IN BRIEF - Over 470,000 Tons of Fish and Seafood Exported from Russia's Primorye to China in 2024
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
In the first eleven months of 2024, the Primorsky Territorial Administration of the Federal Agency for Fishery played a key role in ensuring compliance with regulations to combat and prevent IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing for exports to China.
As part of this effort, 4,285 IUU certificates were issued, verifying the legal origin of aquatic bioresources.
From January to November, more than 474,000 tons of fish and seafood products were monitored and exported from Primorsky Krai to China. The breakdown of key exports includes:
Pollock: 1,996 certificates issued, accounting for 344,590 tons.
Only specific species are subject to IUU certification under agreements between the Russian Federation and importing countries, including China. These species include:
Fish: All types of Pacific salmon, pollock, sea bass, arrowtooth, Pacific halibut, and black halibut.
Shellfish and Other Species: Pacific herring, eight crab varieties, anadara, corbicula, sea cucumber (trepang), thornback, and sea urchin.
Products derived from these resources are also subject to inspection for legal origin certification when exported to China.
With the merger of Blue Ocean Technology into Pelagia, technology and development expertise is now gathered in the new department Blue Ocean Solutions.
The company writes that this is an important step on the path towards delivering services ranging from collection and processing, to storage, logistics and better resource utilization of sludge.
"Pelagia Blue Ocean Solutions will be a strong professional environment where we can build on shared expertise and technology. This gives us a better foundation for developing more efficient and profitable solutions, tailored to customer needs along the entire value chain", says Pelagia CEO, Egil Magne Haugstad.
"By gathering resources and expertise in one place, we increase our ability to create new solutions and improve existing offerings. – The goal is to expand our involvement so that we increasingly become part of the entire value chain",says Knut Antonsen, head of Blue Ocean Solutions.
Pelagia's focus in this area, reinforced through the acquisition of Blue Ocean, has been very well received by the industry. - It is clear that the market wants a larger player that can deliver more comprehensive solutions. - We notice this both through increased demand and new types of requests, which confirms that we are now considered a preferred partner, concludes Antonsen.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has ordered a halt to the import of raw oysters harvested in a region of France from 17 December 2024.
The circulation of seafood already imported into the Chinese administrative region has also been banned. The CFS made this decision after seven cases of food poisoning in restaurants and cafes. An investigation showed that they were selling oysters from a specific French region.
Similar cases of oyster poisoning were recorded in Finland in December 2024. More than 30 people were affected. Authorities assume that they were infected with norovirus by eating raw shellfish. Oysters from the Netherlands, France, Spain and Ireland are under suspicion.
The CFS reminded about the risks of eating these shellfish raw. Oysters filter seawater and can accumulate pathogens, including noroviruses, if they are grown in waters contaminated with human faeces. The infection is destroyed by heating the product to +90 °C for two minutes.
Noroviruses are sometimes called "ideal pathogens for humans" and are difficult to combat if they enter the food service network or grocery store, as they can survive on surfaces for up to two weeks, are resistant to most disinfectants, and are easily spread by touch.
PTG Frionordica AS has signed another record-breaking contract with Artec Aqua AS, involving the supply of six heat pumps and seawater exchangers with a total heating capacity exceeding 100,000 kW. This delivery is part of the second construction phase of Salmon Evolution’s land-based aquaculture facility at Indre Harøy, located on the northwest coast of Norway.
The agreement builds on the company’s previous success, when PTG Frionordica delivered heat pumps and seawater exchangers for the first construction phase of Salmon Evolution, also through Artec Aqua.
Researchers are investigating an innovative carbon capture model in fish farms that could help to mitigate climate change. A recent study published in Nature Food highlights how low-oxygen aquatic environments, like fish farms, could be leveraged to capture CO2 efficiently and cost-effectively.
The study, led by Mojtaba Fakhraee and Noah Planavsky of Yale University, focusses on using iron sulphide reactions to increase water alkalinity, enhancing carbonate saturation and CO2 absorption. The process not only captures carbon but also reduces hydrogen sulphide concentrations in fish farms, which may boost productivity.
Source: The Fish Site l Read the full article here
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 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.
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
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
NORWAY
HONG KONG.png)
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Indre Harøy, located on the northwest coast of Norway.
UNITED STATES
Researchers are investigating an innovative carbon capture model in fish farms that could help to mitigate climate change. A recent study published in Nature Food highlights how low-oxygen aquatic environments, like fish farms, could be leveraged to capture CO2 efficiently and cost-effectively.
FRANCE
As the year-end festivities approach,
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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)
