Norway’s seafood industry passed a significant milestone in exporting more than NOK 150 billion (USD 14 billion, EUR 13.3 billion) worth of seafood in 2022, but it must strive to achieve much more alongside incorporating new methods, technologies, and species, according to Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy Bjørnar Selnes Skjæran.

Speaking at the start of the North Atlantic Seafood Forum 2023 in Bergen, Norway on 8 March, Skjæran said the story of Norwegian seafood is one of continuous development.

Author: Jason Holland / SeafoodSource | read the full article here

Scottish government warned of “Devastating Consequences” of HMPA proposals on the west coast

The Scottish governments proposals on Highly Protected Marine Areas will have devastating consequences on island life off the west coast of Scotland the islands’ Council Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has heard.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Primary Industries Working Group met on Wednesday 08 March, to consider the Scottish Government’s proposals around Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA).

Source: TheFishingDaily | read the full article here

The new Faroe Islands government is proposing a big rise in its salmon ground rent tax, doubling the rate to 20% at the top end.

The surprise news was disclosed last night by Bakkafrost, the country’s largest salmon farmer which said the proposal has gone out to the industry for consultation before it is voted on by the Faroese parliament.

Author: Vince McDonagh / FishFarmer | read the full article here

Multi X's Trim D. frozen fillet, the first Chilean salmon product certified as CarbonNeutral®, was selected among the eleven finalists of the 2023 Seafood Excellence Awards, which will be presented at the Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, fair international event that takes place in Boston on March 12.

Source: Aqua | Read the full article here

The European Commission has defended before the fishing advisory councils (AC) its fishing roadmap, which includes the Action Plan, which proposes the elimination of trawling in 30% of European waters in 2030, as we discussed in depth in the March issue of Industrias Pesqueras, and has announced the launch of a specific working group to promote its implementation.

Source: IndustriasPesqueras | Read the full article here

Mediterranean albacore, Indian Ocean bigeye, Pacific Ocean bluefin and Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stocks are overfished, according to the latest report from the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) on the status of tuna stocks. 85% of the world's commercial tuna catches come from stocks with "healthy" levels of abundance. In addition, 11% of the total tuna catches come from overexploited stocks and 4% from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance.

Source: EuropaAzul | Read the full article here

At this year’s Seafood Expo (March 12-14 in Boston), Messer, a leading industrial gas supplier, will showcase technologies to help seafood farmers and processors “swim upstream” with greater throughput, less labour, and a more secure cryogen supply.

From the latest technologies in individually quick frozen (IQF) products to oxygenation systems, Messer’s experienced team helps the seafood industry get their high-quality products from fish farm-to-freezer and safely out the door.

Source: FishFocus | read the full article here

Many dissenting opinions continue to be discussed sardine Fisheries Agency Fisheries Research and Education Organization

On the 7th, the Fisheries Agency held a review meeting (stakeholder meeting) on the resource management policy for the Pacific anchovy stock in Tokyo, and began trialling the total allowable catch (TAC) management for this stock from 2024, and then transitioned to full-scale management in stages.

The content of this plan is to set resource targets that match the actual fishing conditions, grasp the catch volume, and verify the effectiveness of conventional management measures, without imposing a compulsory catch limit for several years. There are several opposing opinions from related fishermen and local governments, and the agency will continue to analyze the evolution of the issue.

Source: Minato Yamaguchi (translated from original in japanese)

The Chinese port of Ningbo-Zhoushan has opened for the first time to import king crab from Russia, in addition to ports in Shanghai and Tianjin that already handle crustaceans. 

Recently a Russian ship docked at the port of Ningbo Zhoushan and offloaded 74.3 tons of blue crab for customs clearance, according to an updated WeChat page of the port of Ningbo Zhoushan.

The crab was to be shipped mainly to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other cities in mainland China, as well as to the Hangzhou seafood trade market.

Live Russian king crabs sell for up to 750 yuan per kilogram ($110 per kg) in markets in China.

According to Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, in order to expedite transportation and delivery, the port will provide 24-hour customs clearance and priority screening to ensure "zero waiting" for the live product.

Last month, industry sources said king crab prices in China fell late last year due to oversupply from Russia and COVID controls. Now it seems that prices are rising again.

Russia is focusing on the Chinese market after losing access to Western markets due to the conflict in Ukraine.

The AquaForum Aysén 2023 seminar, which was scheduled for April 21, had to be rescheduled for May 25, for reasons of force majeure. The event will continue to be at the Hotel Loberías del Sur, in Puerto Chacabuco.

It is also recalled that the seminar that will have as its main theme "Salmon farming in Aysén: Potentialities in regional development", is already open for registration and places have been running out quickly.

Source: Aqua | Read the full article here