FDA Delays FSMA 204 Rule Implementation by 30 Months Amid Industry Concerns

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on March 20 that it would delay the implementation of the Food Traceability Rule (AKA FSMA 204) by 30 months.

An update from the FDA explained that it remains committed to the full requirements of FSMA 204, which was set to go into effect in January 2026.

According to the FDA, only a few entities were well-positioned to meet the final rule’s requirements by January 2026. Even the entities in good shape “expressed concern about the timeline...

Pacific Halibut Fishery Opens March 20 to Reduced Catches

The 2025 Pacific halibut fishery kicks off on March 20 in regions spanning from the West Coast and British Columbia to the far reaches of Alaska’s Bering Sea. And once again, all users – commercial fishermen, sport charters, anglers and subsistence – will get smaller takes of the prized fish as the Pacific stock continues to flounder.

The coastwide “total removals” of halibut allowed for 2025 is 29.72 million pounds, a drop of 15.76% from 2024. For commercial fishermen, a catch limit of 19.7 million pounds is a decrease of 18.02%...

Sapporo Company Sells Fall Chum and Sockeye Salmon After Aging it 50 Days in Snow

Japanese company Sato Suisan of Sapporo, Hokkaido, began selling "snow matured salmon" on March 15 at eight directly managed stores in Sapporo and New Chitose Airport, as well as online.

Snow matured salmon (SMS) is a seasonal product that has been sold by Sato Suisan every year since 2011. This year’s SMS was made from salted Hokkaido fall chum salmon that was caught last fall, salted, and then buried in snow that had accumulated on the roof of the company's factory in Ishikari City on...

New Portable DNA Tool Helps NOAA Identify Illegal Fish Imports at Rapid Speed

The NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement began its first pilot test of a new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device. This allows field officers to perform immediate genetic analysis.

NOAA explained that this device will help personnel identify fish species without having to send genetic samples to forensics labs, which can take up to two weeks. The tool could be a key part of NOAA’s battle against seafood fraud and illegal seafood products entering the US market, as it can identify species in hours...

Sustainable Shrimp Partnership, CNA Recognize Ecuadorian Shrimp Hatchers for Sustainability Efforts

The Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SS) and Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) recognized Biogemar, Omarsa Mar Bravo, and Promarisco Chanduy hatcheries for their commitment to sustainability in shrimp larval production.

The recognition was held on March 12 during AquaExpo and highlighted the progress made through the SSP and CNA’s Scale Up initiative.

The Scale Up program aimed to raise standards for Ecuador’s shrimp hatcheries. The companies work through training, audits, and the implementation of operational improvements to achieve compliance with the standards outlined in the...

Russia Restores Fishing in Azov, Black Sea Following Oil Spill

Russia restored its fish catch in the Azov-Black Sea basin after the accident with the fuel oil spill in December of last year.

According to data from the All-Russian Association of Fish Producers (VARPE), the catch volume has reached 10.800 tons, which is 20% more year-on-year.

The bulk of catch accounts for European anchovy, which amounted to 9.800 tons.

As VARPE’s President German Zverev told in an interview with the Russian RBC business paper, at the beginning of the year, the catch figures in the...

ANALYSIS: Lower Share of Live Product in Canadian Lobster Exports

According to Canadian Statistics, the annual revenue from Canadian lobster exports increased by 8.4% between 2023 and 2024, including a 24.1% progression for frozen product, but a 3.8% drop for live lobster...

Ukraine to Export Wild-Caught Seafood to China Following New Trade Deal

China and Ukraine inked a deal earlier this month that will pave the way for Ukraine to export its wild-caught seafood products to China, per an announcement from China’s Embassy in Ukraine.

The deal was struck during a meeting between Chinese Ambassador Ma Shengkun, Ukrainian Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food Vitalii Koval, and Serhii Tkachuk, Director of the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Agency.

The Chinese embassy noted that the deal showcases further expansion of agricultural trade between the two countries...

