IN BRIEF - Proposed fish plant closures put 80 jobs at risk
UNITED KINGDOM
Friday, July 12, 2024
Salmon processing facilities in Lewis could be shut down with the loss of about 80 jobs.
Owner BakkafrostScotland said closing its sites at Marybank and Arnish, near Stornoway, would be a temporary but extended measure.
The company said the move had been proposed because the majority of its fish were harvested in the first part of the year and there would be minimal activity for the facilities for the next 18 months.
Western Isles SNP MSP Alasdair Allan said Bakkafrost was one of the biggest employers in the area and losing so many jobs would be "devastating".
Faroese-owned Bakkafrost Scotland said:“Our board has been forced to consider extremely difficult scenarios in order to futureproof the business and secure our remaining staff across Scotland.
"One of the scenarios proposed is that we close the Arnish Harvest Station and the Marybank Processing Facility for an extended period.
“We intend to start a period of collective consultation with those potentially affected and hope to complete this over the coming weeks.”
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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