The island province of Hainan has marked a milestone in expanding its agricultural exports following the recent shipment of 600 kilograms of frozen seafood, including large yellow croaker, leopard coral grouper, and green grouper, which arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

This logistical success is the result of a key partnership between aviation authorities in Mainland China and Hong Kong. The shipment departed from Haikou Meilan International Airport, efficiently transited through Hong Kong International Airport (operated by Cathay Pacific), and reached major US cities in approximately 20 hours, establishing a reliable international cold chain channel.

The collaboration is based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in September between Hainan Airport Group and the Airport Authority Hong Kong to boost air logistics cooperation. Its goal is for the Hainan Free Trade Port to open new global markets.

To facilitate the operation, the Haikou Meilan Airport Customs implemented 24-hour services, including immediate inspection and release.

Currently, the Meilan airport operates seven international cargo routes connecting to eight destinations, including Paris, Milan, and Johannesburg.

NEW TAIPEI — A major search-and-rescue operation is underway northwest of Taiwan after two Taiwanese fishing vessels capsized between late Wednesday and Thursday. As of Thursday night, nine crew members have been rescued, but four remain missing, with efforts focused on saving two individuals still trapped or entangled.

The first incident was reported Thursday morning by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA). The fishing boat, the Yu Shan No.36, capsized near Cape Fugui late Wednesday night, according to Vice Captain Su Chen-yi of the CGA Fleet Branch.

Of the nine people aboard the Yu Shan No.36, six were saved by nearby vessels and taken to Fuji Fishing Harbor.

Later Thursday, rescuers from Taiwan's National Airborne Service Corps located two of the missing individuals: one was spotted entangled in fishing nets near the stern, and another was holding onto the overturned cabin. Although poor weather prevented helicopter airlifts, CGA rescuers aboard a boat were actively working to secure them. The fate of the fourth missing person remains unknown.

The CGA's Northern Branch continues to lead the combined air and sea search efforts.

Mowi Scotland reports higher margins on improved biology, harvests in line with guidance.

Mowi Scotland reported continued good biological performance in the third quarter, with stable mortality and growth. Harvest volumes rose year on year, in line with guidance, while unit costs declined.

Mowi said harvesting from sites with strong cost performance offset the impact of lower market prices, which reflected higher global supply. Price achievement benefited from improved harvest weights, differentiated products and contracts. 

Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here

India’s seafood export industry is grappling with a major challenge following the recent US tariff hike, prompting urgent calls from industry leaders and policymakers for a rethink to sustain the sector’s growth

The issue dominated discussions at the industry meet held alongside the fourth International Symposium on Marine Ecosystems (MECOS 4) at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

Source: Worldfishing | Read the full article here

A major controversy has broken out in Norway over claims that illegal shipments of damaged and inferior salmon are being sold into Europe.

The scandal has been exposed by the national broadcaster NRK through its NRK Brennpunkt investigation, a Norwegian equivalent of the BBC’s Panorama.

NRK Brennpunkt published a run of documentary revealing that fake labels from several bona fide Norwegian seafood companies have been used on fish exported out of the country.

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

Agreement Removes High Retaliatory Duties, Leaving Only a 10% Levy

In a major step to ease trade tensions, China has significantly adjusted additional tariffs on imported goods, with major benefits for the US agricultural sector, including seafood.

The State Council Tariff Commission announced that effective 13:01 on November 10, 2025, the previous 24% additional tariff rate on many US products will be suspended for one year, leaving a general 10% levy in place.

More critically for the sector, this agreement involves the removal of retaliatory duties (previously up to 15%) on specific US farm goods starting the same date. This measure directly benefits exporters of seafood, soybeans, pork, and beef, fulfilling a consensus reached during recent China-US trade consultations.

The move is expected to stabilize and increase agricultural trade between the two countries.

Batches of Live Fish Depart from Southern China's Border to Explore the Dubai Market

On November 1, a batch of 182 kilograms of live fish, including yellow catfish, snakehead, grass carp, and crucian carp, departed from Mengzhe Town, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, for Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This marks the first time that live fish from Yunnan, known as the "land of fish and rice" in the south, have been exported to the UAE.

"Our live fish were previously mainly exported to Southeast Asia," said Xu Jinguang, head of Xishuangbanna Xuxiansheng Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. "After learning about the market potential in the Middle Eastern countries, we first exported these four types of fish to Dubai. With smooth customs clearance, it only takes about 12 hours to transport them and reach their destination."

Xishuangbanna Customs and Kunming Changshui Airport Customs established a "green channel" and appointment services, adopting a priority inspection and release model to ensure the freshness of the cargo.

So far this year, Xishuangbanna Customs has supervised the export of 333 tons of live fish, valued at approximately $930,000 US$ (6.51 million yuan), assisting local enterprises in expanding into new international markets.

Initial Black Sea Catches Show Bonito Scarcity, But Anchovy and Horse Mackerel Abundance Fuels Optimism

Following the lifting of the ban, Türkiye's fishing season officially opened in Poyrazköy, Istanbul, at the exit of the Bosphorus into the Black Sea. The initial days of fishing have presented a mixed picture for fishermen.

Although early catches have not included sufficient quantities of anchovy (hamsi) or bonito, there are promising signs. In Ordu, fishermen from Fatsa reported catches of whiting, red mullet, and horse mackerel.

Ilhami Demirtürk, Chairman of the Fatsa Fisheries Cooperative, stated in an interview with Daily Sabah newspaper: "For now, the season looks promising. Bonito is currently scarce, but hamsi and horse mackerel are abundant. Hopefully, we will all have a safe and productive season."

Despite high temperatures affecting fish size in Rize, local fish markets have maintained a modest supply. Furthermore, the fishing boom has generated essential food resources and new job opportunities, especially for local workers unloading the catch.

Fishermen across the country remain hopeful that yields will improve as the season progresses.

Leading Russian companies are showing significant interest in applying genetic technologies to boost domestic aquaculture. The industry's continued growth hinges on developing native production of high-quality seed material to raise in-demand fish species.

This pressing need was the focus of the roundtable, "Smart Breeding: How Genetics is Transforming Russian Aquaculture," held at the International Fisheries Forum.

Nikolai Müge, PhD in Biology and Head of the Molecular Genetics Department at the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), highlighted the potential. "Thanks to the unique biological properties of fish, genetic technologies unavailable for other farm animals have great potential for application in aquaculture. These methods don't replace selection, but rather accelerate it and increase its efficiency."

The Center for Genomic Selection at VNIRO is actively working to identify individuals with superior traits by analyzing the genotypes of aquaculture species. Developments are most promising in studying carp and trout. Scientists use high-throughput genotyping or whole genome sequencing to identify offspring with the best combinations of traits that influence consumer characteristics, such as body weight and head size.

The goal is to implement these scientific solutions to produce fish with improved consumer properties, marking a strategic step toward securing Russia's aquaculture future.

Salmon farmer reports good biology, but weak financial results in year of low prices

Salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) has increased its 2025 harvest volume guidance by 1,500 gutted weight tonnes to 33,500 gwt due to good biological development, co-owner SalMar said in its Q3 2025 report today.

SSF has reported good harvest weights in the period, although revenue, operating profit, and harvest volume in Q3 were all lower than in the same period last year, when prices were higher.

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