IN BRIEF - Pacific Groups join global call for WTO to target big fishing fleets
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Pacific civil society groups have joined others from around the world in an open letter calling on trade negotiators at this week’s World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial to ensure that any outcome on fisheries subsidies targets those fleets most responsible for overfishing, protects small-scale fishers and doesn’t stop small-island stated from developing their own fishing fleets.
The WTO Ministeral starts today in Dubai, with expected attendance from WTO Pacific Ministers and delegations.
“The negotiations on subsidies that contribute to overfishing are failing to address the real problem those historically responsible for overfishing, and is instead creating loop holes that the big fleets will be able to use. The current agreement lets those most responsible off the hook”, commented Adam Wolfenden, Deputy Coordinator of the Pacific Network on Globalisation.
The open letter has been endorsed by over 65 organisations from around the world, including in the Pacific Islands region.[...]
Sydney, Australia opened a new AUD 800 million (USD 538 million, EUR 459 million), 26,000-square-meter fish market on 19 January in what it called a “major milestone” for the country’s seafood industry.
The new market, located on Sydney Harbour, was designed by 3XN GXN Architects and the New South Wales (NSW), Australia government called the new building “the world’s best fish market” in a release. NSW said it is now the third major landmark on the harbor’s waterfront, located alongside the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Author: Haley Jones / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here
Myanmar earned more than US$278.9 million from fishery exports during the first nine months of the 2025–2026 financial year (April–December), according to the Department of Fisheries.
Over 227,000 metric tonnes of seafood were exported to more than 40 countries, including China, Thailand, Bangladesh and Japan, through both maritime routes and land border trade channels.
Of the total volume, more than 113,500 metric tonnes were shipped by sea, generating an estimated US$177.5 million. A further 114,000 metric tonnes, valued at about US$101.36 million, were exported to neighbouring countries via land borders.
In the previous 2024–2025 financial year (April 2024–March 2025), Myanmar’s fishery exports totalled around 400,000 metric tonnes, earning approximately US$421 million.
Key export products include hilsa, rohu, river catfish, seabass, eel, shrimp and crab, according to the Myanmar Fisheries Federation. The sector is supported by more than 140 cold storage facilities nationwide, with
The MSC's 2025 yearbook confirms that half of the global catch is already certified, but warns of the challenge of extending management agreements and fishing strategies in shared fisheries.
The tuna market is experiencing a quiet acceleration: more traceable product, greater demands for sustainability from large retailers, and a notable increase in the certified supply for consumers. The Sustainable Tuna Yearbook 2025, published by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), quantifies this trend and paints a picture of an industry in transition
The Minister of Rural Affairs, María José Gómez, has asked the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, what additional "control measures" will be implemented to enforce the agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries. She made these remarks prior to the Sectoral Conference on Agriculture and Fisheries and the Advisory Council on Agricultural and Fisheries Policy for Community Affairs, which she attended remotely, as did her counterpart in Fisheries, Marta Villaverde. As reported by Europa Press, the Minister of Rural Affairs noted that livestock farmers are demonstrating in Galicia and other regions "because it is an agreement that is causing great concern and uncertainty in the sector."
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
Japanese seafood giant, the Nissui Corporation, has announced a series of changes to its board of directors and executive officers, following a resolution at a board meeting held on 19 January.
The company said chairman of the board Shingo Hamada will retire from his role as representative director upon the expiry of his term as a director. His retirement is scheduled to take effect at the conclusion of Nissui’s 111th ordinary general meeting of shareholders on 25 June.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
Chile is expecting modest salmon export growth this year, but that prediction was made before President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat against other salmon producing countries.
Chile is unlikely to be paying higher tariffs at least until later in the year.
The Chilean salmon industry is forecast to grow by around 4.2% in 2026, says analyst Cristian Delgado, a PhD student in Economics and Business and academic at the San Sebastián University on the Patagonia Campus.
The prediction is based on projections from the Chile Central Bank.
