Tokyo, (Jiji Press)--The Japanese and Chinese governments on Saturday confirmed that they will make progress in talks toward the resumption of China's imports of Japanese fishery products.

The confirmation was made during a high-level economic dialogue between Japanese and Chinese government officials held in Tokyo, the first such meeting in about six years since April 2019. Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (left) and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi (right), chaired the meeting.

China imposed the import ban in response to the release into the ocean of tritium-containing treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s meltdown-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan.

"It was meaningful that we were able to make confirmation about moving ahead with the import resumption-related process," Iwaya told reporters after the meeting.

Regarding exports of Japanese agricultural products such as rice, Iwaya said he told the Chinese side that priority should be given to what can be resolved early.

• The sanction and operational costs are estimated to exceed 700 million pesos.
• China increases the use of vessels with flags of convenience, according to Infobae reports.

After a process lasting just over two months, the Argentine State has collected a significant sum in fines and operational costs from the shipowner of the Xin Run 579, a vessel flying the Vanuatu flag, detected by the Argentine Naval Prefecture fishing illegally by trawling within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on January 5th.

The National Undersecretariat of Fisheries, the enforcing authority in this case, has not disclosed the exact amount of the sanction. However, unofficial sources informed Infobae that the total value would exceed 700 million pesos (approximately USD 640,000 at the official exchange rate, or close to USD 550,000 at the free exchange rate).

The procedure had taken place in January (see footnotes).

Related News:

• Illegal Fishing: China Increases Pressure on Argentine Sea Using Vessels Flying Flags of Vanuatu and Cameroon

• Argentine Coast Guard Detects Chinese Trawler Operating Illegally in the Exclusive Economic Zone

• Mass Participation Planned for Saturday's Protest in A Pobra.

Vilagarcía de Arousa – A significant portion of Galicia's mussel farming sector ("bateeiro" sector) has confirmed its participation in the upcoming demonstration against the proposed Altri pulp mill in the Arousa estuary. "We have consistently voiced our unequivocal opposition to this project, which directly threatens our livelihoods and the ecological integrity of the estuary," representatives stated.

The mussel farmers' primary concern centers on the potential impact of the Altri plant on the Arousa estuary's water quality. The proposed mill, located in Palas de Rei, plans to extract up to 46,000 cubic meters of water daily from the Ulla River and discharge 30,000 cubic meters of treated wastewater. As the Ulla River empties into the Arousa estuary, the discharge of this treated water raises serious concerns about potential harm to the marine ecosystem, specifically water quality and shellfish and mussel ("bateeira") production.

Despite receiving environmental approval from the Xunta de Galicia, the shellfish and environmental sectors remain deeply concerned about the potential for irreversible damage. The Arousa estuary is a critical ecosystem for mussel cultivation and a vital economic engine for Galicia.

Ståle Walderhaug has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF). The 49-year-old, who most recently served as Director of Oil Spills, Monitoring, and Analysis at Kongsberg Satellite Services in Tromsø, will return to the seafood sector this autumn.

Walderhaug brings a robust background to FHF, holding a civil engineering degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and a doctorate in software development from the University of Tromsø (UiT). His professional experience includes research positions within SINTEF companies, management roles at SINTEF Digital, and the CEO position at SINTEF Nord AS. He has also spent 15 years teaching computer science and Ocean Leadership at UiT.

During his tenure at SINTEF, Walderhaug collaborated closely with the fishing industry, gaining extensive knowledge of the Norwegian seafood sector. At FHF, he will now engage with the broader Norwegian seafood industry.

"My desire to contribute to research and development in partnership with the seafood industry proved too compelling to resist," stated Ståle Walderhaug. "This industry is vital to Norway and demonstrates a strong commitment to utilizing cutting-edge research. I am eager to begin my work at FHF."

Land-based salmon producer Proximar Seafood has made its first export of Fuji Atlantic salmon from its facility in Oyama, Japan, to Taiwan, marking a milestone in the company’s entry into regional Asian markets.

The announcement was made following a launch event in Taoyuan on March 20, held in collaboration with trading partner Marubeni and Taiwanese distributor Tamsuo. The event was attended by over 100 guests, including more than 20 media outlets and three television networks, according to Proximar.

Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here

The UK’s shellfish farming industry is a small but very important industry, and it has fantastically huge potential that could put it on par with France and Spain – Europe’s leaders in the space – if it’s provided with a regulatory landscape that allows it to grow and flourish, according to David Jarrad, Chief Executive of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB).

The UK’s cultivated shellfish volume comprises three main products: mussels, oysters and scallops. In volume terms, the country is growing around 14,000 tonnes of mussels, 2,560 tonnes of Pacific oysters, 12 tonnes of native oysters, 0.02 tonnes of queen scallops and 5 tonnes of king scallops annually.

Author: Jason Holland / Worldfishing l Read the full article here

The government of New Zealand has unveiled a long term development strategy for developing the country’s aquaculture industry.

The government has said it will partner with industry, the Maori people, councils, communities and agencies to enable sustainable growth for New Zealand’s aquaculture sector.

Led by Fisheries New Zealand, the plan sets out actions the government  will take to enable the aquaculture industry to reach NZ $3 billion (£1.3bn)  in annual revenue by 2035. These actions are organised into four “pathways for growth”.

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

Free Fish Lunches Distributed to Employees on March 19th.

Kyokuyo Co., Ltd., a leading seafood company headquartered in Tokyo, has initiated a campaign to encourage increased fish consumption among its employees, titled "Seafood Company, Eat Fish!" This initiative addresses the company's concern that, despite promoting convenient fish products to combat declining consumption trends, internal fish consumption might be lacking.

The campaign's inaugural event involved the distribution of complimentary fish lunch boxes to employees at the Akasaka location in Minato Ward, Tokyo, where the head office is situated. This effort aimed to raise awareness about the importance of incorporating more fish into daily diets. Employees reported that the lunch distribution facilitated discussions about fish consumption among colleagues.

Kyokuyo intends to leverage this internal campaign to highlight the nutritional benefits and culinary appeal of fish. In collaboration with partners who share its vision of promoting fish consumption, the company aspires to ignite a nationwide movement to revitalize the fishing industry. Future projects are planned to further advance this objective.