ANALYSIS: Chile Controls 70% of US Fresh Salmon Imports as Norwegian Supply Falls 35%

Chile controls more than 70% of US fresh salmon fillet imports, Norwegian supply is down more than a third year-over-year, and a 12.5% tariff deadline is six weeks out. Despite all of that, the fresh benchmark is drifting lower and buyers are hesitant to commit. The frozen market, running below a three-year average in volume, is the steadier of the two. Understanding why requires looking past the price series and into how Chilean producers get paid...

Boudreaux's Brand Owner Sues Former Licensee Over Trademark Counterfeiting and UPC Code Theft

Gulf Marine Products Co., Inc. (GMP), the Westwego, Louisiana-based owner of the Boudreaux's seafood brand and crawfish importer, has filed a federal lawsuit against a former business partner, alleging trademark counterfeiting and the deliberate misappropriation of its retail product codes after a two-decade licensing relationship collapsed.

The complaint, filed June 12 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, names A La Carte Specialty Foods, L.L.C. (ALC) and its sole member Karl D. Turner as defendants. GMP is seeking...

Private Brands Gain Momentum as Quality, Health Drive Shopper Loyalty, FMI Reports

Private brands/labels continue to build market share and consumer loyalty, with new research from FMI showing shoppers are increasingly choosing store brands for quality, taste and health benefits and not just value.

According to FMI’s Power of Private Brands 2026: Consumer Trends – From Stores to Homes report, 92% of US grocery shoppers currently have store brand products in their homes, up from 89% last year. Private brand dollar sales also increased 2.8% year-over-year (YOY), outpacing national brand...

Indonesia Secures EU Aquaculture Market Re-entry After Regulatory Gap

Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has confirmed the country is back on the European Union's authorized list of aquaculture exporters, closing a market access gap that had unsettled industry players and put a key export corridor at risk.

The re-entry was formalized through EU Commission Implementing Regulation No. 2026/1189, enacted June 4, 2026, after Indonesia had been left off the original list published under Regulation (EU) 2024/2598. The KKP's quality and supervision agency (Badan Mutu) said the outcome was the result of sustained engagement...

Dual Ocean Threats Put West Coast Fisheries, Marine Life on Notice

Two major ocean phenomena off the US West Coast will affect salmon, rockfish, squid, tuna, and crab fisheries, as well as whales, California sea lions, and seabirds, in the coming months. NOAA has tracked a large marine heatwave for a year now, and last week announced that a separate strong El Niño has been building and is expected to peak in the coming winter of 2026–2027.

The Pacific Ocean's El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is arguably the most influential climate driver on Earth, NOAA scientists say...

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.

Azuma Foods Recalls 545 Cases of Tako Wasabi Products Over Undeclared Fish Allergen

Azuma Foods International recalled 545 cases of its 3-pack Azuma Foods Brand Tako Wasabi-Seasoned Octopus with Wasabi retail packages on June 11.

The recall was initiated because the retail packs may contain undeclared fish, according to a notice published on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

The recalled product was distributed in California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington via retail stores, the FDA said...

New England Council to Mark 50 Years of Regional Fisheries Management at June Meeting

The New England Fishery Management Council will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) during its June 23-25, 2026 Council meeting in Mystic, Connecticut, highlighting five decades of regional fisheries management and the evolution of sustainable U.S. fisheries policy.

Established by Congress on April 13, 1976, through the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the regional fishery management council system has played a central role in managing the nation's marine resources. Over the past 50 years...

Maine Supports Multi-State Recall of Mussels Tied to Islesboro Harvest Site

The State of Maine is supporting a voluntary recall of live shellstock mussels harvested from aquaculture lease site PEN FI in Islesboro after the product tested above the regulatory limit for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).

The recall covers mussels identified with traceability lot code 6/10/26 PEN FI, harvested on June 10, 2026 and shipped on June 11, 2026 by Islesboro Marine (ME 10806 SS).

According to the announcement, the action was triggered by “a biotoxin/PSP score of 101 ug/100g associated with...

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...

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...

Federal Judge Denies Bumble Bee Motion to Dismiss Forced Labor Case

A California federal judge has denied Bumble Bee Foods' motion to reconsider her earlier ruling allowing an Indonesian fishermen's human trafficking lawsuit to proceed.

Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant's June 11 order acknowledged that her previous ruling incorrectly stated that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had definitively held that trafficking claims apply to overseas conduct, when the appeals court had only "assumed without deciding" this point.

Despite the correction, Bashant maintained that the four Indonesian plaintiffs can pursue claims under the...

First Copper River Salted Sockeye Roe Shipment Arrives in Sendai, Prices Rise

Chilled salted sockeye salmon roe from Copper River, Alaska, arrived at the Sendai Central Wholesale Market on June 12th, marking the first shipment of the season. The quantity was approximately 310 kg (eight 40kg packs), a 16% decrease compared to the first shipment last year.

Despite the challenging production situation due to rising labor costs from the weak yen and higher raw material prices, market participants welcomed the products.

According to a report by Minato Shimbun, the shipment was received by Sento...

Young Right Whale Entangled in Gulf of St. Lawrence as Rescue Efforts Begin

Canadian authorities are working to track and potentially rescue a 5-year-old North Atlantic right whale spotted entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on June 8.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) reported that an aerial survey near Shippagan, New Brunswick, identified the whale as Catalog #5192, an unnamed male with fishing rope caught in its mouth and trailing several body lengths behind its body.

Scientists at the New England Aquarium confirmed the whale was last seen gear-free...

Certified Group Secures FDA Approval for PFAS Testing Method in Frozen Clams

Certified Group has received FDA approval for a validated analytical method to detect perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in frozen clams, providing seafood importers with a new testing option amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny of PFAS contamination.

The method, developed through direct guidance from FDA, is approved specifically for frozen clams. Certified Group said it can also perform PFAS testing across nearly all seafood matrices, with verification completed for sample types not already validated at its laboratory.

The approval comes as seafood...

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...

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...

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...

EU Prepares New Sanctions Targeting Russian Fish Exports, Including Cod Ban

The EU's new sanctions package against Russia may restrict Russian fishery supplies to Europe, including a complete ban on cod sales, which may lead to serious losses for Russian fishermen.

According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, fisheries have so far been among the sectors not significantly affected by sanctions; this may change soon.

The EU market has been among the most important sales markets for Russian fishermen despite current tensions between the two sides. According to estimates by the Russian Fisheries Union, in 2025, total...