With the imminent termination of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU, the British National Federation of ProducerOrganizations (NFFO) has issued a press release assessing the agreement and outlining its terms. “The TCA was an astonishingly good deal for the EU. The agreement made by Boris Johnson's government fell far short of what was promised,” the organization denounces, believing that the expectations placed on Brexit, specifically the idea that “the United Kingdom would become an independent coastal state,” were “undermined” by the permission granted for European vessels to fish in UK waters up to 6 miles from our coast.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras l Read the full article here
Processing, sorting and categorising fish are essential steps in the seafood industry, helping to ensure that fish are sorted in a way that maximises their economic value, and that only the best quality fish are sold to consumers.
However, performing these steps manually can be challenging. For example, manual sorting relies heavily on workers’ skills and judgement, which can potentially lead to inconsistencies in product size and weight. The work is also time- and labour-intensive, especially when large quantities are involved. There is also a high risk of contamination. With more hands required to hasten the manual sorting process, the risk becomes higher, compromising product safety and hygiene, and reducing the quality of products that are released to the market.
Author: Bonnie Waycott / Worldfishing l Read the full article here
Starting today, the European Commission will kick off a week of negotiations on the draft free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and Thailand. These discussions, interrupted for several years and relaunched a couple of years ago, are causing concern in the European tuna industry. Europêche, the leading representative body for the fishing industry in Europe, calls for the exclusion of tuna products from this agreement.
Thailand is the world’s largest producer and exporter of tuna, with an annual production of about 470,000 tons of canned and prepared tuna. Currently, an average of 10,000 tonnes are exported to the EU each year, subject to a 24% tariff.
Grieg Seafood CEO Andreas Kvame steps down after a decade.
Grieg Seafood ASA announced late Sunday that Andreas Kvame is stepping down as CEO after ten years in the role. The company has begun the search for his successor.
Nina Willumsen Grieg, currently Regional Director of Grieg Seafood Rogaland, has been appointed interim CEO. Kvame will support the transition process.
Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here
ANFACO-CECOPESCA, representing the Spanish tuna industry, met with the Xunta de Galicia to warn about the serious risks posed by tariff liberalization for countries like Thailand, without sufficient guarantees of compliance with EU regulations. The sector requested institutional support from Galicia and unity to defend its interests before the European Commission.
On Friday, March 28th, a delegation of senior executives from Spanish tuna companies, grouped in ANFACO-CECOPESCA, held a high-level meeting with the Xunta de Galicia. The meeting, led by President Alfonso Rueda, was attended by the Conselleiro do Mar, Alfonso Villares, and the Directores Xerais Patricia García and Emilio de la Iglesia.
The main objective of the meeting was to strengthen public-private collaboration and establish a joint strategy to protect the competitiveness of the tuna industry, especially the canning sector, against the challenges of the international tariff framework and free trade agreements under negotiation. These agreements could distort the market due to unfair competition from third countries and hinder the global fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Spain's largest tuna trading company fails to secure 65% creditor support after banks that held a large portion of its debt distance themselves from the company.
A fishing giant with feet of clay. Atunlo, Spain's largest tuna trading company, is entering liquidation, stifled by debt exceeding €120 million. This came to light following the Vigo-based company's bankruptcy filing in May 2024. Since then, members of the top management have been abandoning the ship in a process that reflects the group's financial vulnerability.
Author: Alejandra Pascual / Pablo Penedo / La Voz de Galicia l Read the full article here
Kaunas, Lithuania-based surimi producer Viciunai Group has announced a major expansion with a new EUR 100 million (USD 108 million) salmon processing facility in Plunge, Lithuania.
The company announced the news on LinkedIn, saying that the project was its “largest investment.” The project is linked to Viciunai Group subsidiary Viciunai ir partneriai (VIP).
Since its founding in 1991, Viciunai has grown to become a major global producer of surimi, with a diversified portfolio that includes salmon, herring, dumplings, pizza, and pancakes.
Author: Erin Spampinato / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here
SEPA statement that it 'will continue to implement' sea lice framework doesn't mean new limits will be imposed before appeals are heard
The Scottish Government has reiterated that controversial changes to Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s CAR licences for existing salmonid farms won’t be implemented until 210 appeals by fish farmers have been determined.
The changes follow SEPA’s development of its Sea Lice Regulatory Framework (SLRF) designed to mitigate the perceived impact of sea lice from fish farms on migrating wild salmon smolts.
Author: Gareth Moore/ fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here
Norway’s cod farmers had every reason to celebrate this week. The reason? The price of cod had reached the highest figure ever recorded – almost NOK 1,000 or £72 per kilo.
The broadcaster NRK said a fishmonger in Bergen had paid the record price for the fish.
That deal valued cod at more than 10 times more than farmed salmon. This figure was probably an exception, however. It related to trawler-caught fish and was for the loin from a high quality variety known as skrei, but there is generally little difference in price levels between caught and farmed cod today.
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer l Read the full article here
More than 6,400 families will benefit from the formalization and strengthening of safety in fishing and aquaculture.
The Ministry of Production (PRODUCE), through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Health and Safety Authority (Sanipes), will grant more than 1,600 sanitary authorizations in 2025, a key measure to ensure the safety of aquatic products, enhance the sector's competitiveness, and open new opportunities in local and international markets.
"With these sanitary authorizations, we not only ensure the safety of the products, but also promote the formalization and development of thousands of families who depend on this activity,"said the Minister of Production, Sergio González, after highlighting the impact of this action.
The sanitary authorizations will allow companies and producers in the sector to operate under quality standards, benefiting frozen processing plants, preserves, oil, flour, oil refining, veterinary products, aquatic product warehouses, and aquaculture production centers, among others. In the first quarter of 2025, more than 330 authorizations will be issued, and by the end of the first semester, it is projected to exceed 720.
Bluefin Blues: U.S. Exceeds Tuna Quota by 9% Amid Regulatory Setbacks United States
Delayed closures and overfishing spark concern as recreational landings surge beyond limits for the first time in over two decades
The outlook for Atlantic bluefin tuna in U.S. waters just took a tro...
UNITED KINGDOM
With the imminent termination of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU, the British National Federation of Producer 
UNITED STATES
Processing, sorting and categorising fish are essential steps in the seafood industry, helping to ensure that fish are sorted in a way that maximises their economic value, and that only the best quality fish are sold to consumers.
EUROPEAN UNION
Starting today, the European Commission will kick off a week of negotiations on the draft free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and Thailand. These discussions, interrupted for several years and relaunched a couple of years ago, are causing concern in the European tuna industry. Europêche, the leading representative body for the fishing industry in Europe, calls for the exclusion of tuna products from this agreement.
NORWAY
Grieg Seafood CEO Andreas Kvame steps down after a decade.
SPAIN.png)
Spain's largest tuna trading company fails to secure 65% creditor support after banks that held a large portion of its debt distance themselves from the company.
LITHUANIA
Kaunas, Lithuania-based surimi producer .png)
The Scottish Government has reiterated that controversial changes to Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s CAR licences for existing salmonid farms won’t be implemented until 210 appeals by fish farmers have been determined.
Norway’s cod farmers had every reason to celebrate this week. The reason? The price of cod had reached the highest figure ever recorded – almost NOK 1,000 or £72 per kilo.
PERU.png)
