IN BRIEF - Amendment to the law on the management of large bluefin tuna has been enacted
JAPAN
Thursday, June 20, 2024
It will provide material for negotiations on quota increases.
A bill amending the Fisheries Law and the Fisheries Distribution Optimization Law aimed at strengthening resource management through individual management of large Pacific bluefin tuna (over 30 kg) was passed by a majority vote at the House of Councilors plenary session of the 213th regular Diet session held on the morning of the 19th. The Fisheries Law requires reporting of the number of large bluefin tuna caught in addition to the catch volume and requires records such as the name of the vessel used and the weight of each individual. The Distribution Optimization Law requires distributors to transmit recorded information at the time of capture. It will be promulgated within 30 days and take effect no more than two months after its promulgation.
An illustration of the new reporting requirements for large Pacific bluefin tuna
Following the failure to report catches that occurred in Oma, Aomori, the government has been rushing to put in place a system that allows for individual comparisons of large Pacific bluefin tuna and significantly strengthens penalties. In case of failure to comply with the reporting obligation, the previous penalty was up to six months in prison and a fine of up to 300,000 yen (US$1,898) and will be increased to a prison sentence of up to one year and a fine of up to 500,000 yen. (U$D 3,164), only for large Pacific bluefin tuna
Source: The Suisan Keizai (translated from original in japanese)
Seeks to Strengthen the Country's Presence in Fishing Grounds and Counterbalance Foreign Fleets
The Argentine Federal Fisheries Council has opened a call for applications to incorporate 18 vessels into the Illex squid fishery. This initiative aims to strengthen the country's presence in Argentine Sea fishing grounds and counterbalance the presence of foreign fleets beyond the 200-mile limit, on the edge of Argentina's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Resolution 6-2026 was approved by a majority vote, with the sole dissenting vote coming from Carlos Liberman, representative of the province of Buenos Aires. It has the support of the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP).
Author: C. Valdez / La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
The Ricardo Fuentes Group has successfully completed another bluefin tuna fishing campaign in Balearic waters. The activity, which began this year on May 19, has been carried out “very positively, without incident and with favorable weather conditions that facilitated the fleet's work,” reports the company, which also highly values ??the earlier start of the campaign, which allowed for the completion of fishing and transfer operations sooner.
The campaign has been a success and has allowed for the location of high-quality, large specimens, a fundamental aspect in this type of fishery, which prioritizes the capture of adult tuna for subsequent transfer and fattening in aquaculture facilities.
Source: iPac.aquacultura | Read the full article here
Cermaq is consolidating its Canadian operations under a newly created company as the salmon farmer continues the integration of the former Grieg Seafood British Columbia business.
Parent company Mitsubishi Corporation said Cermaq’s Canadian subsidiaries will be amalgamated into a new entity, Cermaq British Columbia Ltd., effective June 1. The new company will assume all assets, liabilities, rights and obligations of the existing businesses.
The restructuring follows Cermaq’s acquisition of Grieg Seafood’s operations in British Columbia and Newfoundland last year in a deal valued at approximately NOK 10.2 billion (€946 million).
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan and international partners, has launched a new initiative to strengthen the country’s aquaculture sector, bringing together key actors in Bishkek for a high-level inception workshop under the project Sustainable Fish Value Chains for Landlocked Developing Countries (SVC4LLDCs).Funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, the project aims to boost the sustainability, productivity and competitiveness of fish value chains in Kyrgyzstan
SEATTLE, Wash. – More than 100 volunteers from the Wild Alaska Pollock catcher-processor fleet gathered at Terminal 91 for the industry’s annual Net Recycling Day. The hands-on event transformed retired fishing nets into reusable materials, advancing circular solutions and responsible fisheries management.
The initiative united five leading fishing companies—American Seafoods, Arctic Storm Management Group, Coastal Villages Region Fund, Glacier Fish Company, and Trident Seafoods—all members of the At-Sea Processors Association.
Participants worked alongside vessel captains and gear experts to cut and sort retired nets. The recovered material will be sent to specialized facilities to be repurposed into durable products like composite decking, outdoor furniture, and sports equipment.
Now in its second year as a unified initiative, the event builds on individual company efforts. "Net Recycling Day reflects the shared commitment across our fleet to continuously improve how we operate," said Doug Christensen, President/CEO of Arctic Storm Management Group.
Russian crab producers are setting their sights on international end-consumer markets (B2C), shifting focus toward branded retail products.
Industry leaders shared these strategic plans during the first meeting of the Fish Club in Vladivostok, a premier Far Eastern event jointly organized by ExpoSolutions Group and the FishNews media holding to revive regional industry traditions.
The gathering focused heavily on the logistical specifics of seafood transportation and its untapped market potential. Rather than continuing to supply unbranded, raw commodities, crab harvesters are actively exploring ways to capture more value by launching dedicated consumer brands.
"One of our goals is to integrate into the B2C market," announced Alexander Remeta (pictured), CEO of Antey Asset Management. He emphasized that this expansion will target global consumers through branded retail items and international joint products. By moving away from "no-name" packaging, Russian businesses aim to actively promote, differentiate, and capitalize on their premium seafood assets worldwide.
Argentina's shrimp fishing sector consolidated a strong recovery in the first quarter of 2026.
Click on the image to enlarge it
Sales of whole shrimp reached 13,000 tons, an impressive 75.9% increase compared to 2025. This surge generated $79 million in revenue (a 110% increase relative to the January–April period of last year), a rebound largely explained by the fleet's inactivity in 2025. Additionally, the average price rose 19.4%, trading at $6,072 per ton. Spain remained the primary destination, skyrocketing its purchases by 138% with shipments totaling 8,602 tons.
Meanwhile, exports of shrimp tails showed more moderate growth. The exported volume increased by 4%, totaling 28,000 tons, which injected $215.7 million into the economy (an 8.9% increase over the previous year). The declared average price for this value-added product closed upward by 4.6%, reaching $7,699 per ton.
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The Argentine Federal Fisheries Council has opened a call for applications to incorporate 18 vessels into the Illex squid fishery. This initiative aims to strengthen the country's presence in Argentine Sea fishing grounds and counterbalance the presence of foreign fleets beyond the 200-mile limit, on the edge of Argentina's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
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