Canada Investing Nearly CAD 1 Billion in Its Small Craft Harbors
The Canadian government’s Spring Economic Update 2026 earmarks almost a billion Canadian dollars—roughly US$729 million—to modernize the nation’s small‑craft harbors. These facilities are the lifeline of coastal fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing, supporting roughly 65,000 jobs and more than 42,900 commercial fish harvesters. By channeling CAD 957.8 million over the next five years, plus an ongoing CAD 90 million annual allocation, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans aims to replace aging wharves, improve dock safety, and expand capacity at key sites such as Sambro, Nova Scotia. The funding also includes provisions for ongoing maintenance, ensuring harbors remain operational beyond the initial build phase.
UK, EU Retailers Replacing Northeast Atlantic Mackerel with New Product Ranges
UK supermarket Waitrose has removed all Northeast Atlantic mackerel from its shelves after concluding the fishery fails its responsible sourcing standards. To fill the gap, the chain launched a new MSC‑certified range featuring smoked herring, sea bass and sardines. The...
Natural Grocers Launches Private-Label Smoked Salmon Amid Major Category Growth
Natural Grocers, a natural‑and‑organic grocery chain with nearly 170 stores, has launched a private‑label wild smoked salmon priced at $8.99 per 3‑ounce package. The product is MSC‑certified, cold‑smoked in small batches, and meets the retailer’s Gold seafood standards for responsible...
New South Wales Announces AUD 20 Million in Funding for Aquaculture, Fisheries, Waste Reduction Projects
New South Wales announced AUD 20 million (about $14.5 million) to boost kelp, oyster and sea‑urchin aquaculture, fish‑waste recycling, and supply‑chain upgrades on the South Coast. The first funding round allocated AUD 7.4 million from the state and AUD 6.9 million from ten private firms, while a...
Umios Posts Higher Sales, Earnings in FY 2025, Selling Control of Umios Logistics to SENKO
Japanese seafood giant Umios reported a modest rise in FY 2025 net sales to ¥1.1 trillion ($6.99 billion), up 2.5% year‑over‑year, and EBITDA climbed to ¥53.1 billion ($337.7 million). Operating income improved to ¥31.2 billion ($198.4 million) driven by stronger marine resources and aquaculture segments, while profit...
US Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case Brought by Alaska Commercial Fishers
The U.S. Supreme Court declined on May 4, 2026 to hear a petition filed by Alaska’s commercial set‑net and drift‑net fishers challenging state management of the Upper Cook Inlet salmon fishery. The fishermen argue that Alaska’s regulators favor personal‑use, sport and guided‑sport...
Conservation Groups Launch Lawsuit After Trump Admin Reopens Seamounts Monument to Fishing
Conservation groups including the Conservation Law Foundation and the NRDC have filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration’s February decision to reopen the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument to commercial fishing. The monument, created by President Obama in...
Seafood’s “Accessible Luxury” Set to Boost Mother’s Day Sales at US Restaurants, Retail
U.S. consumer spending on Mother’s Day is projected to hit a record $38 billion, with 63 percent of celebrants planning restaurant or brunch outings. Rising gasoline prices and broader inflation are prompting many households to trim dining‑out budgets, creating a surge in...
MSC-Certified Tuna Sales Jump Globally, with British Shoppers Particularly Driving Demand
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)‑certified tuna has become the United Kingdom’s top‑selling wild‑caught seafood, surpassing cod for the first time. MSC‑labeled tuna now appears on 49% of UK supermarket shelves and accounts for 65% of tuna volume sold, up from 18%...
ExportGaGroup Ramps up Shrimp Export Push at SEG, Targeting South America, Middle East, and Beyond
ExportGaGroup, an Ecuadorian white‑shrimp farmer, used Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona to showcase its vertically integrated operation—from hatchery to processing—under its own brands Star Ocean and Shrimp King. The company highlighted a broad product line that includes A2/A3 head‑on, headless, peeled‑and‑deveined...
Manolin CEO Tony Chen Bets on AI to Reduce Fish Mortality, Transform Aquaculture
Manolin, an aquaculture data‑analytics firm founded in 2018, is deploying user‑friendly AI models to lower fish mortality and improve operational decisions on oyster, salmon and tilapia farms. CEO Tony Chen emphasizes that AI should augment, not replace, farmers' instincts by...
