Undercurrent News is reporting live from the Global Seafood Market Conference, held annually in the US in January and organized by the National Fisheries Institute.

Recap all the news from day one below:

• Major US seafood conference kicks off as Trump takes office

Much of the discussion at GSMC will be about the impact of Donald Trump's second presidency on seafood trade.

• UCN team in Palm Springs to talk new US wholesale pricing platform, podcast

Six of Undercurrent's reporting team are in Palm Springs this week to cover GSMC, but also work on and discuss our new US wholesale pricing platform and podcast.

• Southwind adds another food sector big hitter to exec team

California, US-based Southwind Foods has added a food sector veteran to its team as chief operating officer.

• Chris Maze leaves Pescanova USA

Chris Maze has left the US arm of Spain's Grupo Nueva Pescanova, sources told Undercurrent during the GSMC.

• Seafood sees growth at foodservice despite consumer concerns about food cost

Seafood did see growth in foodservice despite 94% of consumers being concerned about food cost inflation, according to Chris DuBois, executive vice president at data and research company Circana.

• Alaskan Leader's miso black cod 'selling off the charts,' says Circana's DeBois

Alaskan Leader Seafoods' miso black cod launch in US club store giant has seemingly been a great success.

• US retail market cases: Refrigerated finfish is rising while shellfish struggles

Refrigerated cod, pollock and salmon and prepared sushi have been the major growth drivers in the US retail seafood market that's seen a 3% decrease over the past four years.

• Opportunity for canned seafood in the premium space

Canned shelf-stable seafood is down 14.3% in volume sales when compared to four years ago, according to DuBois. But that doesn't necessarily mean that canned seafood sales will continue to keep going down.

Seafood sees win in prepared foods with deli sushi

It's all about convenience, DuBois told GSMC attendees during his presentation on finding new directions for growth in seafood. 

• US consumers: Seafood still seen as more expensive meal option

US shoppers continue to see seafood as a "luxury indulgence" and regular consumers feel it's a more expensive option for the protein in their diet. But that's not scaring them away, as it's seen as a healthy option.

• FMI survey: 44% of US consumers prefer wild seafood over farm-raised products

Nearly half of the 2,000 consumers surveyed by FMI, The Food Market Institute, said they preferred wild-caught seafood, while 22% preferred farm-raised products and 37% had no preference.

• Rabobank: Trump's tariffs can make sense 'in some instances'

Ahead of a GSMC panel titled "Trump 2.0: Trade, Tax & Investment Policy in The New Administration," Rabobank senior market strategist Christian Lawrence previewed how tariffs will impact the US economy and seafood industry.

• NFI panel: Tariffs among Trump's tools as 'a good negotiator'

How serious is newly re-elected US president Donald Trump about the tariffs of up to 25% that he's threatened to levy against imports, including seafood, from Canada and Mexico? 

• Ecuador shrimp expert says industry needs time to grow into value-added products

Gabriel Luna, founder of Gluna Shrimp and the co-founder of the Global Shrimp Council, told GSMC attendees Tuesday afternoon that Ecuador's shrimp industry needs more time to grow into value-added products.

• USDA's $25m contract for gulf shrimp will impact price of domestic product

Patrick Kraver, vice president and general manager of Fortune Fish & Gourmet, told attendees during the GSMC species panel on shrimp that domestic shrimp prices will likely continue to go up as a result of the US Department of Agriculture's latest purchase contract for gulf shrimp.

• GSMC Ecuador shrimp panelist disagrees 2025 output will drop

GSMC's shrimp panel presented a slight increase in 2025 vannamei production to 5.06 million metric tons but a drop in Ecuador to 1.35m metric tons.

• Major US retailer Publix says Ecuador shrimp has edge over Asia

Guy Pizzuti, seafood director with US retailer Publix Super Markets, sees Ecuador shrimp as the preferable option over Asian.

• Opportunity for diversification of blue swimming crab meat as tariff threat looms

The pricing gap between blue swimming crab and red swimming crab is shortening, Troy Turkin, chief operating officer at Supreme Crab & Seafood, told the GSMC audience during the species panel on shellfish.

• ASMI's Jeremy Woodrow tells GSMC to get your 'tariff-free crab while you can'

Alaska is back to fishing crab again… "finally," Jeremy Woodrow, executive director of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, told GSMC attendees during the species panel on shellfish.

• Key to 2025 scallop market is 'flexibility,' ‘optionality,' panel agrees

The challenges that confronted the US scallop sector in 2024 look to continue and even escalate in the new year, advised the shellfish panel at GSMC 2025 on Tuesday. The key for suppliers and buyers will be both "flexibility" and "optionality," panel members agreed.