Tilapia prices continued their downward trend in December 2024, driven by an oversupply of fish ready for market.

According to researchers at Cepea, the decline in prices for live and iced tilapia was less pronounced than in earlier months but still notable. The price drop was attributed to increased production levels and significant gains in the average weight of fish during the latter half of 2024.

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Export Boost Amid Local Oversupply

Despite lower domestic prices, Brazil's tilapia exports saw substantial growth, fueled by a favorable exchange rate and abundant supply. In December, Brazilian exporters shipped 2,100 tons of tilapia products, including fillets and by-products. This marked a 40.3% increase compared to November 2024 and an impressive 202.3% rise compared to December 2023, based on Secex data compiled by Cepea.

The export surge highlights the resilience of Brazil's tilapia industry, leveraging global demand to counterbalance domestic market pressures.

Manuel Barange, FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, has expressed readiness to provide Cambodia with technical support in aquaculture, feed production, and fish hatchery. This commitment was conveyed during a meeting with Dith Tina, Cambodia’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, on January 9, 2024.

The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration to enhance Cambodia's fisheries and aquaculture sector. Minister Tina highlighted the government's initiatives to stabilize prices, deploy agricultural officers for farmer support, and build modern agricultural communities to reduce production costs and mitigate climate risks.

Tina also emphasized the importance of promoting aquaculture to ensure the sustainability of natural fisheries and transition from subsistence fishing to profitable aquaculture practices. He stressed the need for proper fish farming techniques, quality feed production, and investment in fish breeding and hatching.

Barange reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to assist Cambodia in these areas and explore further support for the agricultural sector, including conserving natural resources and building on past cooperative achievements.

The firm is among the three largest cephalopod processing companies in Spain

In the world of food exports, commercial relations are not only based on numbers, but are also deeply intertwined with cultural aspects and mutual understanding between countries. In this context, "we are proud of our strong relationship with Portugal, a bond that has been consolidated over the years and that adds value to both the company and our customers," says the Coruña-based food and frozen food company Salgado Frozen Seafood, located in the Pocomaco industrial estate (A Coruña).

Source: La Voz de Galicia l Read the full article here

EU-backed startup launches alternative product made with farmed seaweed

A German company that makes a plant-based alternative to tuna has launched a hot smoked salmon alternative made from farmed seaweed and European fava beans and peas.

BettaFish sources its brown macroalgae from seaweed farms off the Irish and Norwegian coasts.

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

Faroe Islands revise salmon farming tax model amid political consensus.

The Faroe Islands government, in conjunction with the opposition party Sambandsflokkurin, has introduced a revised taxation model for the salmon farming industry, set to remain in place until 2032. Effective January 1, 2025, the updated framework reduces the maximum revenue tax rate from 20% to 7.5% and introduces an additional corporate tax of 12%, applicable solely to marine farming operations.

Author: Matthew Wilcox / SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here

Moen Marin, the world’s largest supplier of aquaculture working boats, is expanding with the acquisition of the advanced propulsion business PMH Norway.

PMH Norway will become a subsidiary of Moen Marin and will continue under the same brand name. The company has 16 employees with broad mechanical, electrical and technical expertise. 

Moen Marin says the deal will allow it develop and deliver vessels with far more integrated and functional total solutions, which will benefit customers at home and abroad.

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

Salmon Evolution (OSE: SALME) harvested 1,729 tonnes HOG in Q4, including 105 tonnes LW post smolt, taking full year harvest volume to 4,891 tonnes HOG including post smolt.

The quarter showed strong feeding and biomass gain, especially in the second half of November and December.

Q4 operational summary:

• All-in price realization on harvested fish of NOK ~82/kg.
• Successful post smolt delivery.
• Total harvest of 1,729 tonnes HOG, including 105 tonnes LW post smolt.
• Average harvest weight of ~3.8 kg (HOG), up 15% from last quarter, with continued excellent product quality and a superior grade share of 95%.
• Biomass production of 1,518 tonnes LW, second highest on record and up 11% Q/Q.
• Standing biomass of 2,023 tonnes LW end Q4.

"Salmon Evolution achieved significant milestones in 2024 with solid growth in harvest volumes and strong operational progress through the year”, CEO of Salmon Evolution, Trond Håkon Schaug-Pettersen said. “We are especially proud of our excellent biological results, introducing a new standard of salmon farming and giving us a great momentum going into 2025”, he said.

The era of commercial finfish pen aquaculture in Washington State appears to have come to an end following a decisive vote by the Board of Natural Resources on January 7 to ban the practice entirely.

This move marks a significant victory for Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz, who has been a staunch advocate for limiting aquaculture leasing on state-owned tidelands.

“Avoiding impacts is our legal and moral responsibility,” Franz stated, as reported by the Seattle Times. “I ask why we ever allowed this... I am asking the board to learn from the past and the effects of our decision.”

The industry has faced mounting scrutiny since a catastrophic pen collapse in 2017 released an estimated 263,000 farmed Atlantic salmon into Puget Sound. That incident triggered widespread public and governmental criticism, leading to ongoing legal and regulatory challenges for aquaculture operations in the region.

Cooke Aquaculture, one of the key industry players, and other proponents have worked to maintain a foothold in the Pacific Northwest. However, their efforts have met resistance from the state’s Department of Natural Resources, which has opposed applications from Cooke and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to raise black cod and steelhead in net pens.

The «Xinrun 579» was fishing illegally

The Argentine Naval Prefecture intercepted a Chinese fishing vessel working in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In this case, it was a trawler, the Xinrun 579, which belongs to a series of newly built vessels that moved this year to this key fishing ground for the Galician fleet.

Source: Industrias Pesqueras l Read the full article here