IN BRIEF - South Korea’s Fresh Salmon Imports Drop by 14% Through November 2024
SOUTH KOREA
Monday, January 06, 2025
As of November 2024, South Korea's import volume of fresh salmon experienced a notable decline compared to the same period in 2023.
In November alone, the country imported 1,227 tons of fresh salmon, marking a 25% decrease from the 1,639 tons imported in November 2023. The cumulative import volume for the year reached 14,715 tons, down 14% from 17,134 tons during the same period last year.
Norway dominated South Korea's fresh salmon imports, supplying 14,471 tons, or 98% of the total. Other contributing countries included:
The import price per kilogram was highest for Norwegian salmon at USD 12.87/kg, followed by Canada (USD 12.29/kg) and Australia (USD 10.99/kg).
In terms of value, November 2024 imports of chilled salmon totaled USD 14.55 million, reflecting an 11% decline from USD 16.34 million in November 2023. Cumulatively, the import value stood at USD 189.19 million, a significant 20% decrease from USD 236.57 million during the same period in 2023.
The average import price per kilogram for the year was USD 12.86, down 7% from USD 13.81 in 2023, signaling a downward trend in salmon prices.
The decrease in fresh salmon imports is attributed to several factors, including shifts in domestic market demand and volatility in international salmon prices. These dynamics have influenced both the volume and value of imports, reflecting a complex interplay of market conditions.
On January 6, 2025, the Abate Molina scientific vessel departed from the Port of Valparaíso, embarking on a 28-day mission. Professionals and technicians from the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP) will conduct hydroacoustic surveys to characterize and evaluate anchovy and common sardine stocks. The study spans the regions between Valparaíso and Los Lagos, coinciding with the peak recruitment period and the early stages of their seasonal decline.
Captain José Echeverría leads the vessel, while fisheries engineer Álvaro Saavedra serves as the head of the cruise.
Objectives of the Cruise
To estimate the size of the stock of anchovy and common sardine resources and their spatial distribution in the period of maximum recruitment to the fishery present in the study area.
To characterize and analyze in a space-time context, the demographic composition and its interannual variation of the stocks evaluated through biological indicators.
Characterize and analyze the bio-oceanographic conditions present in the study area and their relationship with the spatial distribution of resources.
Characterize the aggregations of anchovy and common sardine resources in the study area.
Implement the Continuous Improvement Plan for hydroacoustic assessment studies of pelagic resources: anchovy, common sardine, southern sardine and horse mackerel, as appropriate, in accordance with the priorities identified in the preparation of the plan and the available budget.
The 2024 Public Report on Sustainable Aquaculture in Paraguay highlights the achievements of the Surubí Commercial Production Project, a collaborative initiative between the Taiwan Technical Mission in Paraguay and the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences at the National University of Asunción. This report provides an overview of the year’s activities, including the training of future aquatic resource experts, scientific advancements aimed at strengthening the sector, educational workshops and activities, as well as strategic collaborations with Paraguayan and international institutions.
(Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Technical Mission in Paraguay)
Key Accomplishments of the Surubí Project
Technical Training:
The project prioritized the training of technical personnel to ensure the successful operation of fry production facilities. This included training programs for technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), equipping them with the necessary skills to support the aquaculture industry.
Introduction of Advanced Fry Production Technology:
As part of the project’s innovation efforts, cutting-edge fry production technology was introduced, enabling the experimental production of 200,000 fry during 2024.
This initiative marks a significant milestone in Paraguay's journey toward sustainable aquaculture, showcasing a commitment to capacity building, technological innovation, and strategic partnerships to bolster the nation's fisheries sector.
Russia's fish export volumes, which saw a decline this year, are expected to recover in 2025, according to Ilya Shestakov, head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo).
Shestakov highlighted that the primary foreign markets for Russian fish products include China, South Korea, Nigeria, and the Netherlands. He also reported that the total fish catch in Russia for the current year is projected to be approximately 4.92–4.93 million tons, falling slightly short of the initially forecasted 5 million tons. However, the outlook for 2025 is more optimistic, with expectations of reaching the 5 million ton benchmark.
Key Export Figures and Trends
In 2023, fishery exports grew by 12%, according to Rosrybolovstvo.
Frozen fish constituted the majority of exports, accounting for 76% of the total.
Pollock remained the dominant export species, followed by herring, sardines, and crabs, which are also supplied to international markets.
The anticipated recovery in export volumes underscores Russia's strategic efforts to strengthen its position in the global seafood market, leveraging its robust fisheries sector to meet growing demand from key trading partners.
The sinking of a fishing boat off the coast of the port of Kashima, in the prefecture of Ibaraki, northeast of Tokyo, caused the death of two crew members on Monday and the disappearance of three others, whose search continues.
