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Daily recap: US lobster gauge rule tossed; China shrimp prices stage late holiday lift
Undercurrent News presents a recap of the top daily seafood stories from Tuesday, Feb. 4
Lobster gauge rule tossed from Addendum 27, but Maine commissioner warns of consequences
'I hope history shows that I was wrong in pushing for this proactive measure. But if I was right and the industry is wrong, there could be many lobster boats for sale in the coming years' -- Patrick Kehiler, commissioner with Maine's Department of Natural Resources
Dongwon Group taps new StarKist CEO
South Korea’s Dongwon has a new CEO of its US StarKist canned tuna subsidiary
Record salmon imports push Brazil’s aquaculture trade deficit to nearly $1bn
Brazil's aquaculture trade deficit surged to nearly $1 billion in 2024, driven by a sharp increase in imports, particularly of salmon
Japan’s scallop exports to US hit record high amid skyrocketing demand
Japan’s frozen scallop exports to the US soared to record levels in 2024, driven by strong demand and rising prices amid a shrinking US domestic harvest
Trump’s 10% China tariff to hit around $300m of fillets from Alaska-caught seafood
Looking at the top products China sells to the US, frozen tilapia fillets is number one, then frozen cod fillets, frozen Pacific salmon fillets, frozen pollock fillet and frozen squid and cuttlefish
US scallop landings continue at slow pace, small sizes, high prices
'The US scallop market continues to grapple with elevated price points, particularly for U10 sizes, which are testing the limits of buyer tolerance' - Lorin Castiglione,
Taking lesson from US shrimpers, Hawaii tuna sector pushes country-of-origin labeling
'We believe it's very important to have the origin [listed] to allow consumers to really make informed buying choices' -- Hawaii Longline Association executive director Eric Kingma
Tariff limbo leaves US fish farmers floundering over feed supply
Trump's decision to postpone a 25% tariff on Canadian goods for 30 days has left US fish farmers in limbo, creating uncertainty over future feed supply strategies
Humpback whale reportedly entangled in crab gear off Oregon coast
The Jan. 6 incident follows a record high of four entanglements in Oregon commercial crab gear, involving three humpback whales and a fin whale, the state agency said
US gov’t scientists chafe at Trump admin’s offer of severance, threats against disloyalty
'I think a lot of people are insulted and offended by all the language in it, and view it as an attempt to bully people out of the service' -- anonymous NOAA Fisheries scientist
H&G Russian pollock prices keep edging up with domestic demand strong, production low
Prices for H&G Russian pollock are up around $20/t w-o-w with sellers pushing for further rises as the Chinese processing industry is set to return to production proper next week
Nordic Aquafarms surrenders permits for Maine salmon farm, ending legal battle with nonprofit
The years-long legal battle over Nordic Aquafarms’ abandoned salmon farm project in Maine has ended with a settlement, though other disputes remain
Ecuador to retain shrimp market edge, but experts split on whether 2025 volumes to drop
Gabriel Luna, co-founder of the Global Shrimp Council, said at the recent GSMC summit in the US that Ecuador's flat 2024 was 'market-driven, not production-driven'
Week 6 farm-gate shrimp roundup: Chinese prices stage late holiday lift
Chinese farm-gate shrimp prices staged a belated pre-holiday recovery after weeks of unseasonal price weakness, but other major producing regions saw mixed trends
JBT Marel makes Scotland’s Ace Aquatec its preferred supplier for stunning tech
JBT Marel confirmed this was a 'strategic partnership' and not an investment in Ace
Nissui boosts yellowtail filleting capacity by 30% to meet growing demand
The Japanese seafood giant has expanded its farmed yellowtail processing capacity by 30% through facility upgrades at its farming subsidiary Kurose Suisan
European plaice, common sole prices rebound in week 5 after hitting lowest in years
After a few weeks of continuous drops that reached their lowest in years, prices have seen signs of recovery by the end of week five
Skipjack tuna prices rise in Manta amid sluggish catches, stable in Bangkok
In Manta, Ecuador, skipjack tuna ex-vessel prices are experiencing an uptick as local catches have declined, while they remain roughly stable in Bangkok, Thailand
South Australia’s abalone fishery faces deadly virus spread
South Australia's abalone industry is on high alert as abalone viral ganglioneuritis spreads up the southeast coast
Rising global demand for seaweed prompts Indonesia to boost production
Indonesia's ministry of marine affairs and fisheries has identified seaweed as one of its five flagship products to meet growing global demand
China wholesale prices for imported farmed salmon plummet back to late 2024 levels
Fresh salmon wholesale prices in China have fallen by a third now that the demand for New Year celebrations has eased
Nichirei’s seafood profit soars 165% on high-margin shift, overseas sales expansion
The Japanese food giant reported a 165% surge in operating profit for its seafood business for April-December 2024, reaching $7.3m, driven by a strategic shift to higher-margin products and expanded overseas sales
Trump’s additional 10% tariff on $1.6bn of Chinese seafood kicks in despite reprieve for Canada, Mexico
US President Donald Trump’s 10% tariff on Chinese imports took effect Wednesday despite a last-minute agreement to delay similar measures on Canada and Mexico
Daily recap: Trump pauses tariffs on Mexico, Canada; Newfoundland snow crab sector eyes March 15 start
Undercurrent News presents a recap of the top daily seafood stories from Monday, Feb. 3
Indonesia’s eFishery drastically inflated auto-feeder sales, internal audit reveals
Indonesian aquatech startup eFishery drastically inflated the revenue it received from auto-feeder sales and rentals, an internet audit obtained by Undercurrent News has revealed
Trudeau says Trump has paused Canada tariff threat
'Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together' -- Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau
Newfoundland snow crab industry aims for March 15 start amidst tariff uncertainty
This story has been updated to reflect new developments on the tariff issue between the US and Canada on Monday (Feb. 3)
Watch: Inside Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China
'Yeh, [USMCA is] his deal, but you can always get a better deal, perhaps use the new tariffs as a cudgel to get better terms...' -- trade attorney Jessica Rifkin
US processor to market ‘humanely’ killed Dungeness crabs
'Humanely handled, humanely killed, humanely cooked, all of those things. I think that puts us in an advantageous position for other markets' -- Matthew Wei, Fathom Seafoods