Ocean catches are the leading raw materials for Zhoushan's export aquatic products processing enterprises, especially squid and tuna, which occupy an absolutely dominant position.

Squid production was 321,800 tons, with an output value of 3.667 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.33% and 15.04% respectively (including 35,800 tons of Argentine squid, with an output value of 807 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 37.21% and 29.31% respectively; the Southeast Pacific squid production was 286,100 tons, with an output value of 2.861 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.56% and 40.14% respectively);

Photo: Zhoushan seafood cargo port

Tuna production was 50,200 tons, with an output value of 857 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 75.73% and 74.02% respectively (internally, tuna longline production was 21,300 tons, with an output value of 544 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 55.58% and 49.56% respectively; The net output was 28,900 tons and the output value was 314 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 94.30% and 142.92% respectively)

Source: Zhejiang Zhoushan International Agricultural Products Trade Center (translated from original in chinese)

The integration of wine and beer residues is considered a viable nutritional and functional additive in fish feeds.

Recently, the University of Cádiz shared the findings from the UBAGALAC project. This project has been focused on exploring new ingredients to enhance the quality of feeds in aquaculture since 2020. The initiative has been coordinated by Dr. Juan Miguel Mancera from the University of Cádiz and Dr. Francisco Javier Moyano from the University of Almería.

In this regard, the University of Cádiz states:

The proposal and development of UBAGALAC arise from the growing interest in incorporating ingredients with biological activity into fish feeds, which can benefit the health and resilience of fish against adverse effects such as environmental stress, declining water quality, and potential diseases. These bioactive compounds, with antioxidant and/or immunostimulatory functions, have diverse natures (terpenes, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, etc.) and are often naturally present in many byproducts of the agri-food industry, including those generated in the production of alcoholic beverages (such as wine and beer).

Source: NutriNews

The move gives Océano control of a business with annual sales of around $50m.

Peru-based Océano Seafood has extended its footprint into the US market through the acquisition of peer Sea Fresh USA for an undisclosed sum.

The move gives the Lima-headquartered business control of a business with annual sales of around $50m, deepens its supplier network and diversifies its product offering.

Sea Fresh, founded in 1981 and based in Rhode Island, is a fishing and processing firm with docking operations – Handrigan Seafoods – and a processing facility in its home state. It is best known for its fresh and frozen squid which is sold to both retail and foodservice customers.

Océano, which has been one of Sea Fresh’s customers, was founded in 1997 as a fishmeal company but has diversified into fishing, processing, and selling squid, flying fish roe, mahi, Argentine red shrimp, octopus, tuna, bonito and anchovy.

The company has five processing facilities in Peru and 1,100 workers. It sells its produce under the A-1 brand.

More than 75% of its sales are in Asia while 17% of its produce is exported to Europe. Its sales to North America account for 7% of its total.

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• IN BRIEF - Peruvian squid group acquires major US squid supplier

The buy-out of a Grimsby seafood factory has completed.

Long-standing Danish operator Esperson has acquired Iceland Seafood UK, with the Copenhagen-headquartered firm fulfilling its strategic ambition of securing a British foothold. The company’s largest market is with UK retailers, and having previously relied solely on imports from its European operations, the team is looking forward to processing closer to the consumer.

Now it will set to work on turning round the fortunes of the loss-making Grimsby site, where between 150 and 180 people are employed. Agreement on the sale was reached almost a month ago, with Espersen having pulled out of an initial swoop late last year - one of two then unnamed buyers interested after parent company Iceland Seafood International announced its intention to exit the UK market.

Source: BusinessLive

As the seafood industry, conservation organizations, and community advocates work together to support healthy fisheries and stable communities, the laboratories for designing new approaches or adapting existing models are small fishing villages throughout the world, like El Rosario, Mexico.

El Rosario is a community of approximately 2,000 people in Baja California, Mexico, that is “dominated by fishing and agriculture,” said Alesa Flores Guzman, a curator with Comunidad y Biodiversidad (COBI)

Author: Ned Daly / SeafoodSource | read the full article here 

Offshore salmon farming company SalMar Aker Ocean says it has received approval for the location of its Smart Fish Farm in the Norwegian Sea.

The decision has come from the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. The Smart Fish Farm will be operated by Mariculture AS, a company wholly owned by SalMar Aker Ocean AS, which itself is jointly owned by seafood giant SalMar and marine engineering business Aker.

CEO Roy Reite said: “This is an important step forward in realizing the potential of offshore aquaculture.”

He added: “The next important milestones for us are the clarifications related to ground rent tax and the regulatory framework for offshore aquaculture.”

Author: Vince McDonagh / FishFarmer | read the full article here 

The fish covered by tariff preferences increases to 23 million kilos and has increased from: 20,240,053, in 2022 to 23,751,796 kilograms entering the Spanish market. In this direction, the general secretary of Cepesca, Javier Garat, has stressed that “the presence of tariff preferences for fishing species in the Spanish market depends on specific trade agreements between Spain, the European Union (EU) and other countries or regions ( ACP, Free Trade agreements).

Source: EuropaAzul | Read the full article here

As of November 2023, renowned executive Derek Kohn will take over the role of Managing Director for BioMar Chile, with the aim of further advancing the company’s commitment to sustainable and innovative aquaculture.

As a well-known Chilean aquaculture executive, Derek Kohn will strengthen the management of the Chilean business unit of BioMar. Together with the organisation, he will continue to drive the strategic goals that has positioned BioMar Chile as the industry leader in sustainable and efficient aquaculture feed solutions.

Source: FishFocus | read the full article here 

AECOC has brought together the agents of the food value chain at the 11th Meeting Point Against Food Waste, held in the CaixaForum Madrid space. At the opening of the event, the general director of the Food Industry of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), José Miguel Herrero, highlighted that "Spain is on the front line of the EU in reducing food waste." Ministry figures indicate that household food loss fell by 6.2% in 2022.

Source: IndustriasPesqueras | Read the full article here

Pressing issues threatening the sustainability of living marine resources across the Caribbean were discussed at the 19th Session of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) held in Bridgetown, Barbados, earlier this month.

The hybrid meeting, which was organised and led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), was attended by 110 delegates from 22 member countries and 11 partner organisations, signalling the highest number of delegates to ever attend in the history of this commission’s plenary meetings.

The delegates of the 19th session discussed the interim Caribbean Regional Management Plan for the Anchored Fish Aggregating Device Fishery (aFAD), and the associated guide for improved monitoring aFAD catches and assessment of aFAD impacts on stocks. They also reviewed the manual on aFAD Fisheries Governance with application to other Fisheries in the Wider Caribbean and the impacts of sargassum on marine resources in the region, a regional socio-economic and environmental developing issue.

The progress made in the strategic reorientation of the commission, the finalisation of the revised 2014 Rules of Procedures, opportunities for collaboration with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and other critical topics of potential implications for the fisheries in the region, among others two global instruments, the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, were included on the comprehensive agenda for discourse.

In delivering opening remarks, Adrian Forde, Barbados’ minister of environment and national beautification, the green and blue economy, spoke on the significance of the meeting for Barbados and at large, the CARICOM countries, and acknowledged the considerable progress of WECAFC in the preparation of fisheries management advice, especially as it relates to the management of fisheries using anchored Fish Aggregating Devices (aFADs).

Source: The Gleaner