IN BRIEF - Trial begins for top Moon officials regarding death of fisheries employee
SOUTH KOREA
Friday, March 24, 2023
The first trial of the top intelligence and security officials from the Moon Jae-in government began Friday over the death of a South Korean public employee who drifted into North Korean waters.
The trial took place on West Sea Defense Day, which was first designated in 2016 to commemorate the soldiers who lost their lives to defend against military provocations by North Korea, in the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong in 2002, the sinking of the Cheonan warship in 2010 and the shelling of Yeongpyeong Island in 2010.
Former Blue House national security adviser Suh Hoon, National Intelligence Service (NIS) Chief Park Jie-won and Defense Minister Suh Wook appeared at the Seoul Central District Court where they defended themselves against allegations that they had tampered with and manipulated documents in order to make it look like a South Korean fisheries official was attempting to defect to North Korea.
ALDI Ireland has been named Irish Supermarket of the Year by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the world’s most recognised ecolabel for sustainable seafood, in the first year this award has been presented by the MSC in Ireland.
The prestigious win is in recognition of the supermarket’s sustainability credentials as it leads the way for the most own-brand products sold with the blue MSC ecolabel. The variety across the sector is expanding every year, according to the recently released MSC UK & Ireland Market Report 2025.
The Norwegian land-based fish farmer Gigante Salmon last night raised NOK 360 million (around £27m) in new shares, the Oslo Stock Market reports.
The amount is higher than the NOK 322.5 million (£24m) it said earlier in the day that it planned to raise.
Gigante Salmon said the funds raised will be used for the next phase of the land-based aquaculture company’s growth, including necessary and strategic improvements to the facility on Rødøy.
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation will hold its 2026 Members’ Meeting in Madrid from 27 to 29 April, marking the second consecutive year the event takes place in the Spanish capital.
The three-day meeting is expected to bring together participants from across the global marine ingredients value chain to discuss market developments, sustainability frameworks, innovation, and supply dynamics.
According to IFFO, the programme will include presentations from 18 speakers covering fisheries, market outlooks, regulation, and technological developments, alongside two side events organised in partnership with Global Seafood Alliance and MarinTrust.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
The Ministry of Production reported that the consumption of seafood products in Peru has steadily increased over the last decade, rising from 13.2 kilos per person in 2012 to 17.1 kilos in 2024, representing an increase of nearly 4 kilos per capita. This progress is mainly attributed to the implementation of the National Program "Let's Eat Fish," aimed at promoting healthy eating and access to seafood at affordable prices.
In this context, and as part of Fish Consumption Week, the "My Fish Market: Nutrition for Families" fair was held in the Central Plaza of Manchay, in the district of Pachacámac, with the goal of promoting the consumption of highly nutritious seafood products, both wild and farmed.
The Port of Vigo is hosting the 7th Workshop of the FAO's Blue Ports Initiative until next Thursday, the 12th. This is the second workshop to be held in person in Vigo, with the participation of nearly fifty representatives from more than 25 fishing ports in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The event has the technical and financial support of the General Secretariat for Fisheries, State Ports, the Galician Ministry of the Sea, and the Vigo Port Authority.
The goal is to define the infrastructure requirements for sustainable fishing ports. To achieve this, national and international specialists in port management, development, and infrastructure will participate in training sessions and exchanges of experiences, combining classroom activities with technical visits to fishing ports in Galicia
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
A young biologist has achieved nothing short of a miracle: singlehandedly building the only RAS farm for Arctic char in the Netherlands. Focusing on short supply chains and a strong product story, he makes a decent living from his Dutch char as well.
The Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae, native to alpine lakes and Arctic and subarctic coastal waters in northern Europe. It was first scientifically described in the genus Salmo and it somewhat resembles a small, but beautifully speckled, Atlantic salmon.
In a small village near the river Rhine, in an area well known for its fruit orchards, we meet Jelle Busscher.
Authors: Jonah van Beijnen - Kyra Hoevenaars / The Fish Site | Read the full article here
Ninety-seven percent of the world’s total commercial tuna catch now comes from stocks at “healthy” abundance levels, according to the latest “Status of the Stocks” report from the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).
At the same time, nearly 100% of the global tuna catch comes from stocks not experiencing overfishing. ISSF says this indicates that tuna fisheries are not only biologically healthy but also being harvested at sustainable levels.
