IN BRIEF - Quality Seafood manager sentenced to prison. Judge calls him ‘driving force’ in conspiracy
UNITED STATES
Friday, December 13, 2024
Quality Poultry & Seafood sales manager Todd Rosetti was the only defendant sentenced to prison for his role in a conspiracy to mislabel seafood, passing off foreign fish as fresh Gulf catches.
U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden on Wednesday sentenced Rosetti to eight months in prison, followed by 180 days under house arrest. Ozerden noted that he was constrained by an earlier agreement Rosetti reached with prosecutors that allowed him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mislabeling seafood rather than a felony conspiracy mislabeling charge. Guidelines allowed a maximum sentence of one year and a fine of up to $1,000.
James “Jim” Gunkel, left, business manager of Quality Poultry & Seafood, walks out of the federal courthouse in Gulfport with his attorneys on Wednesday =>
“He was the ultimate authority in this scheme,” Ozerden noted. “He was the driving force.” Ozerden also pointed out that the scheme started by Quality defrauded up to 300 customers at their retail and wholesale business on Division Street in Biloxi. The judge said the scheme started as early as 1999. Charges documented seafood mislabeling began no later than December 2013 and ran until November 2019.
Mary Mahoney’s Old French House restaurant, a nationally known establishment in Biloxi, was in on the conspiracy but many other restaurants, casinos and retail customers were unaware they were paying premium prices for fish from India, Africa and other counties.
Minister Ribanataake Tiwau visits Rarotonga to examine regulatory, scientific and environmental frameworks for ocean resources.
Kiribati Fisheries Minister Ribanataake Tiwau led a delegation to the Cook Islands to study its seabed minerals governance. Talks covered regulation, institutions, scientific research and environmental protection, while exploring future knowledge sharing, capacity-building and Pacific cooperation on ocean-resource management
U.S. demand and rapid growth in Southeast Asia boost Japan’s processed fish-paste trade
Japan exported 6,186 tonnes of processed fish-paste products in January–July 2026, up 9% year-on-year, according to Japan’s Ministry of Finance data reported by Minato Shimbun. The U.S., the largest market, increased purchases by about 10%, while exports to Thailand quadrupled and shipments to Vietnam rose 2.2-fold. Sales also increased to Taiwan, Singapore and Norway. The figures cover processed products such as kamaboko, not frozen surimi blocks used as raw material.
Representatives from Chile, Ecuador, and Peru have come to an initial agreement regarding management of the region’s giant squid (Dosidicus gigas) fishery.
Peru Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Jesús Barrientos, Chile Undersecretary of Fisheries Oswaldo Urrutia, and Ecuador Deputy Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries Hugo Vera recently met in Lima, Peru – along with scientists, representatives of artisanal and industrial fisheries, and NGO representatives – to attend the “Sustainability of Giant Squid in the Southeast Pacific” regional workshop organized by the United Nations’ Permanent Commission of the South Pacific (CPPS) and the Committee for the Sustainable Management of Giant Squid of the South Pacific (CALAMASUR).
Author: Christian Molinari / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here
Cross-party MPs are calling for fishing to be treated as critical infrastructure, citing food security, jobs and coastal resilience
UK fishing is being urged to move from the margins of government policy to the heart of Britain’s food-security strategy, with the sector calling for a coherent long-term plan to protect fleets, jobs and coastal communities.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fisheries’ Action Plan for a Thriving and Sustainable UK Fishing Industry sets out 38 recommendations, arguing that domestic catching, processing and seafood trade form a strategically important part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.
The volume of fishmeal produced globally during the first seven months of this year was 49% behind the same period in 2025, while fish oil output was down 30%, marine ingredients organisation IFFO said today.
Smaller forage fish volumes in Peru and Chile remained the biggest cause of the shortfall, with softer catches in the African countries and Northern Europe compounding the global decline.
Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, received the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, To Lam, at the Kremlin as part of a state visit.
The development of sector-specific collaboration was ratified through a Joint Statement, highlighting the relevance of fisheries and aquaculture in bilateral commercial exchange. Authorities agreed to boost mutual supplies, promote the presence of products in both markets, and encourage the establishment of specialized joint ventures.
