IN BRIEF - Alaska trawlers say chum cap 'will shut down the pollock fleet entirely'
UNITED STATES
Monday, March 27, 2023
Trawlers divert bycatch reduction discussions to 'genetic origins' of salmon. Do those going without care where the fish originate?
Seattle-based trawlers claim they are partners in Alaska’s fisheries. But they are unwilling to make any sacrifices to protect Alaska’s fishery resources. They are threatening a lawsuit against a new plan that imposes a floating cap to reduce Bering Sea halibut bycatch based on the abundance of the stock…they opposed a six month emergency moratorium on trawling in the Bristol Bay red king crab savings zone to protect mating/molting crab…the impacts of trawl bycatch are completely omitted from the NPFMC 10-year snow crab rebuilding plan…they refute findings that “mid-water” trawl gear is sometimes on the bottom more than 80% of the time, calling it “unscientific”…trawlers in the Gulf of Alaska oppose the call for more observer coverages of their catches…and now, as the write up below by Intrafish shows, they claim a chum cap will put them out of business.
The motto of the Seattle-based trawlers – who take 80% of the value of ALL groundfish from the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska – should be “conservation is everyone else’s problem.”
Fish farmers and the companies providing support services to them are highly cost-conscious – even more so when profit margins are tight. Even so, they are continuing to make big capital investments in new and upgraded vessels.
To take a few recent examples; in August Mowi Norway took delivery of a new hybrid workboat from Damen Folla, a single-hull aluminium vessel with a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system; in the same month, shipbuilder Grovfjord Mek Verksted 2.0 of Norway and the Shetland-based company Ocean Farm Services signed a contract for the construction of a new service catamaran, which will be part of Ocean Farm Services’ operations in the Scottish aquaculture industry with a particular focus on cleaning nets; and the big aquaculture vessel operator, Frøy, has ordered two new wellboats from China.
Author: Robert Outram / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
Cermaq Canada compliance and sustainability director Stephanie Synard-McInnis has been elected president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Aquaculture Industry Association.
Synard-McInnis succeeds Ocean Trout Canada’s Sheldon George following the association’s annual general meeting, held during the Cold Harvest & Aquaculture Canada conference in St. John’s.
Skretting Canada technical sales adviser Ben Normand was elected vice president.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
Changji extends its production season by 3.5 months as freshwater aquaculture expands
Greenhouse ponds in Changji, Xinjiang, now enable two shrimp harvests annually, extending the farming season by 3.5 months despite the region’s cold climate. The city has 12,000 mu of aquaculture area and targets 4,000 tonnes of annual output. Production reached 940 tonnes in H1 2026, up 7.7% year-on-year.
New scheme targets energy, water use and grid integration
The European Commission proposed a common EU rating for data centres above 500 kW, assessing energy and water efficiency, clean power, flexibility and waste-heat reuse. First labels are expected in 2027, as EU data-centre electricity demand could reach 114 TWh by 2030.
KKP acts to protect local shrimp farmers and prevent unauthorized domestic sales
Indonesia’s KKP secured 1,048 tons of shrimp from Canada, Argentina and Ecuador in East Java, suspected of being diverted to the local market. The cargo includes 885 tons of Argentine red shrimp, 144 tons of Ecuadorian vannamei and 19 tons of Canadian pink shrimp. Quality and traceability checks are underway.
The aquaculture and fisheries sector of Los Lagos has gained new commercial opportunities in North Asia. Companies such as Aqua Chile, Maroa Foods, and Sudmaris joined a delegation organized by ProChile—comprising over 30 domestic firms—aimed at strengthening trade ties and expanding their presence in three strategic markets: South Korea, Japan, and Taipei.
The Chile–North Asia Business Meeting, held in Seoul from September 7 to 9, featured a business matchmaking session with 80 importers and projected nearly 450 business meetings, alongside activities designed to explore consumer trends and promote Chilean food products.
Source: MundoAcuicola | Read the full article here
Norway set a new record for salmon exports last week, shipping 43,800 tonnes (round weight) abroad and beating the previous record set in mid-August by 245 tonnes.
The volume was 22.3% higher than in the same week in 2025.Despite the all-time high export volume, the spot price of Norwegian salmon increased last week, albeit by just NOK 0.19 (£0.015) per kilo to NOK 65.94 (£5.18) per kilo.
Author: Pål Mugaas Jensen / fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
Province shifts toward high-value, deep-processed seafood under its 2026–2030 development plan
Vietnam's Dong Thap targets 6.87% annual growth in seafood production value and 1.409 million tonnes of output by 2030. Processed seafood exports are expected to grow 10% annually, driven by pangasius, shrimp and molluscs, advanced freezing, automation and value-added products including collagen, gelatin and chitosan.
Global seafood leaders will gather in Ho Chi Minh City in 2027 to address responsible production, sustainability and industry growth
The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) has announced that its annual Responsible Seafood Summit will take place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2027, with The Center for Responsible Seafood (TCRS) returning as co-host for the second consecutive year.
TCRS will bring its Shrimp Summit content into the wider programme, giving seafood professionals across the value chain a platform to discuss challenges and opportunities shaping the future of responsible seafood.
The European Commission has announced a trade agreement with the Philippines that will liberalize over 94% of tariff lines.
The agreement covers the agri-food sector, and although details regarding the quantities permitted for duty-free entry have not yet been released, the EU canning industry trusts that "the Commission will keep its promise not to disrupt the competitive balance" through this deal, explains Roberto Alonso, Secretary General of Anfaco. For now, the industry is watching the situation closely, with its sights set on another deal that is a cause for concern: the one with Thailand.
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
Northern Basin Atlantic Cod Spawning Stocks Begin Rebuilding Russia Fed.
Following a prolonged decline since 2015, Russian and Norwegian scientists observe signs of stabilization and project a Total Allowable Catch increase for 2027
The agency Rosrybolovstvo regularly mon...
SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech Joins Initiative to Fully Use Each Fish United States
New York institution becomes fourth research organization and 50th overall to sign the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge
(Cobleskill, New York) – SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech has signed the 100% Gr...
UNITED STATES
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To take a few recent examples; in August Mowi Norway took delivery of a new hybrid workboat from Damen Folla, a single-hull aluminium vessel with a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system; in the same month, shipbuilder Grovfjord Mek Verksted 2.0 of Norway and the Shetland-based company Ocean Farm Services signed a contract for the construction of a new service catamaran, which will be part of Ocean Farm Services’ operations in the Scottish aquaculture industry with a particular focus on cleaning nets; and the big aquaculture vessel operator, Frøy, has ordered two new wellboats from China.
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Cermaq Canada
CHINA
Changji extends its production season by 3.5 months as freshwater aquaculture expands
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New scheme targets energy, water use and grid integration
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The aquaculture and fisheries sector of Los Lagos has gained new commercial opportunities in North Asia. Companies such as Aqua Chile, Maroa Foods, and Sudmaris joined a delegation organized by 
NORWAY
Norway set a new record for salmon exports last week, shipping 43,800 tonnes (round weight) abroad and beating the previous record set in mid-August by 245 tonnes.
VIET NAM
Global seafood leaders will gather in Ho Chi Minh City in 2027 to address responsible production, sustainability and industry growth
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The agreement covers the agri-food sector, and although details regarding the quantities permitted for duty-free entry have not yet been released, the EU canning industry trusts that "the Commission will keep its promise not to disrupt the competitive balance" through this deal, explains Roberto Alonso, Secretary General of Anfaco. For now, the industry is watching the situation closely, with its sights set on another deal that is a cause for concern: the one with Thailand.
