Downsizing leads to a 10% drop in market price

The peak fishing season for chub mackerel (over 250 grams per fish) in the waters off Kyushu by the West Japan Purse Seiner fleet (large and medium-sized) is drawing to an end. This month's (1st to 18th) catches were as good as the same period last year, but the fat content has dropped slightly. Sources in the fishing area say, "We're finally nearing the end of the fishing season. From March, we expect to shift to focusing on yellowtail."

This month's combined catch of the fish in Nagasaki City, Matsuura City in Nagasaki Prefecture, Karatsu City in Saga Prefecture, and Fukuoka City was approximately 44,000 boxes (each box weighing approximately 16 kg), a good catch on par with the same period last year. Source: Minato-Yamaguchi

Maruha Nichiro Corporation will change its corporate name to "Umios Corporation" on March 1, 2026.

In conjunction with this change, the following group companies will also adopt new corporate names. The group will unify its name under the "Umios" brand, featuring a brand symbol composed of the BLUE PLANET mark and the Umios logotype. This unified brand identity will enable us to provide consistent customer experiences and reinforce trust across markets, thereby maximizing the global value of the Umios brand. 

Scottish salmon exports to India could grow to a value of £30 million per year in the next 10 years and deliver up to £131m during that time, new projections by sector trade body Salmon Scotland show.

Producers are gearing up for a new drive into the market after last year’s UK-India trade deal promised to remove the tariffs that have held exports back.Scottish salmon currently faces a 33% import duty, but that barrier is expected to be removed this year when the agreement comes into force.

Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here

At the end of 2025, the Council of the European Union authorised the European Commission to open negotiations with the United Kingdom on a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement – an important step that could reshape the trading landscape for live bivalve molluscs.

In response, the Market Advisory Council (MAC) submitted detailed advice to DG MARE outlining how shellfish should be addressed within the framework. The recommendations reflect both industry priorities and the need to maintain robust public-health and environmental safeguards.

Source: Fish Focus | Read the full article here

The Norwegian aquaculture technology company EcoFishCircle AS (EFC) has signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding to deliver a full-scope mRAS (Modular Recirculating Aquaculture System) and the development of a land-based fish farming facility in Saudi Arabia.

The project is designed to provide a production capacity of 10,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon per year. The cost was not disclosed.The project is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, where the government has ambitions to make the country a major player in land-based aquaculture. EFC will be a technology partner and provide operational support. 

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

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s fisheries sector posted a strong surplus in the first quarter of 2026, with total production and reserves projected to reach 3.57 million tons, according to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

“The production and reserve quantity combined remain higher than demand and consumption,” said Machmud (pictured), Acting Director General for Strengthening the Competitiveness of Marine and Fisheries Products, during a virtual press conference on February 19, 2026.

Between January and March, output included 2.05 million tons of cultivated fish and 1.52 million tons of captured fish, surpassing domestic consumption demand of 1.94 million tons.

The surplus can be stored in 2,287 cold storage units nationwide, with a total capacity of 899,178 tons. Of these, 2,035 units are privately owned, while the remainder are government-operated.

The government also confirmed sufficient supply across eight regions during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, exceeding demand by more than 100 percent.

The Government of Japan, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has launched a two-year project titled “Development of a Sustainable Fishery Value Chain in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)”, signed in 2025.

The initiative aims to strengthen the productivity and resilience of the aquaculture and fisheries sectors in BARMM, one of the regions with the greatest potential in the Philippine fish industry. By developing sustainable local value chains, the project supports small-scale producers through capacity-building activities, promotes alternative high-value species and value-adding processes, and enhances stakeholders’ knowledge and technical skills.

As part of ongoing monitoring efforts, First Secretary and Agriculture Attaché Akasaka Hidenori visited project sites in Tawi-Tawi Province on February 10, 2026. During the visit, he met with representatives from the BARMM government, local government units (LGUs), and project beneficiaries to assess progress and exchange insights on strengthening the region’s fisheries sector.

The research vessel Árni Friðriksson has completed a week-long capelin survey off the northwest coast of Iceland, focusing on spawning migrations and stock abundance. Survey coverage extended from west of Dohrnbank along the continental slope off the Westfjords to Skagagrunn.

At the same time, the vessel Þórunn Þórðardóttir gathered acoustic data during a hydrographic survey examining ocean conditions around Iceland in February. Scientists reported almost no capelin north of Iceland. A small quantity of mature capelin was detected near the continental slope at Bardagrunn, while immature fish were observed farther offshore near drift ice off the Westfjords.

Researchers estimate that the bulk of the 328 thousand tonnes of capelin recorded northwest of Iceland in January has now migrated eastward, moving clockwise around the country. The stock is expected to spawn in coastal waters in the south and west in March.

The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute has announced no further capelin surveys will be conducted this winter.