Putin emphasized that bilateral trade nearly doubled during the first half of 2026. For his part, To Lam identified the seafood sector as a priority area for the expansion of Vietnamese investments in Russian territory.
Institutional and business dialogue will deepen from September 16 to 18 in St. Petersburg during the IX International Fishery Forum and Seafood Expo Russia, an event that will feature an official delegation from Vietnam.
Production reaches 234,525 tonnes as the country targets a regional aquaculture hub role
Tanzania boosted aquaculture production from 44,735 tonnes in 2020/21 to 234,525 tonnes in 2025/26, worth about US$170 million. With 3,343 cages, 67 hatcheries and 212.8 million fingerlings, the sector is scaling rapidly ahead of WA26T/AFRAQ26, set for December 1–4 in Dar es Salaam.
Roberto Alonso will defend fair competition, traceability and balanced market access at the global tuna forum in Bangkok
ANFACO-CYTMA participates in TUNA 2026, held September 14–16 in Bangkok, alongside more than 30 Spanish companies. Secretary General Roberto Alonso will address EU rules of origin, IUU compliance, the mandatory CATCH system and the ongoing EU–Thailand FTA, calling for fair competition, effective controls and responsible sourcing across global tuna supply chains.
Indonesia is once again facing a maritime tragedy. The vessel *Virgo Transport 8* sank this Saturday in the Java Sea, resulting in the deaths of at least six people. Concern remains high, as more than a hundred passengers are still missing. Indonesian rescue services managed to pull 155 travelers from the water and are continuing efforts to rescue the remaining people who had been on board.There were 243 people on board the vessel—57 of whom were crew members—according to the *Jakarta Globe*. National authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the shipwreck
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
Chile’s salmon industry has stepped up pressure for farmed salmon to be exempted from a new 12.5% US tariff as bilateral talks between the two countries continue.
SalmonChile president Patricio Melero said it would be “unacceptable” for any agreement reached between Chile and the United States to leave salmon subject to the additional duty.
The comments, made at the Salmon Dinner in Puerto Varas and reported by Chilean broadcaster BioBioChile, follow talks in Santiago on August 24 and 25 between Chilean trade officials and a delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
UNITED STATES
U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden on Wednesday sentenced Rosetti to eight months in prison, followed by 180 days under house arrest. Ozerden noted that he was constrained by an earlier agreement Rosetti reached with prosecutors that allowed him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mislabeling seafood rather than a felony conspiracy mislabeling charge. Guidelines allowed a maximum sentence of one year and a fine of up to $1,000.
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JAPAN
PERU
Representatives from Chile, Ecuador, and Peru have come to an initial agreement regarding management of the region’s giant squid (Dosidicus gigas) fishery.
UNITED KINGDOM
Cross-party MPs are calling for fishing to be treated as critical infrastructure, citing food security, jobs and coastal resilience
WORLDWIDE.png)
The volume of fishmeal produced globally during the first seven months of this year was 49% behind the same period in 2025, while fish oil output was down 30%, marine ingredients organisation
RUSSIAN FEDERATION.png)
The development of sector-specific collaboration was ratified through a Joint Statement, highlighting the relevance of fisheries and aquaculture in bilateral commercial exchange. Authorities agreed to boost mutual supplies, promote the presence of products in both markets, and encourage the establishment of specialized joint ventures.
TANZANIA
Production reaches 234,525 tonnes as the country targets a regional aquaculture hub role
THAILAND
INDONESIA
Indonesia is once again facing a maritime tragedy. The vessel *Virgo Transport 8* sank this Saturday in the Java Sea, resulting in the deaths of at least six people. Concern remains high, as more than a hundred passengers are still missing. Indonesian rescue services managed to pull 155 travelers from the water and are continuing efforts to rescue the remaining people who had been on board.There were 243 people on board the vessel—57 of whom were crew members—according to the *Jakarta Globe*. National authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the shipwreck
CHILE.png)
Chile’s salmon industry has stepped up pressure for farmed salmon to be exempted from a new 12.5% US tariff as bilateral talks between the two countries continue.
