Committee says regulators should have option to halt production at sites with persistant problems

The Scottish Government should provide powers to regulators to limit or halt production at fish farms which record persistent high mortality rates, a committee of MSPs has said.

The suggestion is the stand-out recommendation in a newly published report by the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (RAIC) that results from an inquiry into Scotland’s salmon farming sector last year.

Author: Gareth Moore / fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here

Waitrose, the upmarket supermarket chain, is promoting a traditional French cooking method for fish, with Scottish salmon leading the drive.

Called En Papillote, the technique is known for producing a rich, aromatic flavour. Waitrose.com says it has seen a surge in searches for “ready to cook fish” and “fresh fish” up 100% and 59% respectively over the last seven days. 

The marketing campaign also designed to help people overcome their fear of cooking fish.

The new products include Wild Garlic Scottish Salmon; Thai Green Inspired cod fillets; and Provençal Inspired Haddock Fillets.

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

Iceland increased its aquaculture exports by 16% in 2024 compared to the previous year. The local industry portal notes that commercial fish farming has become an important part of the republic's economy.

In monetary terms, the volume of aquaculture exports over the past year amounted to 54 billion Icelandic crowns (384 million dollars), a Fishnews correspondent reports, citing foreign industry media. At the same time, the share of farmed products in the total export of aquatic bioresources increased to 15%, and in all foreign sales of Iceland - to 6%.

Click on the image to enlarge it

The largest revenue source is aquaculture cod, followed by salmon and haddock in third place.

Fish farming has already become an important part of the republic's economy, and its importance will only increase in the coming years, notes the Icelandic industry portal. The author emphasizes that such developments increase export diversification and increase foreign currency inflows into the country's economy.

As of early 2025, Russian fishermen have harvested approximately 158,000 tons of aquatic bioresources, reflecting a 3% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Federal Agency for Fisheries' monitoring system.

Regional Catch Overview:

• Far Eastern Basin:
  Total: 143.3 thousand tons (+4% compared to 2024)

  • Pollock: 86.2 thousand tons
  • Pacific herring: 47.7 thousand tons
  • Cod: 4.9 thousand tons

• Northern Basin:
  Total: 7.4 thousand tons

  • Cod: 4.9 thousand tons
  • Haddock: 1.3 thousand tons

• Western Basin:
  Total: 1.3 thousand tons (+55% compared to 2024)

  • Baltic herring: 0.7 thousand tons
  • Sprat: 0.6 thousand tons

• Azov-Black Sea Basin:
  Total: 1.1 thousand tons

  • Anchovy: 1.1 thousand tons

• Volga-Caspian Basin:
  Total: 2.1 thousand tons (3.5 times the 2024 level)

  • Sprat: 2.1 thousand tons

Beyond Domestic Waters:

In exclusive economic zones of foreign states, conventional areas, and the open ocean, Russian fleets harvested an additional 2.5 thousand tons, marking an 18.6% increase from the same period in 2024.

Source: Federal Agency for Fisheries

Reston, VA – We are disappointed that the Food and Drug Administration is proposing still more significant, unnecessary regulation in the waning hours of the Biden Administration. The proposed front of package labeling is redundant and could deliver an inaccurate message to consumers including healthy seafood in their diets.

By focusing on negative saturated fats, FDA misses the point and misleads label readers. Fish, such as salmon, contain almost entirely unsaturated essential omega-3s, the healthiest fatty acids found in any protein. Meanwhile, the planned labeling provides no way to highlight nutritious components of the product, including for fish, the unsaturated fats associated with brain and heart health.

In the case of seafood, this regulation is essentially pointless and can confuse consumers while adding an unneeded compliance burden to American producers who will need to retool their labels for the massive U.S. market.

The incoming Trump Administration should withdraw the proposal in its entirety.

Lisa Wallenda Picard

President & CEO

Norwegian aquaculture firms Bue Salmon and Bolaks Group have announced a strategic three year-partnership that will “ensure Bue a stable supply of smolt, while Bolaks receives robust post-smolt in return.” 

Bue will receive smolt from Sævareid Fiskeanlegg, in which Bolaks is the majority shareholder; the smolt will then be upgraded to post-smolt at Bue Salmon’s land-based Bulandet site before being returned to Bolaks' sea farming sites.

The collaboration is intended to also include knowledge sharing, as both firms are currently studying optimization of land-based post-smolt production.

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