In February 2025, the total volume of frozen pollock imported into Korea was 13,036 tons, a 16% decrease compared to the 15,599 tons imported in the same period of 2024.

The cumulative import volume for the year reached 24,373 tons, a 4% decline from the 25,500 tons recorded in the previous year (25,500 tons). This represents 16% of total seafood imports, which amounted to 152,793 tons.

Russia supplied the majority (99%) of frozen pollock imports, with 24,257 tons, while the United States provided 116 tons. The import price was USD 1.04/kg for Russian pollock and USD 1.44/kg for American pollock.

The total import value of frozen pollock until February 2025 was USD 13.79 million, a 10% decrease compared to USD 15.33 million in the same period of 2024. However, the cumulative import value reached USD 25.48 million, a 1% increase compared to USD 25.24 million in the previous year (USD 25.24 million).

The average import price was USD 1.05/kg, a 6% increase from USD 0.99/kg in the same period of 2024.

Despite the decline in import volume, the average import price of frozen pollock has increased, and the total cumulative import value has risen slightly.

Source: Union Forsea Corp.

Digital tool will give decision makers the information required to balance environmental protection with food production in Mekong Delta

A £3.5 million initiative to use the knowledge and skills of scientists at Scotland's Stirling University’s to help develop a digital tool for promoting sustainable fish farming in Vietnam's Mekong Delta has been announced.

The AquaSoS project aims to tackle disease outbreaks in farmed pangasius (catfish) and overcome anti-microbial resistance (AMR).

Source: fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here

Stolt Sea Farm, the Spanish based land turbot and sole farmer, enjoyed an excellent performance last year, with higher turnover, an increase in production and profits up nearly 20%.

The company is the aquaculture arm of the Norwegian shipping and logistics group  Stolt Nielsen and specialises in two of the most popular high end white fish species. It has won a succession of awards in recent years.

Stolt Sea Farm reported operating revenues of €116m (£97m), an increase of 14% on the previous 12 months.

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

The Philippines and Palau have formalized a landmark agreement to promote sustainable fisheries practices, enhance mutual trade and investment, and foster technical cooperation in the sector.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed recently between the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Philippines and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment of Palau, lays the groundwork for a robust partnership. This historic agreement targets key areas of cooperation, including the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the sharing of technology, the development of fisheries infrastructure, and the facilitation of trade and investments.

The Philippines and Palau also pledged to work together in ensuring compliance with international market standards set by global leaders such as the European Union and Japan.

A Joint Committee will be established to oversee the agreement’s execution, with senior officials from both nations meeting annually to plan, monitor, and assess progress.

Japan and Russia have finalized an agreement on trial salmon and trout fishing by Japanese vessels within 200 nautical miles of Russia, maintaining the same fishing quotas, fees, and operational period as last year.

According to the Fisheries Agency, negotiations took place via web conference from March 10 and concluded on March 14, involving the same representatives as those who negotiated fishing rights within Japan’s 200-nautical-mile zone.

Under the agreement, a single vessel will conduct a trial operation using a trawl net, with a total catch limit of 125 tons, distributed as follows:

The fishing fee remains at 25 million yen, and the operation period is set for 36 days, from June 1 to July 31, aligning closely with last year’s schedule.

Last year, trial fishing resumed after a three-year hiatus, with one 199-ton fishing vessel operating from July 1 to July 12. However, the total catch was only 8.2 tons, with no sockeye salmon recorded. This year, fishing will commence earlier than before, raising hopes for better results, particularly in the waters off Kamchatka.

We hear from the scientist who discovered Japanese sardines off the coast of California for the first time and discuss what it means for the future.

In 2022, Dr. Gary Longo detected Japanese sardines swimming in the eastern Pacific, off the coast of California. This was the first time they’d ever been seen here—their normal range is in the western Pacific from Korea to Russia, thousands and thousands of miles away. It was a shocking discovery. Sardines are incredibly important to the California current ecosystem and are a key forage fish across the globe.

On this episode of Dive In with NOAA Fisheries, we scratch at this mystery of Japanese sardine appearing in U.S. waters. How did they get here? What does it mean for the native Pacific sardine? Are they staying? (Spoiler alert: so far, yes.) 

We hear from Dr. Longo, a research scientist at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center and one of the authors of a new study documenting this discovery. The authors suggest marine heatwaves that warmed the North Pacific over the last decade might have opened a corridor of favorable habitat, which the Japanese sardines followed across the ocean.

South Korea experienced a significant 63% surge in Norwegian seafood imports in February compared to the previous year.

February 2025 imports reached 10,107 tons, up from 6,207 tons in February 2024. Total imports for January and February rose by 42% to 25,069 tons, compared to 17,674 tons in the same period of 2024. Norwegian seafood now represents 16% of South Korea's total seafood imports, which reached 152,793 tons.

[Import Trends by Product]

Norwegian seafood import values also increased, with February 2025 reaching USD 55.4 million, a 14% rise from USD 48.76 million in February 2024. The cumulative value for January and February increased by 30% to USD 139.4 million, compared to USD 107.31 million in 2024. However, the average import price decreased by 8% to USD 5.56/kg, down from USD 6.07/kg the previous year. The increased demand for Norwegian seafood in South Korea is evident, particularly for frozen mackerel and salmon fillets.

Source: Union Forsea Corp.