IN BRIEF - Tuna Sector Seeks Support from the Xunta de Galicia Against Risks of Unfair Competition
SPAIN
Friday, March 28, 2025
ANFACO-CECOPESCA, representing the Spanish tuna industry, met with the Xunta de Galicia to warn about the serious risks posed by tariff liberalization for countries like Thailand, without sufficient guarantees of compliance with EU regulations. The sector requested institutional support from Galicia and unity to defend its interests before the European Commission.
On Friday, March 28th, a delegation of senior executives from Spanish tuna companies, grouped in ANFACO-CECOPESCA, held a high-level meeting with the Xunta de Galicia. The meeting, led by President Alfonso Rueda, was attended by the Conselleiro do Mar, Alfonso Villares, and the Directores Xerais Patricia García and Emilio de la Iglesia.
The main objective of the meeting was to strengthen public-private collaboration and establish a joint strategy to protect the competitiveness of the tuna industry, especially the canning sector, against the challenges of the international tariff framework and free trade agreements under negotiation. These agreements could distort the market due to unfair competition from third countries and hinder the global fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Gloria de la Fuente, met with representatives from the National Fisheries Society (Sonapesca) and jack mackerel producers in the Biobío Region. Accompanied by Cristian Vallejos, Program Director of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for Latin America, they presented the recertification that confirms Chilean jack mackerel meets the highest international standards of fisheries sustainability, consolidating the country's position as a global leader in the industry.
At the meeting, which included the presidents of Sonapesca, Felipe Sandoval, and of Industrial Fishermen of Biobío, Macarena Cepeda, as well as executives from various companies, the Undersecretary was informed about the scope of the recertification process and the initiatives undertaken to achieve it.
Source: MundoAcuicola | Read the full article here
Following an unexpected drop last week, Norwegian fresh salmon prices are on the up again according to the latest figures from Statistics Norway.
In the period between 10 and 16 November – week 46 – they rose to NOK 80.10 per kilo (£6.02), just a few pence down on the prices seen two weeks earlier. This represents an increase of 2.6% which is hardly likely to cause a great deal of excitement on the market.
Norway’s export volumes were down by just over 600 metric tons to 23,488 tons, which is still a reasonable figure and several thousand tons higher than back in the spring when they were hovering around the 18,000 ton mark.
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
Record low juvenile salmon counts on River Frome raise extinction concerns.
An annual monitoring programme on the River Frome in Dorset has recorded the lowest number of juvenile wild Atlantic salmon since surveys began more than two decades ago, reinforcing warnings over the species’ long-term viability in UK rivers.
Conservationists from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) counted and tagged 3,226 juvenile salmon during their four-week summer survey, less than a third of the 10,000 fish they typically aim to sample and below last year’s previous record low of 4,593.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
The country's government has expanded its complaint against the Galician shipyard for alleged irregularities in the notarial deeds.
The president of the Bank of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay (BROU), Álvaro García, spoke this week about the case of the ocean patrol vessels awarded to the Vigo-based shipyard Cardama, warning that the payment scheduled for January "is irrevocable." This is despite the complaint filed by the government with the Public Prosecutor's Office after detecting "strong indications of fraud" and irregularities associated with the guarantee presented by the Galician company to build the vessels, valued at approximately 84 million euros. So far, the Beiramar-based firm has received 26 million euros.
Author: A. Pascual / La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
Now that Houthi rebels have pledged to halt their attacks on the Red Sea shipping route, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is working hard to encourage container traffic.
In a bid to demonstrate the passage’s safety, Canal Authority Chairman Ossama Rabiee has personally visited container ships passing through the route and spoken with crew members about conditions.
Two more vessels owned by the same shipping line then passed safely through the canal on 16 November.
Author: Erin Spampinato / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here
The European Commission has selected 70 projects to help decarbonize transport and strengthen the competitiveness of EU industries by installing the necessary infrastructure to refuel different modes of transport. These projects will receive over €600 million in funding from the "Connecting Europe Facility" to stimulate sustainable investments in urban areas, including ports and airports, as well as along road sections of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Specifically, 24 ports will receive funding to deploy port electricity supply, green port operations, and invest in ammonia supply infrastructure. These measures will contribute to the sector's transition to renewable and low-carbon fuels, a priority supported by the recent Sustainable Transport Investment Plan.
Source: Industrias pesqueras | Read the full article here
Fifty chefs and artisanal fishers gathered in Patagonia, Argentina, for a public event focused on local seafood and marine conservation, as discussions continue over a proposed amendment to Law 1355 – the 2021 legislation that prohibits open-net salmon farming in Tierra del Fuego.
The event, held on November 15 at the Ushuaia Aeroclub, brought together figures from the region’s culinary and fishing sectors. Under the banner “Fuegian Cuisine Honouring the Sea”, chefs Jorge Monopoli and Lino Adillón worked with cooks and fishers to prepare dishes featuring local species such as rock cod, clams, mussels, silverside and cholgas. The initiative aimed to promote regional seafood consumption and highlight the connection between the community and artisanal fishers.
Source: The Fish Site | Read the full article here
Norway will eliminate the year from fishing tags starting in 2026 to simplify processes, reduce waste, and improve control of the fishing sector.
Beginning with the 2026 fishing season, Norway will implement a new tagging system for fish and boxes, eliminating the year printed on the tags. The goal is to simplify the process, reduce environmental impact, and optimize financial control within the fishing sector.
In 2022, during the review of the Skriemärke system standard, tags with a two-year validity period were introduced to reduce the risk of fraud. However, after three years of evaluation, the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) concluded that the measure created more bureaucracy than benefits.
Oceana calls on France, Spain and Italy to reduce overcapacity, rebuild fish populations, and redirect funding towards a more selective fleet
A report reveals that too many fishing boats are chasing already overfished populations in the western Mediterranean, leaving many kinds of bottom trawlers unprofitable or only marginally viable, despite continued public subsidies. The report, commissioned by Oceana, identifies the need for a strategic shift by French, Italian and Spanish fisheries ministries to tackle overcapacity, rebuild fish populations, and redirect public funds away from subsidising failing operators, towards supporting more selective and sustainable fishers
Crooks fit stolen licence plates to lorry in midnight raid on Gardermoen fish load.
Norwegian police are hunting brazen thieves who hooked an entire trailer packed with fish worth nearly NOK 1.8 million ($180,000) – from an industrial estate by Oslo’s main airport in the middle of the night.
The refrigerated trailer, loaded with about 15 tonnes of fish, was stolen from a site near Gardermoen, home to Oslo Airport and one of Norway’s biggest hubs for seafood exports.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here