The Fisheries Department of the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) has issued a 48-hour closure notice for the winter loligo fishery season.

Stanley - The fishery, which opened on July 27, saw a rapid drop in initial catches. An initial, or starting, biomass mean estimate of just over 29,735 tonnes was subsequently revised down to 21,695 tonnes. Since then, catches have caused the mean biomass estimate to fall to 14,722 tonnes, with a lower confidence interval value of 6,539 tonnes.

On the grounds of conservation and long-term sustainability of the stock, a closure notice has therefore been issued. This notice is subject to an ongoing assessment of catches, and the closure date may change based on scientific analysis.

Work is ongoing between the industry and the Fisheries Department to identify a timeframe and vessel for a subsequent scientific survey, at which point the biomass estimate will be reassessed. This survey will inform whether the season reopens or remains closed.

This temporary closure follows two years of disappointing second loligo seasons. The FIG remains committed to working with industry members to ensure the continued sustainability of the fishery.

Source: MercoPress

BEIJING — China's aquatic product output saw strong growth in the first half of 2025, according to data from the Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Total production reached 33.6453 million metric tons, marking a year-on-year increase of 4.59% across the 30 provinces that reported statistics.

The growth was primarily driven by the aquaculture sector. Marine aquaculture produced 12.2702 million tons, a significant increase of 5.62%, while freshwater aquaculture grew by 4.53%, reaching 17.5875 million tons.

Capture fisheries showed slower growth. Marine capture fisheries increased by 1.87% to 3.4123 million tons, while freshwater capture fisheries saw a slight decrease of 0.02%, with a production of 375,300 tons.

Three decades of fish farming in a Scottish sea loch has not reduced the stunning diversity of marine life there, according to a seabed survey commissioned by Mowi Scotland – and now Mowi has released images from around the farm site.

The images were taken by a dive team from Tritonia Scientific, an independent marine surveying consultancy, amongst the site’s moorings and the surrounding areas which have had a fish farming presence for over 30 years. 

The photography shows a number of species flourishing in the loch, including feather stars, peacock worms, kelp, sponges, squirts, hydrozoan, small-spotted catshark, lions mane jellyfish, symbiotic fish, etc

Author: Robert Outram / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here

FSV Group takes delivery of new stun and bleed vessel.

Norwegian aquaculture support company FSV Group has taken delivery of a new stun and bleed vessel, Scotia, to support Mowi’s salmon farming operations in Scotland.

The 49.97-metre vessel was built by Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted (FMV) to a design by Sirius Design and Integration, with hull construction undertaken at Finomar in Poland and final outfitting completed in Norway, according to Baird Maritime.

Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here

Eumofa, the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products, has just published its latest report on the forage fishmeal and fish oil sectors in the European Union (EU) and their production and trade flows.

The report shows that over the last decade, global fishmeal and fish oil production has remained relatively stable, averaging 5.1 million tonnes of fishmeal and around 1.2 million tonnes of fish oil. Of this amount, the EU produces between 370,000 and over 520,000 tonnes of fishmeal and between 90,000 and 140,000 tonnes of fish oil, between 8% and 12% of annual global production. 

Source: iPac.aquacultura | Read the full article here

The Scottish Government has granted the necessary authorization and marine licenses for the creation of the new Berwick Bank wind farm, set to be one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world. Located in the North Sea approximately 38 km off the coast of the Scottish Borders, in St Abbs, the Berwick Bank wind farm will have an estimated capacity of 4.1 gigawatts (GW) which, with current technology, could generate enough electricity to power all Scottish homes approximately twice a year. With current technology, it could generate up to 11.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually, enough to power approximately 17% of UK homes.

Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here

The Portuguese government is tightening restrictions on octopus fishing in the nation’s waters in an effort to protect stocks of the species.

The new restrictions involve staggered closures of the octopus fishery starting this summer, stricter requirements about gear removal during fishery closures, and new administrative responsibilities for fishers.

The northernmost section of the coastline is currently closed for octopus fishing, a closure which started on 17 July and will end on 15 August. The nation’s central and southern waters will be closed from 16 August to 14 September and 15 September to 14 October, respectively.

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

But lower prices meant returns increased by just 8%

High harvest volumes and low spot prices led to Norway exporting 136,054 tonnes of salmon worth NOK 10.2 billion (£748 million) in July, the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) announced today.

“There is a seasonal variation in salmon exports, so a July volume of 136,000 tonnes is surprisingly high. It almost corresponds to the record volume that we had in September and October last year,” said NSC seafood analyst Paul T Aandahl. “The reason is favourable biological conditions that have resulted in increased production compared to July 2024.”

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

The two Pacific nations are negotiating access agreements to ensure Fiji's processing industry, particularly PAFCO, has a stable supply of raw materials, which is essential for the sustainability and growth of the regional fisheries sector.

SUVA, FIJI - Fiji's Ministry of Fisheries has held talks with the Tuvalu Fisheries Department with the aim of negotiating access agreements to secure the supply of tuna, a vital resource for Fiji's processing industry.

The bilateral meeting, held last week, focused on addressing the current shortage of raw materials faced by Fiji's main tuna processing company, PAFCO.

These discussions are part of a broader effort to strengthen regional cooperation and guarantee a stable tuna supply, which is crucial for the sustainability and growth of Fiji's fisheries sector. By fostering stronger partnerships with neighboring countries like Tuvalu, Fiji seeks to support its processing facilities and maintain its position as a key player in the Pacific tuna industry.