BUEU, PONTEVEDRA — The Galician fishing sector paid an emotional tribute to Cornelio O'Donovan, an 80-year-old Irish shipping agent and Honorary Consul in southern Ireland.

The event, held on September 16, 2025, at the Loureiro restaurant in Bueu, recognized his tireless support for the Gran Sol fleet for over six decades. Shipowners, skippers, and sailors from Marín, Vigo, and O Morrazo came together to honor a key figure who has provided logistical, medical, and human support to Spanish crew members in Irish ports since the mid-1960s. His crucial work earned him the Medal of Fishing Merit almost two decades ago.

The event was not just a look back at the past, but also a reflection on the future of the industry. O'Donovan expressed his concern about the challenges facing the sector, such as the lack of generational replacement, the shortage of Galician crew members, and the urgent need to modernize vessels. "Today there are far fewer boats operating in the Gran Sol, when before we used to serve over a hundred from Marín alone," he lamented.

The tribute was attended by important industry leaders, including Claudino González, president of the shipowners of Marín; Javier Touza, president of the Vigo Shipowners' Cooperative; and Daniel Castro, president of the OPP-4. The event concluded with a heartwarming moment when attendees sang "Happy Birthday" to O'Donovan, celebrating a life marked by closeness and dedication.

Tuna rancher Baja Aqua-Farms has bought Baja Marine Foods (BMF), a fishing and processing company headquartered in Baja California, Mexico.

BMF produces high-quality fishmeal, fish oil, and frozen seafood products from sustainable sourced pelagic species sold for human consumption or as ingredients to the aquaculture and pet food industries. Founded in 2010, BMF owns two fishing vessels and a modern processing plant with capacity to process up to 450 tonnes of protein per day.

Source: fishfarmingexpert  | Read the fullarticle here

Grimsby, U.K.-based Young’s Seafood is aiming to appeal to U.K. consumers concerned about grocery inflation, releasing a new value-focused Jumbo Fish Special under its Young’s Chip Shop brand.

The Jumbo Fish Special includes two fillets of “high-quality natural pollock,” according to the firm, coated in its signature batter for just GBP 5.00 (USD 6.80, EUR 5.80). 

Author: Christine Blank / SeafoodSource | Read the fullarticle here

Salma brand returns to Norwegian retail under SalMar production.

Salma salmon is returning to Norwegian supermarket shelves less than a year after production was discontinued by Bremnes Seashore. The brand will now be produced by SalMar at its facilities on Frøya, on behalf of brand owner Lofotprodukt.

Bremnes Seashore shut down its Salma operations on Bømlo in late 2024, creating a gap in the premium fresh salmon category. Lofotprodukt, which acquired the Salma brand in 2021, has now confirmed that SalMar will take over both farming and processing.

Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the fullarticle here

A photo of empty supermarket shelves went viral, but a cannery owner in Brittany says the issue is with Moroccan supply, not French fishing.

Photo: X

PARIS — A "shortage alert" for canned sardines, which spread across social media, has been dismissed as a misunderstanding. The alert, started by consumer expert Olivier Dauvers, was based on a photo of empty shelves at an Auchan France store with a sign blaming overfishing and a disastrous 2024 French fishing season.

However, a traditional cannery owner in Brittany has quickly refuted the claim, stating that while some shelves might be empty, the problem lies with supply from Morocco, not a lack of French sardines.

While the current shortage is a supply-chain issue, the sign at the supermarket did touch on a real long-term concern. Scientific data shows that the sardine biomass in the Bay of Biscay has shrunk by nearly three times in the last 20 years, bringing the stock close to a level considered collapsed.

A sudden increase in fresh squid landings reverses a years-long decline, yet an overabundance of smaller fish poses a new challenge for the industry.

TOKYO — The Japanese flying squid catch has shown a dramatic recovery this year, reversing a slump that had brought landings to record lows. According to a new report, the total domestic landing volume from January to July reached 5,588 tons, a significant 78% increase compared to the same period last year.

The surge was driven almost entirely by the fresh squid sector, which saw landings jump by 91% to 5,340 tons. In contrast, frozen squid landings dropped by 28%.

Despite the positive volume, the industry is now grappling with a new problem: the overall size of the squid caught has been exceptionally small. In a market where larger squid command higher prices, this trend could put pressure on the economic value of the catch. The current trend also highlights an extreme imbalance in landing areas, with some regions experiencing bumper catches while others are left behind

The appointment of Toke Binzer, effective December 1, 2025, is a strategic move combining international business acumen with deep local roots.

Nuuk — Royal Greenland, a leading player in the global seafood industry and a cornerstone of the Greenlandic economy, has appointed Toke Binzer as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Binzer brings a powerful combination of international corporate experience and local insight to the role. He has a strong background in complex development and transformation tasks from his time at global companies like IBM and TDC. At the same time, his recent role as a director at Tusass gave him an in-depth understanding of Greenland's business and societal landscape.

Chairman of the Board, Niels Thomsen, stated: "Royal Greenland welcomes Toke Binzer. The board looks forward to the opportunities his experience and leadership will bring. We share his ambitions of high professionalism, execution power, and a strong anchoring in Greenland."

As Binzer prepares to take the helm from interim CEO Preben Sunke, the company is focused on executing its strategy and restoring its economy.