The 2,000-ton scientific research vessel "Jia Hai Ke 7", constructed by Guangzhou Salvage Bureau Jiangmen Co., Ltd. for Zhuhai Jiahai Marine Technology Co., Ltd., was successfully launched. This vessel marks a significant milestone as China's first private scientific research ship equipped with a DP-2 dynamic positioning system.

Measuring 70.26 meters in length and 13.30 meters in beam, "Jia Hai Ke 7" features advanced electric propulsion technology, combining an electric motor with a rudder-propeller system. Its innovative design ensures flexible operation, low energy consumption, reduced noise levels, and high-precision positioning. Upon completion, the vessel will primarily support offshore marine geological surveys while also accommodating marine scientific investigations.

The construction process was closely monitored by surveyors from the Jiangmen Inspection Office of CCS Guangzhou Branch. The surveyors actively addressed technical challenges, assisted the shipyard in refining welding techniques, minimized assembly errors, and significantly shortened the project timeline, earning high praise from stakeholders.

Moving forward, the China Classification Society (CCS) will continue to strengthen partnerships with shipowners and shipyards, advance technical research, and maintain rigorous safety and quality standards to ensure the successful delivery and operational excellence of "Jia Hai Ke 7."

In November 2024, South Korea imported 512 tons of frozen ray, an 18% decrease compared to the 626 tons recorded in November 2023.

From January to November 2024, cumulative imports totaled 6,294 tons, reflecting a 4% decline from the 6,531 tons imported during the same period in the previous year. Frozen ray imports accounted for 0.8% of the nation’s total seafood imports of 814,815 tons.

Clicl on the image to enlarge

The primary source countries for frozen ray as of November 2024 included:

• United States: 3,103 tons (49%)
• Argentina: 1,417 tons (23%)
• Indonesia: 345 tons
• Brazil: 313 tons
• Spain: 299 tons

Unit import prices varied significantly among suppliers. Spain recorded the highest unit price at USD 5.47/kg, followed by Indonesia at USD 3.98/kg, the United States at USD 3.58/kg, and Papua New Guinea at USD 1.00/kg, which was the lowest.

The import value of frozen ray in November 2024 was USD 1.92 million, down 9% from USD 2.10 million in November 2023. However, the cumulative import value for the year reached USD 25.50 million, marking a 12% increase from USD 22.87 million during the same period in 2023. The average import unit price from January to November 2024 rose by 16%, reaching USD 4.05/kg compared to USD 3.50/kg in the previous year.

Source: Union Forsea Corp.

With over 20 years of experience in the sector, the executive leads the strategy and planning of the area in the company

ADM, a global leader in grain, feed, and human and animal nutrition, announces Raphael Bozola, former Cargill Inc. executive,  as Country Manager for Animal Nutrition in South America. The executive is based in São Paulo and is responsible for leading all strategy and planning aimed at supporting the needs of the Animal Nutrition industry and customers in the countries of the region.

The division is the leader in the Brazilian fish feed market, with a focus on the shrimp segment and a leading role in the sales of nutritional solutions for cattle, horses, pigs and poultry. In addition, the division's performance in the country is contributed to by the sale of Premix & Additives (a mixture of minerals, vitamins and amino acids) and pet food.

“I am very excited about starting this new phase of my career at ADM. I believe that combining my professional experience with ADM’s commitment to innovation and excellence will enable us to create even more effective and sustainable solutions for our customers and partners in the animal nutrition sector,” says Bozola.

With extensive experience in Finance, Controllership, HR and Marketing, before joining ADM he worked as Managing Director of Cargill's operations in Mexico. Raphael holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Unicamp and an MBA in Administration from USP. 

NAIL Factory is recalling frozen catfish products because they were not eligible to be imported to the U.S. from Vietnam, according to the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Huntington Beach, California, U.S.A.-based company is recalling around 1,635 pounds of ineligible frozen Siluriformes fish products that were produced by a company in Vietnam that is not eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the U.S, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said.

Author: Christine Blank / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here

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.

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.
• Herring: 247 certificates issued, totaling 69,129 tons.
• Crabs: 1,580 certificates issued, amounting to 34,765 tons.
• Pacific Salmon (pink, chum, sockeye): 287 certificates issued, equaling 24,469 tons.

Additional Information:

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.

Source: Federal Agency for Fisheries

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. 

Source: Fish Focus l  Read the full article here

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