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...

Sainsbury's to Sell 100% MSC Certified Canned Tuna Across Private Label

UK retailer Sainsbury’s will become the country's only ‘big four’ retailer to sell 100% Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified, pole and line caught tuna across its own label per a May 23 announcement.

Alongside the MSC news, Sainsbury’s branded canned tuna will be reduced in price.

For the first time, Sainsbury’s tuna will be included in Aldi Price Match as the retailer invests more to lower the price of canned tuna for customers. From today customers can be assured they are getting the...

Mintec Releases 67-page ‘The State of Tuna Industry’ Report

The State of the Tuna Industry Canned tuna is a popular consumption staple across both mature and developing markets. According to the EU Observatory, the industry was valued at around USD 9 billion in 2022, almost doubling during the previous decade, and is expected to grow by 40-50% by 2030. Uncertainties surrounding recent global events – the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis – have accentuated the demand for this product, as an affordable, easily stored food.

JAPAN: 982 Imported Fresh Tuna Delivered to Toyosu Market in March, up 7.6% from Last Year

According to figures compiled by Jiji Press, the number of imports at the fresh tuna section of Toyosu Market in March was 982, up 7.6% from the same month last year. The Minato Shimbun reported that while wild southern bluefin and bigeye tuna increased, bluefin tuna decreased.

The total number of bluefin tuna was 293 (548 in the same month of the previous year), down 46.5%. The number of purse seine-caught fish from South Korea via Fukuoka Port, which was plentiful...

Western Pelagic Longline Fishery Interactions Pose No Risk of Extinction to ESA-listed Species

Four years and final conclusions: Pelagic longline fisheries won't threaten Endangered Species Act species listed as bycatch.

That's according to two recent draft biological opinions, or BiOps, for Hawai‘i deep-set longline and American Samoa longline fisheries, and scientists from the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee who reviewed them.

Additionally, the BiOps recommend two...

Over 30 Tuna Vessels from Papa New Guinea Land FISH Standard for Crew Certification

FISH Standard for Crew announced that 33 Fishing Industry Association Papa New Guinea (FIA PNG) tuna purse seiners have landed FISH certification.

The certification was issued by SGS and followed an “extensive policy and procedure review, on-site vessel inspections, and face-to-face interviews of staff, captains, and crew members.”

According to FISH Standard for Crew, the Philippine and Papua New Guinea flagged vessels are owned by FIA PNG member companies.

“We are proud to be the first to attain FISH certification in our region... 

Plant-Based Start-up Vgarden Debuts Canned Tuna Alternative

Vgarden, a foodtech developer and manufacturer of plant protein products debuted its canned tuna alternative to kickoff the New Year.

"Tinned tuna has a very distinct flaky, yet moist and chewy texture, with a powerful fresh-from-the sea aroma," explains Ilan Adut, CEO of Vgarden. "Our new tuna-like product is clean-label, scalable, affordable, and sustainable. But for our plant-based creation to serve as a true substitute, even beyond compellingly mimicking all of the sensory qualities, it also has to match tuna as much as possible in nutritional...

Pescavore Awarded $20,000 Grant at Emerging Brands Summit

The Emerging Brands Alliance announced this week that they have awarded grants to three new brands to help scale their manufacturing. One of those brands is Pescavore, a “category disruptor of MSC Certified Sustainable, single-serve, shelf-stable, whole cut, smoked ahi tuna strips.”

Emerging Brands Alliance provides year-round education, resources and growth opportunities to brands that are looking to scale their operations. They launched a grant program to help CPG companies scale their operations through investment in manufacturing and packaging. The grants were awarded recently...

PNA Members Adopt Management Measures for Skipjack Tuna Stocks

Members of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) have adopted measures for skipjack tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO).

The measures were described as a “significant component of the harvest strategy and tropical tuna measure that will be progressed in the coming years” by tuna company Pacifical.

The new deals, adopted at the latest Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), will apply to the catch of purse seine and pole and line fisheries and other commercial fisheries on skipjack in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs)...

JAPAN: October Sales of Fresh Tuna Imported from North America Up 40% to 608 at Toyosu Market

Jiji Press counted 805 imported fresh tuna on the fresh tuna auction floor at the Toyosu Market in October, an increase of 62% compared to the same month last year. In addition to bluefin tuna, there was an increase in southern bluefin tuna and bigeye tuna, Suisan Keizai reported.

The total number of bluefin tuna was 687, up 43% from October last year. Canadian fish was 400 (306 in the same month of the previous year), an increase of about 31%...

Supreme Court Shoots Down StarKist Appeal Linked to Class-Action Tuna Price-Fixing Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case brought forward by tuna canner StarKist as it hoped to avoid a class-action lawsuit involving buyers of canned tuna impacted by the price-fixing scheme.

