Major producers push new increases while fishmeal market stays firm

Feed prices across the aquaculture sector continue to surge, with leading companies such as Haid Group, Tongwei, New Hope Group, Aohua Group, and CP Group announcing fresh hikes on April 10–11.

Since March, prices have been rising steadily. but April has seen sharper jumps of up to 1,200 yuan per ton (around $170/ton). The latest round adds as much as 300 yuan per ton (about $42/ton) on products including standard feed, premium feed, and shrimp, crab, and catfish feed.

The surge is driven largely by strong fishmeal prices. In Peru, the north-central A-season opened on April 9 with a quota of 1.914 million tons, yet pre-sale prices for super steam fishmeal hit a record $2,550/ton.

Domestically, inventories exceed 150,000 tons, but tight supply keeps prices high at 16,400–19,000 yuan per ton (approximately $2,300–$2,660/ton).

The sustained rise is increasing pressure on farmers and signals continued volatility ahead.

Norway’s national broadcaster NRK is reporting that thousands of Mowi salmon have died en masse, without the authorities carrying out any formal investigation.

NRK says that the incident took place around six months ago at a fish farm in Nordfjord in Vestland county following a delousing operation. Apparently, the fish had major problems with their gills and did not get enough oxygen. The estimated death toll is 300,000 salmon.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority inspected the farm when the slaughtering operation was being carried out and found they were met with clearly weakened salmon.

The main cause of the incident turned out to be a bloom of harmful algae in the water.

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

Russia reported strong performance in its fisheries sector, exporting over 2 million tons of fish products in 2025, according to Ilya Shestakov, head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries. Total exports reached 2.1 million tons, valued at $6.1 billion.

Despite stable shipment volumes, export revenues showed positive growth, reflecting a favorable pricing environment and a rising share of high value-added products. Key export destinations included China, Republic of Korea, Netherlands, Belarus, Japan, Kazakhstan, and Nigeria.

Meanwhile, imports of fish and seafood totaled 718,000 tons worth $3.5 billion, with major suppliers being Belarus, China, Turkey, Chile, and Vietnam.

Authorities emphasized that boosting competitiveness and increasing the global recognition of Russian fish products remain top priorities. Efforts are also focused on ensuring domestic availability and promoting fish consumption across Russia, supported by growing cooperation between businesses and regional governments.

Retail chain Aldi Süd has announced a global policy to end eyestalk ablation in its shrimp supply chain by 2030 and implement electrical stunning for all of the farmed shrimp it sources by 2035.

With this move, all 11 of the U.K.’s major supermarkets have now set time-bound commitments on shrimp welfare.

Amid growing regulatory and public scrutiny, Aldi Süd’s shrimp pledge completes a shift that began with Sainsbury’s, M&S, and Tesco in 2024, followed by such retailers as Waitrose, Iceland Foods, Co-op, and Morrisons in 2025, and then Asda and Lidl GB earlier this year.

Author: Jason Holland / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here

Melanosis, one of the main alterations affecting the quality of salmon fillets, could originate from internal biological processes rather than damage associated with handling, according to a recent study by Norwegian scientists.

Among the factors that could influence this change in the salmon muscle, the following have been described: diet, infectious agents, vaccination, traumatic injuries, mechanical stress during handling, environmental factors, genetics, among others.

Author: Francisco Soto / fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here

Following a year-long scoping process with stakeholders across the seafood sector, the Ethical Tuna Collaboration (ETC) has launched its design phase, marking a major step toward addressing forced labour risks in tuna supply chains serving the U.S. market. The project is the latest from responsible seafood movement convenor, Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (CASS).

The ETC brings together a multistakeholder working group to design the initiative. This differs from traditional initiatives, which are typically led solely by industry or civil society, in that it fosters shared responsibility and coordinated action across the system.

Source: Fish Focus | Read the full article here

Venezuela’s aquaculture sector is facing a sharp downturn. The president of the Venezuelan Aquaculture Society, Eduardo Castillo Bracho (pictured), reported this Tuesday that white shrimp production dropped by ???? 48% over the past year, due to “exogenous factors.”

“We are coming from a difficult year,” he said. According to unofficial reports, exports fell from 60,000 tons to between 32,000 and 34,000 tons, highlighting the scale of the decline.

In an interview on the program “Dos más Dos” on Unión Radio, Castillo also proposed the creation of an exclusive aquaculture law to help revive the sector. In his view, current legislation “somewhat limits the development” of aquaculture.

He explained that the lack of a proper legal framework makes it difficult to grant long-term concessions, which are essential for investments that take 10 to 15 years to recover. In this regard, he stressed the need to simplify requirements, attract investment, and support the sustainable growth of aquaculture in the country.