IN BRIEF - Okhotsk Sea: Bad Weather Can't Stop the Herring Boom!
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Thursday, February 06, 2025
Severe weather hampered fishing operations in the Far East last week, with a large cyclone impacting all regions, particularly the Shelikhov Gulf and the Kamchatka-Kuril and North Kuril subzones. Many vessels endured storms for three to four days.
Despite the challenging conditions, Far Eastern fishermen have achieved strong results in some fisheries. As of February 2, 2025, the pollock catch reached 269,000 tons, with 55 vessels actively fishing, according to the Federal Fisheries Agency's monitoring system.
Pacific herring has seen a particularly successful season, with a catch of nearly 110,000 tons, exceeding 2024 levels by over 115%. Ten vessels participated in the herring fishery.
Cod catches in the Far Eastern basin reached 14,500 tons, matching the 2024 level.
The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has implemented fishing restrictions in the West Bering Sea and Karaginsky subzones. Order No. 29, dated January 21, 2025, prohibits longline fishing until March 31, 2025, and bottom trawling and seine netting until April 15, 2025 (excluding scientific research and control catches).
In Primorsky Krai, refrigerator occupancy for fish product storage was 39% as of February 2. Thirty-one vessels carrying over 26,000 tons of fish products were en route to port.
The modern vessel, designed by Macduff Ship Design and built by Macduff Shipyards, stands out for its energy efficiency, safety, and suitability for the sustainable fishing of Norway lobster (langoustine) and prawns in the North Sea.
Innovation in fishing vessel design has once again gained international recognition with the "Best Prawn Trawler of 2025" award going to the *Gracious*, a vessel built by the Scottish shipyard Macduff Shipyards based on a design by Macduff Ship Design. The award highlights the growing importance of energy efficiency, safety, and sustainability in the renewal of the European fishing fleet.
Vietnam has reported a record-breaking 2026 first half seafood export performance.
Seafood exports from the country totalled US $5.8 billion (£4.3 billion) between January and June, a rise of 12.8% year on year.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) The increase was driven by higher demand, market diversification, and improved product restructuring.Vietnam is now a major producer of aquaculture related seafood products, notably shrimp and basa (pangasius).
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
Global shipping rates continue to be high as the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran drives up costs, and the latest attacks by Iran on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz could cause more issues.
Trans-Pacific shipping rates appeared to moderate in early July, as spot rates for certain major routes stayed relatively flat after months of steady increases, according to shipping rate indexing and analysis firm Xeneta.
Freight rates began to tick up with the commencement of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in March 2026, and have steadily increase up since then.
Author: Chris Chase / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here
The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement entered into force on Wednesday, eliminating Indian import tariffs on UK exports of fresh and frozen salmon with immediate effect.
The agreement is expected to improve the competitiveness of Scottish salmon in one of the world's fastest-growing consumer markets, where imported seafood has historically faced tariffs of around 33%. The deal also removes tariffs on cod and lamb, while duties on products including whisky and chocolate will be reduced over time.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
The Japanese Oyster Technology Program has distributed over 5 million seeds to producers across eight regions, strengthening the diversification of small-scale aquaculture through technology transfer and technical support.
Two and a half years after its launch, the Japanese Oyster Technology Program (PTEC)—spearheaded by the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) and funded by Corfo—has distributed more than 5 million seeds of this species, establishing a network of over 60 beneficiaries, including associations and small-scale producers from various parts of the country.
The Chilean salmon farmer has been accused of failing to provide facilities for nursing mothers, sacking employees who have taken maternity leave, and sending warning letters for non-existent absences
A union representing processing workers employed by Chilean salmon farmer Ventisqueros has claimed that some of their members have had to use staff toilets to express breast milk “as there is no suitable, private, clean, and specially equipped space for exercising this right”.
The Ventisqueros Seafood Workers Union also claims there have be cases of female workers who, “after reporting their pregnancy, have faced actions to remove their maternity leave protections, long after their contracts had been converted to permanent positions.
Author: Jonathan Garcés / fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
Catchwise has grown rapidly in the Norwegian fishing industry, with 30% of Norwegian skippers moving to the platform.
In some segments, including larger vessels, longliners, trawlers and pot vessels, the share is significantly higher.
Catchwise is aware that this has not happened by accident. Growth has come from staying close to skippers, listening to what creates problems at sea, and building the product around those needs.
Researchers at the University of Aveiro have shown that marine amphipods can transform low-value agricultural by-products into premium aquafeed ingredients rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids.
The findings, developed under the PUFApods project, offer a sustainable, circular pathway to reduce the dependence of the aquaculture industry on finite wild fish stocks for essential fatty acids.
As the global aquaculture sector expands, securing sustainable sources of essential nutrients – particularly omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) such as EPA and DHA – remains a critical bottleneck.
Source: The Fish Site | Read the full article here
The governing board of Anfaco-Cytma—the business association representing the canning and processing industry—met this Friday in Vigo to review the scientific, technological, and knowledge-transfer achievements made by its national knowledge center during the first half of the year. During this period, Anfaco-Cytma has had 62 R&D&i projects underway; of these, 15 are international in scope, 60 involve collaboration, and 61% are based on direct contracts with companies. In total, "these projects mobilize a combined budget of €109,676,355," the organization stated in a press release.
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
The 49th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC49), held last week in Geneva (Switzerland), concluded with the selection of Spain as the new host country for the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP)—one of the subsidiary bodies of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) dedicated to international food standardization.
Spain's selection marks a significant milestone for the country's international standing in the fields of food safety and international standardization. According to AESAN, this designation not only recognizes the technical and scientific capabilities of Spanish government bodies and institutions linked to the fisheries, aquaculture, and food sectors, but also strengthens Spain's role in the multilateral forums where international reference standards for global food trade are developed.
Source: ipac.acuicultura | Read the full article here
Time for the fisheries sector Peru
Every five years, the national fishing sector once again expects the State to do justice to one of the country's greatest strengths. Peru possesses privileged conditions. Our sea, our rivers and lakes...
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
UNITED KINGDOM.png)
The modern vessel, designed by Macduff Ship Design and built by Macduff Shipyards, stands out for its energy efficiency, safety, and suitability for the sustainable fishing of Norway lobster (langoustine) and prawns in the North Sea.
VIET NAM
Vietnam has reported a record-breaking 2026 first half seafood export performance.
WORLDWIDE
Global shipping rates continue to be high as the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran drives up costs, and the latest attacks by Iran on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz could cause more issues.
The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement entered into force on Wednesday, eliminating Indian import tariffs on UK exports of fresh and frozen salmon with immediate effect.
CHILE
The Japanese Oyster Technology Program has distributed over 5 million seeds to producers across eight regions, strengthening the diversification of small-scale aquaculture through technology transfer and technical support..png)
A union representing processing workers employed by Chilean salmon farmer 
NORWAY
Catchwise has grown rapidly in the Norwegian fishing industry, with 30% of Norwegian skippers moving to the platform.
PORTUGAL.png)
The findings, developed under the PUFApods project, offer a sustainable, circular pathway to reduce the dependence of the aquaculture industry on finite wild fish stocks for essential fatty acids.
SPAIN
The governing board of
SWITZERLAND
The 49th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC49), held last week in Geneva (Switzerland), concluded with the selection of Spain as the new host country for the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP)—one of the subsidiary bodies of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) dedicated to international food standardization.
