Ecuador’s Shrimp Sector Working to Expand Sales in Japan
Ecuador’s shrimp farming sector posted a record $7.47 billion in export revenue last year, shipping 3.07 billion pounds of product. While China, Europe and the United States absorb over 90 % of shipments, sales to Japan rose 35.6 % in volume and 48.6 % in value, yet still represent only 1.4 % of total exports. The National Aquaculture Chamber plans to deepen the Japanese foothold and broaden presence in the U.S., Europe and emerging markets. Simultaneously, the industry is pursuing private‑investment energy solutions and tighter security measures to sustain growth.
US Lawmaker Proposes New Framework for Culling Cormorants to Protect Fish Stocks
U.S. Representative Tim Walberg introduced the Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act to establish a science‑driven, regional framework for culling double‑crested cormorants that threaten Great Lakes fisheries. The bill would task the Interior Secretary with working alongside Regional Flyway Councils...
ThayerMahan Reports Successful Anti-IUU Fishing Demonstration with NOAA Fisheries
ThayerMahan successfully completed an 18‑day anti‑IUU fishing demonstration with NOAA Fisheries in the Gulf of Maine, using its uncrewed Outpost floating platform. The system detected and classified vessels, including those with disabled AIS, and streamed data to the U.S. Naval...
US Lent Seafood Sales Volume Drops; Retailers and Restaurants Hopeful for Easter Spend
U.S. seafood retail volume slipped 2.8% during Lent as high gas prices and grocery inflation squeezed household budgets, yet dollar sales rose 4.4% thanks to a 6.6% price‑per‑unit increase. Shelf‑stable products, especially tuna and salmon, posted double‑digit dollar growth, while...
Portuguese Companies Launch Project to Transform Fishing Waste Into CO2 Capture Technology
Portugal’s NOVA.ID.FCT has launched the AERO2cycle consortium to convert fishery by‑products—scales, skin, bones—into biochar‑based aerogels that capture carbon dioxide. Funded by the national science foundation and partnered with universities in Portugal, Spain, and Italy, the initiative targets a pilot‑scale technology...
Newfoundland Snow Crab Harvesters Union Decries Price-Setting Process Once Again as Season Closes In
Newfoundland’s Fish Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) has again denounced the provincial snow‑crab price‑setting process as inadequate, accusing the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) of offering a price below last year’s level despite a stronger market. After 13 hours...
High Fuel Costs Lead Nearly Half of Thai Fishing Fleet to Tie up, Sparking Supply Fears
Escalating fuel costs have forced more than 40% of Thailand’s commercial fishing fleet to dock. Fuel prices jumped nearly 120% in a month, making trips financially unsustainable. The government responded with a seven‑point aid package, including a discounted biodiesel subsidy,...
Innovative Firms Driving AI Adoption in Vietnam's Shrimp Sector
Vietnamese shrimp farms are turning to AI to curb rising production costs and protect thin profit margins. ESG uses weather stations, satellite data and underwater cameras to automate feeding and prevent waste, while RYNAN’s TOMGOXY system balances dissolved oxygen and...
AquaChile Incorporates Sustainable Fuel Into Truck Transport Logistics Strategy
AquaChile, Chile's largest salmon farmer, will power its 270‑truck transport fleet with renewable BioLNG starting in 2025. The BioLNG, produced by partner Lipigas from agricultural waste, can run on existing LNG equipment, enabling a seamless transition. The switch is projected...
Atlantic Salmon From Norway Prices Decline Again in Run-Up to Easter
Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon prices slipped again ahead of Easter, marking a second consecutive weekly decline. The Sitagri Salmon Index reported a 5.4% week‑over‑week drop for the 3‑6 kg category, with the average price falling to NOK 91.01 per kilogram (≈ USD 9.41). The...
Pure Salmon Japan Secures USD 180 Million for Land-Based Farm
Pure Salmon Japan has secured an additional USD 180 million, raising total project funding to USD 640 million for its land‑based salmon farm in Tsu, Mie Prefecture. The facility, designed as a recirculating aquaculture system, will have a 10,000‑metric‑ton capacity, making it Japan’s largest...
