Russian fishing vessels are actively harvesting masaba mackerel within Japanese waters, operating under pre-approved intergovernmental quotas.

Last week, five Russian vessels were recorded fishing off the coast of Iwaki Prefecture. The fleet's average daily catch was 63 tons, totaling 2,141 tons of mackerel for the week.

According to the Pacific branch of VNIRO, the total Russian harvest this season, as of November 23, includes 52,283 tons of washi sardine and 3,542 tons of mackerel. Scientists note that unique oceanographic conditions near the Kuril Islands have limited the amount of washi sardine entering Russia's economic zone this year.

Meanwhile, the exchange quota allowing Japanese vessels to fish for saury in Russia's exclusive economic zone concluded on October 31. The broader open-water saury fishing season saw a total catch of 123,300 tons by November 8, with Russia's share at 725 tons. Reports also indicate that between 50 and 80 foreign vessels, believed to be Chinese-flagged, are actively fishing for various pelagic species in international open waters.

Source: Fishretail.ru

Russia's total fish catch this year has reached 4,241,100 tons, with pollock cementing its position as the industry's main component.

According to the Center for Ecology and Evaluation of the Russian Agricultural Bank, pollock accounts for an impressive 46.7% of the total catch, representing a 6.8% increase over the previous year.

The overall fishing industry shows improvement, though sector performance is mixed:

• Herring saw the second-largest share at 13.2%, up by a substantial 31.4% year-on-year.

• Salmon is in third place, accounting for 7.9%, following a significant 42.6% increase.

• In contrast, cod catches declined by 19.1% compared to 2024, now making up just 6% of the total.

• Mackerel saw a slight increase of 3.1%.

Oleg Knyazkov, Deputy Head of the Center for Ecological Expertise at the Russian Agricultural Bank, noted that while the industry is improving, restrictions on cod fishing remain, with a final resolution expected soon. Conditions are anticipated to improve significantly in the next fishing season.

Detailed analytical data on the fishing industry will be presented at the 11th International Conference "Fish. Full Cycle: Aquaculture, Processing, and Utilization," scheduled for February 18–20, 2026, in St. Petersburg.

A £1.7 million research project into farmed Scottish salmon smolts revealed clear physiological differences between fish reared in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and those raised in loch systems.

Among other things, RAS-reared fish displayed altered osmoregulatory markers, including ATPase (energy converting enzymes) and chloride levels, as well as changes in blood biochemistry, the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) reports in a case study about the Robust Smolt project.

Source: fishfarmingexpert | Raed the full article here

Salfjord AS has received final regulatory approval for the electrical power infrastructure needed to operate its land-based fish farm at Tjeldbergodden, Norway. 

The confirmation ensures the project will be supplied with power from May 2028, securing Salfjord’s timeline for developing the future of aquaculture with the establishment of one of Norway’s largest industrial projects in Aure.

The approval, granted by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) for the construction of a new transformer station, confirms that grid company Mellom AS will be able to supply power to Salfjord I – Tjeldbergodden. 

Source: The Fish Site | Raed the full article here

Exploration Vessel Nautilus, operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust, successfully completed a ground-breaking three-week mission to map and explore the Cook Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This collaborative effort, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through its Ocean Exploration program and supported by a grant to the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI), marks a significant milestone in strengthening U.S.-Cook Islands partnerships in marine resource management.

Source: Fish Focus | Raed the full article here

We are proud to share a significant milestone in our sustainability journey: Havsbrún’s feed production facility has officially been certified to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Feed Standard.

This prestigious certification reflects our ongoing commitment to responsible feed production and sustainable aquaculture practices. The ASC Feed Standard establishes strict requirements for both environmental and social responsibility across the entire feed supply chain - from sourcing raw materials to production and traceability.

At Bakkafrost, sustainability is at the core of everything we do. This achievement is a key step toward our company strategy: to have all our salmon ASC-certified, ensuring that every part of our value chain meets the highest international standards for sustainability and transparency.

“This certification of Havsbrún is a major step towards our goal of having all our salmon ASC-certified,” says Regin Jacobsen, CEO of Bakkafrost.“It demonstrates the strength of our integrated value chain and our commitment to responsible aquaculture - from feed to fork.”

The European Union is failing to keep illicit seafood products from entering its borders, despite having some of the strongest illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing restrictions on paper, according to the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF).

The NGO – along with Oceana, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Nature Conservancy, and WWF EU, all of which comprise the E.U.’s IUU Fishing Coalition – has warned in a new report – “Beyond CATCH: Why E.U. import controls still fail to keep illegal seafood out of the market” – that this flow of IUU products into the bloc is creating “dangerous loopholes” 

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

Leonora Lysglimt Rødland crashes social media with salmon reveal.

Miss Norway Universe 2025, Leonora Lysglimt-Rødland, attracted international attention after appearing in the Miss Universe preliminary round wearing a national costume inspired by a Norwegian salmon.

The 19-year-old from Oslo wore a silver and pink outfit featuring scales, fins and a stylised salmon head, designed as a tribute to Norway’s maritime heritage and its position as one of the world’s largest salmon exporters.

Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here