IN BRIEF - John West hit by 78% profits decline as shoppers trade down
UNITED KINGDOM
Monday, October 30, 2023
John West profits have sunk by 78% as cash-strapped shoppers flocked to discounters and turned to own label to combat inflation.
The tinned fish brand saw revenues slump 13.5% to £128m as it lifted prices to offset spiralling input costs in the year ended 31 December 2022, according to Companies House accounts. It came on top of a 13.6% fall in the previous year, with revenues now £43.6m below the £171.6m 2020 level.
Managing director Paul Stephenson attributed the fall to declining volumes as the ongoing cost-of-living crisis“continues to drive more consumers to discount channels and private label offerings”.
International sales were disrupted by the conflict in Ukraine, with revenues in Europe almost halving from £8.5m to £4.3m.
Margins were also squeezed in 2022 thanks to higher raw materials and commodity costs. Pre-tax profits fell from £9.1m in 2021 to £2m.[...]
North Sea, Skagerrak, and Kattegat Quotas Triple on Positive Scientific Advice, Signaling Healthier Stock.
COPENHAGEN – European fishermen are set to benefit from a substantial increase in the sprat fishing quota for the upcoming period of July 1, 2025, to June 31, 2026. The total allowable catch for sprat in the North Sea, Skagerrak, and Kattegat has been set at 236,114 tonnes, a significant rise that brings welcome news to the industry, as reported by Line Dalgaard Jensen from fiskeritidende.
Danish fishermen, in particular, are poised to gain considerably, with their allocated share reaching 163,334 tonnes in the North Sea and 28,942 tonnes in the Skagerrak.
This increased quota directly aligns with the positive scientific advice issued by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) earlier this year. Crucially, the 2025-2026 recommendation represents more than triple the advice provided by ICES for the previous year, indicating a robust and improving status for the sprat stock in these vital fishing grounds. The decision reflects confidence in the sustainable management of this key pelagic species.
Donald Trump, President of the United States, has repeatedly reiterated his desire to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark with a significant fishing industry where more than 90% of exports are seafood. Hence, the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee highlights the "special relevance" of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement with Greenland, which it has just approved by a resounding majority. When the European Parliament ratifies it, a pact will come into force that will allow the EU fleet to fish in Greenlandic waters until 2030. For these six years, the EU will disburse €104 million and shipowners, €27 million.
Source: La Voz de Galicia l Read the full article here
The Galician shipyard Aister, specialized in aluminum shipbuilding and based in Moaña (Pontevedra), has completed the delivery of a 24-meter mussel vessel for the Belgian company Fleetco NV, part of the Colruyt group, one of the largest players in the country's food sector. The vessel, named "Moules Frites," was designed for offshore mussel harvesting and farming operations using a long-line system. Its construction represents a new milestone in the history of the Galician shipyard, which is advancing its internationalization process and has already delivered 104 vessels, a figure that will continue to grow with the units currently in production.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras l Read the full article here
Fishermen in Guernsey have appealed for a better deal with the EU after the UK struck up a new agreement this week.
Pierre Le Cheminant, a fisherman on the island, said the States of Guernsey had a "golden opportunity" to achieve a deal that would benefit the fishing industry.
Discussing the current situation, he said: "I don't think there will be a fishing fleet in the future in Guernsey unless we can land back into the European ports without all this red tape."
Author: Elliot Ball / BBC l Read the full article here
Måsøval Q1 earnings decline on higher costs and biological challenges
Norwegian salmon farmer Måsøval reported weaker financial results for the first quarter of 2025, with group operational EBIT falling to NOK 22 million ($2.11 million/€1.89 million), down from NOK 109 million ($10.46 million/€9.37 million) in the same quarter last year.
The group harvested a total of 5,226 tonnes gutted weight (GWT), including 621 tonnes from co-location agreements. This compares with 3,606 tonnes in Q1 2024, of which 1,324 tonnes came from co-location. Revenues for the quarter totalled NOK 681 million ($65.38 million/€58.57 million).
Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here
El sector mundial de la salmonicultura se encuentra al borde del colapso debido a su incapacidad para encontrar alternativas alimentarias que sustituyan a los peces silvestres. Así lo afirma un informe de FAIRR, la organización de sostenibilidad respaldada por inversores.
La Iniciativa FAIRR es una red global de inversores, fundada por Jeremy Coller, con una membresía que representa 80 billones de dólares en activos bajo gestión. FAIRR trabaja con inversores institucionales para definir los riesgos y oportunidades relevantes relacionados con la ganadería intensiva y proporciona a sus miembros inversores la investigación, las herramientas y la interacción necesarias para integrar esta información en sus decisiones de gestión de activos e inversión.
Autor: Robert Outram / Fish Farmer | Lea el artículo completo aquí
Cascavel – A fish farmer in Cascavel, Paraná, has initiated legal action against Companhia Paranaense de Energia (Copel) seeking compensation for a massive loss of 55 tons of tilapia. Simone Carvalho, who operates a sport fishing and pay-to-fish facility in Sede Alvorada district, suffered the devastating loss two months ago when a power outage compromised her aeration system, leading to mass fish deaths.
The incident occurred on a particularly hot day when strong winds caused a tree to fall onto the power grid, cutting off electricity to Carvalho's property. Without power, the essential oxygenation equipment failed, resulting in the demise of her fish stock.
