China’s first 150,000 ton offshore fish farming vessel set to enter operation in 2025.

China is set to expand its offshore aquaculture ambitions with the launch of Guoxin 2-1, a 150,000-deadweight tonnage (DWT) smart aquaculture vessel, currently under construction in Qingdao, Shandong Province. The floating fish farm, developed by Guoxin China Shipbuilding Qingdao Marine Technology, is expected to become operational in 2025.

Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here

Ending a challenging year with a stable biological situation

Icelandic Salmon is the parent company of Arnarlax and its subsidiaries, which are involved in salmon farming and processing in Iceland. The companies are collectively referred to as “Icelandic Salmon” or the “Group”.

With determined efforts in the fourth quarter of 2024, Icelandic Salmon stabilized the biological conditions in the sea after having experienced significant challenges in the winter-spring 2023-24, resulting in higher harvest volumes and weights, and good sea lice control.

Source: Fish Focus l Read the full article here

The UK’s biggest retailer, Tesco, has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Norway-headquartered salmon farmers who have been the targets of investigations over potentially colluding to artificially inflate prices, reports MLex website. 

Tesco is not part of a £675 million joint action already being taken by other UK retailers, and appears to be pursuing its own case. In 2024, six Norway-headquartered salmon farmers – Cermaq, Grieg Seafood, Bremnes, Lerøy, Mowi and SalMar - received formal charges from the EU antitrust watchdog, which suspects they fixed prices and volumes on sales of fresh salmon into the EU. 

Source: fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here

Barramundi Group Ltd. (“the Company”) (EURONEXT: BARRA) – Reference is made to the stock exchange notice dated 5 February 2025 regarding the Company’s application for an extension of the Moratorium Order.

The High Court of the Republic of Singapore (“the Court”) has on 19 February 2025, under section 64 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (“IRDA”), granted the Company a three-month extension of the Moratorium Order from 11 February 2025 to 11 May 2025. Any further extension shall be applied for and granted at the discretion of the Court.

Further updates will be provided as the restructuring process progresses.

The Chinese city of Guiyang, the capital of the southwest province of Guizhou, has launched a new air cargo service directly linking the metropolis of nearly 6 million people with the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.

Operated by Tianjin Air, the service will operate five flights a week with a stop in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar.

This move follows China’s 2024 decision to grant tariff-free access to imports from Bangladesh and helps the latter country’s seafood sector carry out plans to reduce its reliance on Western export markets.

Author: Mark Godfrey / SeafoodSourcer l Read the full article here

Brazilian Fish, a leading tilapia producer, has announced a pioneering move into genomic technology, leveraging genome editing to accelerate genetic improvements in farmed tilapia.

In partnership with the U.S.-based Centre for Aquaculture Technologies (CAT), Brazilian Fish aims to enhance disease resistance, feed efficiency, and growth rates in commercially farmed Nile tilapia .

The collaboration with CAT, a global leader in aquaculture genetics, positions Brazilian Fish at the forefront of innovation in tilapia farming. By integrating advanced breeding technologies, the company aims to enhance efficiency and competitiveness in Brazil’s aquaculture sector, setting a new benchmark for tilapia production.

Source: The Fish Site l Read the full article here

Despite China's blanket ban on Japanese seafood imports, Japan achieved a record high in food exports for the twelfth consecutive year in 2024, driven by increased sales to the United States and other markets, reports Nippon.com.

Japan's exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foodstuffs rose by 3.7% year-on-year to ¥1.51 trillion (approximately $10.1 billion USD based on average 2024 exchange rates). This milestone marks the twelfth consecutive year of record-breaking export figures. China's import suspension, implemented in August 2023 in response to the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, significantly impacted exports to Chinese ports. However, Japan successfully mitigated this shortfall through robust sales to the United States and other regions. While exports continue to rise, achieving the government's 2025 target of ¥2 trillion (approximately $13.4 billion USD) appears challenging.

Fishery Export Performance

Overall fishery exports experienced a 6.3% decline due to import restrictions in China and Hong Kong. Nevertheless, successful efforts to diversify scallop markets resulted in a 0.9% increase in sales, maintaining scallops as the top exported fishery product with a value of ¥69.5 billion (approximately $465 million USD).