All of the frozen fish products stored inside were destroyed in the fire, according to Bellingham Fire Captain Dustin Michaelis.

Supreme Court to Weigh Maine Lobsterman's Fourth Amendment Challenge to GPS Boat Tracker Mandate

The US Supreme Court will decide on September 28 whether to hear a Maine lobsterman's challenge to a state requirement that he install a government GPS tracking device on his boat, in a case that could reshape the legal footing for vessel monitoring programs across the US commercial fishing industry, the Associated Press reported.

Frank Thompson, a federally permitted lobsterman, sued Carl Wilson, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, arguing that the tracker requirement amounts to an unreasonable search and seizure under the Fourth...

Indonesia's Fishery Exports Hit $3 Billion in H1 2026, Vannamei Shrimp Leads Portfolio

Indonesia's fishery product exports totaled 566,250 tons valued at approximately $3 billion (Rp52.6 trillion) in the first half of 2026, according to a press release from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), which credited an expanded quality certification program with widening the country's access to global markets.

Ishartini, acting head of KKP's Quality Control Agency (Badan Mutu KKP), said in the release, dated September 12, that the export performance rested on 10 flagship commodities: vannamei shrimp, seaweed, tuna, sardines, mackerel, skipjack tuna...

Japan: Surimi Product Exports Rose 9% to 6,186 Tons in January-July

According to trade statistics from Japan's Ministry of Finance, cumulative exports of surimi products, excluding fish sausage, from January to July totaled 6,186 tons, up 9% year-on-year. Exports to the United States, the largest overseas market, continued to drive growth, rising 10%, while shipments to Taiwan, Norway, and Singapore also expanded significantly. Exports to newer markets grew sharply, with volumes increasing fourfold in Thailand and 2.2-fold in Vietnam. Southeast Asia is gradually gaining a stronger presence in overseas markets. Minato Shimbun reported...

Pacific Catch Appoints Sam Hallak as CEO

Pacific Catch, a leading West Coast seafood restaurant brand, announced today the appointment of Sam Hallak as Chief Executive Officer. Pacific Catch has recently expanded beyond its Northern California roots into Southern California, most recently opening a new restaurant in Brea, California in May 2026. Hallak succeeds co-founder Keith Cox, who will remain involved with the company as a member of its board of directors.

Hallak joins Pacific Catch with a mandate to elevate hospitality and the guest experience, strengthen operational discipline, and build the systems and leadership capabilities required...

EPA Proposes Loosening Clean Water Act Permit Rules for Offshore Seafood Processing Vessels

The EPA has proposed a rule exempting most offshore seafood processing vessels from Clean Water Act (CWA) discharge permitting, a change the agency estimates will save the seafood processing industry $1.8 million annually in compliance costs.

The rule, published in the Federal Register September 4 and open for comment through October 19, revises the definition of "discharge of a pollutant" under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. Since 1972, the CWA has excluded "a vessel or other floating craft" from NPDES permitting when...

Scallop Production in Hokkaido May Fall Below 300,000 Tons for the First Time in 9 Years

Hokkaido's scallop landings for the current harvest year are projected at 298,200 tons — a 15% decline from a year earlier and the first time in nine years the total has dipped below 300,000 tons, the Hokkaido Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations (Hokkaido Gyoren) said at its autumn trade meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 27.

Landings from the Sea of Okhotsk, currently underway, are dominated by smaller sizes, primarily the "5S" grade. As last year, large scallops...