IN BRIEF - California’s Dungeness crab fishery will open on January 5, 2025, with new measures to protect marine life
UNITED STATES
Monday, December 23, 2024
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced a 50% trap reduction from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border, aiming to reduce the risk of humpback whale entanglements. A pre-soak period begins on January 2, 2025.
In the Northern Management Area (Zones 1 and 2), spanning from the California-Oregon border to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line, the season will be delayed until January 15, 2025, due to challenges with meat quality testing. These zones will open with a 25% trap reduction and a pre-soak period starting January 12. A "fair start" provision restricts vessels fishing in other states from operating in these delayed zones for 30 days.
Balancing marine species protection with the livelihood of fishing communities has been critical. Humpback whales and sea turtles are at risk of entanglement, prompting such measures. Last season saw similar delays due to whale presence. Despite challenges, the Dungeness crab fishery remains a lucrative industry, averaging $45 million annually over the past five years.
CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham emphasized the need to protect marine species while sustaining the fishery. Over 150 stakeholder meetings, 50 risk assessments, and aerial surveys have guided this approach, supported by a $6 million investment in safety measures, including alternative gear testing and electronic monitoring.
Private labels (MDD) continue to dominate the smoked salmon market, accounting for an impressive 68% market share in volume by the end of September 2024—an increase of 2.4 percentage points in just one year, according to Fanny Rousselin-Rousvoal of Produit de la Mer.
As the year-end festivities approach, MerAlliance, the leading player in the private-label smoked fish category, is enhancing its portfolio by introducing a sliced version of its popular salmon recipe with five berries. This premium offering features Norwegian salmon, smoked with beech wood and certified by either ASC or GlobalG.A.P., depending on specifications. The salmon is elevated with a topping of the iconic five-berry blend, adding a burst of flavor and visual appeal.
Produced at MerAlliance's factory in Quimper, the product is available in packs of 4 or 8 slices, with a shelf life of 28 days. Three French brands have already included this innovative product in their holiday assortments, and one retailer has slated it for its year-round back-of-shelf range in 2025.
MerAlliance’s new offering reflects its commitment to innovation and quality, meeting consumer demand for flavorful, sustainable, and versatile smoked salmon options
The EU is opening 12 duty-free import quotas for Norwegian seafood from 1 January 2025. The quotas provide increased export opportunities for products from both the fishing industry and aquaculture.
In parallel to negotiations on new EEA funds, Norway and the EU negotiated market access for Norwegian seafood. The agreement covers the period from 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2028 and entails that the EU will open 12 time-limited duty-free import quotas for Norwegian seafood.
A lengthy negotiation process and procedures set up for the approval of the agreement have meant that it has taken time before the industry has been able to put the quotas into practice. The agreed quota volume covering the period from 1 May 2021 to the opening of quotas on 1 January will be distributed over the remaining period of the agreement until 30 April 2028.
If the quotas are not fully used, it will be possible to draw on the remaining volume accumulated until 30 April 2030, or until a possible new agreement is reached.
Eight companies investigated and 62 arrested since 2021 in a network that sold uncleaned clams from Portugal in Spain
An international operation against poaching has stopped the sale of 30 tons of contaminated bivalve shellfish, mostly Japanese clams, destined for the Spanish market, where it entered uncleaned and, therefore, with a risk of food poisoning. Six tons of elvers have also been seized and a network of illegal trafficking of eel fry has been dismantled.
Source: La Voz de Galicia l Read the full article here
La Sirena Alimentación S.A.U. has added two new references of own-brand langoustines with Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for sustainable fishing to its assortment. "It is the first product under a distributor's brand in the Spanish market that comes from the only langoustine fishery certified by the non-profit organization MSC," says the company.
These langoustines, which are sold under the La Sirena brand in 800 g net recyclable cardboard boxes, are caught in the waters of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, specifically in the Skagerak and Kattegat straits (in FAO 27). The processing room is specialized in langoustines and is also located just 30 m from the port where the product is received daily. Much of the process is manual, so it is truly artisanal production.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras l Read the full article here
Norwegian seafood industry faces unattainable climate goals without major overhaul, report finds.
The Norwegian seafood sector will be unable to meet its 2040 climate goals due to inadequate infrastructure for transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, according to a report by research institute Sintef.
The findings highlight significant barriers to electrifying the industry, which relies heavily on diesel for vessels, fish farms, and processing plants.
Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here
Chilean fishing and salmon-farming firm Blumar cut its losses year over year in the third quarter of 2024, but still remained in the red.
In response to several straight periods of poor performance, the company has continued pursuing a process to transform its business operations.
During Q3 2024, Blumar’s total revenues amounted to USD 138 million (EUR 132 million), down 9 percent from the USD 152 million (EUR 146 million) the company earned in the third quarter of 2023.
Author: Christian Molinari / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here
Fish products and marine ingredients heavyweight Pelagia has formed a new department to offer more comprehensive sludge solutions to the aquaculture industry, it has announced.
Following Pelagia’s purchase of Blue Ocean Technology and subsequent merger of the companies, the technology and development expertise is now gathered in Pelagia's new Blue Ocean Solutions department. Pelagia said this is an important step towards delivering services ranging from collection and processing, to storage, logistics and better resource utilisation of sludge.
Source: fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here
The 2024 Peruvian anchovy fishing season is showing remarkable progress, with total catch volumes projected to reach an unprecedented 4.6–4.7 million tonnes—double the figures recorded last year.
Since the second half of the fishing season began in November, 1.37 million tonnes of anchovies have been landed, accounting for 54.6% of the annual quota. However, concerns are rising as juvenile catches near the 151,000-tonne limit, potentially prompting an early closure of the season and impacting preliminary contractual obligations.
Despite this, the market outlook remains strong. Approximately 450,000 tonnes of fishmeal have already been pre-sold for the current season, covering 75–89% of the anticipated production. This robust pre-sale activity underscores continued confidence in Peru’s anchovy sector, despite environmental and regulatory challenges.
The last French factory of the Saupiquet brand will cease its activity on Friday, December 20, with 152 layoffs.
But the negotiations for the departure of the employees went well, according to the CFDT, reports Franck JOURDAIN from Le Marin.
The last Saupiquet factory in France, located in Quimper in Finistère, will close on Friday, December 20 and 152 jobs will be cut, in accordance with what its owner, the Italian group Bolton Food , announced on June 11. The last temporary workers (70 work at the factory on average) will leave on Thursday evening. Friday will not be easy because there is a family atmosphere in the company , concedes Valérie Bonder, CFDT union representative.
Shrimp exports in the first 11 months of 2024 brought in nearly 3.6 billion USD, up 22% over the same period last year. Exports to major consumer markets all recorded double-digit growth.
UNITED STATES
FRANCE
As the year-end festivities approach,
NORWAY.png)
The EU is opening 12 duty-free import quotas for Norwegian seafood from 1 January 2025. The quotas provide increased export opportunities for products from both the fishing industry and aquaculture.
SPAIN
Eight companies investigated and 62 arrested since 2021 in a network that sold uncleaned clams from Portugal in Spain.jpeg)
CHILE
Chilean fishing and salmon-farming firm 
Fish products and marine ingredients heavyweight Pelagia has formed a new department to offer more comprehensive sludge solutions to the aquaculture industry, it has announced.
PERU
The 2024 Peruvian anchovy fishing season is showing remarkable progress, with total catch volumes projected to reach an unprecedented 4.6–4.7 million tonnes—double the figures recorded last year.
VIET NAM.jpeg)