Scottish Salmon Survival Rates Reach New Q1 High Following GBP 1 Billion Investment Push
Scotland’s salmon‑farming industry posted a record 99.03 percent average survival rate for Q1 2026, the highest ever recorded. The improvement follows more than £1 billion (≈$1.4 billion) of investment since 2018 in veterinary care, freshwater‑treatment technology, and monitoring systems. The sector’s stronger fish health...
UK Court Deems Waterside’s USD 483 Million Salmon Price-Fixing Class Action Too Costly to Proceed in Current Form
A UK Competition Appeal Tribunal refused to certify Waterside Class Limited’s £382 million (≈ $520 million) collective‑action claim that salmon producers Mowi, Grieg, SalMar, Leroy and Scottish Sea Farms colluded to inflate prices from 2015‑2019. The judges said Waterside’s projected litigation costs were...
Mariculture Systems Approved to Begin the Construction of Offshore Aquaculture Facility in Portugal
Mariculture Systems, an Israeli mariculture firm, secured Portugal’s Aquaculture Activity Title, clearing the final licensing hurdle for its offshore farm. The company will deploy its CORALIS semi‑submersible platform off the Algarve coast, a 50 × 50 meter structure powered by solar and wind....
Norway’s Seafood Export Value Drops in April Largely Due to Stronger Krone
Norway's seafood export value fell 5% in April 2026 to $1.44 billion, primarily because a stronger krone reduced foreign‑currency earnings and the Middle East war raised transport costs. Salmon shipments to key markets such as Japan, Israel and the Philippines dropped...
Chicken of the Sea Commits to Complete MSC Certification Across Its Tuna Product Portfolio
Seafood brand Chicken of the Sea announced it will source tuna from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fisheries by the end of 2024, becoming the first mainstream U.S. tuna label to carry the MSC blue eco‑label across its entire retail portfolio....
South Carolina Legislature Approves Two Versions of Shrimp Labeling Law
South Carolina’s House of Representatives unanimously passed HB 4248, mandating country‑of‑origin labels on all shrimp sold in the state. The measure responds to DNA testing that found the majority of Charleston restaurants were serving imported shrimp while claiming they were local....
Prices for Salmon From Norway Climb Heading Into Week 19
Atlantic salmon exported from Norway rose sharply in Week 18, with the Sitagri Salmon Index showing continued gains into early Week 19. As of 3 May, the average global export price reached NOK 91.87 per kilogram (approximately $8.54 or €7.90), up nearly NOK 10 ($0.93) from the...
US District Judge Denies Conagra’s Motion to Dismiss Short-Weighting Lawsuit
A U.S. district judge denied Conagra Brands' motion to dismiss a 2024 lawsuit accusing the company of short‑weighting its Mrs. Paul’s and Van de Kamp’s fish products with sodium tripolyphosphate (STTP). The plaintiffs allege false "100 percent Whole Fish" labeling and...
New Faroese Fisheries Minister Urges Industry to Innovate Amid Declining Quotas
Bárður á Steig Nielsen, the new Faroese minister of fisheries, is urging the sector to innovate as pelagic quotas for mackerel and other species decline. He is promoting the capture of mesopelagic fish such as lanternfish and Mueller's pearlside, and...
Mowi and TidalX AI Expand Collaboration Into Salmon Genetics Program
Mowi and TidalX AI have broadened their partnership to embed AI‑driven tracking into Mowi Genetics, the company’s salmon breeding arm. The technology will monitor individual fish without physical tags, feeding continuous data on growth, disease resistance and welfare back into...
Ecuador’s Shrimp Sector Exploring Ways to Implement New Technologies Across Its Value Chain
Over 60 shrimp‑industry professionals gathered in Guayaquil for the SustainED conference, a joint initiative of the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership and the National Chamber of Aquaculture. The event highlighted how artificial intelligence, data integration, traceability and renewable‑energy tools can give producers...
Thai Union's Sales, Profits Rise in Q1 2026 on Pricing, Volume Growth
Thai Union posted first‑quarter 2026 sales of THB 32.05 billion (about $985 million), a 7.6% year‑over‑year increase, the strongest since Q3 2022. Operating profit surged 29% to $35.7 million and net profit rose 9.2% to $34 million, helped by a $13 million tax benefit and lower SG&A...
Ireland Forms Collective Oyster Brand for Marketing, Promotional Purposes
Ireland’s export promotion agency Bord Bia has launched the Irish Oyster Collective, branded “Ó”, to give domestically farmed oysters a distinct identity. The initiative, developed with Dublin‑based Slater Design, emphasizes the unique Irish merroir that sets its shellfish apart from...
