IN BRIEF - FECOP Promotes the Blue Economy with the Women’s Nautical School
COSTA RICA
Friday, June 14, 2024
Thanks to the work of the Matchmaking initiative carried out in the context of the High-Level Event “Immersed in Change,” led by Ambassador Gina Guillen Grillo, the Women’s Nautical School project of the Costa Rican Federation of Fishing (FECOP) received technical support from GIZ and the European Union.
FECOP is proud to highlight its commitment to the Blue Economy and gender equity through the Women’s Nautical School initiative. This initiative stands out as an exemplary model of sustainability and inclusive development in the sport fishing sector.
During the high-level event “Immersed in Change,” held in Costa Rica on June 7 and 8, the Delegation of the European Union in Costa Rica, represented by Ambassador Philippe Lempereur, met with the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and FECOP to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to financially support the consolidation of the Women’s Nautical School.
The Women’s Nautical School not only promotes the sustainability of our ocean but also advances gender equity by fostering the employability of women in the fishing tourism sector. This EU-backed initiative will enable more women to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in this industry, thus contributing to more inclusive and sustainable economic development.
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
Coast Guard Was Able to Return All the Catch from the Illegal Gear to the Sea
The Galician Coast Guard Service carried out its largest operation of the year against the use of traps, a prohibited fishing method in Galicia used for octopus fishing, last Saturday in waters near A Guarda. According to the Galician Ministry of the Sea, the operation resulted in the removal of 523 devices and the recovery of 67 kilos of octopus, which were returned to the sea. The operation also coincided with the weekly rest day.
The operation took place between three and four miles off the coast of A Guarda and led to the discovery of two sets of these traps deployed on the seabed.
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
The Technological Platform for Fisheries, launched by the Ministry of the Sea in collaboration with the Galician Agency for Technological Modernization (Amtega) in 2004, “is consolidating itself as a key tool in the digitalization of the sector.” This is revealed in the report presented this Monday to the Galician Government Council, which compiles the actions recorded by this system in each year, highlighting its functionality “insofar as it offers various services in the field of production and marketing to help in data collection, thus facilitating resource management and guaranteeing its traceability in accordance with current legal requirements.”
Source: iPac.acuicultura | Read the full article here
The salmon farming industry is gearing up for the first of the big seafood conferences, which launches next week.
There will be plenty for them to discuss, with renewed concerns over President Trump’s latest tariff tactics and the general state of the market.
The three-day North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF), run by Pareto Securities, which opens in Bergen on Monday, is recognised as the world’s leading conference for senior executives in the global seafood industry.
Each year in the first week of March, more than 1,000 CEOs, experts, investors, and analysts gather in the coastal city for three days of discussion, offering insight and inspiration.
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
EU-funded initiative named MULTIPLY is uniting 17 partners to develop 10 microalgae-based alternatives for everyday products, aiming to reduce reliance on fossil and food-based resources.
Launched in June 2025, the Horizon Europe project brings together specialists from across Europe to develop and scale ten microalgae-based solutions for five industrial sectors.MULTIPLY is developing ten products designed to show how algae can serve diverse markets:
Food: natural colours and protein-rich ingredients
Feed: a salmon feed component enriched with microalgal compounds
Cosmetics: personal-care oils and esters
Lubricants: bio-based esters engineered for high-performance applications
Biomaterials and packaging: compostable films, paper coatings and other packaging solutions based on algal oils and starch.
Source: The Fish Site | Read the full article here
Lerøy Seafood Group reports $56.4 million farming EBIT in Q4 as prices improve late in quarter.
Lerøy reported operational EBIT of NOK 564 million ($56.4 million) in its farming segment in the fourth quarter of 2025, down year-on-year, but said biological performance was better than expected and production costs declined quarter-on-quarter.
The company said salmon and trout prices improved significantly towards the end of the quarter following a year characterised by low market prices.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
Vladivostok – According to the Primorsky branch of Rosselkhoznadzor, from January 1 to February 18, 2026, approximately 7 600 tons of live crab were exported from Primorsky Krai to China and the Republic of Korea.
