IN BRIEF - New rules for saury catch quota and 10% reduction this year to 225,000 tons
JAPAN
Monday, April 22, 2024
The 8th annual meeting of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) was held for four days from the 15th to the 18th at the Osaka Prefectural International Conference Center.
Regarding the management of saury resources, it was agreed that from this year, for the first time, fishery management rules will be introduced to calculate the total allowable catch (TAC) according to the resource level. However, the TAC calculated from the latest resource levels is subject to fluctuations of up to 10% compared to the previous year, and in 2024 it is set at 225,000 tons, a 10% decrease from the previous year.
The conference was attended by nine member countries and regions, including Japan, Taiwan, China, and Russia. A press conference was held after the meeting.
At last year's annual meeting, the saury TAC stated that for the two years from 2023 to 2024, the amount within the treaty zone (high seas) should be kept at 150,000 tons, and within the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Japan and Russia, less than 100,000 tons. [....]
Source: The Suisan-Keizai Daily News (translated from original in Japanese)
At the beginning of 1983, 70 Galician vessels operated in the Boston squid and jumbo squid fisheries, with two seasons a year and good profitability, especially for squid. They were eventually expelled after Spain joined the EEC for the alleged "non-compliance" with trade agreements with Washington, although the sector always attributed the veto to Felipe González's anti-NATO stance in 1981.
But there were many more. Vessels such as Altamar, Campa de Torres, Cieisa Once, Cieisa Doce, Nuevo Mundo, Sobroso, Ciudad de Cristal, Flipper, and Piñeiro Correa. "The squid fishery was very profitable," added another businessman consulted. Minor repairs and crew changes were carried out on New York docks, with “extreme care” to ensure that not a single lobster had slipped in among the cephalopods, “not even a leg in the galley.”
Galician fishing, expelled from the Boston fishing grounds
Around 70 Galician fishing vessels operated in the Boston fishing grounds for squid and cuttlefish. Their expulsion from North American waters forced the fleet to seek alternatives in the Southern Cone or South Africa.
Author: Lara Graña / Faro de Vigo | Read the full article here
The price of fresh Norwegian salmon has continued to slide over the past week as industry leaders met to debate the future direction of the sector at theNorth Atlatic Seafood Forum in Bergen.
According to Statistics Norway, prices were down for the second week in succession (week 9, 23 February to 1 March) to NOK 81.34 per kilo (£6.31) – a decrease of 4.2%.
This means they have fallen by almost NOK 20 per kilo since the start of the year.
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
Extra cargo flights from Oslo Airport to support seafood exports to Asia.
Two additional cargo flights will depart Oslo Airport in March as exporters seek to maintain shipments to Asia amid reduced global air freight capacity linked to geopolitical tensions.
Airport operator Avinor said the additional flights will operate on March 12 and March 19. The aircraft, operated by Suparna Airlines, will fly from Oslo to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.The primary cargo is fresh seafood, including salmon and other fish, although the flights will also carry other perishables and high-value, time-sensitive goods
Source: Salmon Business | Read the full article here
Atlantic Canada is set to strengthen its position as a global leader in marine technology and aquaculture with the launch of a new programme designed to commercialise regional innovation.
The Atlantic Canada Aquaculture Studio, delivered by Hatch Blue in partnership with Oceans Advance, will launch this July in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Funded by the Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the program will support high-potential aquaculture, aquatech, and marine biotechnology companies that are ready to move beyond early validation and into growth.
Source: The Fish Site | Read the full article here
Commissioner Costas Kadis promises to review the methodology used to translate scientific data into restrictions and present a proposal before the end of the year. Catalan fishing guilds applaud the shift, but demand specifics and consensus with the sector.
The European Commission is beginning to admit that the system used to determine fishing opportunities—quotas, catch limits, and, above all, days of activity has reached a point of friction that is difficult to sustain. This week, in an interview published by ACN, the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Costas Kadis, announced that Brussels will "change the way it interprets" scientific data when imposing restrictions
As announced at the end of last year, the General Secretariat for Fisheries is entering into negotiations with the Portuguese Secretariat for Fisheries and the Sea to renew the Iberian sardine management agreement for next year and subsequent years. At a meeting held on March 4th in Madrid, Spain's Isabel Artime and her Portuguese counterpart, Salvador Malheiro, formalized the creation of a working group in which Spain will "promote a review of the current allocation key, the percentage of quota allocated to each country, to align it with the actual catch by each country's fleet."
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
Norwegian Maritime Partner is building seven new search and rescue (SAR) vessels for the Danish Armed Forces. Together with researchers and technicians from SINTEF Ocean, they are conducting research in which they have designed specially built small-scale models to test maneuverability, dynamic stability at high speeds and in rough waters, and hull strength.