Seremoni Welcomes Marketing and Sales Experts to Accelerate Growth

Seremoni, a company aiming to make premium seafood accessible to all consumers, announced a group of hires as it eyes rapid growth.

Lesia Dallimore was named Vice President of Brand and Marketing, along with a trio of other hires that aim to take Michelin-quality seafood from boat to plate.

Dallimore enters the role with a track record of brand building, marketing strategy, and premium food retail. Dallimore has worked at brands like Oishii, Erewhon, and lululemon, working to improve consumer engagement and retail expansion...

What Trump Tariffs Mean for Food and Agriculture Trade

US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China.

Tariffs for Canada and China are in effect as of February 4, while the tariffs on Mexico have been delayed for one month following negotiations with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who agreed to send 10,000 members of her country’s national guard to the border to address drug trafficking... 

SENA 2025: Economist Nomi Prins Uses Ernest Hemingway to Describe the 2025 Seafood Market

On Sunday, March 16, the first day of the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) 2025, macro-economist Dr. Nomi Prins kicked off the annual conference with a keynote speech that touched on the zeitgeist question currently racking the brains of the seafood industry: How will the tariffs impact the seafood market?

In a general sense, the amount of tariffs that would apply to seafood imports into the United States is not a cataclysmic number, according to Prins, who is also a geopolitical expert and best-selling..

Cooke Aquaculture Chile Challenges Court-Ordered Production Suspension

Cooke Aquaculture Chile, the Chilean salmon farming arm of Canadian seafood company Cooke, was ordered to suspend operations at nine of its farming sites for one production cycle, per various local media reports.

The company rejected the fine and said that the roughly $37,000 penalty was “disproportionate” as it stemmed from an alleged delay of providing statistical information by one or two days, according to the publication Salmonexpert.

Cooke clarified that the authority's requirement that the data be submitted weekly was fulfilled, as established by current regulations...

Russia Planning to Increase Total Fish Catch to 5 Million Tons in 2025

Russian fishermen plan to catch 5 million tons of fish in 2025. However, according to recent statements made by the head of Rosrybolovstvo, Ilya Shestakov, that will largely depend on the results of this year's salmon fishing season.

The planned catch will be higher than that in 2024, which was at the level of 4.9 million tons. Compared to 2023 (5.3 million tons), the decline in catch last year was mainly due to a significant drop in salmon catch (to 235,000 tons from 609,000 tons in 2023 and 272,000 tons in 2022).

As Shestakov has also added, there are currently some problems with pollock catch in the Russian Far East due to the poor ice conditions in the region; however, such a situation may soon stabilize.

SENA 2025: Sea Best’s Partnership with NASCAR Shines Spotlight on Frozen Seafood

U.S. seafood supplier Beaver Street Fisheries (BSF) is one of the 1,200-plus exhibiting companies at Seafood Expo North America (SENA) 2025 this year in Boston, Massachusetts.

As part of its corner booth exhibit, BSF has a varying setup, including a freezer display, tables and chairs, a welcome counter, and the main attraction, a virtual-reality racetrack simulation set beside a cardboard cutout of NASCAR driver Ty Dillon with a racetrack background. The latter display is part of the seafood company’s recent partnership between Kaulig Racing and BSF’s...

US, Canada West Coast Fisheries Get Boost from Pacific Salmon Funding

The Pacific Salmon Commission’s Northern and Southern Funds committees recently finalized project selections for 2025, awarding a total of $9.5 million USD to support Pacific salmon conservation and management efforts. 

The Northern Fund awarded $5 million to 37 projects; the Southern Fund awarded $4.5 million to 46 projects. 

Funded projects align with the Pacific Salmon Treaty, and involve a wide range of partners, including First Nations and Tribal organizations, non-profit groups, U.S. state, federal, and Canadian federal salmon management agencies, the Commission said...

National Fisheries Institute Revamps AboutSeafood Website to Provide Industry with Vital Info

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) revamped its AboutSeafood.com website last week. The group wants to connect the seafood community and improve access to vital information.

