Seafood Industry Faces New Tariff Risk as Graham Russia Bill Nears Trump's Signature

The US House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on September 16. The bill now heads to President Trump's desk after clearing the Senate in early August.

Named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who negotiated the legislation before his death in July, the bill is aimed at cutting off Russia's oil and gas revenue over its war in Ukraine.

The legislation directs the president to raise the duty rate on all goods...

ANALYSIS: EU-UK Shrimp Imports Rebound Seasonally in July, But Remain Below Last Year

According to Eurostat, EU-UK shrimp imports reached 64,186 MT worth USD 472.0 million in July, across all shrimp categories. Volumes rose 9.7% month-on-month, consistent with the usual seasonal pattern: Asian and Latin American producers ramp up to full capacity as raw material availability improves, while European importers stock up to meet summer holiday demand, which reliably lifts seafood consumption each year...

Senators Collins, King Push Senate Commerce Committee to Fast-Track Right Whale Regulation Pause

US Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) are urging the Senate Commerce Committee to move quickly on legislation extending the current pause on new North Atlantic right whale fishing regulations through 2035, following the House's passage of the bill earlier this month.

In a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Collins and King pressed the committee to advance the Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act (H.R. 9436) as soon as possible...

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...

Circana Tells Advertisers to Start Holiday 2026 Planning Earlier

Advertisers should start planning for the 2026 holidays earlier as shoppers increasingly discover products through social platforms, creators and AI tools, according to new guidance from Circana.

In its report, How Advertisers Should Prepare for Holiday 2026, the market research firm recommends that brands and media teams begin holiday activity ahead of traditional peak periods, build social and creator discovery into media plans, optimize product data for AI-assisted shopping and measure results across channels.

The case for an earlier start is reflected in Circana’s 2025...

Dock Fire at Whittier's $80M Cruise Ship Dock Declared by Alaska Fire Marshal a 'Total Loss'

A fire that started Monday on the $80 million cruise ship terminal in Whittier and burned for 12 hours has been declared “a total loss,” according to Austin McDaniel, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, which includes the fire marshal’s office.

No injuries have been reported in the blaze, but a high-speed catamaran operated by Phillips Cruises Tours that was tied to the dock with no one on board was damaged before it could be moved away...

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...

Japan: Alaskan Atka Mackerel Price on the Rise

As of early September, the domestic market price per kilo for Alaskan Atka mackerel—specifically the 48-count size (frozen, dressed, variable-weight 19kg packs)—is hovering around 530 yen/kg ($3.41/kg). Driven by a global rise in fish prices, the market is trending upward across the board, including for smaller sizes like the "70-count" pack; trading sources suggest that prices for the summer catch are likely to rise a bit further in the near future, according to Minato Shimbun...

Heartland Catfish Company Launches New Website to Honor 30th Anniversary

Heartland Catfish Company recently launched a new website in celebration of its 30th anniversary. The site has been refreshed to focus on retail and food service partnerships, give a detailed look at the company’s products and processes and emphasize consumer education about the benefits of U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish as a versatile and healthy protein source.

As the largest vertically integrated catfish processor in the industry, Heartland Catfish Company manages its catfish supply from egg to product...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

ASC, SFP Take Over as Interim Secretariat for Aquaculture Action Alliance

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) are jointly stepping in as interim secretariat for the Aquaculture Action Alliance, marking a new phase for the industry coalition focused on cutting the sector's carbon footprint.

The Alliance was previously hosted by IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative under the name Aquaculture Working Group. The transition to ASC and SFP leadership comes with a shift toward coordinated action, broader industry participation and measurable emissions reductions.

Members met ahead of the recent Global Shrimp Forum in Utrecht...

AquaBounty Engages Colliers to Market Ohio Property as Strategic Review Continues

AquaBounty Technologies (NASDAQ: AQB) has engaged commercial real estate firm Colliers as its exclusive agent to market the company's Pioneer, Ohio property, as part of its ongoing review of strategic alternatives.

AquaBounty said the Pioneer campus carries infrastructure that could appeal to buyers outside aquaculture — including access to an existing electrical substation with roughly 50 megawatts of available capacity, competitively priced electricity, and a permit to withdraw 5.25 million gallons per day of groundwater from a high-capacity underground aquifer. Management said those attributes could attract power...

Ace Aquatec Chile Appoints Sebastián Uribe as Digital Operations Lead

Ace Aquatec has appointed Sebastián Uribe as Digital Operations Lead, strengthening its team in Puerto Varas, Chile, as the company scales its digital operations and responds to growing demand for its technology across the Latin American aquaculture sector.

Uribe brings more than a decade of aquaculture experience, starting his career as a Technician in Aquaculture Production and later becoming an Industrial Engineer. His experience spans operations in production centres, production management, feeding and nutrition, and applied technologies...

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...

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...

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...

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...