GAPP Survey Shows Massive Improvements in Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Alaska Pollock Production
The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) released a second life‑cycle assessment of 2024 harvests, finding dramatically lower environmental impacts than its 2021 study. Greenhouse‑gas emissions dropped 16.7%, and pollock fillets generate only 27% of the carbon footprint of...
Finland’s SuperGround Hopes for Market Expansion of Its Non-Traditional Seafood Products
Finland‑based SuperGround showcased its waste‑derived seafood line at Seafood Expo Global, where it sold roughly 10 containers of its new sandwich filler. The company transforms fish bones, heads and skins into a neutral ingredient that can be flavored into tuna,...
Nueva Pescanova Planning EUR 283 Million Capital Increase
Nueva Pescanova announced a €283 million (≈$331 million) capital increase, with its principal shareholder ABANCA committing €279 million. The infusion is designed to cut the group’s leverage below 4 times and lower financing costs, paving the way for new investments. The raise follows a...
Yellow Croaker Project in China Drawing on Norwegian Aquaculture Expertise to Achieve Sustainable Growth
China’s offshore aquaculture sector has surpassed 100 platforms, with yellow croaker production hitting roughly 300,000 tons a year. Through a UN‑IDO partnership, Norwegian Institute for Water Research engineer Huang Zhitao is guiding a project to import Norway’s ecosystem‑based regulatory tools...
Profand Enters Acquisition Agreement for Unión Martín Group
Profand, a Vigo‑based seafood processor, has signed an agreement to acquire Unión Martín Group, a Las Palmas company specializing in cephalopods, flatfish and finfish. The deal also brings Silomar’s Valencia processing plant and a 19,000 sqm cold‑storage facility into Profand’s portfolio. Profand’s...
Metlakatla Indian Community Hopes Lawsuit Against Alaska’s Governor Will Revitalize Fishing Community
The Metlakatla Indian Community (MIC), Alaska’s sole native reserve, is suing Governor Michael Dunleavy to expand its 3,000‑foot exclusive fishing zone that dates back to an 1891 treaty. Unlike most Alaska tribes that sold off fishing rights under the 1971...
Seven Years in, Captain Fresh CEO Utham Gowda Remains Focused on Boosting Seafood’s Image
Captain Fresh, founded in April 2019, has raised billions of dollars and acquired major seafood firms including CenSea and Spain's tuna leader Frime. CEO Utham Gowda says the company is building a downstream distribution engine that now covers 60‑70% of...
Finnish Aquaculture Tech Firm Paras Aqua Names New CEO; Lund’s Fisheries Hires New Director of Retail Sales
Finnish aquaculture tech firm Paras Aqua appointed Sondre Høidalen as CEO, emphasizing its modular, prefabricated land‑based systems that promise faster builds, low water use and cost efficiency. In the U.S., Lund’s Fisheries hired Kimberly Moore to lead retail sales, while...
A Motorcycle and a Salmon Sample Led Raimon Moreu Soler to a Lifelong Career in Seafood
Raimon Moreu Soler’s 2008 motorcycle trip to San Francisco introduced him to wild Alaskan salmon, sparking a 16‑year entrepreneurial journey that now supplies premium wild salmon to six European markets. His Barcelona‑based firm, Wild Alaskan Salmon, focuses on high‑quality sockeye, coho...
US Sushi Sushirrito Chain Shuts Down
Sushirrito, the San Francisco‑born sushi‑burrito chain, announced it will wind down operations after 15 years, despite the U.S. sushi market expanding to roughly $22 billion. Founder Peter Yen, who trademarked the Sushirrito name in 2008 and claims to have invented the sushi...
Chilean Entrepreneur Transforming Salmon-Farming Waste Into Insulated Panels for Homes
Chilean firm Aysén Recircular has devised a circular‑economy process that transforms expanded polystyrene (EPS) buoys from salmon‑farming operations into structural insulated panels (SIPs) for housing. To date the company has reclaimed roughly 88 metric tons of EPS—about 6,000 m³—into more than...
Bakkafrost Officially Charged in 2021 Animal Welfare Case
Bakkafrost, the Faroe Islands' largest salmon farmer, has been formally charged with two violations for sailing to its aquaculture sites without veterinary authorization, a lesser allegation from a 2021 case that resulted in a DKK 67 million (≈$10.5 million) fine. The new charge...