The new website complements NFI’s Strategic Plan, which was launched in March 2024 and aims to “shape, connect, and grow the sector across the supply chain.”

“A renewed AboutSeafood.com will help us better align with NFI’s Strategic Plan by increasing our interactions with key audiences, improve overall functionality, and enhance the user experience,” said Lisa Wallenda Picard, NFI President and CEO...

Cousins Maine Lobster Launches New Food Truck to Meet Growing Demands of Upstate New York

Cousins Maine Lobster (CML), the industry-leading fast-casual lobster roll brand is accelerating its growth across Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse by launching a second food truck in the market, just nine months after entering the region. Husband-and-wife duo Cindy and Pete Sztankovits, owners of the Upstate New York territory, have invested in the new truck to meet the growing demand for high-quality seafood in Syracuse and beyond. No longer having to pull trucks from other territories to meet the market requests...

Pro Golfer Scottie Scheffler Sticks to Seafood Favorites for 2025 Masters Champions Dinner

The Masters, the most iconic tournament in professional golf is set to begin in a few weeks and the menu for the Masters Club dinner for Champions was released and seafood holds a prominent spot.

Each year, the defending champion curates the exclusive dinner, which features all the living tournament champions. In 2025, Scottie Scheffler, who also won the tournament in 2023, will be honored.

This year’s menu nearly mirrors Scheffler’s 2023 menu, featuring Tex-Mex flair and intriguing seafood options...

Silver Bay Partners with BBEDC to Purchase Former Icicle Stake in OBI Seafoods

Silver Bay Seafoods is set to acquire a stake in Alaska seafood processor OBI Seafoods, purchasing the share previously owned by Icicle Seafoods, a subsidiary of Canadian seafood giant Cooke.

The deal involves a partnership between Silver Bay and the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (BBEDC), which acquired a 50% stake in OBI (previously Ocean Beauty Seafoods) in 2007. Silver Bay will also garner more processing power within the wild Alaska salmon sector.

BBEDC and Silver Bay said that the partnership...

Public Comment Opens on Potential Repeal of Controversial Lobster Catch Limits

A rule that would consider repealing a contentious proposal to increase the catch limit size for lobsters in the Gulf of Maine has been approved for public comment by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)’s American Lobster Management Board.

Draft Addendum XXXII could repeal the gauge and escape vent size limits included in Draft Addendum XXVII. Specifically, the rule protected lobsters in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank spawning stock biomass. The proposed protections would have increased the minimum size of gauges fishers use to measure lobsters...

SENA 2025: Oh Shucks! Oyster Shuckers Compete in 17th Annual Oyster Shucking Contest

One of the numerous events that took place in the Wave Makers’ Zone at this year’s Seafood Expo North America (SENA) was the lively 17th annual oyster shucking competition.  

This year’s throw-down was sponsored by New Brunswick – Deliciously Canadian, with a presentation by celebrity Chef Dennis Prescott and emceeing by World Champion oyster shucker and Guinness World Record holder Patrick McMurray.  

McMurray was an energetic emcee for the afternoon, peppering in various information on oyster shucking and oyster flavor profiles as he commentated on the action...

Onda to Advance Research on Sustainable Feed Alternatives for Aquaculture

Onda, the largest contract research organization in Canada specializing in aquaculture research, is working with the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) on a new Canola AgriScience Cluster research project examining the use of canola-based feed meal for sustainable aquaculture production, with the goal of expanding the market for Canadian canola and providing a sustainable alternative for aquafeed. 

The Canola AgriScience Cluster is a five-year research program funded under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership with contributions from the CCC, Alberta Canola...

SENA 2025: Lineage Logistics Addresses Food Waste, Tariffs, and FSMA Rule 204

During the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) 2025, Expana had the opportunity to sit down with Michael Bowman and Ron Margulis of Lineage Logistics and chat about the cold storage company’s ongoing efforts to streamline processes, increase traceability, and eliminate food waste, especially as the global supply chain faces U.S. tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, as well as the upcoming implementation of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Rule 204.