The Japanese Coast Guard believes that it is possible that the boat, which was fishing for sardines, capsized due to the excess of fish in the net although the investigation of the event is still ongoing, according to the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.
Angulas Aguinaga, owner of brands such as La Gula del Norte, Krissia, Aguinamar and Royal, has closed an alliance agreement with Aperitivos Iñaki, recognized for its specialization in the production of products such as anchovies, gildas and other high-quality pickles with the aim of joining forces and expanding its product offering.
This agreement responds to Angulas Aguinaga's commitment to innovation, the diversification of its portfolio and the objective of offering consumers "a wider range of modern fish products," says Angulas Aguinaga.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras l Read the full article here
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officers caught a commercial fisher in San Fransisco, California, U.S.A., with thousands of pounds in illegal catch, some of which was hidden behind a false wall in his fishing vessel.
The officers claim they spotted the owner of a commercial trawling vessel unloading several burlap sacks from their vessel at Pier 45 in San Francisco. When officers confronted the individual later on at a restaurant, the fisher “attempted to flee and hide fish,” according to a CDFW social media post. Aboard the vessel, officers found a false wall hiding fillets of salmon, despite the fishery season being closed.
Author: Nathan Strout / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here
Norway exported a total 2.8 million tonnes of seafood in 2024, worth a record NOK 175.4 billion, with the volume corresponding to 38 million meals every single day. This was achieved despite the year being characterised by cod quota cuts, production challenges for farmed salmon, geopolitical fluctuations and economic turmoil in the global market.
Last year’s overall export value represented an increase of 2% or NOK 3.7 billion on the previous best – set in 2023.
Norway and Canada salmon farmer Grieg Seafood harvested approximately 23,400 gutted weight tonnes of fish in the fourth quarter of 2024, the company said in a trading update.
The harvest volume included 5,300 gwt from Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, where the company has exclusive rights to grow salmon and is slowly increasing production volume.
Source: fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here
In Q4 2024 the harvest volumes for Bakkafrost’s operation in the Faroe Islands and Scotland were:
Faroe Islands: 16.6 thousand tonnes
Scotland: 3.8 thousand tonnes
The total harvest for 2024 in the Faroe Islands was 62.8 thousand tonnes and in Scotland the total harvest in 2024 was 27.9 thousand tonnes. The total harvest from the Bakkafrost Group in 2024 was 90.7 thousand tonnes.
All harvest volumes are provided in head on gutted (HOG) equivalents.
Feed sales in Q4 2024 were 38.9 thousand tonnes. Havsbrún sourced 42.0 thousand tonnes of raw materials in Q4 2024. The total feed sales for 2023 was 140.4 thousand tonnes and in total 309.5 thousand tonnes of marine raw material were sourced in 2024.
The full Q4 2024 report will be released on 18 February 2025 at 06:00 CET
The new EU duty-free quotas for Icelandic fishery and agricultural products came into force on 1 January 2025. They refer to eight new duty-free import quotas to the European Union (EU). The quotas offer greater export possibilities for Icelandic products from both the fishing and aquaculture industries that will compete with those from the EU itself, according to the Icelandic Government.
In parallel to talks on a contribution to the EEA Development Fund, Iceland and the EU agreed on market access for Icelandic seafood products on 30 November 2023.
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Captain José Echeverría leads the vessel, while fisheries engineer Álvaro Saavedra serves as the head of the cruise.
PARAGUAY.png)
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Shestakov highlighted that the primary foreign markets for Russian fish products include China, South Korea, Nigeria, and the Netherlands. He also reported that the total fish catch in Russia for the current year is projected to be approximately 4.92–4.93 million tons, falling slightly short of the initially forecasted 5 million tons. However, the outlook for 2025 is more optimistic, with expectations of reaching the 5 million ton benchmark.
JAPAN
The other 15 sailors were rescued
SPAIN
Angulas Aguinaga,
UNITED STATES
NORWAY
Norway exported a total 2.8 million tonnes of seafood in 2024, worth a record NOK 175.4 billion, with the volume corresponding to 38 million meals every single day. This was achieved despite the year being characterised by cod quota cuts, production challenges for farmed salmon, geopolitical fluctuations and economic turmoil in the global market. 
Norway and Canada salmon farmer
FAROE ISLANDS
aroe Islands: 16.6 thousand tonnes
EUROPEAN UNION
The new EU duty-free quotas for Icelandic fishery and agricultural products came into force on 1 January 2025. They refer to eight new duty-free import quotas to the European Union (EU). The quotas offer greater export possibilities for Icelandic products from both the fishing and aquaculture industries that will compete with those from the EU itself, according to the Icelandic Government.