Veterinary experts carried out safety assessments for 255 shipments, confirming compliance with import standards in both countries. The consignments included spiny crab, blue crab and Kamchatka crab, all harvested in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan and cleared with the necessary health certificates before shipment.
Russian crab remains in high demand across East Asia: overall exports to China in **2025 reached about 45 800 tons, up 10.4 % year-on-year, giving Russia over a 34 % share of China’s crab imports.
Industry data also show that revenue from Russian crustacean exports grew in 2025, with live and fresh crabs accounting for a significant portion of total export earnings, especially in China and South Korea.
Despite broader geopolitical tensions and past enforcement actions against illegal crab trade in the Russian Far East, regulated exports continue to expand in legitimate channels under strict veterinary control. Rosselkhoznadzor says all current shipments meet the importing countries’ sanitary and phytosanitary norms.
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.
Competitive costs, a well-established processing industry, and European demand for ready-to-cook products explain why Russian fillets (especially Alaska pollock and cod) maintain their place in the supply chain. The debate is reopened: is raising tariffs enough, or will a broader ban be necessary?
In the European debate on seafood imports from Russia, fillets are the most troubling indicator. They are not a niche product, but a key format for distribution and processing: portioned, standardized, easy to freeze, and perfect for a Europe that is increasingly consuming processed products (breaded, oven-ready, and ready-to-eat).
The Catalan handline fishery for wild bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) has begun the full assessment process to certify its catches under the MSC Fisheries Standard. This audit will be conducted by the independent certifier DNV, assessing the three principles that govern the standard: healthy fish stocks, minimizing the impact on the marine environment as a whole, and an effective fisheries management system.
The fishery is represented by the Catalan National Federation of Fishermen's Guilds (Federació Nacional Catalana de Confraries de Pescadors) and uses handlines as its sole fishing gear. In 2024, the fishery recorded a total catch of 56 tons of bluefin tuna.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
Norwegian Shellfish Initiative Launched in Spain Spain
Madrid Event Marks Strategic Push Into One of Europe’s Largest Shellfish Markets
MADRID — Norwegian shellfish producers have officially turned their attention to Spain, launching a d...
COSTA RICA
FECOP is proud to highlight its commitment to the Blue Economy and gender equity through the Women’s Nautical School initiative. This initiative stands out as an exemplary model of sustainability and inclusive development in the sport fishing sector.
JAPAN
SPAIN
The Galician Coast Guard Service carried out its largest operation of the year against the use of traps, a prohibited fishing method in Galicia used for octopus fishing, last Saturday in waters near A Guarda. According to the Galician Ministry of the Sea, the operation resulted in the removal of 523 devices and the recovery of 67 kilos of octopus, which were returned to the sea. The operation also coincided with the weekly rest day.
The Technological Platform for Fisheries, launched by the Ministry of the Sea in collaboration with the Galician Agency for Technological Modernization (Amtega) in 2004, “is consolidating itself as a key tool in the digitalization of the sector.” This is revealed in the report presented this Monday to the Galician Government Council, which compiles the actions recorded by this system in each year, highlighting its functionality “insofar as it offers various services in the field of production and marketing to help in data collection, thus facilitating resource management and guaranteeing its traceability in accordance with current legal requirements.”
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There will be plenty for them to discuss, with renewed concerns over President Trump’s latest tariff tactics and the general state of the market.
EUROPEAN UNION.png)
Launched in June 2025, the Horizon Europe project brings together specialists from across Europe to develop and scale ten microalgae-based solutions for five industrial sectors.MULTIPLY is developing ten products designed to show how algae can serve diverse markets: 
Lerøy Seafood Group
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Competitive costs, a well-established processing industry, and European demand for ready-to-cook products explain why Russian fillets (especially Alaska pollock and cod) maintain their place in the supply chain. The debate is reopened: is raising tariffs enough, or will a broader ban be necessary?.png)
The Catalan handline fishery for wild bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) has begun the full assessment process to certify its catches under the 
