ANALYSIS: Global Scallop Supply Constraints Reshape Domestic Market Landscape

The global scallop import landscape reveals a complex story of shifting supply patterns and market disruption that extends beyond surface-level statistics. While year-to-date (YTD) imports into the US market through August appear robust at 37.6 million lbs, the third-highest level since 2018, this figure masks dramatic underlying changes that have reshaped the market throughout 2025.

August imports dropped 63% month-over-month (MOM), falling to 1.1 million lbs, a figure not seen in recent memory. This severe decline illustrates how early-year strength obscured rapidly deteriorating market...

Oregon Crabbers Stay Tied to the Dock as Delay Pushes Season to Dec. 16 at Earliest

Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fleet will remain idle a little longer, with the season now delayed coastwide until at least Dec. 16, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on November 21.

Although Oregon crab passed both meat quality and biotoxin tests, the opener is being held back because Long Beach, Washington, crab has not yet met the 23% meat fill requirement. Most members of the Dungeness Crab Advisory Committee backed the delay, calling it the least disruptive to longstanding harvest patterns...

Japan: September Surimi Products Production up 5% to 28,646 Tons

Food Marketing Research and Information Center released its estimated surimi products production volume (preliminary estimate) for September, up 4.6% from the same month last year to 28,646 tons, Minato Shimbun reported.

Fried surimi has increased 7.2% to 10,849 tons for the ninth consecutive month this year. Meanwhile, "other surimi products," which include crab-flavored kamaboko, or kanikama, were down 3.9% to 7,227 tons, marking the first year-on-year decrease this year. Chikuwa grilled cubes increased 9.5% to 4,613 tons, kamaboko...

India Releases New National Framework on Traceability in Fisheries and Aquaculture 2025

In an effort to achieve a target of ₹1 lakh crore [$121 billion USD] seafood exports by 2030, India is launching several initiatives to modernize its fisheries infrastructure, strengthen sustainability practices, and accelerate value-added products across the sector.

These include establishing Standard Operating Procedures on mariculture, the Development and Management of Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbours, Development of Minimum Basic Infrastructure at Notified Marine Fish Landing Centres as well as guidelines for Reservoir Fisheries Management and Coastal Aquaculture...

Global Fishing Industry Urges CITES Parties to Reject Three Species Proposals

The International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA) has reviewed several trade-restrictive proposals concerning aquatic species ahead of the 20th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which begins today. ICFA is urging Parties to reject three proposals—covering eels, sea cucumbers, and Tope Shark and Smooth-hound Sharks—and to adopt a proposal aimed at developing clear guidance on look-alike species criteria.

During this CITES meeting, countries will decide whether to...

ANALYSIS: US Shrimp Imports Confirm Estimates; Supplier Export Patterns Signal Market Realignment

Official US import figures through August were broadly in line with our modeled projections, with total volumes inside the confidence interval despite notable variances in specific categories. Peeled shrimp imports were slightly above the high‑end forecast, while shell‑on imports were well below the lower bound. Cooked, breaded, and overall totals tracked closely to expectations. These differences match the pricing environment during the period, when higher landed costs from 19% tariffs on Indonesian shrimp and 20% tariffs on Vietnamese shrimp began influencing wholesale values...

ANALYSIS: Norwegian Salmon Harvest Up 20.9% YTD; Exports Cool After August Peak

The Norwegian Atlantic farm salmon sector is experiencing a notable increase in supply, with total harvests rising 20.9% year-to-date (YTD) through September, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. While seawater biomass remains relatively stable, the increase in harvest volume and export activity indicates a strong and expanding supply base, mainly driven by seasonal peaks in August. Conversely, the latest data from Statistics Norway show that weekly export figures for fresh and chilled salmon have slowed...

