The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has added another major Chinese seafood processor to the list of companies banned from exporting products to the U.S. due to forced labor issues, while also closing the door on Argentina's main source of processed red shrimp.

DHS has added Shandong Meijia Group Co., Ltd. (also known as Rizhao Meijia Group) to the list of seafood export bans to the United States under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).

Two of the Shandong Meijia Group's affiliated members – Rizhao Meijia Aquatic Foodstuff Co. and Rizhao Meijia Keyuan Food Co. – are active exporters of Argentine red shrimp to customers in the U.S. and Canada.

Robert Silvers, Chairman of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) under DHS, said the United States is taking concrete steps to eliminate goods produced with forced labor from its supply chains.

Last year, the U.S. imported 31.5 million pounds of Argentine red shrimp, down from 38.2 million pounds in 2020.

According to the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA), 12 million pounds (32%) of Argentine red shrimp imported into the U.S. are processed in China, although still labeled as Argentine. Since January 2023, more than 265 containers of Argentine shrimp have been shipped to the U.S. by Chinese exporters.

Man Convicted of Sea-Fisheries Offences for Exceeding Quota and Under-Recording Catches

Gerald Sharkey, from Clogherhead, County Louth, pleaded guilty at Dundalk Circuit Court on July 2, 2024, to charges related to exceeding the quota and under-recording catches of Nephrops (prawns) in Functional Unit (FU) 16 during a fishing trip in June 2017. The court imposed fines totaling €20,000 for both offenses and ordered the forfeiture of €10,000 from the value of the catch.

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) inspected the fishing vessel Saint Catherine Laboure in May and June 2017, revealing discrepancies in recorded catch volumes. Despite spending a significant amount of time fishing in FU 16, the logbooks showed lower volumes of catches from this area, with larger quantities recorded from outside the area. The court heard that Nephrops from FU 16 are subject to stricter quotas and have a higher monetary value. It was alleged that catches were taken from FU 16 but recorded as being from another fishing area, exceeding the catch limit by approximately 200%. 

TEHRAN (MNA) – A total of 18.5 tons of farmed caviar and 4,600 tons of sturgeon meat were produced in Iran in fiscal 2022-23 (ended March 20), according to an official of the Iran Fisheries Organization.

“The number of caviar farms in the country increased from 16 to 20 from fiscal 2012-13 to fiscal 2021-22 to 195 farms in 22 provinces of Iran in fiscal 2022-23, of which 145-150 have undertaken mass production,” Nasser Karami-Rad was also quoted as saying by ILNA.

The major importers of Iranian caviar are EU countries, as well as China, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Kuwait, UAE, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Lebanon, etc.

MNA/PR

Salmon Evolution ASA ("Salmon Evolution" or the "Company", OSE: SALME) had an all-time high harvest volume and strong price realization in Q2 2024.

Highlights:

• Harvest volume of 1,581 tonnes HOG.
• All-in price realization of NOK 106/kg.
• Continued excellent superior grade share of 96 %.
• Standing biomass of 2,032 tonnes LW end of the quarter.
• Expecting Q3 2024 harvest volumes of ~1,600 tonnes HOG.

“The second quarter represents a major milestone for Salmon Evolution with harvest volumes at all-time high levels in a record strong salmon market. We are very pleased to see a continued excellent superior grade share of 96%, resulting in solid price realization and further demonstrating the potential in our business”, CEO of Salmon Evolution, Trond Håkon Schaug-Pettersen said.

For further details on operational performance in Q2, please refer to the presentation.

The Q2 and first half 2024 report will be published 15 August 2024.

• Finalist in the 'World Sustainability Awards' with the also Spanish Naturgy, DBS Bank, Eastman and Ageas Portugal
• It has been selected for its efforts to promote responsible and sustainable management of fisheries, highlight good industry practices and promote care for the oceans and their resources.

Madrid - The Spanish technology company Satlink, a leading company in the development of technological solutions for sustainable maritime-fishing activity, has been selected as a finalist in the World Sustainability Awards 2024 in the 'Communication' category. Satlink competes for the distinction with companies from a wide variety of sectors internationally, such as the also Spanish Naturgy, DBS Bank, Eastman and Grupo Ageas Portugal.

The awards will be presented in Amsterdam next October and are organized by Sustainability Leaders, the global organization of sustainability managers and the implementation of ESG criteria (Environmental, Social and Governance, in English), to collaborate and facilitate different initiatives in these areas.

The jury has valued Satlink's work in communication for its efforts to promote responsible and sustainable management of fisheries, highlight good industry practices and promote care for the oceans and their resources.

A Eumofa study explores the challenges and opportunities these products face at the point of sale. The sustainability and competitiveness of European aquaculture products is a key challenge for the fishing industry.

Prevalence of imports and domestic consumption

In 2021, 69% of the supply of fishery and aquaculture products in the EU came from imports, while only 11% of consumption came from Member States' aquaculture, reaching a total of 10.60 million tons.

Source: EuropaAzul | Read the full article here

Within the framework of the "WinBlue" project, Anfaco-Cecopesca and the Institute for Sustainable Business Growth (ICSEM) organize, on July 22, the 2nd Workshop “Gender Equality in the Blue Economy”. The objective of the workshop, which will take place at the Anfaco-Cecopesca headquarters in Vigo, is to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in key sectors of the blue economy. Thus, strategies and practices will be addressed to overcome gender inequalities and seek to promote female leadership and entrepreneurship, while sharing knowledge and experiences.

Source: IndustriasPesqueras | Read the full article here

Irish fishing representatives and E.U. advisory councils are seeking to tie Norway’s access to the E.U. market – which buys around 70 percent of Norway’s farmed salmon annually – to negotiations over fishery quotas, arguing that the Norwegian seafood industry should not be able to enjoy such large access to the E.U. while also fishing unsustainably in European waters.

The Irish Fish Producers Organization (IFPO) specifically wants to stop Norway’s practice of setting unilateral quotas for North Atlantic mackerel stocks – a practice IFPO said continues to endanger the stock’s sustainability.

Author: Mark Godfrey / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here

Norway and Canada salmon farmer Grieg Seafood harvested 15,300 gutted weight tonnes in the second quarter of this year, it said in a trading update today.

The volume is 32% smaller than in same period last year, when Grieg harvested 22,645 gwt.

Harvest volumes by region for Q2 2024 were:

Norway:

• Rogaland: 2,800 gwt
• Finnmark: 3,900 gwt

Canada:

• British Columbia: 8,600 gwt
• Newfoundland: 0

Source: FishFarmingExpert | Read the full article here

• Training programme seeks 50 businesses to participate in pilot
• Applicants to pay £75 for £2,500 worth of training and mentoring support
• 19% of long-haul visitors name food and drink as reason for visiting Scotland

Scotland Food & Drink, the leadership organisation for the nation’s food and drink industry, has announced the launch of a pilot training programme designed to enhance bookable tourism experiences for food and drink businesses nationwide.

Source: FishFocus | Read the full article here