IN BRIEF - Environmental Contingencies Committee prepares for La Niña season
CHILE
Thursday, September 12, 2024
A key meeting was held to coordinate efforts in the fishing and aquaculture sector in the face of adverse weather conditions.
This Friday, the Interinstitutional Committee on Environmental Contingencies (CIICA) met, chaired by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) and made up of the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), the Superintendency of the Environment (SMA), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior, the Undersecretariat of Fisheries (Subpesca), Directemar and Senapred, with the participation of the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP), with the objective of effectively coordinating institutional efforts to address environmental contingencies in the fishing and aquaculture sector.
The committee, which has been operating for five years, was convened to begin a proactive analysis of the spring-summer season, the time of year when favorable environmental conditions for the development of harmful algal blooms can occur.
The event was led by the National Director of Sernapesca, Soledad Tapia Almonacid, who highlighted the work carried out in the last season, where the environmental contingencies registered were able to be attended to in time:
The sustainable fisheries agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Mauritania is currently the most significant one the EU has in place with non-member countries—at least in terms of the number of vessels involved and the €60 million Europe pays for fishing rights in those waters. The agreement runs until November 2026. However, not a single bottom longliner has gone there to fish this year. These vessels—classified under Category 3 of the agreement—primarily targeted Ray's bream (or *castañeta*; *Brama brama*). Or rather, they *used* to. The eleven vessels operating under this category—all from Galicia—have abandoned the fishing ground after suffering a drastic drop in catches last year.
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
MEP Francisco Millán Mon supports the modernization of the trade pact but urges caution regarding the future liberalization of canned tuna imports and calls for monitoring of the impact on the European industry.
The modernization of the Global Agreement between the European Union and Mexico has received broad support in the European Parliament, although the text continues to raise concerns within parts of the EU's fishing and canning industries. During the debate held in Strasbourg, Galician MEP Francisco Millán Mon warned of the risks associated with the future liberalization of canned tuna from Mexico and called on the European Commission to continuously monitor the effects on the market.
The world’s second largest Atlantic salmon farmer, SalMar, harvested 81,800 gutted weight tonnes in Norway and Iceland in the second quarter of this year, it said in a trading update.
That harvest volume is a 37% increase compared to the same period last year, when SalMar harvested 59,700 gwt.
SalMar’s Q2 2026 harvest volumes were:
Farming Central Norway: 38,900 gwt (Q2 2025: 33,900 gwt)
Farming Northern Norway: 32.6 gwt (20,600 gwt)
SalMar Ocean: 4.8 gwt (1,200 gwt)
Icelandic Salmon: 5.5 gwt (4,000 gwt)
Total: 81,800 gwt
Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
Thai Union has launched the seafood industry’s first shelf-stable tuna product in a recyclable, mono-material pouch.
Typical tuna pouches found in retail stores are made from aluminum foil and mixed plastics that are layered and cannot be recycled in standard waste streams.
However, Thai Union’s new Stir & Serve pouch, launched under its John West brand of seafood products, is solely made from polypropylene, which can be disposed of in many existing recycling streams throughout Europe, according to the firm.
THe company said the product uses a film technology developed by packaging supplier Mondi, thatdelivers the oxygen and moisture protection needed to keep tuna shelf-stable for 18 months at room temperature.
Author: Christine Blank / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here
Jammu & Kashmir’s leading business conglomerate, the Khyber Group, has launched India’s largest, fully integrated, sustainable Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) based Himalayan trout farming facility in Kashmir.
Khyber Aquaculture is aimed at transforming the region’s trout industry into an integrated, export-oriented ecosystem by linking advanced aquaculture technology with local farming communities.
Built on an eight-acre site with an investment exceeding ?100 crore, the project aims to strengthen commercial fish farming through year-round trout production, export-focused processing and data-driven aquaculture technology.
Coast 4C, a Philippines-based regenerative seaweed farming company, has raised $2.5 million in a seed investment round led by Hatch Blue through its Blue Revolution Fund (BRF). The platform supported by this investment aims to expand small-scale seaweed farming across Southeast Asia, enabling producers to boost productivity while providing global processors with a steady, reliable supply. Coast 4C highlights that this expansion seeks to address the issues of informal and fragmented supply chains that have long constrained the global seaweed supply from these small-scale producers.
Joining Hatch Blue as co-investors are Conservation International Ventures, elea, RS Group, Potato Impact Partners, Minderoo Foundation, Kibo Invest, and Azulito Fund (a fund managed by ImpactAssets).
Source: iPac.acuicultura | Read the full article here
Bakkafrost Scotland has launched a new Scottish-built vessel at Macduff Shipyards, with Scotland's Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn officially naming the vessel Dìonadair a' Bhradain ("Guardian of the Salmon") on Monday.