Bid Price for Frozen Russian Opilio Weakening by 10% at Busan Auction

According to a report in the Minato Shimbun, the third bidding of the year for new frozen opilio snow crab (from the Russian Far East took place on November 6th in Busan, South Korea. According to multiple trading companies, 32 tons of air-blast frozen boiled sections produced in October were up for bid. The winning bid (single price for L-4L sizes, EXW Busan) is expected to be $19.7-19.8/kg, 10% lower than the second auction. Many Japanese trading companies were unsure of the identity...

Russia Sharply Increases Salmon Catch in 2025

Russia is sharply increasing its salmon catch in 2025, with overall figures expected to significantly surpass 2024 results.

According to the All-Russian Association of Fishery Producers (VARPE), as of November, Pacific salmon catch totaled 335,500 tons — more than 40% higher than the entire 2024 catch of 235,000 tons, which was Russia’s worst salmon harvest since 2005.

Catch growth was observed in most key fishing areas, including Kamchatka, which accounts for 80% of the total catch, and Khabarovsk Krai. However, Sakhalin experienced a sharp decline due to an extremely hot summer...

Midland Co Announces Major Retail and Farm Network Expansion

Midland Co recently announced two major milestones that expand the company’s reach to consumers across the Midwest.

First, the company celebrated a new partnership with Fareway, bringing Midland Co’s shrimp products to shelves at select Fareway grocery stores and Fareway Meat Markets.

"Launching into Fareway is a major step forward—for our farmers and for customers who want fresher, more sustainably raised shrimp," said Jackson Kimle, Co-Founder and CEO of Midland Co. "This partnership allows us to bring locally grown seafood to more communities while supporting family farms...

Cousins Maine Lobster Expands to Indiana Through Multi-Unit Deal

Cousins Maine Lobster (CML), the industry-leading fast-casual lobster roll brand, signed an agreement to bring two new trucks to Indiana. The deal meets the growing demand for more high-quality seafood across the Midwest region. It will offer local seafood lovers the opportunity to enjoy CML's world-famous Maine Lobster rolls, mouthwatering lobster tacos, savory lobster grilled cheese, and delicious whoopie pies...

Oregon Investigates Whale Entanglement as State and Crab Fleet Highlight Years of Risk-Reduction

A stranded whale in Oregon that has captured attention on the eve of the potential start of the Dungeness crab season has state and federal agencies looking for clues to the young whale’s death.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a press release it is assisting federal partners in investigating the entanglement of the young humpback whale that stranded near Yachats earlier this week. NOAA Fisheries has attributed the gear involved to the Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fleet...

Hokkaido Scallop Industry "Unperturbed" by the Chinese Import Ban

On November 19, it was revealed that the Chinese government had once again suspended import procedures for Japanese seafood. Still, there is no sign of any major unrest in Hokkaido's scallop industry. Since the full ban in August 2023, sales channels have been developed and expanded into other countries, including the United States and Southeast Asia, advancing the "distance from China" movement. In addition, even after the ban was lifted in June of this year, only one processing facility in Hokkaido capable of exporting to China was registered by China...

Novotel Becomes First Hospitality Brand To Join Seafood Task Force

Global hotel brand expands ocean commitment with focus on sustainable tuna and farmed shrimp sourcing across Southeast Asia

Novotel, a leading global hotel brand with 600 hotels in 68 countries, has become the first hospitality brand to join the Seafood Task Force (STF).

This milestone reinforces Novotel’s leadership in sustainable hospitality and builds upon the brand’s comprehensive three-year ocean commitment and partnership with WWF, launched in June 2024.

The collaboration with the STF will initially focus on enhancing supply chain transparency...

Dalan Animal Health Closes $3M Seed Round to Advance Commercialization of Shrimp Vaccine

Dalan Animal Health, Inc., the pioneering bioscience company that developed the world's first vaccine for invertebrates, today announced the successful closure of a $3 million SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) funding round. The round included Good Growth Capital together with Meach Cove Capital and other global investors, marking increased international recognition of Dalan's breakthrough Innate Immunity Platform technology.