SeafoodNews first covered StarKists’ push to have the case heard by the Supreme Court in August, when it filed a certiorari petition to the court as it aimed to decertify class certifications approved by an appellate court back in April.

StarKist's Scott Meece, SVP General Counsel released the following...

MSC-Certified Tuna Catch Rises; Group Seeing Momentum for More Sustainable Tuna Sales

The Marine Stewardship Council published fresh data which showed growth in the catch of certified sustainable tuna and the number of products that carry the blue label.

According to the data, MSC-certified fisheries are responsible for catching over 2 million metric tones of tuna annually. That accounts for just under half (47%) of the global commercial tuna harvest.

“As a result, the number of brands selling tuna with the MSC label now exceeds 430, up from 126 in 2015 as companies make good on...

Western Pacific Council Rebukes Proposal to Expand Marine National Monument

"Conceptually challenged and factually shallow."

"Death by a thousand cuts."

Those are just two of the comments from Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council advisory bodies regarding the proposed expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, which includes several islands, atolls and reefs. Others said the proposal "lacked engagement with the territories, specifically American Samoa."

The Council considered the proposed expansion, which would extend boundaries around some of the remote areas to 200 nautical miles, at its recent meeting and heard from advisory bodies, the proponents ...

Former Bumble Bee Exec Thrown Back Into Canned Tuna Price-Fixing Litigation

Christopher Lischewski, the former CEO of Bumble Bee Foods has been placed back into the fold of a civil suit related to the price-fixing scheme involving top tuna companies in the U.S.

On August 8, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw for the Southern District Court of California granted a motion from the plaintiffs on the case, Associated Wholesale Grocers, its motion to reconsider the case, finding that Lischewski was involved in the price-fixing conspiracy.

“In this case, there is no...

Nichirei Invests In An Insect Food Company TAKEO, Kyokuyo Invested In Microalgae Culture Company

Nichirei announced on July 28 that it had invested in TAKEO based in Tokyo, an insect food startup company, on July 15, according to Minato Shimbun.

Founded in October 2014, TAKEO is said to be a pioneer in the domestic insect food market. Combining the company's know-how with the processing technology that Nichirei has cultivated over many years, they aim to develop insect food and provide services.

Nichirei states that eating insects is "one of the important themes to consider for our company...

PODCAST: A Dive Into Mintec's "State of the Tuna Industry" Report With Analyst Ibi Idoniboye

SeafoodNews Podcast hosts Amanda Buckle and Lorin Castiglione welcome Ibi Idoniboye, Senior Seafood Pricing Analyst at Mintec, to the show. Ibi joins the podcast to talk about Mintec's latest "State of the Tuna Industry" report, a 68-page deep dive you'll want to download immediately. 

This episode of the SeafoodNews Podcast is brought to you by “Watch Us Eat.” Watch Us Eat is a fun and educational YouTube series. The brand aims to increase seafood consumption and promote...

Urner Barry Adds New Items to Seafood Price Report

Move to provide market transparency for products seeing rapid growth in popularity and menu adoption.

Urner Barry, the leading provider of protein market news and information in the food industry, is pleased to announce some exciting new additions to its Seafood coverage. Starting this week, subscribers will have exclusive access to new price series for Arctic Char, Saku and Poke cubes, European Sea Bass (commonly referred to as Bronzino), and Russian pollock.

This latest addition from Urner Barry expands market transparency in the seafood trade, providing stakeholders with accurate and unbiased pricing intelligence.

“The seafood industry is diverse and the offerings at both restaurants and retail are changing,” says Janice Schreiber, Editor of the Seafood Price Current report. “At Urner Barry, we aim to provide the most comprehensive market assessments...

Natural Grocers Expands Their Line of Canned Seafood

Natural Grocers is expanding their brand products line of canned seafood. The family-operated organic and natural grocery retailer announced this week that they’ve added five new varieties to their offerings, from sardines to tuna and even salmon.

“We’re proud to offer our customers these affordable, premium-quality products that meet our rigorous Fish and Seafood Standards,” said Raquel Isely, Vice President of Marketing for Natural Grocers. “In addition to prioritizing wild-caught and sustainably harvested fish and seafood, our vendor partners with small-scale fisheries, using practices that protect juvenile fish...

REPORTER: How A Hobby Turned Into A New Business Venture

This article was originally featured in the Spring 2023 Edition of Urner Barry’s Reporter magazine. Want a FREE subscription? Click HERE.

Who doesn’t love to snack? Chips, cookies, mixed nuts... Fill up the cart, right? The seafood industry has longed for years to enter the snack aisle. And one New Jersey-based veteran is taking a swing at it in the form of product called East Coast Tuna Candy.

David Iacono is a licensed master plumber by trade, but seafood runs in his blood. He grew up in the fishing...

