Launched in October, France Terre de Pêches brings together seven producer organizations: OP du Sud, Les Pêcheurs de Bretagne, Orthongel, From Sud-Ouest, From Nord, Sathoan and OP de La Cotinière, which represent 1,000 fishing companies and 5,500 fishermen, reports Vincent Schumeng from Produit de la Mer.

The aim is to promote French fishing in all its aspects. "The French don't know much about fishing," says the coalition's spokesperson, Perrine Cuvilliers - who is also the general secretary of OP du Sud. "We want to show that our fishing is beautiful and diverse, and to break down preconceived ideas." 

The coalition's messages, particularly via its online media, will focus on good practices for fishermen but also on the challenges facing the profession: modernizing the fleet, recruiting young fishermen, etc. "We want to dust off the image of the fisherman and show the importance of this sector in food sovereignty," concludes Perrine Cuvilliers. 

Defending fishing means ensuring that there will be French fish on the shelves. Note that this coalition of POs has no legal status, so funding is collective.

According to data from the Federal Fisheries Monitoring System under the Federal Agency for Fisheries, Russian fishermen have recorded a significant increase in catch volume in early 2025.

Since the start of the year, total catches by Russian users have reached 58.6 thousand tons of aquatic bioresources, an increase of 5.8 thousand tons compared to the same period in 2024.

Regional Catch Overview:

• Far Eastern Basin: 54.1 thousand tons (up by 6.3 thousand tons from 2024).
• Northern Basin: 2.6 thousand tons (unchanged).
• Western Basin: 0.2 thousand tons (unchanged).
• Azov-Black Sea Basin: 0.3 thousand tons (up by 0.1 thousand tons from 2024).
• Volga-Caspian Basin: 0.7 thousand tons (up by 0.6 thousand tons from 2024).

In addition, the Russian fleet has harvested approximately 0.68 thousand tons in exclusive economic zones of foreign states, conventional areas, and the open part of the World Ocean.

Fresh catches are being prioritized for the domestic market to meet local demand.

Source: Federal Agency for Fisheries

In December 2024, South Korea imported 15,342 tons of Norwegian seafood, marking a 6% increase compared to the 14,482 tons imported during the same month in 2023.

For the entire year, South Korea’s cumulative imports reached 78,898 tons, reflecting a modest 1% rise from the 78,359 tons recorded in 2023. Norwegian seafood accounted for approximately 9% of South Korea’s total seafood imports, which stood at 901,242 tons in 2024.

Notable Trends:

• Fresh Atlantic salmon imports experienced significant growth, totaling 4,363 tons in December 2024—a staggering 265% increase from the 1,196 tons imported in December 2023.

Click on the image to enlarge

Declines in Key Products:

• Frozen mackerel: 38,204 tons (-8% from 41,475 tons in 2023).
• Fresh salmon: 15,854 tons (-13% from 18,263 tons in 2023).
• Fresh salmon fillets: 4,638 tons (-2% from 4,738 tons in 2023).
• Frozen mackerel fillets: 4,538 tons (-25% from 6,047 tons in 2023).

Import Value:

The total value of Norwegian seafood imports in December 2024 amounted to USD 77.84 million, representing a 24% increase compared to USD 62.85 million in December 2023. For the entire year, the cumulative import value was USD 558.22 million, remaining relatively stable compared to USD 560.87 million in 2023.

The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI) organised an awareness-cum-input distribution programme, on January 10, of a product – CIFRI CAGEGROW, a floating fish feed, developed by it.

The programme was held at the Institute in the Training hall, office of the Superintendent of Fisheries, Ri-Bhoi district.

Ri-Bhoi is an aspirational district of Meghalaya and the programme is expected to benefit the under-privileged fish farmers of the district.

During technical discussion, fish farmers were explained about different products and technologies developed by the Institute for benefits of farmers of the mid-altitude region as well as the scientific merits of CIFRI CAGEGROW floating feed and fish farming techniques for fish production enhancement in a sustainable manner.

During the interactive session, scientists and officials addressed the queries raised by the farmers on different aspects of hill aquaculture and open water fisheries. They urged the participants to adopt sustainable farming practices for their livelihood.

A total of 5000 kg of CIFRI CAGEGROW floating feed was distributed among 50 fish farmers’ families of the district.

Young’s Seafood saw its profits almost quadruple during its last financial year, which ended on 31 March 2024.

The group’s stronger financial performance was in spite of rising fish prices during the period, a spiral which has continued throughout the rest of 2024, and a very slight increase in revenue.

Grimsby-based Young’s produces and processes wild caught and farmed seafood. The group reported revenues of £649.5m for the 53 week period, against £625.9m for the 52 week period ended 31 March 2023.

Author:  Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer l Read the full article here

Joining the programme, Cargill Canada became the first ASC certified feed company in Canada. Their feed mill, operating out of Surrey, British Columbia, produces feed for a variety of species, including trout, salmon, seabass, seabream and meagre, seriola, cobia and tilapia. Cargill Canada’s ASC feed certification is a key step forward for the company as it supplies its feed to farms across North America and the Pacific Rim.

Mowi Feed has also achieved ASC feed certification for both its facilities in Scotland and Norway. Operating out of Kyleakin on the east coast of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, and Valsneset in central-western Norway, respectively, their state-of-the-art feed mills produce feed for salmon. 

Source: The Fish Site l Read the full article here

DPC Dash, the exclusive franchisee of Domino’s Pizza in China, has announced plans to heavily expand the chain’s presence in the Asian market.

As part of the expansion, the chain has designed a menu catered toward local tastes, including several seafood options to accomplish that goal.

DPC Dash opened 14 new Domino’s stores across 13 mainland China cities during the 2024 holiday period, including outlets in cities like Chongqing and Shenyang.

Author: Mark Godfrey / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here

The Sri Lankan Navy seized two Indian fishing boats and arrested eight Indian fishermen for illegally fishing in Sri Lankan waters on Saturday night.

The boats were intercepted in the seas north of Mannar, located in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. According to a press statement released on Sunday, the operation was part of the navy's ongoing efforts to prevent unauthorized fishing activities in the country’s territorial waters.

Illegal fishing by foreign vessels has long been a contentious issue, with Sri Lankan authorities emphasizing its detrimental impact on local fishing communities. The navy highlighted that such activities not only threaten the livelihoods of Sri Lankan fishermen but also contribute to the depletion of marine resources in the region. Regular patrols and operations are conducted to curb these practices and ensure sustainable use of maritime resources.

The arrests on Saturday bring the total number of Indian fishing boats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy this year to three, with 18 Indian fishermen detained so far. These incidents underscore the persistent challenges in managing cross-border fishing disputes, particularly in the waters between India and Sri Lanka, where the maritime boundaries are frequently crossed by fishing vessels.