The vessels must meet stringent performance and safety requirements, with a top speed of over 35 knots and a range of over 350 nautical miles. They are equipped with advanced safety features and meet strict emissions requirements.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
Mexico has introduced legislation to ban all cephalopod farming nationwide. The proposed bill makes Mexico the second country in Latin America to propose legislation to ban octopus farming, following a similar federal bill introduced in Chile in 2025. Senator Maki Esther Ortiz Domínguez, of the Partido Verde Ecologista de México (PVEM), presented the bill last week in the Mexican Senate. It proposes reforms to the General Law of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture that would prohibit the breeding or growth stages of any cephalopod species in Mexican territory. No concessions or permits would be granted for such activities. The bill now moves to the relevant Senate commissions for discussion.
The ASC certification covers seven species: Olympia oyster, Kumamoto oyster, Eastern oyster, Pacific oyster, Mediterranean mussel, Manila clam and geoduck. Its geoduck – the world’s largest burrowing clam species – is currently the only ASC-certified geoduck in the world.
Taylor Shellfish Farms is North America’s largest oyster producer, and ASC said the accreditation significantly increases US availability of ASC-labelled shellfish at a time when retailers and foodservice operators are under pressure to substantiate sustainability claims.
Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
Companies from around the world, expert voices in panels and seminars, and recognition of local innovation will be part of the thirteenth edition of the fair.
More than 20,000 square meters of exhibition space, the participation of more than 550 exhibiting companies, and an International Congress that will bring together more than 40 speakers to address the main challenges of the aquaculture industry in Chile and the world will shape Aquasur 2026, which will be held in the Los Lagos Region between March 24 and 26.
The goal that FISA events set for this edition was to consolidate the fair as "the largest aquaculture industry event in the Southern Hemisphere," while also positioning the Los Lagos Region as a national development hub.
Source: iPac.acuicultura | Read the full article here
JAPAN
Regarding the management of saury resources, it was agreed that from this year, for the first time, fishery management rules will be introduced to calculate the total allowable catch (TAC) according to the resource level. However, the TAC calculated from the latest resource levels is subject to fluctuations of up to 10% compared to the previous year, and in 2024 it is set at 225,000 tons, a 10% decrease from the previous year.
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But there were many more. Vessels such as Altamar, Campa de Torres, Cieisa Once, Cieisa Doce, Nuevo Mundo, Sobroso, Ciudad de Cristal, Flipper, and Piñeiro Correa. "The squid fishery was very profitable," added another businessman consulted. Minor repairs and crew changes were carried out on New York docks, with “extreme care” to ensure that not a single lobster had slipped in among the cephalopods, “not even a leg in the galley.”
NORWAY
The price of fresh Norwegian salmon has continued to slide over the past week as industry leaders met to debate the future direction of the sector at the
Extra cargo flights from Oslo Airport to support seafood exports to Asia.
CANADA
Atlantic Canada is set to strengthen its position as a global leader in marine technology and aquaculture with the launch of a new programme designed to commercialise regional innovation.
BELGIUM
Commissioner Costas Kadis promises to review the methodology used to translate scientific data into restrictions and present a proposal before the end of the year. Catalan fishing guilds applaud the shift, but demand specifics and consensus with the sector.
SPAIN
As announced at the end of last year, the General Secretariat for Fisheries is entering into negotiations with the Portuguese Secretariat for Fisheries and the Sea to renew the Iberian sardine management agreement for next year and subsequent years. At a meeting held on March 4th in Madrid, Spain's Isabel Artime and her Portuguese counterpart, Salvador Malheiro, formalized the creation of a working group in which Spain will "promote a review of the current allocation key, the percentage of quota allocated to each country, to align it with the actual catch by each country's fleet." 
DENMARK
Norwegian Maritime Partner is building seven new search and rescue (SAR) vessels for the Danish Armed Forces. Together with researchers and technicians from 
MEXICO
Mexico has introduced legislation to ban all cephalopod farming nationwide. The proposed bill makes Mexico the second country in Latin America to propose legislation to ban octopus farming, following a similar federal bill introduced in Chile in 2025. Senator Maki Esther Ortiz Domínguez, of the Partido Verde Ecologista de México (PVEM), presented the bill last week in the Mexican Senate. It proposes reforms to the General Law of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture that would prohibit the breeding or growth stages of any cephalopod species in Mexican territory. No concessions or permits would be granted for such activities. The bill now moves to the relevant Senate commissions for discussion.
Taylor Shellfish Farms
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More than 20,000 square meters of exhibition space, the participation of more than 550 exhibiting companies, and an International Congress that will bring together more than 40 speakers to address the main challenges of the aquaculture industry in Chile and the world will shape 
