The Yamagawa Fisheries Cooperative and regional organization SEAFDEC/TD receive top honors at the JSSA 2026 awards

The Executive Committee of the Japan Sustainable Seafood Award announced the winners of its seventh edition in Tokyo. In the National Division, the award went to the Yamagawa-cho Fisheries Cooperative (Ibusuki, Kagoshima) for its blue carbon project. Local fishers deployed 89 vegetative mats covering 445 square meters to restore seagrass beds (Zostera marina), successfully expanding the ecosystem to 1,500 square meters, certifying 1.4 tons of carbon dioxide in blue carbon credits, and commercially utilizing catches of the herbivorous lowfin chub (Kyphosus vaigiensis).

In the newly established Asia Division, the award went to the Training Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC/TD), affiliated with ASEAN. Backed by the Japanese Trust Fund, the initiative consolidated a database tracking 5,370 fishing vessels across 28 parameters, trained more than 800 fisheries inspectors, and deployed an electronic catch documentation system to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

The National Institute of Fisheries Science develops a system that reduces ammonia-related mortality in containers bound for the United States

The National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), led by Director Kwon Soon-wook, has successfully developed and validated a technology designed to mitigate ammonia accumulation and preserve the freshness of live seafood during extended transoceanic routes.

The maritime voyage to the Port of Long Beach in the western United States takes approximately four weeks in total, with a specific sailing time inside live fish transport containers of around 15 days for olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Through a collaborative project launched in 2024 with local exporters, NIFS engineered an ammonia-reduction device. During real-world testing at destination—which extended to 22 days of transit due to operational delays—the system reduced ammonia concentrations in the tanks by 14.2% and blood ammonia levels in the specimens by 22.2%, while also lowering physiological stress markers. This breakthrough will allow higher loading volumes per container and facilitate market expansion to distant destinations in the Eastern United States and Europe. 

The six coastal states formally concluded their multilateral consultations at the London headquarters of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) without formalizing a binding catch-sharing agreement for the 2027 season.

Despite exhausting the official schedule of dialogue, delegations from the United Kingdom, the European Union, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland failed to reach a consensus on the political distribution of quota shares.

The main bone of contention centered on reconciling historical catch rights with demands for territorial access. The persistence of an earlier four-party framework that sidelined the European Union has led, in practice, to accumulated unilateral allocations that exceed sustainable biological limits.

Negotiators reviewed scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which recommended a total allowable catch (TAC) ceiling of 352,938 tonnes for 2027. Although the spawning stock biomass registered a favorable 4.5% increase above the biological limit point, the industry laments that the lack of a comprehensive settlement will perpetuate operational uncertainty.

Moscow  — The governments of Russia and China agreed to promote and expand commercial trade in seafood products, following the conclusion of the 31st regular meeting between the heads of government of both nations. The high-level summit was led by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

As confirmed in the final joint communiqué, both delegations established a priority technical agenda for the fisheries sector. Among the key agreements, both nations will work in coordination to restore the export status of key enterprises and advance the formal registration of fishing companies in both jurisdictions.

Furthermore, the parties agreed to expand the list of accredited suppliers, expedite review and processing timelines for commercial applications, and deepen bilateral cooperation mechanisms aimed at ensuring food quality and safety standards across reciprocal shipments of aquatic products.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) of Indonesia intercepted 154 vessels involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in jurisdictional waters through September 2026.

This tally adds to the surveillance operations conducted by the agency in recent periods, following the seizure of 88 illegal vessels in 2024 and 355 vessels across 2025.

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono emphasized in Jakarta that maritime enforcement actions aim to curb the unlawful exploitation of national fisheries resources and ensure they deliver maximum benefit to local fishing communities. Alongside the interdiction of offending vessels, the official noted that the ministry is stepping up marine conservation measures to protect the archipelago's ocean ecosystems.

The Environment and Energy Agency has granted a temporary permit to Samherji to immediately resume operations at its fish drying facility in Laugar, located in the Reykjadalur valley.

The provisional measure remains in effect while the Northeastern Health Committee processes a new permanent operating license, with a maximum validity set at 1 year. The plant, which employs approximately 20 people and represents the largest workplace in the area outside the municipality itself, handles the final processing stages of the company's commercial catch.

The resumption comes after the original permit was revoked in mid-September by the Environmental and Natural Resources Appeals Committee. The tribunal ruled that the local health board had issued the authorization without sufficient baseline data on the status of surrounding water bodies, while clarifying that there were no operational deficiencies on the part of Samherji. Under this renewed temporary authorization, the seafood company must maintain rigorous, updated wastewater monitoring while the administrative procedure is rectified.

Scientists and authorities from eight coastal nations across the Americas warned that the 2026 El Niño event is consolidating as one of the largest instrumentally recorded, pointing to a steady increase in both the frequency and magnitude of ENSO cycles.

The alert was issued during a regional conference held in Panama City from October 14 to 16, 2026.

The delegation from Chile was led by the executive director of the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP), Luis Parot, representing the Undersecretariat for Fisheries, alongside oceanographer Dr. Jaime Letelier Pino (ERFEN-Chile). The summit also brought together experts from the FAO and the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS).

Specialists emphasized that coastal ecosystems and local fish stocks exhibit high vulnerability starting in the initial stages of the phenomenon, impacting their distribution, abundance, and reproductive cycles. In response to these direct marine habitat alterations, IFOP will intensify monitoring of strategic fishery resources, including swordfish (Xiphias gladius).

Businesses in Australia, Malaysia and the Netherlands have reached the finals of Britain’s prestigious international fish and chip awards

Three fish and chip businesses in Australia, Malaysia and the Netherlands have been named finalists for International Fish & Chip Operator of the Year at the National Fish & Chip Awards, recognising their efforts to bring the traditional British dish to customers overseas.

Organised by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), the awards celebrate businesses maintaining the quality, standards and traditions associated with Britain’s popular takeaway while introducing it to new international markets.

Source: Worldfishing | Read the full article here

The cod farmer Norcod has successfully started fish oil production at its Kråkøy harvesting facility in Norway, enabling almost every part of each harvested cod to be utilised and generate value for the company.

In the first two weeks of operation, the Norwegian cod farmer’s new facility has produced more than 14 tons of high-quality fish oil.

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