The vessel was built at the Aberdeenshire shipyard and is the latest in a series of investments by salmon farming companies in new vessels and marine infrastructure.
Industry body Salmon Scotland said recent contracts involving Bakkafrost Scotland, Inverlussa Marine Services, Scottish Sea Farms, Mowi Scotland and Cooke Aquaculture highlighted the sector's contribution to Scottish shipbuilding, marine engineering and the wider supply chain.
Seafood investorBluefront Equity(“Bluefront”) has acquired a majority stake in rapidly growing Meox AS, a provider of proprietary robotic cleaning solutions for the aquaculture and maritime industries.
“Achieving an average annual growth rate of around 20 percent over the past five years clearly shows that the team that is doing many things right. Fish farming companies in Norway and internationally have increasingly adopted Meox’s solutions in recent years.
The Lerøy Seafood Group says its salmon and trout harvest is likely to be down by more than 4,000 metric tons in the second quarter of this year.
In a Q2 2026 trading update, the group said volumes should be 44,750 tons against 48,900 tons this time last year.
The figures do not include Scottish Sea Farms in which Lerøy has a half share. They should become available when the full Q2 report is published on 19 August.
The harvested volume by region was (Q2 2025 figures in brackets): Lerøy Aurora 7,100 tons (11,100 tons); Lerøy Midt 19,700 tons (16,900 tons) and Lerøy Sjøtroll: 18,000 tons including 10,400 tons of trout (20,900 tons including 9,800 tons of trout).
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
A significant shift toward a more gender-neutral society is transforming Japan’s traditionally male-dominated seafood industry, with female professionals increasingly leading operations in major fish markets.
Photo: Jiji
At the Toyosu wholesale food market in Tokyo’s Koto Ward, more than 10 female sales staff work from the early morning hours, managing high-volume transactions for fresh and processed pescados y mariscos. This marks a sharp contrast to the former Tsukiji wholesale market in Chuo Ward, where female workers were rarely seen before operations relocated to Toyosu.
Among them, Kana Saegusa has spent five years at the wholesaler Tsukiji Uoichiba, selling crabs, lobsters, and salmon delivered from nationwide producers. Meanwhile, Rina Takahashi of intermediate wholesaler Kitani Suisan has spent over seven years assessing tuna quality, processing and selling Toyosu-sourced tuna at the Tsukiji Outer Market to sushi restaurants and consumers.
The trend extends beyond the capital. Miyu Murata joined Sendai Suisan at the Sendai central wholesale market in Miyagi Prefecturefour years ago, becoming a certified auctioneer handling shellfish and seaweed since June 2025.
Fish landings grow 8% in the first half Argentina
Total catches reach 486,678 tons in the first half of the year driven by shrimp and hake, compensating for the decline recorded in the squid fishery.
Declared landings by the national fishing fleet r...
Mifco recorded tuna purchases worth 11.3 million mvr in June Maldives
The Maldivian state-owned company processed 568 metric tonnes across 517 vessels, consolidating the minimum purchase price to protect the income of local fishermen.
The state-owned Maldives Industr...
CHILE.jpeg)
MAURITANIA
The sustainable fisheries agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Mauritania is currently the most significant one the EU has in place with non-member countries—at least in terms of the number of vessels involved and the €60 million Europe pays for fishing rights in those waters. The agreement runs until November 2026. However, not a single bottom longliner has gone there to fish this year. These vessels—classified under Category 3 of the agreement—primarily targeted Ray's bream (or *castañeta*; *Brama brama*). Or rather, they *used* to. The eleven vessels operating under this category—all from Galicia—have abandoned the fishing ground after suffering a drastic drop in catches last year. 
EUROPEAN UNION
MEP Francisco Millán Mon supports the modernization of the trade pact but urges caution regarding the future liberalization of canned tuna imports and calls for monitoring of the impact on the European industry.
NORWAY.png)
That harvest volume is a 37% increase compared to the same period last year, when SalMar harvested 59,700 gwt.
THAILAND.png)
Typical tuna pouches found in retail stores are made from aluminum foil and mixed plastics that are layered and cannot be recycled in standard waste streams.
INDIA
Jammu & Kashmir’s leading business conglomerate, the Khyber Group, has launched India’s largest, fully integrated, sustainable Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) based Himalayan trout farming facility in Kashmir.
PHILIPPINES
Coast 4C, a Philippines-based regenerative seaweed farming company, has raised $2.5 million in a seed investment round led by 
UNITED KINGDOM
Bakkafrost 
Seafood investor 
In a Q2 2026 trading update, the group said volumes should be 44,750 tons against 48,900 tons this time last year.
JAPAN
