A notable shift is underway in the global cod trade as Russia, a major fishing nation, increasingly looks to partner with China to develop its burgeoning domestic market for the whitefish.

BEIJING – For nearly two decades, China has served as a central processing hub for approximately 40% of the world's cod, despite a recent decline in volume. While cod has traditionally been a staple in European and American diets, its consumption patterns are undergoing a profound transformation. With the entry of Western retail giants into major Chinese cities, frozen cod fillets are becoming more accessible and are finding a niche among Chinese consumers, particularly for baby food and in response to fast-paced urban lifestyles.

Recognizing this potential, some Russian seafood companies are now forging alliances with Chinese counterparts specifically to cultivate China's high-end cod market. Simultaneously, Chinese seafood processors, facing their own export challenges, are beginning to test domestic sales of cod products.

This pivot by Russia reflects a dual strategy: enhance its own processing capabilities while actively seeking to leverage China's emerging consumer base. With the global cod catch stabilizing around 7.5 million tonnes, the rise in Chinese demand could significantly impact the long-standing "cod safety" of traditional European and American markets.

In December 2017, at a World Trade Organization (WTO) summit held in Argentina, the Chinese government pledged to limit the number of fishing vessels in its long-distance fishing fleet to 3,000 by 2020. It asserted at the time that, in doing so, it would return to the same level of deep-sea capacity as in 2016. The problem is twofold. First, and above all, there are estimates that raise the actual number of this fleet afloat to 19,966 vessels, as stated in a report (A9-0282/2023) by the European Parliament; And second, the expansion of China's fishing industry to various African and Oceanian countries is leading to the creation of subsidiaries and the use of flags of convenience—such as Cameroon and Vanuatu—

Icelandic salmon farmer Kaldvik has just agreed a deal to refinance the company through a new debt package. The financing arrangement, with its existing lenders, is worth some €230m (£193m).

The company said that in connection with the financing, it is a condition for the new deal that the company raises a net cash amount of €45m (£37.8m) in new equity. This is currently underway, with support from the company’s majority shareholder, Austur Holding AS.

Kaldvik operates two farming facilities in Iceland—one on the south coast and another on the north coast.

Meanwhile, the company has released a first quarter financial update which shows that revenues increased significantly from the same quarter last year, reaching €48.3m (£40.5)m. A year ago revenues were €31.1m (£26m).

Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer l Read the full article here

A new training programme designed to help tackle the challenges of harmful algal blooms (HABs) through standardised operating procedures has just launched.

Delivered by Lantra – the training and skills body for the land-based and environmental sectors – the online course is now open to anyone working in the aquaculture sector.

The bespoke training programme will help producers mitigate the challenges associated with HABs, which are caused by rising water temperatures, among other factors, and can lead to significant health and welfare issues for farmed fish

Source: Fish Focus l Read the full article here

Finnish innovator Enifer has teamed up with a Brazilian company to ferment mycoprotein from corn ethanol side streams. A pilot plant will produce 500 tonnes a year, and an industrial scale facility could make 10,000 tonnes.

Finnish biotech company Enifer has announced that its proprietary Pekilo fermentation technology will be deployed for the first time in Latin America in collaboration with FS, one of Brazil’s leading producers of ethanol.

Enifer said the project represents a significant step in the internationalisation of its Pekilo Pet and Pekilo Aqua production and opens up the prospect of a major new protein source for Chile’s salmon farmers and Ecuador’s prawn producers, as well as pet food manufacturers.

Author: Gareth Moore / fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here

The resource will provide opportunities to communicate the nutritional benefits of seafood around the globe

Reston, VA – The International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA) launched its Seafood Nutrition Toolkit, providing resources for its members to communicate the nutritional benefits of seafood around the globe.

ICFA, a coalition of the national fish and seafood industry associations from the world’s major fishing nations, worked together with its counterpart, the Global Seafood Communicators (GSC), a group dedicated to advancing effective communication within the seafood sector, to construct a resource that assists ICFA and its members in communicating unified messaging on seafood’s health benefits to a wealth of audiences.

“The toolkit aims to bring the global seafood community together and use unified messaging to combat misinformation and promote seafood’s health benefits” GSC Chair Fiona MacMillan said. “The materials on ICFA’s website are available to those who want to join our efforts to promote the consumption of such a healthy protein.”

The materials and their messaging was derived from a scientific review, “

The Proton Group announced that its core company, Ryoho Freeze Systems (Nara City), in collaboration with freezing technology specialist Shinsen Network (Chuo Ward, Tokyo), will host "PROTON EXPO 2025" from June 10th to 13th at Vision Center Shinbashi.

Tokyo – The exhibition will showcase advanced freezing, thawing, and preservation technologies, alongside comprehensive logistics solutions and frozen food commercialization support.

Attendees can explore over 170 types of food developed with producers nationwide using Proton's freezing technology, displayed across 31 showcases. Tastings will be available, limited to 1,100 meals daily. The event will also feature freezing and thawing machinery, storage facilities, a business negotiation area, and partner company displays.

The Proton Group aims to enhance efficiency and quality across the food supply chain, offering end-to-end services from recipe design to logistics, including OEM support for department stores and restaurants.

GUATEMALA CITY – Guatemalan shrimp, both wild-caught and from aquaculture, will now be able to enter the United States market, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food (MAGA) announced.

This crucial opening comes after an official certification from the U.S. Department of State, which endorses Guatemala's compliance with international standards for responsible fishing.

The certification highlights that the country has implemented effective measures to minimize the impact of shrimp fishing on sea turtles, a key concern in global commercial fishing. This achievement is the result of a rigorous evaluation of the national responsible fishing program, coordinated by MAGA, Visar (Vice Ministry of Agricultural Health and Regulations), and the Directorate of Normativity, Fisheries, and Aquaculture.

The news opens new and significant export opportunities for Guatemala, solidifying its position in the international seafood trade and underscoring the value of regulation in fishing activity for sustainability and access to demanding markets.

Producers Celebrate Senate Committee's Unanimous Agreement to Curb Illegal Imports

SINALOA – Aquaculture producers in Sinaloa are urgently calling on the Federal Government to halt the smuggling of Ecuadorian shrimp, which they claim is entering Mexico via Central America, creating unfair competition and severely jeopardizing the local industry.

Carlos Urias Espinoza

Carlos Urías Espinoza, president of the Confederation of Aquaculture Organizations of the State of Sinaloa (Coades), stressed the "urgent" need to stop the influx of illegal shrimp, resulting from both smuggling and triangulated imports that directly depress local product prices. He applauded the Senate's Fisheries Commission for reaching a unanimous agreement to increase customs surveillance and combat this practice.

Raúl Leyva Retes, Coades Vice President, added that international treaties shouldn't be set in stone and senators should review them, as Ecuador is reportedly exploiting Central American countries as a bridge to send shrimp to Mexico. Farmers also lamented the federal government's perceived failure to grasp aquaculture's strategic economic potential for the country, leading to insufficient investment in necessary infrastructure to boost competitiveness.