The new funding will advance the commercialization of Dalan's first-in-class shrimp vaccine, addressing one of the most...

Jim Jones Joins Forces With Cousins Maine Lobster to Hand Out Holiday Dinners to Harlem Community

Harlem got a head start on its Thanksgiving festivities this week as Cousins Maine Lobster founders, Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis, teamed up with their newest "cousin" and collaborator, Jim Jones, to treat the community to free lobster meals.

Jones, a Harlem icon, partnered with Lomac and Tselikis to bring one of their franchise trucks to the heart of Harlem, turning the block into an early holiday celebration. For over 2 hours, Jones, Lomac, and Tselikis stood outside meeting with fans, snapping pictures...

Nova Scotia Launches Compliance Unit to Combat Illegal Activities in Seafood Sector

Nova Scotia’s Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture have announced the creation of a new seafood sector compliance unit aimed at combating illegal activities in fish buying and processing.

“Our new compliance unit will target illegal seafood-related activities that negatively impact the sustainability of our resources and the safety of our communities,” said Kent Smith, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “As the regulator of the shore-based fish buying and processing sector, these inspectors will focus their activities on wharves and in seafood facilities...

Navigating the Trump Tariff Turbulence: A Comprehensive Timeline

US President Donald Trump and his administration have paused reciprocal tariffs on most countries.

“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown... I am hereby raising the [tariff] charged to China by the [USA] to 125%, effective immediately,” wrote Trump on Truth Social at 1:18 pm ET. 

It’s not clear if this 125% is in addition to the 20% imposed on Chinese imports to the US. In early March, Trump noted that he would add another 10% tariff on Chinese goods...

ICE Executes Second Raid at New Jersey Seafood Distributor

For the second time this year, a wholesale seafood distributor in Newark, New Jersey, was the target of a federal immigration enforcement action, local media reported. Ocean Seafood Depot saw roughly two dozen federal agents enter the premises and take 13 people into custody, according to WABC‑7.

The raid began the morning of Nov. 19, witnesses told reporters, with heavily armed, masked federal agents on site and the FBI involved. A statement reported by NJ.com said ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, “working in coordination with federal partners, executed...

Klamath River Posts a One-Year Surprise: There are ‘Salmon Everywhere’

More than a year following the removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, scientists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are observing the rapid re-occupation of upstream habitat by salmon — a development with significant implications for upstream-downstream connectivity, spawning success and ultimately commercial availability. 

Michael Harris, Environmental Program Manager of CDFW’s Klamath Watershed Program, said in a statement that he’s surprised at the activity.  

“The speed at which salmon are repopulating every nook and cranny of suitable habitat upstream of the dams...

Bipartisan FISH Wellness Bill Would Double Grants for Fishermen's Safety and Behavioral Health

Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) reintroduced the Fishing Industry Safety, Health, and Wellness Improvement (FISH Wellness) Act on November 20.

The legislation would reauthorize the Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Research & Training Program and build on its previous success with an aim to improve on-the-job safety and health risks facing today’s commercial fishermen. The focus will be on chronic fatigue and the high rates of drug overdose, alcohol-related liver disease, and suicide...

Land-Based Yellowtail Producer Kingfish Company Appoints Karl Buiks to Succeed Retiring CEO

Land-based yellowtail kingfish farmer The Kingfish Company tapped Karl Buiks as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2026.

Buiks brings more than 25 years of international leadership experience across the food, beverage, and nutrition sectors, with senior roles at PepsiCo, FrieslandCampina, and Kerry Group, Kingfish shared in a press release.

“Karl brings the strategic discipline, operational rigor, and brand-building expertise required to drive The Kingfish Company’s next phase of performance and growth,” said Jeroen Scheelbeek, Chair of the Supervisory Board...

Innovasea Names Jorge Bravo Managing Director of Chile

Innovasea, a global leader in technologically advanced aquatic solutions for aquaculture and fish tracking, announced today the promotion of Jorge Bravo to Managing Director of its Chilean operations.

