IN BRIEF - Mitsubishi Foods Invests in Vietnam-based startup Homefarm Holding
VIET NAM
Monday, April 22, 2024
Mitsubishi Foods Co., Ltd. Mitsubishi Foods announced an investment in a new company operating 161 retail stores specializing in imported foods in Vietnam (as of the end of March 2024) and has carried out a capital increase in Homefarm Holding JSC.
"The purpose of our company is to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society through the food business, and we are not only strengthening our business foundations that support Japan's food infrastructure, but we are also acquiring new functions and working in new business fields "We are actively promoting open innovation with emerging companies," Mitsubishi Foods said in a statement.
"In particular, given the trend of the domestic market contraction, we have positioned the creation of new demand in foreign markets through the export of Japanese food culture as one of the pillars of our growth strategy. We have been looking for opportunities to expand to Vietnam, considering it a promising market,"he added.
Homefarm is a specialty imported food retailer that mainly sells fresh salmon and frozen beef, and related ingredients include condiments such as soy sauce, wasabi and meat sauce, as well as stewed soups and other ingredients that are very popular in Vietnam.
The iconic ice fishing trawler Gullver NS has officially been sold and renamed Elisabeth H. According to the Icelandic Herring Processing Company (Síldarvinnslan), the vessel’s new home port is Banjul, the capital of Gambia. The new owner, a Norwegian national, renamed the ship after his daughter.
Built in Flekkefjord, Norway, in 1983, the 674-gross-ton vessel is powered by a 1,770 horsepower MAK engine. It arrived in Seyðisfjörður on July 12, 1983, originally owned by Gullberg hf. Síldarvinnslan acquired the company in 2014, maintaining the ship’s operations for over 40 years.
Chief Engineer Gunnlaugur Hafsteinsson, who served on the vessel since 1987, shared highlights of its rugged past:
The 1994 "Smugutúr": The crew survived winds over 20 meters per second and temperatures of -18°C, which encased the ship in a solid block of ice.
The sale follows Síldarvinnslan’s decision to replace Gullver NS and Jóhanna Gísladóttir GK with the trawler Birtingur NK. Elisabeth H was recently prepared for its new journey.
The German group has submitted a non-binding offer for the GNYK shipyard, putting it in competition with Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems amidst the European rearmament.
The German defense giant Rheinmetall has submitted a non-binding offer for German Naval Yards Kiel, a shipyard specializing in military construction and currently part of the French CMN Naval Group. The operation, first reported by Reuters, opens a new industrial battle in Germany and reflects the growing interest of the arms sector in the naval business in a context of increased defense spending in Europe.
The problem of fraud in fishery labeling, progress in combating bycatch, and food safety were the central themes of the 5th Annual Technical Conference organized by the Association of Fishery Producer Organizations of Cantabria (OPPs Cantábrico), which this year took place in Hondarribia, Gipuzkoa. The meeting, which brought together around fifty representatives from the fishing sector, the canning industry, public administration, and technological and scientific centers on Friday and Saturday, began with two presentations dedicated to fish food safety.
Sofía Ioannidou, from EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), presented data from the EU Menu program on the frequency of consumption of different species of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks and its relationship to methylmercury exposure.
Source: Fishing Industries | Read the full article here
David Thomson, Food and Drink Federation Scotland’s Chief Executive Officer, said:
“Congratulations to John Swinney MSP and his party for their election win. We look forward to working in active partnership with the new government to address the challenges facing Scotland’s food and drink manufacturers and to support a sector that plays a vital role in our economy and food security.
“As we set out clearly in our recent letter to the next First Minister, food and drink manufacturing sits at the heart of the weekly shop, supports tens of thousands of jobs across Scotland
Starfrost has launched its next-generation Hybrid Tunnel Freezer, introducing a new solution for individual quick freezing (IQF) applications designed to improve production capacity, hygiene and operational efficiency for food processors.
The updated freezer features a newly developed compact design capable of delivering up to 60% greater production capacity than previous models and enabling processors to maximise factory floor space without sacrificing throughput.
The organization CALAMASUR has announced the webinar "Advances in Jumbo Squid Management and Control of Illegal Fishing in the South Pacific," a vital virtual space to analyze the sustainability of the jumbo flying squid. The event will take place on Monday, May 11, via Zoom and Facebook Live.
