ANALYSIS: Snow Crab at Retail Heats Up

The Canadian snow crab market in the U.S. has seen 2023 product out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. And as of this writing with data from May 24, just under 85 percent of the quota has been caught. Pricing has been very steady for the past five weeks since the open of the Gulf on 5-8s. Gulf 8 and 10-ups have seen upward pricing pressure and quotations adjusted higher May 23.

Out of Newfoundland, the stalemate has ended, and fishing has begun...

Norwegian Salmon Tax Reduced From 35% to 25%

A new agreement has lowered the resource rent tax on aquaculture in Norway to 25%. The tax rate was initially proposed at 40% before being lowered to 35% earlier this year. 

“After a long process, we are now ensuring that the Storting [parliament] adopts the principle of ground rent in aquaculture,” Geir Pollestaf of the Centre Party said in a press release. “The parties to the agreement also secure a majority for a tax rate of 25% and an increase in the discount on the property tax value for farming concessions...

CDFW Announces $20.4 Million in Grant Funding to Protect Salmon Habitat, Other Wildlife

California salmon will benefit from millions of dollars in a third round of funding designed to benefit the state's fish and wildlife.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday that $20.4 million has been awarded for 15 projects to improve salmon habitat and support climate resiliency, wildlife corridors and wetlands restoration. The funding was made available last year under Drought, Climate and Nature-Based Solutions Initiatives, bringing the total grant funding awarded to nearly $80 million ...

Snow Crab Landings Update For NL, Gulf and Maritimes Region As Of May 26

With the June 30 closure about a month away, Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab harvesters are continuing to chip away at their quota after being stuck on land for six weeks. 

Last Friday the tie-up came to an end with an agreement reached between FFAW and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP). Both parties agreed on a minimum price of $2.20 per pound for the season, with incremental increases as Urner Barry’s market price increases...

JAPAN: April Salmon Sales at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets

Sales of salmon and trout at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Markets in April showed a slight slowdown in frozen and salted salmon amid continued high prices overall, while fresh salmon sales finally turned positive. The Suisan Keizai Shimbun reported that although imports of fresh salmon continued to be sluggish, farmed coho from Miyagi Prefecture showed some consistency from an early stage.

The total sales volume was 482 tons, which finally started to pick up after a period of sluggishness due to a decline in imports triggered by soaring international prices...

Further Closures of Salmon Farms in BC Will Work Against Innovation and a Successful Transition 

Campbell River, BC – The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) has grave concerns that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the Honourable Joyce Murray, is committed to closing salmon farming in BC, a sector that provides thousands of direct and indirect jobs in coastal, rural British Columbia.

The BCSFA learned this week that Minister Murray’s proposing the further removal of salmon farms in BC after recently closing 40 per cent of existing farms since 2020. Any further reduction in salmon production could signal....

Vietnam Suffers Contraction in Basa Exports to China Which Tends to Buy More Fish in First Quarter

Fish is among the most popular items on China’s import list. During this first quarter, for instance, the import volume of frozen fish has increased by 15% to 0.5 million tons compared with the same period last year, which make up nearly 50% of the country’s edible seafood imports. The value has gone up by 21.1% to 7.57 billion yuan, which constitutes around 25%, as statistics from an article released by FCCfood on baidu.com show...

VIMS to Expand Restoration of Seagrass, Bay Scallops on Eastern Shore

A team led by researchers at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science will use a $2.25 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to expand their already successful efforts to restore seagrass and scallops to the seaside bays of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

During the four-year project, led by Christopher Patrick and Richard Snyder of VIMS, scientists from the institute and its Eastern Shore Lab will join with staff and volunteers from The Nature Conservancy to plant at least...

VIDEO: Watch Us DRINK! Tamworth Distilling's Crab Trapper Whiskey

"Watch Us Eat!" hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione welcome Urner Barry's Jim Kenny for a special "Watch Us DRINK!" episode. Tamworth Distilling in New Hampshire teamed up with the University of New Hampshire to put the state's invasive green crab population to good use in a special — and deliciously smooth — Crab Trapper Whiskey.

