Indonesia is accelerating efforts to expand its share in the global seafood market, positioning the sector as a key driver of economic growth amid rising international demand. Leveraging its vast marine resources, the country is intensifying export strategies and strengthening trade partnerships.

According to Antara, a total of 57 Indonesian companies have secured export licenses to China and Türkiye. The latter is emerging as a promising destination, especially as it prepares to implement the TROIS quality control system, requiring importer registration. Exports to Türkiye are projected to reach 2,600 tons by 2025, focusing on tuna, sardines, and processed seaweed.

Meanwhile, China remains Indonesia’s largest seafood market, with exports expected to surpass 491,500 tons, valued at approximately $1.04 billion by 2025. Indonesian exporters now offer over 1,000 product varieties, ranging from frozen squid to seaweed-based goods.

Despite strong growth, Indonesia faces increasing competition due to shifting global supply chains and geopolitical pressures. To sustain momentum, the country is prioritizing policy reforms, reducing trade barriers, and improving quality standards to maintain its competitive edge in the long term. 

A recent study published in Food Research International highlights how ambient temperature in aquaculture regions significantly impacts the quality of surimi made from silver carp.

Researchers found that fish raised in warm regions such as Zhanjiang and Nanning exhibit higher myosin thermal stability than those from colder areas like Wuhan and Jinzhou. This directly affects optimal grinding time, a critical step for protein denaturation and gel formation. Surimi from cold regions reaches peak quality within 6–9 minutes, while raw material from warm regions requires 12–15 minutes.

However, the study warns that excessive grinding can damage protein structure, causing aggregation, a shift from α-helix to β-sheet, and weaker gel networks. Hydrophobic interactions were identified as the primary force behind gel formation.

Significant regional differences were also observed in protein composition: Nanning samples showed the highest total protein content, while Zhanjiang samples led in salt-soluble proteins, essential for gel strength.

The researchers recommend that processors adjust grinding times based on raw material origin, rather than using fixed methods, to improve gel strength, water retention, and overall production efficiency.

Vietnamese tilapia exports to the US are poised for strong growth in 2025, creating both major opportunities and notable challenges.

The United States remains the largest buyer of Vietnam’s tilapia fillets, with export turnover reaching $40 million, a remarkable 499% increase compared to 2024. This surge reflects robust demand, partly driven by supply constraints in competing countries like China, where tariffs and rising production costs have limited output.

The upward trend extended into early 2026. In February 2026, exports totaled $852,000, accounting for 10% of total tilapia export value. Over the first two months, shipments reached approximately $4 million, marking a 31% year-on-year increase.

Despite slight signs of slowing in February, analysts attribute this to seasonal factors. Importers had already boosted inventories in Q4 2025 to meet year-end demand, temporarily reducing new orders. Overall, the outlook for Vietnamese tilapia in the US market remains highly promising.

The appointment of Rivetla Édipo Araújo Cruz, a fisheries engineer trained at UFRA (Federal Rural University of the Amazon), to lead the MPA has been welcomed by Brazil’s fish farming sector. Araújo represents a generation that helped shift the North region’s fishing activity from predatory extraction to a more sustainable and structured production chain.

The industry association Peixe BR expressed optimism, highlighting the new minister’s technical background as key to aligning policies with producers’ needs. However, significant challenges remain, particularly in regulation.

Among urgent priorities, Peixe BR points to the need for a legal opinion on Conabio’s authority to define invasive exotic species without regulatory impact analysis. It also stresses coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) to complete the Import Risk Analysis (ARI) for tilapia from Vietnam, and proposes a three-year extension of mandatory aquaculture licensing.

The association says it will work closely with the ministry to promote growth while ensuring sustainability.

Norwegian regulators have rejected nine applications for new aquaculture facilities or expanded production in the Hardangerfjord, citing environmental pressure in the fjord system.

The decisions were made by the County Governor of Vestland, who said the fjord has reached its environmental carrying capacity and cannot accommodate additional nutrient discharges from fish farming, according to NRK.

The rejected applications include proposals from Eide Fjordbruk, Mowi, Alsaker Fjordbruk and Lingalaks. Several of the projects involved semi-closed or closed farming technologies designed to reduce environmental impacts.

Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here

Production up in the Faroes and level in Scotland

Salmon farmer Bakkafrost harvested 31,300 gutted weight tonnes in the first quarter of this year, it announced in a trading update today. That's an increase of 24%.

Bakkafrost harvested 25,100 gwt in the Faroes, up from 19,000 gwt in the same period last year. Bakkafrost Scotland harvested 6,200 gwt in Scotland, the same as in Q1 2025.

The average harvest weight was 5.8 kilos in the Faroes, and 6.4 kilos in Scotland.

Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK — The island of Sakhalin has exported over 17,200 tons of fish products to countries in the Asia-Pacific region between January and March 2026, according to the press office of Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance.

Data collected up to March 27, 2026, shows that specialists conducted more than 4,900 laboratory tests on 234 batches of exported seafood. The inspections were carried out by the Sakhalin branch of the National Agro-Industrial Complex Fisheries and Agricultural Product Security Center.

The shipments included 43 batches of cod, 27 batches of broad cod, 25 batches of rockfish, and 22 batches of flounder, among other products.

Authorities confirmed that all tested exports met safety and quality standards required by key importers, including China, South Korea, and Japan, reinforcing Sakhalin’s role as a reliable seafood supplier in the region.

MIAMI (AP) — A vessel linked to anti-whaling activist Paul Watson collided with a krill trawler in Antarctica, escalating tensions over fishing in the Southern Ocean.

Photo: Aker Qrill Company via AP

Footage released by Aker QRILL Company shows the M/V Bandero, operated by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, striking the stern of the Norwegian-flagged Antarctic Sea on Tuesday. The company called it a “deliberate attack”, warning it came within centimeters of a diesel tank, risking environmental disaster.

Krill, a tiny crustacean vital to whales, seals, and seabirds, is increasingly targeted for supplements and fishmeal, fueling conflict in the fragile region.

Aker said its multinational crew was unharmed but shaken and vowed legal action. CEO Webjørn Barstad stated: “Only luck avoided potential environmental damage.”

The foundation did not respond to AP but described its actions as “aggressive nonviolence.” Led by Lamya Essemlali, activists claimed a five-hour intervention disrupted krill fishing and deployed net-shredding devices.

The champagne corks will not be popping open among Norway’s salmon farmers this Easter.

Fresh salmon prices failed to stage a late holiday rally, and in fact dropped for the second week in succession.

According to the monitoring organisation Statistics Norway prices fell by 4.1% to NOK 90.55 per kilo (£7.04) between 23  and 29 March (week 13).

Salmon farmers had been hoping that the approaching Easter holiday would lift prices, but reverberations from the Middle East war continue to create havoc in the seafood market.

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