IN BRIEF - The Undersecretary of Fisheries chose not to punish illegal fishing of toothfish
ARGENTINA
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Fishing a quota species without being a quota holder is prohibited by the Federal Fisheries Law and is considered a very serious offense.
The Tai An vessel does not have a quota for toothfish; Therefore, it can only incidentally capture up to 5 tons per trip, as established by Resolution 9/2023 of the Federal Fisheries Council.
However, this ship was operating in the toothfish distribution area, where wells with depths greater than a thousand meters are located, on March 2 and 6. It is suspected that such a large volume could not be loaded in just two days, so the cargo could be made up of 142 tons with a significant proportion of juvenile specimens, which would further aggravate the ship's situation.
The toothfish is a species that is protected internationally due to its limited availability and very high vulnerability. Therefore, illegal fishing anywhere in the world can be punished by certifying organizations and even by the market.
The fact is of unusual gravity: the Tai An ship has not only stolen 142 tons of toothfish from the Argentine Sea, worth three and a half million dollars, but has also endangered the sustainability of the resource. Given this situation, the only thing the Undersecretary of Fisheries did was tell the boat to leave the distribution area of this species, allowing it to continue fishing in other areas.
“It's what I can do,”Juan Antonio López Cazorla told the businessmen who complained about his inaction.[...]
Source: Revista Puerto (Translated from original in Spanish)
Blumar reported its consolidated financial results for the third quarter of 2025, a period marked by the recovery from events that occurred in 2024, such as the algal bloom, the fire at the salmon processing plant in Magallanes, and the delayed sardine and anchovy season. These effects explain the significant year-on-year variations in revenue, EBITDA, and accumulated profits at the consolidated level.
As of September 30, 2025, consolidated revenue reached US$568.7 million, representing a 30% increase compared to the same period of the previous year. Pre-fair value EBITDA totaled US$82.2 million, 22% higher than the accumulated figure for 2024.
Source: MundoAcuicola | Read the full article here
China imported 742,758 tonnes of shrimp in the first 10 months of 2025, with the total representing a 1% decrease on the corresponding period of last year – largely due to a sharp contraction in January, confirms new industry analysis from Shrimp Insights.
The organisation notes the volume slump was gradually offset by steady growth from February through August. Monthly imports peaked in July at 90,683 tonnes (+10% year-on-year) before easing to +1% in September and flattening completely in October.
Mowi has issued NOK 4,500 million ($441 million) in new senior unsecured green bonds across two tranches, following its stock exchange notice
The company placed NOK 3,500 million ($343 million) in five-year floating-rate notes at 3-month Nibor plus 1.10 percent, and NOK 1,000 million ($98 million) in five-year fixed-rate notes at 4.95 percent. The full amount, including coupons, will be swapped into floating-rate euro exposure. Mowi said the transaction was well oversubscribed.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
The Technological Center of the Sea – Cetmar Foundation, within the framework of the Galician Cooperation policy of the Xunta de Galicia (Regional Government of Galicia), is promoting the MAR de Piura project in Peru. This international cooperation initiative aims to increase the sustainability of the value chain associated with the fishing and aquaculture sector in the Piura region.
As the first operational milestone of this intervention, an intensive training course will be held from December 1st to 5th for technicians from the Social Organizations of Fishermen and Aquaculture Farmers (OSPAS). The course will cover protocols for maintenance, cleaning, and optimization of the scallop production cycle during the hatchery and pre-fattening phases.
Source: iPac.aquacultura | Read the full article here
With wild stocks under pressure from trade and habitat loss, Ecomare’s seahorse project in Portugal is testing how controlled aquaculture can meet demand and protect fragile populations.
Seahorses are fish, yet they look nothing like conventional ones – being upright, horse-headed and equipped with curling tails, it’s little wonder that the Japanese call them “children of the dragon”.
They have also developed commercial value as traditional Chinese medicine, curio objects and aquarium favourites. When seahorses became the first marine fish protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2004, attention shifted to aquaculture as an alternative to meet global demand.
