GUATEMALA CITY – Guatemalan shrimp, both wild-caught and from aquaculture, will now be able to enter the United States market, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food (MAGA) announced.

This crucial opening comes after an official certification from the U.S. Department of State, which endorses Guatemala's compliance with international standards for responsible fishing.

The certification highlights that the country has implemented effective measures to minimize the impact of shrimp fishing on sea turtles, a key concern in global commercial fishing. This achievement is the result of a rigorous evaluation of the national responsible fishing program, coordinated by MAGA, Visar (Vice Ministry of Agricultural Health and Regulations), and the Directorate of Normativity, Fisheries, and Aquaculture.

The news opens new and significant export opportunities for Guatemala, solidifying its position in the international seafood trade and underscoring the value of regulation in fishing activity for sustainability and access to demanding markets.

Producers Celebrate Senate Committee's Unanimous Agreement to Curb Illegal Imports

SINALOA – Aquaculture producers in Sinaloa are urgently calling on the Federal Government to halt the smuggling of Ecuadorian shrimp, which they claim is entering Mexico via Central America, creating unfair competition and severely jeopardizing the local industry.

Carlos Urias Espinoza

Carlos Urías Espinoza, president of the Confederation of Aquaculture Organizations of the State of Sinaloa (Coades), stressed the "urgent" need to stop the influx of illegal shrimp, resulting from both smuggling and triangulated imports that directly depress local product prices. He applauded the Senate's Fisheries Commission for reaching a unanimous agreement to increase customs surveillance and combat this practice.

Raúl Leyva Retes, Coades Vice President, added that international treaties shouldn't be set in stone and senators should review them, as Ecuador is reportedly exploiting Central American countries as a bridge to send shrimp to Mexico. Farmers also lamented the federal government's perceived failure to grasp aquaculture's strategic economic potential for the country, leading to insufficient investment in necessary infrastructure to boost competitiveness.

ISLA HUAR – Mowi Chile has taken a significant step towards sustainability with the inauguration of the country's first floating solar salmon farming cage, located at its Isla Huar cultivation center in the Los Lagos Region. This pioneering initiative aims to significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels, projected to decrease annual CO2 emissions by 350 tons, equivalent to planting 14,000 trees.

Ricardo Gantenbein

Developed in collaboration with leading companies AKVA group, Alotta Energy, and Fjord Maritime, the innovative system features a floating solar plant installed directly on a cultivation cage. The energy generated can be used immediately or stored in batteries, covering up to 50% of the center's energy needs.

"This initiative marks an important step in innovating solutions for emissions reduction and improving energy efficiency in our daily operations," stated Ricardo Gantenbein, Seawater Production Manager at Mowi Chile. In addition to environmental benefits, the project will reduce the transit of fuel supply vessels, positively impacting the working and marine environment.

Japan trials aquaponics-raised trout at Saga retail centre.

A retail trial of land-based, low-impact aquaculture trout began on 29 May at a commercial complex in Saga City, southwestern Japan, marking a rare example of aquaponics-grown salmonids reaching consumers through traditional retail channels.

The trout, harvested the previous day, was raised in a closed-loop system that combines aquaculture with hydroponic vegetable farming—an approach known as aquaponics. Fillets were made available for sale and sampling on-site, according to a report from NHK.

Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here

The U.S. Coast Guard has detained another four Mexican fishers illegally harvesting red snapper in U.S. waters.

The Coast Guard has interdicted and detained more than 50 fishers from Mexico operating illegally in the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Gulf of Mexico, currently referred to as the Gulf of America by the U.S. government. According to government officials, Mexican fishers frequently cross into U.S. waters in fast-moving small vessels called “lanchas” to catch fish, which are then brought back to Mexico for sale. In early May, a grand jury in Texas indicted four Mexican fishers on charges of illegally harvesting red snapper in U.S. waters. They face a sentence of up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of USD 250,000 (EUR 223,669).

Author: Nathan Strout / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here

The Aquaculture Awards, taking place in Inverness on 19 June, will for the first time be accompanied by an all-day conference.

Delegates at the conference, at the Macdonald Drumossie Hotel, will have the opportunity to hear from industry leaders, expert panels, and innovators who will explore the most pressing challenges and opportunities shaping the future of aquaculture.Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands in the Scottish Government, will start proceedings, addressing the conference by video.

The conference programme, now unveiled, will be launched by Scottish aquaculture technology pioneer Ace Aquatec investigating how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming every stage of fish farming operations

Source: Fish Farmer l Read the full article here

Banff, AB – Cooke Inc. is pleased to have received two National Awards of Excellence from the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) in the Best Publication (Gold) and Best Sustainable Development Initiative categories.

Presented during a gala ceremony at the ELEVATE 2025 CPRS National Conference, this year’s awards recognize outstanding achievements in strategic communications, innovation, and leadership.

Ammon News -His Majesty King Abdullah II visited Al Jafr Fish Farming Project, which is a Royal initiative that promotes development of the Southern Badia, and the creation of job opportunities for the local community.

The fish farm project raises fish for sale in the local market, with the first production starting in July. The project provides 60 job opportunities for area residents, who receive training and qualification through specialised programmes.

The project is located on a 2,000 dunum plot of land, and is operated by Takatuf for Agricultural and Industrial Investments, a partnership between the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and Harmony Investments Company.