According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, if last year Vietnam's fresh, frozen and dried tuna (except frozen tuna meat/loin code HS03034) could not be exported to the Italian market, this year the export value of this item accounted for 64% of the total export turnover to this market. Next is canned tuna. Exports of both of these product groups increased compared to the same period.

Contrary to the import trend from Vietnam, tuna imports into Italy from other countries are showing a downward trend, down 19% in the first quarter of 2024.

According to Eurostat statistics, Vietnam is the largest supplier of fresh, frozen and dried tuna outside the bloc to Italy, higher than both the Philippines and Indonesia. Meanwhile, in the canned tuna market segment, Vietnam is the 7th largest source for Italy, after Indonesia, Ecuador, China, Solomon Islands, Colombia and Seychelles.

There are currently about 8 enterprises exporting to this market. Of which, Yueh Chyang Canned Food and Mariso Vietnam are the 2 enterprises exporting the most tuna to this market, accounting for 86% of total export turnover.

According to businesses, the advantages of preferential tariffs under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) are creating attraction for Vietnamese tuna products in the Italian market. And if the “bottlenecks” in raw materials are removed, Vietnamese businesses will have more opportunities to boost exports to Italy.

Author/Source: Nguyen Ha

Tuna Market Exper/VASEP

The Danish Fisheries Agency and the EU are supporting a new development project with methanol for fishing vessels

Methanol can become the CO2-neutral alternative to the diesel oil that fishing vessels use today.

Photo: Danske Havne

"The fishery is under pressure from the green transition, and the industry has already implemented measures to reduce CO2 emissions. The next step is the engine and the fuel, where we really see an opportunity to reduce the industry's climate footprint, which is why we are now starting this project, which has the potential to significantly reduce fishing emissions", says Jens Brusgaard Vestergaard and continues:

"The time has come now, because if the shipping industry really bets on methanol, development will be boosted. It creates an infrastructure for green methanol on a large scale that ensures security of supply and a price-realistic alternative to diesel,"[....]

Source: fiskeritidende.dk

This Friday, the BOE published the Resolution of July 3, 2024, of the General Directorate of Labor, by which the Salary Review Agreement for 2024 of the VII State Collective Agreement for Aquaculture is registered and published.

Thus, in accordance with the provisions of article 20 of the Collective Agreement, and after the modification of the Agreement signed by the parties in the month of June, for the year 2024 an increase of 3% is contemplated on the salary tables of the year 2023.

Source: Ipac | Read the full article here

Anfaco-Cecopesca has presented to its Governing Council the advances in scientific-technological activities corresponding to the first half of 2024. The meeting highlighted the achievements in applied research and innovation aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the marine and food sector and that is currently They reflect 54 execution projects and a mobilized budget of 94 million euros.

Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here

Blue Star Foods is facing eviction from the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility it acquired in 2021 via the acquisition of Taste of BC Aquafarms.

After finalizing the acquisition of Taste of BC Aquafarms, Blue Star Foods planned to raise steelhead trout in the facility. The company recently was granted a license extension renewal through 2033 covering white sturgeon, coho, and Chinook salmon, as well as rainbow trout, and had planned to continue raising trout in the facility.

Author: Christine Blank / SeafoodSource| Read the full article here

EU Sea Fisheries Social Partners: Advancing social sustainability: Statement by Europêche. As we finalise the deliverables of the “Pillars of the Sea 3” project, we are pleased to present our achievements and future initiatives. Co-funded by the EU, this project advances the Social Dialogue Committee roadmap for socially sustainable fishing, building on our previous successes. Notably, our work on medical guidelines for fishers led to the adoption of new guidelines on medical examination of fishers by ILO and IMO, confirming our essential role in advancing the health, safety, and sustainability of the fishing industry. As we move forward, we remain committed to enhancing the working conditions and safety of fishers across the EU and beyond.

Source: FishFocus | Read the full article here

The world's biggest wellboat operator, Sølvtrans, has ordered two battery-hybrid vessels from shipbuilder Aas Mekaniske in Vestnes, Norway. Both vessels are of Aas 3002 design and will each have a well capacity of 3,000m³. They will be specially equipped for the transfer of smolts.

Sølvtrans said the wellboats will have best equipment available on the market to ensure good fish welfare, avoid fish escapes and optimize biosecurity

Source: Fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here

According to the industry monitoring system of the Federal Agency for Fisheries (Federal Fisheries Monitoring System), by July 10, 2024, the total catch of aquatic bioresources by Russian users amounted to more than 2.6 million tons, which is 28.4 thousand tons (1.1%) more than the level of the previous year.

Including the following:

– Far Eastern basin – more than 1.9 million tons (+2.1%)

– Northern basin – more than 281.8 thousand tons (+6.1%)

– Western basin – 49.7 thousand tons.

– Azov-Black Sea basin – 16.6 thousand tons

– Volga-Caspian basin – 46 thousand tons.

In the exclusive economic zones of foreign states, conventional areas and the open part of the World Ocean, the Russian fleet has produced more than 244.5 thousand tons.

Source: Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo)

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden make a sharp appeal to the EU Council and the EU Commission to act against Russia's fishing activities in the Baltic Sea. The four countries believe that Russia's fishing undermines their joint efforts to rebuild the biological resources of the sea.

In a recent communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, it is emphasized that the situation in the Baltic Sea is serious, with commercial fish stocks continuing to decline. Four out of ten fisheries have been banned for several years, including a five-year ban on Baltic cod fishing.

Russia fishes despite EU ban

Russia has on its own set fishing opportunities for cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea. This is despite the ban in the EU, which worries the Baltic countries.

There is also concern that fish caught in the Baltic Sea by Russian vessels may find their way to the EU's internal market. The Baltic countries therefore call on the Commission to act quickly and use all available means to address Russia's behaviour.

They believe that access to the EU market must be conditional on sustainability requirements to prevent fish from Russia reaching the EU.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden demand that the Commission informs the Council before the October meeting of the measures planned to deal with this situation.

Author/Source: Edmund Jacobsen/ fiskeritidende.dk (translated from original in Danish)

Creation Web Planning Co., Ltd. (CWP, Amakusa City, Kumamoto, Representative: Saori Fukagawa), which has expanded its business in a variety of areas with shrimp farming at its core, has recently started shrimp farming for fiscal year 2024. This season, they will be putting about 550,000 baby shrimp (about 30 days after hatching, about 1 cm in size) into 10 large and small farm ponds. They will start selling them as "live shrimp" from around December at the end of the year.

CWP prawn farming has started this season

CWP's farmed shrimp are produced with consideration for the environment and the people who work there. In collaboration with Mystia Co., Ltd., a company in Kumamoto Prefecture, they have introduced sensing equipment that can operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, allowing workers to check the amount of dissolved oxygen and other information on their smartphones, improving work efficiency and safety on site.

This will eliminate the need for long hours of diving work, and by 2025, it will be possible to manage a fish farm pond of approximately 16,500 square meters (approximately 5,000 tsubo) with one to three employees. [....]

Source: The Suisan Keizai (translated from original in Japanese)