IN BRIEF - Thistle Seafoods looks to the future thanks to longstanding partnership with Aldi
UNITED KINGDOM
Friday, December 08, 2023
One of Scotland’s largest family-owned manufacturers of quality seafood products is marking 20 years of partnership with Aldi.
The fifth-generation family business was established in 1947 in Boddam and has grown from strength to strength in recent years – a success owners credit to their long-standing relationship with Aldi and as a result of their innovative product offering.
Stephen Main, Commercial Director and Ryan Scatterty, CEO, with the Aldi team.
Thistle Seafoods started out supplying Scottish Aldi stores with just two products in 2003.
Today, their expanded product offering is available in every UK Aldi store with 39 different products including fresh Melt in the Middle Fishcakes, frozen Breaded and Battered Fish, and speciality lines for the festive season including Salmon Wellingtons and Luxury Fish Pies.
Headquartered in Peterhead, Thistle acquired a second site in 2022 in Uddingston as part of its strategy to develop a ‘sea-to-plate’ seafood processing business.[...]
Strong demand for frozen fish, squid, sardines and live crustaceans drives rapid trade growth
Pakistan’s seafood exports to China reached $220 million in the first seven months of 2026, up 41% from $156 million a year earlier. Frozen fish led exports at $40.04 million, followed by cuttlefish and squid at $36.39 million. Around 200 Pakistani seafood exporters are now registered with Chinese customs.
Scheme will offset higher fuel costs with grants covering up to 70% of the increase
The European Commission approved Germany’s €4.5 million aid scheme for fishing and aquaculture companies affected by higher fuel prices linked to the Middle East crisis. Direct grants will cover 70% of estimated additional fuel costs from March 1 to July 23, 2026, capped at €50,000 per company. The scheme runs until December 31, 2026.
More than 745,000 salmon died in June, the highest monthly loss since December 2024
Mortality reached about 3% of farmed salmon at sea. MAST linked the largest losses to incidents during fish release and transfers in the Eastfjords and Westfjords. After corrective measures, mortality fell to about 1% in July.
September program will connect consumers with local fishers, aquaculture producers and chefs across Darwin.
Australia’s Northern Territory will hold its inaugural NT Seafood Month in September, showcasing mud crab, Spanish mackerel, Humpty Doo barramundi, Australia Bay snapper and local prawns. The NT Seafood Trail will feature restaurants, producer dinners, chef collaborations and cooking demonstrations.
New rules target traceability, stock protection and stronger seafood exports
Kerala unveiled a draft fisheries plan featuring science-based harvest controls, gear restrictions and digital traceability. Square-mesh codends will protect juveniles, while wider TED adoption and MSC certification for shrimp and cephalopods aim to strengthen sustainability and access to global markets.
Data from the SFPA reveal significant disparities in the uptake of fishing opportunities allocated for 2026: albacore has reached 116%, saithe stands at 170%, sole at 169%, blue whiting at 118%, and hake at 94%, while numerous other quotas remain below 20%.
The utilization of fishing quotas allocated to Ireland for 2026 shows significant imbalances, with more than four months still remaining in the year. Data published by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) highlight stocks where usage already exceeds available limits, alongside others where only a small fraction has been caught. This situation reflects a combination of fleet strategies, resource availability, and the complexity of the European quota management system.
Peru’s Production Ministry (PRODUCE) has canceled the North-Central anchovy fishery for the season, leaving over 1 million metric tons (MT) of available quota uncaught.
Peru set a lower quota for the North-Central season of 1.9 million MT, which was down from the 3 million MT total allowable catch set for the same fishery in 2025. Despite the season kicking off in early April, fishers had only caught 471,000 MT, according to official data, with 51.6 percent of that catch comprising juvenile anchovies.
PRODUCE announced in El Peruano that the percentage of juvenile anchovy in the fishery remained at a rate too high to allow fishing, largely due to warming waters caused by El Niño
Author: Chris Chase / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here
Oceanloop, a German aquaculture technology company developing software-driven recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), has secured up to €38.5 million to scale its technology and expand production of giant grouper in Europe.
After several years of biological and technical development, Oceanloop has become the first company to farm giant grouper in Europe. Sales from its existing land-based farm in Strande near Kiel began in April 2026 through Oceanloop’s sister company Honest Catch, marking the transition from research and development to commercial production. The existing facility is expected to supply approximately 20to 30 tonnes per year.
The keen interest sparked within the British sector by the "octopus bloom"—the massive proliferation of *Octopus vulgaris* in the waters off southwest England and the western English Channel that began in 2025—has prompted the government to take action. After establishing a working group to advance the management of this fishery—which, until a year ago, was negligible—the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has now launched an information website aimed at the general public, the fishing industry, and the scientific community. "The octopus proliferation has understandably generated enormous interest, and we want to ensure that everyone can easily find reliable, up-to-date information in one place."
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals’, are commonly used to make textiles and other materials resistant to water and fire. However, because they persist in the environment and build up in living organisms, they pose growing risks to human health and ecosystems.
To help address this challenge, Venice-based start-up Algae Scope transforms residual seaweed biomass into a bio-based additive with natural fire- and water-repellent properties, offering manufacturers an alternative to PFAS.
Illex Squid Closure Reshapes Atlantic Commercial Season United States
NOAA limits directed fishery through year-end after projecting 96% of domestic quota will be harvested
The directed fishery for Illex squid (Illex illecebrosus) is formally closed in United States fe...
UNITED KINGDOM
PAKISTAN
Strong demand for frozen fish, squid, sardines and live crustaceans drives rapid trade growth
GERMANY
Scheme will offset higher fuel costs with grants covering up to 70% of the increase
ICELAND
More than 745,000 salmon died in June, the highest monthly loss since December 2024
AUSTRALIA.png)
Australia’s Northern Territory will hold its inaugural NT Seafood Month in September, showcasing mud crab, Spanish mackerel, Humpty Doo barramundi, Australia Bay snapper and local prawns. The NT Seafood Trail will feature restaurants, producer dinners, chef collaborations and cooking demonstrations.
INDIA.png)
New rules target traceability, stock protection and stronger seafood exports
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND.png)
Data from the SFPA reveal significant disparities in the uptake of fishing opportunities allocated for 2026: albacore has reached 116%, saithe stands at 170%, sole at 169%, blue whiting at 118%, and hake at 94%, while numerous other quotas remain below 20%.
PERU
Peru’s Production Ministry (
Oceanloop, a German aquaculture technology company developing software-driven recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), has secured up to €38.5 million to scale its technology and expand production of giant grouper in Europe.
The keen interest sparked within the British sector by the "octopus bloom"—the massive proliferation of *Octopus vulgaris* in the waters off southwest England and the western English Channel that began in 2025—has prompted the government to take action. After establishing a working group to advance the management of this fishery—which, until a year ago, was negligible—the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has now launched an information website aimed at the general public, the fishing industry, and the scientific community. "The octopus proliferation has understandably generated enormous interest, and we want to ensure that everyone can easily find reliable, up-to-date information in one place."
ITALY
PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals’, are commonly used to make textiles and other materials resistant to water and fire. However, because they persist in the environment and build up in living organisms, they pose growing risks to human health and ecosystems.