Peru’s Artisanal Squid Fleet Surges 30-Fold in SPRFMO Registration over Three Years
Peru’s artisanal squid fleet has surged to 1,043 vessels registered with the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), a 33.6‑fold increase from 2023. The expansion is driven by mandatory SISESAT satellite tracking systems, now installed on over 3,000 boats,...
Alaska Officials Welcome Federal Funding for Seven Port Improvement Projects
Alaska has been awarded more than $115.4 million in federal grants through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. The funding will support seven projects ranging from a $20.4 million rail‑tunnel upgrade in Whittier to a $38.6 million industrial dock in...
US Congressional Committee Holds Hearing on Equivalency Standards for Foreign Shrimp
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on the Safer Shrimp Imports Act, a bill that would require foreign shrimp producers to meet FDA-equivalent food safety standards before entering the U.S. market. Currently, about 90% of shrimp...
Indonesian Exports to China Rise, Cushioning the Blow of Disrupted Middle East Shipments
Indonesian seafood exporters are turning to China as shipments to the Middle East stall amid the Iran‑Israel conflict. Chinese demand for high‑value species such as grouper, snapper and shrimp remains strong, keeping export volumes robust. Indonesia’s seafood trade to China...
Naughty Prawn Debuts at Seafood Expo Global Less than a Week After Launching Brand
Jakarta‑based Naughty Prawn, founded by tech entrepreneur Alex Farthing, launched its own branded whiteleg prawn line at the 2026 Seafood Expo Global just a week after the brand’s debut. The company operates two farms on Bangka Island, employing AI‑driven automation...
Hands-On Approach Toward Supplier Contracts Steadies Angry Crab Shack Amid Tariffs, Fuel Price Spikes
Angry Crab Shack has shifted from relying on Sysco to negotiating long‑term contracts directly with crab and shrimp suppliers as it expands across the U.S. and into London. The proactive sourcing strategy lets the chain lock in prices, hedge against...
Alaskan Officials Renew Calls for Better Transboundary Salmon Protections
Alaska officials are again urging stronger protections for salmon that travel from British Columbia into Southeast Alaska, where they generate over $225 million annually. Data from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute shows these transboundary runs account for roughly one‑third of North...
BioMar Funds Research and Development for Barramundi and Yellowtail Kingfish Aquaculture
Denmark‑based feed producer BioMar announced an expansion of its research and development portfolio to include warm‑water species, starting with barramundi and later yellowtail kingfish. The trials will be conducted at the Aquaculture Technology Centre in Hirtshals, which features 15 experimental...
Continual Focus on Innovation, Quality Helping Ferguson Australia Weather Global Shocks
Ferguson Australia, a seafood exporter, has navigated multiple global shocks over 15 years by pivoting markets and investing in product innovation. After the 2008 crisis it shifted from Europe to China, then responded to China’s 2020 ban by developing packaged...
US Bill Would Extend State-Controlled Waters of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama
Lawmakers from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have introduced the Offshore Parity Act to expand state‑controlled waters from the current three nautical miles to nine miles offshore, matching Texas and Florida. The bill would amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act...
Libya Suspends Fish Exports as It Reassesses Domestic Fisheries Sector
Effective 21 April, Libya imposed a 90‑day suspension on all seafood exports and re‑exports to give the government time to reassess its domestic fisheries sector. The ban aims to regulate exports, protect the local market and achieve self‑sufficiency. Libya’s fish production...
Scottish Salmon Sector Steps up Pre-Election Push for Regulatory Reform
Scotland’s salmon‑farming sector is ramping up lobbying ahead of the May 7 parliamentary election, urging candidates to slash regulatory delays and adopt a one‑stop licensing shop with a 10‑year framework. The industry says it generates roughly $1.3 billion annually and supports about...
Icelandic Fish Farming Company First Water Finances Phase One of Six for Expansion
Icelandic salmon processor First Water announced the completion of phase one financing, raising roughly €75 million ($88 million) to double its land‑based production capacity. The funding combines a €40 million ($47 million) convertible bond from existing shareholders and a €35 million ($41 million) loan from Landsbankinn...
“Dress the Bride” – In Competitive Climate, New Seafood Ventures Need to Professionalize Before Soliciting Investment
Seafood companies seeking external capital or M&A activity must first professionalize, industry experts warned at the Marine Money Seafood Finance Forum in Barcelona. Ignacio Kleiman highlighted a new class of consolidator investors looking for diversified sourcing, while investors now demand...