Europêche, the representative body of Europe’s fishing sector, welcomes the successful conclusion of the Meeting of Experts on Guidelines for Fair Labour Market Services for Migrant Fishers, held under the auspices of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) from 27 to 31 October 2025 in Geneva.

The newly adopted Guidelines for Fair Labour Market Services for Migrant Fishers provide a comprehensive framework to assist governments and social partners in promoting ethical recruitment and fair treatment of migrant fishers across the world. 

Source: Fish Focus | Read the full article here

Japanese seafood company Nissui announced it is launching a full-scale salmon farming begining with a new seedling operation in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture. 

The company said in a release it has been conducting experimental salmon farming in the city since 2023, and as of 1 November it has begun stable production and shipments from its salmon facility. The land-based facility is starting under the umbrella of Yumigahama Suisan Co., and has been dubbed the "Nissui Kesengawa Fish Farm."

Nissui said the facility was a salmon and trout hatchery owned by the Hirota Bay Fisheries Cooperative to establish salmon seedling production.

Author: Chris chase / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here

Two Norwegian salmon farmers that are normally competitors have announced a joint investment in closed cage development.

The project involves the construction of six Aquatraz C2 units delivered by Seafarming Systems. 

The Seafarming technology has been developed in collaboration with SalMar and Lerøy, building on the experience gained from the Aquatraz S1 delivered to Lerøy and the first four Aquatraz cages developed for SalMar.

Source: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here

JUNEAU, AK – November 1st marks the highly anticipated return of Southeast Alaska’s commercial red king crab fishery, its first competitive opening in eight years.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) confirmed over 211,000 pounds of harvestable crab, exceeding the 200,000-pound regulatory threshold. This low-volume, high-value fishery has just 59 permit holders, making this comeback particularly significant.

Adam Messmer, an ADFG shellfish biologist, noted the palpable excitement: “I know guys are getting pretty excited about it... it was kind of a firestorm.” Ten different areas will open, managed individually based on crab availability. Three of seven historical hot spots surveyed by the state show great promise.

This opening ends a decade of sparse commercial seasons, signaling a positive turn for the region’s crabbers.

A 22-year-old Dutch national, a crew member on a factory fishing vessel (or factory ship), was found dead while the vessel was carrying out operations in international waters.

His body was discovered while the ship was anchored near the port of Coquimbo. The local police (PDI, Investigations Police of Chile) and forensic experts are currently investigating the man's death.

The cause of death is still unknown. The victim's body was transferred to the forensic institute, where an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.

It should be noted that the Coquimbo Port Authority (Capitanía de Puerto Coquimbo) reported that they "coordinated the procedure following the report of a crew member's death aboard the Lithuanian-flagged factory vessel F/V Margiris. The incident occurred while the vessel was conducting fishing operations on the high seas, outside national jurisdiction, and the Chilean Maritime Authority was informed. [The Authority] created the corresponding administrative procedures to handle the incident."

The local police and forensic experts are currently investigating the man's death.

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture has authorized a slight increase in the total permissible pollock catch for the Far East's offshore fishing areas in 2026.

The new quota is set at approximately 2.42 million tons, a modest rise from the current year's permitted catch of about 2.39 million tons. This reflects the region's overall fishing industry dynamics, though changes vary significantly by zone.

Regional Quota Adjustments

• Increases: Several key subzones will see a boost in their allowable catch. The Kamchatka-Kuril subzone, within the northern Sea of Okhotsk, will increase from 281,400 tons to 283,400 tons. The East Sakhalin zone is set for a larger jump, moving from 150,000 tons to 163,800 tons. Notably, the Karaginsky subzone will also rise from 74,500 tons to 92,500 tons.

• Decrease: Conversely, the West Bering Sea region will experience a reduction, with volumes dropping from 694,200 tons to 627,000 tons.

These varied adjustments across different fishing grounds are standard practice, aimed at maintaining overall stock health while supporting the regional industry.

The 44th annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) wrapped up in Hobart, concluding two weeks of discussions among 27 Member countries.

The Commission successfully renewed dozens of conservation measures to strictly regulate fishing for the 2025/26 fishing season. A major step against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing was taken with a new rule requiring all fishing vessels to tranship cargo only with a vessel listed in a newly created CCAMLR Record of Carrier Vessels. Additionally, CCAMLR signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Peru to boost scientific cooperation on Antarctic research. The Scientific Committee also agreed to develop a regular State of the Antarctic Environment Report.

Despite this progress, many Members expressed concern over the lapse of Conservation Measure 51-07 in 2024, which previously managed the krill catch distribution in the South Atlantic. Crucially, the Commission was unable to reach a consensus on new measures for precautionary krill fishery management or the establishment of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Western Antarctic Peninsula, South of the Scotia Arc, the East Antarctic, and the Weddell Sea.

Finally, the Commission appointed Mr. Nathan Walker (New Zealand) as its new Executive Secretary, succeeding Dr. David Agnew. The next meeting is scheduled for October 2026 in Hobart.