Copel, the power utility, reportedly denied Carvalho's claim for compensation. The company asserted that the power interruption was due to "causes external to the electrical system," specifically weather conditions, and not an operational failure on their part.
Copel confirmed that the case was reviewed according to Aneel's Normative Resolution No. 1,000/2021, which outlines compensation criteria.
This incident was followed by another storm on May 9th, which again disrupted power in the area, forcing Carvalho's restaurant to close early. However, due to milder weather conditions during this second event, the fishponds were not affected.
Inner Mongolia — A pioneering aquaculture project is turning saline-alkali water bodies in Inner Mongolia into productive seafood farms. In May 2025, 20,000 sea bass fry were introduced into two inland sites in Bayanmaodu Sumu, marking the start of an adaptive breeding experiment for marine fish in non-traditional environments.
Led by the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute and China University of Petroleum (East China), the initiative aims to revitalize rural areas by tapping into underutilized saline-alkali waters—estimated at 200,000 to 300,000 mu in Kezuohou Banner. The project also explores farming white shrimp and is backed by rigorous monitoring of water quality and fish growth.
If successful, this model could establish a new “saline-alkali seafood” industry inland, supporting economic development and food production. The effort follows recent national advancements in transporting marine fish over long distances, underscoring China's push to expand aquaculture innovation.
In a powerful show of regional cooperation and environmental stewardship, China and Vietnam have conducted their eighth annual joint fishery resource enhancement activity in the Beibu Gulf.
The event, held at the Beilun River Estuary, involved the release of more than 74.77 million aquatic seedlings and parent stock from 10 marine species, including yellowfin and red porgy.
Senior officials from both countries, including China’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Maierdan Mugaiti and Vietnam’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tinh, attended the ceremony. The initiative reflects the two nations’ deepening strategic partnership and shared goal of building a sustainable marine ecosystem.
Since 2017, China and Vietnam have jointly released aquatic species annually to revitalize marine life in the Beibu Gulf. China alone has contributed over 420 million seedlings, with a reproduction and recapture rate exceeding 5%, underscoring the program’s effectiveness.
With 2025 marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the “China-Vietnam Cultural Exchange Year,” both sides aim to further strengthen cooperation in agriculture and fisheries. Future plans include accelerating talks on a Beibu Gulf Fisheries Cooperation Agreement, improving joint fisheries management, and advancing innovation for sustainable development.
The first list of ports authorized to apply the new exception to the tolerance margin is published, a measure long demanded by the fishing sector.
The European Commission has given the green light to a long-awaited measure in the area of ??pelagic fisheries: the publication of the first list of landing ports authorized to apply the simplified catch control regime. This establishes the exception to the tolerance margin for unclassified pelagic species, allowing greater administrative flexibility for operators in the sector, without sacrificing control and traceability.
Illex Squid Landings Surpass 150,000 Tons in Argentina Argentina
With a stable season and rising market prices, Illex cements its role amid global shortages of other squid species
The 2025 fishing season for Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus) is showing s...
British Seafood Takes Off in South Korea, Fueled by Mackerel Boom South Korea
Surge Driven by New Mackerel Trade and FTA Benefits, Reshaping Market Dynamics Despite Average Price Drop
SEOUL – United Kingdom seafood exports to South Korea have experienced an extraord...
Coastal Waters Losing Acidity Buffer Due to Climate Change Norway
Warmer, wetter winters lead to increased freshwater runoff, weakening the ocean's natural ability to neutralize carbon dioxide and causing faster acidification along coastlines, according to research ...
UNITED KINGDOM
DENMARK.png)
COPENHAGEN – European fishermen are set to benefit from a substantial increase in the sprat fishing quota for the upcoming period of July 1, 2025, to June 31, 2026. The total allowable catch for sprat in the North Sea, Skagerrak, and Kattegat has been set at 236,114 tonnes, a significant rise that brings welcome news to the industry, as reported by 
GREENLAND
Donald Trump, President of the United States, has repeatedly reiterated his desire to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark with a significant fishing industry where more than 90% of exports are seafood. Hence, the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee highlights the "special relevance" of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement with Greenland, which it has just approved by a resounding majority. When the European Parliament ratifies it, a pact will come into force that will allow the EU fleet to fish in Greenlandic waters until 2030. For these six years, the EU will disburse €104 million and shipowners, €27 million.
SPAIN
The Galician shipyard 
Fishermen in Guernsey have appealed for a better deal with the EU after the UK struck up a new agreement this week.
NORWAY.png)
Måsøval Q1 earnings decline on higher costs and biological challenges
El sector mundial de la salmonicultura se encuentra al borde del colapso debido a su incapacidad para encontrar alternativas alimentarias que sustituyan a los peces silvestres. Así lo afirma un informe de FAIRR, la organización de sostenibilidad respaldada por inversores.
BRAZIL
CHINA
VIET NAM.png)
The event, held at the Beilun River Estuary, involved the release of more than 74.77 million aquatic seedlings and parent stock from 10 marine species, including yellowfin and red porgy.
EUROPEAN UNION
The first list of ports authorized to apply the new exception to the tolerance margin is published, a measure long demanded by the fishing sector.