Thai Union, The Nature Conservancy Release First Report on Tuna Supply Chain Transparency

A partnership for a more responsible seafood industry has resulted in a report marking milestones for transparency in fishing and production.

Thai Union Group PLC and global conservation organization The Nature Conservancy have released the inaugural progress report on their partnership on a pioneering commitment to improve on the water transparency in global tuna supply chains.

Since March 2021, Thai Union and TNC have been working together on a ground-breaking commitment, leading the way for a more responsible industry, the organizations ...

Watch Us Eat Tuna Candy

Tuna? Yum. Candy? Sounds great. Tuna Candy? Sign us up!

On this episode of "Watch Us Eat!" SeafoodNews Managing Editor Amanda Buckle and Urner Barry Seafood Market Reporter Lorin Castiglione try out Tuna Candy, a twist on tuna jerky.

East Coast Tuna Candy is veteran owned and operated in Southampton, New Jersey. The product is made from premium hand caught and sustainable yellowfin tuna which is then marinated and cured in a sweet, sesame brine, which is then "dehydrated to perfection."

Check them out at buytunacandy.com.

Anova Receives Award for Corporate Excellence in Responsible Business Operations

Anova Technical Services, the production arm of Anova Food, is ending the year on a high note. The company announced that the U.S. Secretary of State has given them the “Award for Corporate Excellence in Responsible Business Operations” for their work with small-scale tuna fisheries in Indonesia.

Anova Food is the largest supplier of sashimi grade ahi in the U.S. They’ve operated in Indonesia for over two decades, working with PT Seafood Inspection laboratory and the Masyarakat dan Perikanan Indonesia (MDPI) foundation to...

MSC Congratulates WCPFC for New Measures to Protect Key Tuna Stocks

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) was pleased with delegates of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), calling new measures to protect skipjack tuna a “significant breakthrough.”

The MSC explained that last week, government representatives from the 26 member states of the WCPFC met for the first time in person in Vietnam, after failing for years to agree on harvest strategies. Those strategies is something the MSC called “vital” when looking at the long-term health of tuna stocks and potential MSC certification...

Thai Union’s SEALECT TUNA Celebrating 30 Years, Highlights Pathway to Future Growth

Thai Union’s SEALECT TUNA brand celebrated its 30^th year in operation and the top tuna brand in Thailand shared what has been behind its success and its plans for the future.

SEALECT explained that its campaign, “Healthy Living, Healthy Oceans” has guided the company as it works to increase canned tuna consumption domestically.

Saran Rattanarungruengchai, General Manager - Emerging Markets at Thai Union, said on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of SEALECT TUNA, “We give thanks to all customers and value your patronage, and appreciate your confidence in...

Japan’s Imported Tuna in September Tripled to 1697 Fish, Including 319 Bluefins from Boston

According to Jiji Press, the number of imported tuna brought into the auction floor of Toyosu Market in September was 1,697 (570 in the same month last year), which is about three times higher than in the same month last year. In 2021, the US market, where consumption recovered quickly even under the influence of the new coronavirus, was more attractive and challenging to import into Japan. Still, this year, bluefin and southern bluefin tuna imports increased, reported Suisan Keizai...

StarKist Unveils Convenient Smart Bowls Product Inspired by Popularity of Grain Bowls

StarKist launched its latest innovation, the StarKist Smart Bowls which feature seasoned grains, hearty vegetables with wild-caught tuna all in one pouch.

The new Smart Bowls come in four flavor varieties, including Latin Citrus, Spicy Pepper, Tomato Basil and Zesty Lemon.

"Smart Bowls™ introduction was inspired by the popularity of grain bowls- today's health-conscious consumers are looking for more convenient options that include lean proteins, vegetables, and grains," said Tom Aslin, Vice President of Marketing & Innovation at StarKist...

Current Foods Brings Plant-Based Sushi-Grade Tuna to Plant Based World Expo

Plant Based World Expo is currently underway at the Javits Center in New York City. And this year Current Foods brought their marinated plant-based, sushi-grade tuna for attendees to sample.

“We all know that plant-based foods are a win-win for both food sustainability and our physical well-being,” said Jacek Prus, CEO and co-founder of Current Foods. “Yet not all plant based foods are equal. It’s crucial that what we are eating is not only pleasing to the palate but is also...

Canned Tuna Price-Fixing Lawsuit Heads to Supreme Court With StarKist Petition

Starkist, one of the major seafood companies involved in a lengthy canned tuna price-fixing lawsuit, has filed a certiorari petition to the U.S. Supreme Court as the firm aims to decertify class certifications approved by an appellate court back in April.

Earlier this year, an appeals court ruled 9-2 that the judge correctly approved the class action, finding that the companies have overcharged all its customers.

“There is no factual dispute that the tuna suppliers engaged in a price-fixing scheme affecting the entire...