Bravo, who joined Innovasea in 2020 and most recently served as the company’s Technical Manager for Chile, steps into the position having previously played a major role in launching and expanding Innovasea’s Chilean operations.

“Jorge has consistently proven himself as a leader and shown a strategic, results-oriented mindset that has been instrumental in driving our Chilean success,“ said Innovasea Vice President...

ADF&G Forecasts “Average” Pink Salmon Harvest for Southeast Alaska — 19M Pinks in 2026

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) issued its latest salmon forecast for next year last Monday: a lackluster “average” run of pink salmon to rivers in the state’s panhandle, with a predicted harvest of 19 million fish. 

“Juvenile pink salmon abundance measured in northern inside waters during summer 2025 was near the middle of the long-term range, which suggests a moderate number of adults returning in 2026,” the agency’s forecast said. 

While salmon returns can vary due to changing ocean conditions...

American Mariculture Co-Founder Robin Pearl Arrested

Robin Pearl, co-founder of American Mariculture (AMI), was arrested in Florida on November 14 on charges of fraud, money laundering and grand theft larceny, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

According to arrest records, Pearl faces counts including fraud involving property valued at more than $50,000, money laundering involving more than $100,000, and grand theft larceny of more than $100,000. The incident comes as AMI and its affiliates, American Penaeid and Sun Shrimp Gourmet, have been at the center of a broader control dispute surrounding the company...

US to Ban Irish Farmed Salmon and Spiny Lobster Imports from January 1 Over MMPA Compliance

Beginning January 1, 2026, farmed salmon and spiny lobster from Ireland will no longer be eligible for export to the United States, Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Sea‑Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) confirmed this week.

The Irish agencies were notified by US authorities that the restriction is tied to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) comparability findings under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). NOAA determined that Ireland’s standards do not meet the...

Sysco and NJDEP Partner to Enhance Oyster Reef Restoration and Boost Coastal Resilience

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Sysco Corporation have partnered in a groundbreaking deal aimed at significant program growth.

The agreement will expand the state’s successful initiative that recycles seafood shells from restaurants to create oyster reefs, which provide more real estate for oyster larvae to grow.

"Sysco is excited to partner with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to scale a project we have been interested in for several years," said John Yates, president of Buckhead Meat & Seafood’s...

Wyden to Coast Guard: Explain Search-and-Rescue Helicopter Relocation at Newport Meeting This Sunday

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today asked U.S. Coast Guard officials to join him this Sunday morning, Nov. 23 at the Newport Municipal Airport to provide him and this central Oregon Coast community answers about the relocation of a Coast Guard helicopter essential to local public safety.

Wyden wrote in his letter to Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, Acting Coast Guard Commandant, that he would like that Nov. 23 airport meeting with a Coast Guard representative to happen before his annual open...

Florida Importer Netuno Sues Over Trump Tariffs, Challenges Emergency Trade Powers

Netuno USA, a Florida-based seafood importer and distributor, filed suit Nov. 5 in the US Court of International Trade, arguing that President Trump’s emergency tariff program exceeds his statutory authority and has disrupted its seafood supply chains.

The complaint was lodged against Trump, his administration, the US Trade Representative, US Customs and Border Protection and other officials. Netuno called the tariffs unconstitutional and unlawful and argued that Trump exceeded statutory and constitutional authority by using emergency powers to impose broad tariffs.

Netuno questioned Trump’s authority on tariffs...

Americans Plan to Dine Out More in 2026 as OpenTable Reports Strong Industry Growth

OpenTable’s newly released 2026 Dining Trends Report shows that despite mixed views on the economy, Americans continue to prioritize eating out, driving steady growth across the foodservice industry.

According to the analysis, dining out increased 8% year-over-year in 2025, and consumers expect for that to increase in 2026.

"As we head into 2026, there's good news for the restaurant industry: our new research shows that people continue to make room in their lives and budgets for dining out...