The Scottish Seaweed Industry Association (SSIA) conference opened yesterday with the news that the organisation is to change its name – to Seaweed Scotland.

SSIA CEO Rhianna Rees said in her opening address that it had been a challenging year for the seaweed industry in Scotland. Many producers had been forced to spend money to diversify and the supply chain was bedevilled by the difficulty in creating processing facilities at a time when production volume is still quite limited.Rees also confirmed that the SSIA is set to change its name to “Seaweed Scotland”

The change of name parallels that of the salmon industry trade body, which rebranded a few years ago from the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation to Salmon Scotland.

Author: Robert Outram / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here

Horizon Europe project NECCTON, for which Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) is project managing, was presented at the high-level RISE FR-UK (Research and Innovation Excellence in Science for Europe: France-UK) event at the Royal Society in London.

Hosted by the French Ambassador, this event identified and highlighted outstanding European projects where Franco-British co-operations play a central role.NECCTON stands as a flagship example of how Franco-British collaboration continues to drive Europe’s leadership in ocean science and operational capability.

Source: Fish Focus | Read the full article here

Waitrose counters across the United Kingdom are now selling ASC-certified fresh fish, marking a significant step forward in making responsibly farmed seafood easier for customers to identify and purchase.

Waitrose is the first UK retailer to offer Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified responsibly farmed seafood through its fresh fish counters. The launch further strengthens Waitrose’s longstanding commitment to sourcing seafood responsibly. The new ASC-certified counters feature oysters, sea bass, sea bream, king prawns and tiger prawns, giving customers a wider range of seafood that meets ASC’s environmental and social standards.

Source: The Fish Site | Read the full article here

A modern fish processing plant, built under the investment quota program by the Gidrostroy group of companies, has successfully concluded its first full year of operation on Shikotan Island.

Located in the village of Krabozavodskoye, the facility (operated by Kurilsky Rybak CJSC) was completed last year with a total investment of 750 million rubles for construction and equipment. The project has already created sixty new jobs.

During its first year, the plant fulfilled its investment quota by processing over 26,000 tons of raw materials, resulting in more than 14,000 tons of products. Key output included 2,700 tons of pollock fillets and over 5,000 tons of fishmeal.

The year-round production line can process up to 200 tons of raw materials daily, specializing in species like pollock, cod, flounder, and herring. Waste materials are efficiently used to produce fishmeal and fish oil.

Tory hopes SNP will be spurred into action by monarch's removal of royal trade mark from Mowi  

A Conservative MSP who is a distant relative of King Charles has said he hopes the monarch’s decision to remove the Royal Warrant from salmon farmer Mowi Scotland will spur the Scottish Government “into action” to protect wild salmon from damage allegedly caused by the industry.

Alexander Burnett’s family has owned the Leys estate on Deeside since the 14th century, and the estate’s business includes salmon fishing on the Dee.

Author: Gareth Moore / fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here

Most ocean carriers have cut capacity on most global shipping routes, causing prices for 40-foot equivalent units (FEUs) to increase, shipping service Xeneta reported. 

One exception to this pattern was on routes between the Far East and the U.S. West Coast, where carriers increased capacity and rates still increased. 

The National Retail Federation (NRF), which produces the Global Port Tracker with Hackett Associates, agreed that a shipping and import slowdown has been occurring and is likely to continue.

Author: Erin Spampinato / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here

Gigante Salmon appoints new CFO as company expands management team.

Gigante Salmon has appointed Benny Hansen as Chief Financial Officer, effective 1 February 2026.

Hansen, born in 1978, joins the company from EY, where he served as Senior Manager. He holds qualifications in fisheries economics, business, and accounting/auditing, and is based in Bodø, his hometown of Røst.

Johansen will remain part of the management group and continue to oversee communication with investors.

Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here