SalMar passed 300,000 tons harvested in one year for the first time
Lower costs and higher prices gave SalMar, the world's second largest Atlantic salmon farmer, a clear boost in results in the fourth quarter, Fish Farming Expert's Norwegian sister site, Kyst.no, reports.
For the full year 2025, for the first time, over 300,000 gutted weight tonnes of salmon were harvested in one year, SalMar says in its Q4 2025 report. The total harvest volume ended at 300,900 gwt.
Author: Ole Andreas Drønen / fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
The figures, reported by Kevin Craigens of The Shetland Times, prompted Ms Burgess to accuse the industry of a lack of transparency and to question why salmon farms are allowed to decide what mortality data they disclose.
“Scotland’s salmon farming industry has serious problems, and letting companies choose what to report isn’t working,” said Ms Burgess, the Highlands and Islands list MSP and a member of Holyrood’s Rural Affairs Committee. She is campaigning for a pause on new salmon farms and the expansion of existing sites, and is calling for mandatory reporting of all fish deaths.
She said a committee review found that most of the 65 recommendations made by a previous inquiry in 2019 had not been implemented, with conditions in some areas worsening. “Scotland’s good name and our seas depend on it,” she added.
The Scottish Government said it takes fish health “very seriously” and insisted the industry is subject to “robust controls”. It said it does “not recognise” the figures cited and warned that a moratorium could threaten jobs and investment.
Industry body Salmon Scotland criticised Ms Burgess’ comments, noting an independent report showing the sector contributes £1 billion to the Scottish economy and supports rural communities.
The Rostov Region remains one of Russia’s leading producers of farmed fish in the Azov–Black Sea Fisheries Basin and nationwide. The development of aquaculture in the region was discussed at a meeting chaired by Vasily Sokolov, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries.
Fish farming enterprises in the Rostov Region continue to increase production. In 2024, total output, including stocking material, reached 32.121 thousand tons, while production in 2025 is expected to rise to 32.694 thousand tons. Key species cultivated include carp, silver carp, grass carp, trout, and sturgeon.
While pond aquaculture in artificial reservoirs remains dominant, extensive open-water aquaculture based on natural feeding conditions is expanding rapidly. Its share of total commercial fish production grew from 27.9% in 2024 to 34.4% in 2025.
A promising growth area is aquaculture in ponds formed by water-retaining structures on natural watercourses. The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Rostov Region has issued 16 permits allowing such activities. Increased business interest has been supported by state assistance measures, reinforcing the region’s role in aquaculture development in southern Russia.
Giant Squid: to Regulate or to Plunder Peru
Between March 2 and 6, Panama City will host the 14th meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), a decisive gathering for the future of transboundary high-seas f...
SOUTH KOREA 10_46_59.png)
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
ALDI 
NORWAY
The Norwegian land-based fish farmer 
SPAIN.png)
The three-day meeting is expected to bring together participants from across the global marine ingredients value chain to discuss market developments, sustainability frameworks, innovation, and supply dynamics.
PERU
The Ministry of Production reported that the consumption of seafood products in Peru has steadily increased over the last decade, rising from 13.2 kilos per person in 2012 to 17.1 kilos in 2024, representing an increase of nearly 4 kilos per capita. This progress is mainly attributed to the implementation of the National Program "Let's Eat Fish," aimed at promoting healthy eating and access to seafood at affordable prices..png)
The Port of Vigo is hosting the 7th Workshop of the FAO's Blue Ports Initiative until next Thursday, the 12th. This is the second workshop to be held in person in Vigo, with the participation of nearly fifty representatives from more than 25 fishing ports in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The event has the technical and financial support of the General Secretariat for Fisheries, State Ports, the Galician Ministry of the Sea, and the Vigo Port Authority.
NETHERLANDS
A young biologist has achieved nothing short of a miracle: singlehandedly building the only RAS farm for Arctic char in the Netherlands. Focusing on short supply chains and a strong product story, he makes a decent living from his Dutch char as well.
UNITED STATES.png)
Ninety-seven percent of the world’s total commercial tuna catch now comes from stocks at “healthy” abundance levels, according to the latest “Status of the Stocks” report from the
SalMar 
UNITED KINGDOM
“Scotland’s salmon farming industry has serious problems, and letting companies choose what to report isn’t working,” said Ms Burgess, the Highlands and Islands list MSP and a member of Holyrood’s Rural Affairs Committee. She is campaigning for a pause on new salmon farms and the expansion of existing sites, and is calling for mandatory reporting of all fish deaths.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
