It has been discovered that the Far East Crab Catchers Association (CCA, Vladivostok), which is made up of crab producers in the Russian Far East, has suspended its certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). 

The suspension has been made for all three types of crab that are subject to certification: red king crab, blue crab, and snow crab (Opilio species). As the association was the only one in the Far East to have been certified for the Opilio species, from now on, no certification for Opilio species from the Far East will be available.

The association obtained certification for the three species on October 12, 2023. The suspension comes after MSC announced in 2024 that it would suspend certification for the three species.

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.

The European Commission has set new, more stringent requirements for avoiding listeria contamination in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.

The updated rules only apply to RTE foods, which have been the cause of many recent listeria cases in the E.U. and are, thus, considered a high-risk food group. 

The new rules establish a lower contamination threshold and a longer time frame in which producers are responsible for food safety than those that came before. 

Author: Erin Spampinato / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here

Aquabounty’s land-based salmon farming equipment heads to auction.

The remnants of failed land-based salmon farming pioneer AquaBounty are set to go under the hammer in February 2025.

The auction features a range of high-value, unused aquaculture equipment, offering a rare opportunity for industry players to acquire state-of-the-art technology at reduced costs.

AquaBounty, once a high-profile advocate for land-based salmon farming, struggled to overcome the economic and operational challenges of its ambitious expansion.

Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here

Despite challenges, including increased competition from other countries, trade wars and market barriers, Vietnam’s seafood exports are expected to continue to increase and could reach a total value of US$ 11 billion this year – a feat last achieved in 2022, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep).

In 2024, the country’s seafood exporters overcame many difficulties and challenges in terms of raw material sources, reduced demand, increased competition, and increased market barriers. Nevertheless, an export value of over $10 billion was achieved, not including more than $250 million from its overseas fishmeal sales.

Source: Worldfishing l Read the full article here

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.