NGO Lawsuit on Illegal Fishing in West Africa Appealed to Spanish Supreme Court
ClientEarth and Oceana have taken their lawsuit over alleged illegal fishing by Spanish‑owned vessels off Senegal and Guinea Bissau to Spain’s Supreme Court after the Madrid High Court dismissed the case. The NGOs allege the vessels routinely switch off AIS and...
Richard Wright Takes Lessons Learned From Oil and Gas Background to New AI Predictive Fishing Venture
Richard Wright, a former oil‑and‑gas geophysicist, founded Ocean Advisor to apply four‑dimensional seismology and probability modeling to commercial fishing. The California‑based startup delivers daily, AI‑driven species probability maps that help fleets locate high‑catch zones while cutting tow time. Early adopters...
Gulf Menhaden Fishery Recertified to MSC Standard
The U.S. Gulf menhaden fishery has been recertified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard following a comprehensive audit by SCS Global Services. First certified in 2019, the fishery undergoes five‑year recertification cycles with annual surveillance audits. The recertification addresses...
High Liner Laying Off 9 Percent of North American Office Workforce
High Liner Foods announced on March 31 that it will lay off 35 office employees, roughly 9% of its North American office workforce, to better align its cost structure with current market conditions. The cuts follow a disappointing fiscal 2025,...
Red Lobster Closes Two More Restaurants as Turnaround Effort Remains in Tenuous Position
Red Lobster, the Orlando‑based seafood chain, has shuttered two underperforming restaurants – one in Michigan and another in Texas – as part of its post‑bankruptcy turnaround. The company, which filed for Chapter 11 in May 2024, has rolled out new menu items,...
Seafood Companies, Representative Orgs Planning to Use New Dietary Guidelines for Americans to Market More Effectively
Updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans now place seafood at the top of an inverted food pyramid and recommend three servings per week, up from two. Pacific Seafood, the Wild Alaska Sole Association, and the National Fisheries Institute are mobilizing to...
Virginia Awards USD 248,000 to Wanchese Fish Company for Catfish Processing
Virginia has awarded a $248,000 grant to Wanchese Fish Company to expand its blue catfish processing capacity in Suffolk. The funding, part of the Governor’s Blue Catfish Processing, Flash Freezing, and Infrastructure Grant Program, aims to increase annual purchases from...
Maine Lobsterman Asks US Supreme Court to Weigh in on GPS Monitoring Rule
Maine regulators mandated minute‑by‑minute GPS devices on every commercial lobster vessel in 2023, enabling 24/7 location tracking even when boats are docked. Five lobstermen, led by Frank Thompson, sued, claiming the rule violates their Fourth Amendment rights and constitutes invasive...
Nissui Rebrands Yumigahama Suisan Salmon Aquaculture Subsidiary as “Nissui Salmon”
Japanese seafood giant Nissui will rename its salmon subsidiary Yumigahama Suisan to Nissui Salmon Co. effective 1 April 2026. The rebrand supports the group’s Good Foods 2030 strategy, specifically the second‑stage Good Foods Recipe 2 focused on supply‑chain resilience. Nissui aims to produce...
Newfoundland Crab Harvester Union Back in on Snow Crab Price Talks as Fishing Season Start Date Nears
The Fish, Food, and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) has resumed negotiations with the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) over the minimum snow‑crab price for the upcoming Newfoundland and Labrador season after a delay caused by waiting for the 2026 total...
Canned Seaweed Drink OoMee Expands Retail Footprint to over 700 Stores Worldwide
OoMee, the canned red seaweed beverage founded by cancer survivor Alissa Miky, has expanded its retail presence to more than 700 stores worldwide. The brand leverages a proprietary ingredient called Seabiotics, offering a 20‑calorie, sugar‑free drink that claims to curb...
Omani Aquaculture Output Rose Nearly 70 Percent in 2025
Oman’s aquaculture sector posted a near‑70% surge in 2025, delivering 9,240 metric tons of farmed fish. The output jump lifted production value 63.7% to OMR 20.3 million. Government‑backed projects, notably a OMR 23.5 million whiteleg shrimp farm, underpin the growth. Officials aim for OMR 351.6 million sector...