Author: Emma Barbier / The Fish Site| Read the full article here
A recent Rosselkhoznadzor inspection (October 20 – November 24, 2025) uncovered serious safety violations in four imported shrimp samples. FSBI VGNKI specialists conducted the monitoring in accordance with the relevant technical regulations for fish and food safety.
Key findings include:
Arsenic Overload: Two samples of frozen-cooked northern shrimp showed dangerously high levels of arsenic, a toxic substance. One sample exceeded the permissible limit by more than four times, and the other by almost three times.
Microbial Contamination: Two samples of Vannamei shrimp showed elevated total microorganism counts. This suggests potential breaches of sanitary standards during production or failures in storage and transportation protocols.
The detected violations have been reported to the Northwestern Interregional Office of Rosselkhoznadzor for immediate action and logged into the Vesta automated system.
International Commission Approves Increased Catch Limits
The annual catch quota for Atlantic bluefin tuna is set to increase by 14% to 4,321 tonnes per year for the period between 2026 and 2028, according to an announcement made by the Fisheries Agency on the 25th. The increase, which amounts to an additional 543 tonnes compared to the 2025 quota, is a direct response to the recovering status of the bluefin tuna stocks.
The decision was finalized at the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The meeting took place in Spain from the 17th to the 24th of this month. Atlantic bluefin tuna is a highly valued species, popular as an ingredient for sashimi and sushi, and it accounts for roughly 30% of Japan's total bluefin tuna catch.
The quota increase is applied across the two main fishing zones:
Eastern Waters (European and African side): Japan's quota will see a 14% increase (445 tonnes) to 3,559 tonnes.
Western Waters (North and South American side): Japan's quota will rise by approximately 15% (97 tonnes) to 762 tonnes.
ICCAT is composed of 55 member countries and regions, including key players like Japan, the United States, and the European Union. The next annual meeting is scheduled to be held in November 2026 in Portugal.
Fishing nations agree to protect basking and white sharks, cut mako quotas, and improve compliance process.
After a record number of proposals focused on sharks, this year’s meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) ended with new protections for basking and white sharks, reduced catch limits for South Atlantic shortfin makos, and procedural advances for enforcing shark measures. For the seventeenth year, efforts to strengthen ICCAT’s shark finning ban were thwarted.
The update features a purely visual change to the pet food bags, maintaining the same product quality.
Skretting has unveiled a refreshed design for its pet food bags, in line with its recent brand update.
"At Skretting, we are constantly working to deliver excellent products to continue feeding the future, together with our customers. Therefore, as part of our recent brand update, we are also changing the design of our pet food bags," the company stated.
The Burgos-based seafood processing plant enters a new phase after the sale to the Diosmar Group fell through and a new partner, who bought the Rincón family's stake, precipitated Luis Comella's departure from the board.
The battle for control of Pescafacil, one of Spain's leading seafood processing plants, has taken a decisive turn. A major Ecuadorian shrimp exporter has agreed to purchase a majority stake in the Burgos-based company, a deal that marks the definitive exit of the Venezuelan Lamar Group—controlled by the Rincón family—
ARGENTINA.png)
CHILE
CHINA
China imported 742,758 tonnes of shrimp in the first 10 months of 2025, with the total representing a 1% decrease on the corresponding period of last year – largely due to a sharp contraction in January, confirms new industry analysis from Shrimp Insights. 
NORWAY
Mowi 
PERU
The Technological Center of the Sea – 
PORTUGAL.png)
With wild stocks under pressure from trade and habitat loss, Ecomare’s seahorse project in Portugal is testing how controlled aquaculture can meet demand and protect fragile populations.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
WORLDWIDE
Fishing nations agree to protect basking and white sharks, cut mako quotas, and improve compliance process..png)
Skretting
ECUADOR
The Burgos-based seafood processing plant enters a new phase after the sale to the Diosmar Group fell through and a new partner, who bought the Rincón family's stake, precipitated Luis Comella's departure from the board.