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
Russia has fully transitioned its fishing fleet to domestic satellite systems for vessel monitoring, abandoning foreign networks as of January 1, 2026.
Accordingto the Federal Agency for Fisheries, fishing vessels now transmit location data exclusively via Russian orbital constellations—Gonets, Yamal, and Express—to the Industry Monitoring System (IMS).
The move follows Order No. 250 of the Ministry of Agriculture, which ended the use of British Inmarsat satellite stations as technical monitoring equipment on ships. Authorities say the switch reduces the risk of vessels being disconnected from foreign satellite networks and strengthens uninterrupted operational oversight.
The transition, launched on May 13, 2024, lasted 18 months and involved the complete replacement of foreign-made shipborne monitoring stations with domestic ones. The new requirements apply to vessels with a gross tonnage over 80 tons and engine power exceeding 55 kW.
According to Alexander Mikhailov, head of the Fisheries Monitoring and Communications System Center, tests conducted in December 2025 showed that Gonets stations were more than twice as reliable as Inmarsat equipment in 2025. He added that the domestic system also significantly lowers communication costs for shipowners.
Oceana maintains that at least 105 large-scale fishing vessels owned by European citizens or companies operate under "flags of convenience," meaning countries considered tax havens or states that have received formal warnings from the European Union for failing to combat illegal fishing.
According to the NGO's new analysis, Spain accounts for the majority of these links: Spanish citizens or companies have legal or financial interests in 73 vessels flying the flags of these countries. Furthermore, the report's findings reveal a legal loophole that limits the ability of authorities to effectively monitor the involvement of Spanish and European citizens and companies in foreign-flagged vessels.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
The 20th CNA will be held in Vigo from June 1st to 4th
Since January 16th, paper submissions and registration for the 20th National Aquaculture Congress have been accepted. Under the theme "Returning to the Origins," the Congress will be held in Vigo, at the AFundación headquarters, from June 1st to 4th of this year. The deadline for paper submissions is May 15th, while registration for the Congress itself will also be open until May 15th.
As in previous editions, the Congress will serve as a meeting point and networking opportunity for researchers, government agencies, and businesses to showcase the R&D&I being developed in the sector
Source: iPac.acuicultura | Read the full article here
Organic certification body, the Soil Association, has launched a consultation about proposed changes to its standard for Scottish farmed salmon.
Last year the charity, which is the UK’s largest and most recognised certifier of organic produce, warned it would withdraw from the sector if meaningful progress was not delivered by summer 2026.
It has proposed a series of changes to its salmon standard following what it says is extensive research, including consultation with aquaculture experts, and these proposals are now available for anyone with an interest in salmon farming to comment on before the closing date on March 15.
Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
AUSTRALIA
Sydney, Australia opened a new AUD 800 million (USD 538 million, EUR 459 million), 26,000-square-meter fish market on 19 January in what it called a “major milestone” for the country’s seafood industry.
MYANMAR_svg(6).png)
Over 227,000 metric tonnes of seafood were exported to more than 40 countries, including China, Thailand, Bangladesh and Japan, through both maritime routes and land border trade channels.
WORLDWIDE
The MSC's 2025 yearbook confirms that half of the global catch is already certified, but warns of the challenge of extending management agreements and fishing strategies in shared fisheries.
SPAIN
The Minister of Rural Affairs, María José Gómez, has asked the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, what additional "control measures" will be implemented to enforce the agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries. She made these remarks prior to the Sectoral Conference on Agriculture and Fisheries and the Advisory Council on Agricultural and Fisheries Policy for Community Affairs, which she attended remotely, as did her counterpart in Fisheries, Marta Villaverde. As reported by Europa Press, the Minister of Rural Affairs noted that livestock farmers are demonstrating in Galicia and other regions "because it is an agreement that is causing great concern and uncertainty in the sector."
JAPAN
Nissui announces board and executive changes.
CHILE.png)
Chile is unlikely to be paying higher tariffs at least until later in the year.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
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Oceana 
The 
UNITED KINGDOM
Organic certification body, the 
