IN BRIEF - Israel formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
SWITZERLAND
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Israel's instrument of acceptance brings to 89 the total number of WTO members that have formally accepted the Agreement. Twenty-two more formal acceptances are needed for the Agreement to come into effect.
DG Okonjo-Iweala said: “I welcome Israel's formal acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. Each additional acceptance brings us closer to the threshold for the entry into force of these vital rules that will curb harmful subsidies and protect global fish stocks. I urge remaining WTO members to submit their own letters of acceptance, thereby helping to safeguard our oceans — and the livelihoods that depend on them — for future generations.”
Minister Barkat said: “Israel is proud to have successfully completed the domestic approval process of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, being the first agreement of its kind to focus on environmental sustainability. The agreement marks a pivotal moment in advancing sustainable development and we are glad to bring Members closer to its implementation. We remain not only optimistic, but also confident in the transformative potential of this agreement to rejuvenate and accelerate the processes leading up to the 14th Ministerial Conference. I extend my gratitude to the Director-General for her exemplary leadership and unwavering commitment in guiding this agreement to fruition.”
The Agreement will enter into force upon acceptance by two-thirds of the membership.
According to data compiled by the Miyagi Prefecture Fisheries Co-operative, market values for farmed coho salmon (gin-zake) are currently facing a downward trend. As of May 20, average cumulative prices have dropped by 8%, hitting a low of $5.11 per kilogram (812 Yen).
The recent figures show a clear decline compared to the much higher price ranges recorded during the exact same period in the previous year. Landings are still progressing across key distribution hubs, with the underlying data originating from the combined market locations of Onagawa, Ishinomaki markets, and the Shizugawa operations office.
Industry experts note that all listed unit prices are calculated excluding consumption tax. Despite steady shifting market values, overall aquaculture revenues in Miyagi Prefecture are experiencing pressure due to this ongoing price slump.
At the 33rd annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada, Vladimir Belyaev, Advisor to the Director of the Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), was elected President of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC). This appointment underscores the authority of Russian fisheries science and strengthens the country's role in managing transboundary marine resources.
The NPAFC, comprising five member countries, has established critical objectives for the upcoming term. Key priorities include tracking the migration, abundance, and survival of Pacific salmon. Following below-average catch volumes in 2025, the commission will focus on developing data-driven recommendations to protect vulnerable populations. Additionally, member states will coordinate strict measures to combat illegal fishing across the high seas.
"Conserving salmon stocks cannot tolerate disunity," stated Belyaev. "Sustainability depends on honest cooperation to forecast population dynamics and ensure protection in the convention area."
The measure, approved under the new temporary framework for the Middle East crisis, will cover costs for April and May 2026 and will be open until the end of the year.
The European Commission has approved a French state aid scheme worth €13 million for fishing companies affected by rising fuel prices resulting from the crisis in the Middle East. The decision falls under the temporary state aid mechanism adopted by Brussels on April 29, 2026.
According to information released by the Commission, the French program will cover costs corresponding to April and May 2026 and can be implemented until December 31 of this year.
The project by Itsas Balfegó, a company founded in 2022 by the Catalan firm Balfegó and the research center AZTI, to develop an open-sea aquaculture facility for fattening bluefin tuna in two 50-meter submersible tanks off the coast of Getaria, was officially presented in September 2024, marking the start of its testing phase. This followed a rigorous administrative and scientific evaluation. The initiative involved installing two submersible aquaculture structures 3.69 miles from the port of Getaria (Gipuzkoa), which would be tested during the autumn and winter months before the pilot test for fattening this species began in the summer of 2025. It was already being suggested at the time that if the experience proved positive, they would seek to move to the commercial phase.
Source: iPac.acuicultura | Read the full article here
Peruvian marine ingredients, including fishmeal and fish oil, have reached a new sustainability milestone after Austral Group became the first producer in the country to register the life cycle assessment (LCA) of its products as Branded Data within the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) database.
The international platform compiles environmental information on feed ingredients used in animal production, enabling customers, feed manufacturers and aquaculture companies to access accurate, verifiable and globally comparable data based on primary information rather than sector averages.
Salmon farmer Mowi Scotland is helping a remote Hebridean community to replace a statue of the saint that gave their island its name.
The island of Barra, in the Outer Hebrides, is named after the Irish saint, Barr (also known as Finbar). The statue of St Barr, installed in the 1970s, is now crumbling and needs extensive restoration.
Mowi provided both a vessel and crew to facilitate the removal of the existing statue from the island and supplied concrete to upgrade the plinth for the new statue, which is scheduled to arrive later this year.
Author: Robert Outram / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
Salmon stolen from a processing facility in Norway has been found in a stolen articulated lorry trailer parked up at a petrol station.
Processor 1814 Salmon reported that 18 tonnes of salmon worth around NOK 1.4 million (£112,000) had been stolen from its facility in Dal, close to Oslo Airport, in a burglary at the weekend.
Late on Sunday, police received a report of the theft of two articulated lorry trailers that had been stolen from nearby Skarnes during the night. At least one of them was observed at a service station in Vestby, around 110 kilometres southwest of Skarnes, and a patrol was dispatched to the scene.
Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
Atlantic Sapphire has entered into a restructuring agreement with a group of major shareholders and convertible loan holders aimed at securing long-term financing, reducing debt, and taking the land-based salmon farmer private.
The investor group includes Nordlaks Holding, Condire Management, Nokomis Capital, Strawberry Capital, and Joh. Johannsson Eiendom. Together, the group represents around 63% of Atlantic Sapphire’s shares and 93% of its outstanding convertible loan.
The transaction includes a voluntary offer of NOK 0.80 (€0.07) per share, followed by a planned squeeze-out of minority shareholders and a delisting from Euronext Oslo Børs.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
SWITZERLAND
DG Okonjo-Iweala said:
JAPAN
.png)
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
FRANCE
The measure, approved under the new temporary framework for the Middle East crisis, will cover costs for April and May 2026 and will be open until the end of the year.
SPAIN
The project by Itsas Balfegó, a company founded in 2022 by the Catalan firm
PERU.png)
Peruvian marine ingredients, including fishmeal and fish oil, have reached a new sustainability milestone after 
UNITED KINGDOM
Salmon farmer Mowi Scotland is helping a remote Hebridean community to replace a statue of the saint that gave their island its name.
NORWAY
Man arrested after being found asleep in cab
Atlantic Sapphire 