As an invasive species, European green crab can wreak havoc — both ecologically and economically. And according to the University of New Hampshire, there is "no strategy in place to control the populations of green crabs...

Tribes Gain Additional Co-Management Status for Salmon, Wildlife in Western States

Federally recognized Indian tribes have had varying degrees of fisheries management access in Washington, Oregon and California, but recent actions have acknowledged tribal help and successes, particularly as they relate to salmon.

Salmon has held special cultural significance for tribes from the West Coast and Alaska. Several years of slim returns have prompted state and tribal managers to propose new ways to manage hatcheries and stocks.

For example, last year, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted a Coquille Tribe ...

NOAA Fisheries Updates “Significant” Activity on WFC vs Quan Impact Against Alaska Trollers

Earlier this week, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) filed a response to the May 2, 2023 court ruling on Wild Fish Conservancy v. Quan, ordering NMFS to correct portions of a 2019 NOAA Fisheries Biological Opinion that analyzed two actions related to salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska and a third action on a conservation program for habitat improvement and hatchery production to be implemented in the Pacific Northwest. The court ruling found for the plaintiff regarding portions of the BiOp, essentially shutting down the Southeast Alaska ...

SeafoodNews Closed on Monday, May 29

SeafoodNews will not be publishing on Monday, May 29, 2023 in observance of Memorial Day. We will return to our normal publishing schedule on Tuesday, May 30.

In the meantime, catch up on our recent major news stories by checking our Featured Stories page. 

You can also watch all the latest SeafoodNews Weekly Videos here or listen to the latest SeafoodNews Podcast episodes here. And for more fun content follow @Watchuseat_seafood on Instagram!

Consumers Turning to Foodservice, Restaurant Deals in Early 2023

Consumers eating away from home were eyeing the best deal during the first quarter of 2023, reported Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group.

Unsurprisingly, consumers are looking to save a few bucks when they can amid inflationary pressures and higher food prices. During the first quarter of the year, customer visits to restaurants and foodservice outlets that took advantage of a deal rose by 8%, Circana analysis found.

The increase in visits of consumers looking to save some cash helped total commercial foodservice visits rise by...

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas Debuting New Dining Lineup in Major Shakeup

When 2024 rolls around, Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas will roll out over 20 new ways to dine aboard the ship from elevated experiences to quick bits and venues for families.

The cruise line highlighted its new upscale Empire Supper Club, an eight-course experience, AquaDome Market – Royal Caribbean's first food hall – and Izumi in the Park, an all-day window with fresh sushi and more.

"The experiences had over great food are at the heart of so many...

Thai Union Debuts Store in Portugal Factory with Own Product Line ‘Peniche Can Surf’

Thai Union’s factory in Portugal, European Seafood Investment Portugal (ESIP) has inaugurated its new factory store, selling ESIP’s own brand ‘Peniche Can by Thai Union’ along with other ESIP products that are exported to three continents.

The Peniche Can Store, was inaugurated by ESIP’s team and dignitaries from the local community and from Thailand. The store extends the facility and shows off the new brand of ‘Peniche Can Surf’ a group of tuna salads highlighting the local surfing community in Portugal...

Flashfood Releases First Impact Report: The State of Food Waste

Flashfood debuted its first annual Impact Report: The State of Food Waste at the ReFED 2023 Food Waste Solutions Summit.

Flashfood’s new report assesses the role of food waste in the current climate crisis and how reducing retail food waste could help the climate along with easing food insecurity.

Consumer perception is also a key focus in the report. It not only looks at the impact of food waste of the climate, but the “consumer appetite for Flashfood...

Alaska Troopers Crack Down on Vessels in Bristol Bay; US Army Stations Blackhawk in Nome

It’s the beginning of a new fishing season and law and order agencies are already addressing violations and adding assets to better serve the fleets in Alaska.  

Earlier this week, KDLG public radio in Dillingham reported that Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT) have launched an investigation into violations of the 32’ boat-length regulation in the Bristol Bay salmon fleet. Investigations of other fishing violations have resulted in charges in Kodiak and Petersburg in recent weeks. The state’s law and order department is also preparing for ...