The session will bring together industry leaders such as Alfonso Miranda (CALAMASUR), Elsa Vega Pardo (SONAPESCAL), and Gigliola Centonizo (Alianza Pesca Maule). A highlight includes a presentation by Milko Schvartzman, an Argentine expert who has spent years investigating foreign fleets in the South Atlantic and South Pacific. The event will be moderated by Iván Gómez.
The debate will focus on combating IUU fishing (illegal, unreported, and unregulated), a critical threat to the regional economy and ecosystem.
The "Dux" is listed as having an unknown flag in official records, but belongs to a Lithuanian shipowner controlled from Galicia.
Before being named Dux, the Dux was called Elly, Albri II, High Sierra, and Anuva. Built in 1963 by the Dutch shipyard Sleephelling Scheveningen, it has been in the Bouzas repair dock in Vigo since March of last year. It appears in the joint database of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) on the abandonment of seafarers as an unresolved case, classified as "controversial." At least one African sailor remains on board; the chief engineer, a Moroccan national, was repatriated at the shipowner's expense.
Author: Lara Graña / Faro de Vigo | Read the full article here
The Conarpesa Group—42% owned by Wofco, the fishing company based in O Morrazo—has announced an $8 million investment (approximately €6.8 million) in the province of Chubut, Argentina. The planned investment aims to improve the operational efficiency and logistics of the fishing sector, achieve greater energy efficiency, and contribute to infrastructure development and job creation.
The program of actions was announced by the company's president, Spaniard Fernando Álvarez Castellano, after a meeting with the Secretary of Fisheries of Chubut, Diego Brandán, in the city of Rawson, the provincial capital.
Author: Cecilia Valdez / La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
AKVA group reported record first-quarter EBITDA and higher revenue as activity remained strong across its sea-based, land-based and digital divisions.
The aquaculture technology supplier posted Q1 2026 revenue of NOK 1.14 billion (€104.9 million), up 13% from NOK 1.01 billion in the same period last year.
Quarterly EBITDA reached a record NOK 153 million (€14.1 million), up from NOK 113 million a year earlier. EBITDA margin improved to 13.4% from 11.2%.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
Fishmeal production by members of marine ingredients organisation IFFO fell 38% year on year in March, and cumulative first-quarter production was down 28% versus 2025.
Fish oil output was also lower, but the decline was less severe: cumulative first-quarter output was down 12%.
Both fishmeal and fish oil remain important ingredients in aquafeed.
The production data is based on statistics shared by IFFO members in Chile, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Norway, the UK, the US, Peru, South Africa and Spain, accounting for 40% of global fishmeal production and 50% of fish oil output.
Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
Russia’s High-Tech Crab Processor Hits the High Seas Russia Fed.
In a landmark move for the Russian maritime industry, the innovative crab-catching and processing vessel Kildin has officially been commissioned, marking a new era for the nation’s fishing fleet...
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The problem of fraud in fishery labeling, progress in combating bycatch, and food safety were the central themes of the 5th Annual Technical Conference organized by the Association of Fishery Producer Organizations of Cantabria (OPPs Cantábrico), which this year took place in Hondarribia, Gipuzkoa. The meeting, which brought together around fifty representatives from the fishing sector, the canning industry, public administration, and technological and scientific centers on Friday and Saturday, began with two presentations dedicated to fish food safety.
UNITED KINGDOM
David Thomson, Food and Drink Federation Scotland’s Chief Executive Officer, said:
Starfrost 
PERU
The session will bring together industry leaders such as Alfonso Miranda (CALAMASUR), Elsa Vega Pardo (SONAPESCAL), and Gigliola Centonizo (Alianza Pesca Maule). A highlight includes a presentation by Milko Schvartzman, an Argentine expert who has spent years investigating foreign fleets in the South Atlantic and South Pacific. The event will be moderated by Iván Gómez.
The "Dux" is listed as having an unknown flag in official records, but belongs to a Lithuanian shipowner controlled from Galicia.
ARGENTINA
The 
NORWAY
AKVA group
WORLDWIDE
Fish oil output was also lower, but the decline was less severe: cumulative first-quarter output was down 12%.