When asked about the economic turbulence that has been impacting the supply chain lately, Bowman, who is Vice...

The Retail Rundown: Fresh Buying Opportunities in Bloom

Tomorrow marks the official start of spring, and retailers are seizing fresh opportunities to capture increased spending with occassions like Easter and peak grilling season soon approaching.

However, for some residents, spring still feels distant as a late-season storm sweeps through the Central US today and tomorrow, potentially impacting purchasing and consumption patterns in affected regions. 

With roughly a month remaining in Lent, seafood remains a focal point in retail promotions, accounting for 33% of protein advertisements, primarily driven by fresh/frozen fillets as well...

SeaBear to Recall Smoked Salmon & Clam Chowders Due to Seal Defect

Washington-based SeaBear Company recalled two varieties of its seafood chowder, Smoked Salmon Chowder & Alehouse Clam Chowder because the products could potentially be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.

A notice on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website warned consumers not to use the product even if it doesn’t look or smell spoiled.

The Smoked Salmon Chowder and Alehouse Clam Chowder were distributed through physical retail stores in Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington and direct home delivery via SeaBear’s website nationwide between 10/1/2024...

SENA 2025: Day 2 in Photos

The second day of Seafood Expo North America (SENA) 2025 had a great turnout, with a lot activity going on throughout the convention center, and specifically in the Wave Makers' Zone, where the following events took place: the New Product Showcase; the Featured Product Showcase; the 17th Annual Oyster Shucking Competition; Japanese Seafood: A Culinary Journey of Tradition and Innovation (sponsored by the Japan External Trade Organization); NUTAAQ: The "NEW" North Atlantic Cod from Greenland (sponsored by Royal Greenland A/S); the Canadian Oyster Cafe Reception (sponsored by the Government of Canada); and several...

SENA 2025: FMI’s Power of Seafood 2025 Report Reveals Consumer Perception Challenges

The Power of Seafood 2025 report was unveiled at Seafood Expo North America earlier this week. The seventh edition of the FMI – The Food Industry Association’s report, highlighted “untapped opportunities for the seafood department despite lackluster category performance."

FMI found various reasons for the decline in seafood sales in 2024, including shopper perceptions of seafood. Shoppers find seafood expensive and a luxury purchase despite the cost of seafood largely dipping.

Despite shoppers indicating a lack of knowledge and preparation techniques, most consumers surveyed (93%) say they value the...

Russian Fishery Revenues Stagnate in 2024 as Export Restrictions and Costs Bite

According to the latest data provided by German Zverev, the head of the All-Russian Association of Fishery Producers (VARPE), the revenue of Russian fisheries enterprises increased by only 1.8% in 2024 compared to the previous year and amounted to 664 billion rubles (US$7.86 billion), one of the lowest figures in the industry's last several years.

As he told in an interview with the Russian Vedomosti business paper, the sector's revenue growth last year was five times lower than the official rate of inflation, which was...

Tom Taylor Appointed Executive Director of Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association

The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA) announced that Tom Taylor has been appointed as its new executive director, effective March 24.

Taylor will take the helm of ACFFA with over two and a half decades of experience in the aquaculture industry. The ACFFA described Taylor as a “highly regarded seafood industry leader who brings extensive expertise in fish farming operations.”

Previously, Taylor has worked with multiple industry boards, including as chair of the board of directors of ACFFA since 2018...

HTC Health Achieves Friend of the Sea Certification for Its Omega-3 Supplements

Friend of the Sea, the leading international certification programme for products and services that respect and protect marine ecosystems, has officially certified HTC Health, a UK-based leader in distributing dietary supplements and vitamins.

This prestigious certification applies to HTC Health’s premium range of fish oil softgel capsules, which include two Omega-3 formulations: one with 18% EPA / 12% DHA and another with 33% EPA / 22% DHA, both delivering 1000 mg of fish oil per softgel...