IN BRIEF – Maersk’s MECL Service Returns to the Trans-Suez Route
DENMARK
Monday, January 19, 2026
Maersk will implement its first structural return of the MECL service to the trans-Suez route, following improved stability in the Red Sea. The move is expected to enable more efficient transit times while maintaining safety as the company’s top priority.
After the successful trans-Suez transits of the Maersk Sebarok and Maersk Denver, A.P. Moller – Maersk has decided to introduce its first permanent service adjustment back to the Suez Canal. The change applies to the MECL service, allowing Maersk to revert to its originally designed service pattern and offer customers shorter and more reliable transit times. The MECL service is operated exclusively by Maersk and connects the Middle East and India with the U.S. East Coast.
Maersk will continue to closely monitor the security situation in the Middle East. Any further adjustments to the MECL service will remain dependent on sustained stability in the Red Sea and the absence of regional escalation. The safety of crews, vessels, and customers’ cargo remains the company’s highest priority. Contingency plans are in place should conditions deteriorate, including the possibility of reverting individual sailings—or the entire MECL service—back to th
Commissioner Costas Kadis promises to review the methodology used to translate scientific data into restrictions and present a proposal before the end of the year. Catalan fishing guilds applaud the shift, but demand specifics and consensus with the sector.
The European Commission is beginning to admit that the system used to determine fishing opportunities—quotas, catch limits, and, above all, days of activity has reached a point of friction that is difficult to sustain. This week, in an interview published by ACN, the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Costas Kadis, announced that Brussels will "change the way it interprets" scientific data when imposing restrictions
As announced at the end of last year, the General Secretariat for Fisheries is entering into negotiations with the Portuguese Secretariat for Fisheries and the Sea to renew the Iberian sardine management agreement for next year and subsequent years. At a meeting held on March 4th in Madrid, Spain's Isabel Artime and her Portuguese counterpart, Salvador Malheiro, formalized the creation of a working group in which Spain will "promote a review of the current allocation key, the percentage of quota allocated to each country, to align it with the actual catch by each country's fleet."
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
Norwegian Maritime Partner is building seven new search and rescue (SAR) vessels for the Danish Armed Forces. Together with researchers and technicians from SINTEF Ocean, they are conducting research in which they have designed specially built small-scale models to test maneuverability, dynamic stability at high speeds and in rough waters, and hull strength.
The vessels must meet stringent performance and safety requirements, with a top speed of over 35 knots and a range of over 350 nautical miles. They are equipped with advanced safety features and meet strict emissions requirements.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
Mexico has introduced legislation to ban all cephalopod farming nationwide. The proposed bill makes Mexico the second country in Latin America to propose legislation to ban octopus farming, following a similar federal bill introduced in Chile in 2025. Senator Maki Esther Ortiz Domínguez, of the Partido Verde Ecologista de México (PVEM), presented the bill last week in the Mexican Senate. It proposes reforms to the General Law of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture that would prohibit the breeding or growth stages of any cephalopod species in Mexican territory. No concessions or permits would be granted for such activities. The bill now moves to the relevant Senate commissions for discussion.
The ASC certification covers seven species: Olympia oyster, Kumamoto oyster, Eastern oyster, Pacific oyster, Mediterranean mussel, Manila clam and geoduck. Its geoduck – the world’s largest burrowing clam species – is currently the only ASC-certified geoduck in the world.
Taylor Shellfish Farms is North America’s largest oyster producer, and ASC said the accreditation significantly increases US availability of ASC-labelled shellfish at a time when retailers and foodservice operators are under pressure to substantiate sustainability claims.
Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
Companies from around the world, expert voices in panels and seminars, and recognition of local innovation will be part of the thirteenth edition of the fair.
More than 20,000 square meters of exhibition space, the participation of more than 550 exhibiting companies, and an International Congress that will bring together more than 40 speakers to address the main challenges of the aquaculture industry in Chile and the world will shape Aquasur 2026, which will be held in the Los Lagos Region between March 24 and 26.
The goal that FISA events set for this edition was to consolidate the fair as "the largest aquaculture industry event in the Southern Hemisphere," while also positioning the Los Lagos Region as a national development hub.
Source: iPac.acuicultura | Read the full article here
IceFish exhibitor and packaging giant Samhentir Kassagerð ehf has announced that its operations have been certified under the international BRCGS standard for import and wholesale companies for packaging, including food packaging.
The company received an A rating, the highest possible result for the BRCGS Storage and Distribution standard.
The certification confirms that Samhentir's processes meet strict requirements for quality, safety and traceability. Customers can therefore be confident that they will always receive consistent and safe quality from certified, world-class suppliers.
Pollock nuggets, raw octopus and a range of salmon-based products are among the shortlisted finalists for the Seafood Excellence Awards. The list includes the US arm of smoked salmon specialist St. James Smokehouse.
The winners will be announced on Sunday 15 March at Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, the largest seafood trade event in North America.The 12 finalists in the Excellence Awards were selected out of a list of market-ready products that are launching or have been introduced in the past 18 months to the North American market.
Author: Robert Outram / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here
Growth in volume and value for Norwegian salmon exports.
Norway exported 97,463 tonnes of salmon worth NOK 9.4 billion ($940 million) in February, marking growth in both value and volume compared with the same month last year.
Poland, China and France were the largest markets for Norwegian salmon during the month.
China recorded the strongest growth in value. Exports to the country increased by NOK 570 million, or 107 percent, compared with February last year.
Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here
The Regional Ministry of the Sea and the Fundación Nueva Pescanova will turn Galicia into the international hub for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture with the IV Global Sustainable Seafood Galicia Forum, to be held in Vigo on April 28.
The Regional Minister of the Sea, Marta Villaverde, signed the collaboration agreement with the foundation’s president to support the event, which will once again position the region as a global showcase for the quality and excellence of Galician seafood products.
The forum will bring together professionals involved in the blue transformation, from responsible fisheries and aquaculture to scientific and business innovation. Its third edition gathered more than 300 professionals from 30 countries, reinforcing its international reach.
The Galician Government is allocating €75,625 to the initiative, co-financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). The event aligns with the Galicia Blue Economy Strategy, which mobilizes €144 million to strengthen the sector’s social, environmental, and economic sustainability and to consolidate Galicia’s position as a European leader in marine protection and long-term economic development.
China’s Squid Price Index Plunge by Up to 36% China
Zhoushan Squid Price Index confirms generalized declines across the four main distant-water fishing zones as of February 13, 2026, amid increased supply and international demand adjustments
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DENMARK
BELGIUM
Commissioner Costas Kadis promises to review the methodology used to translate scientific data into restrictions and present a proposal before the end of the year. Catalan fishing guilds applaud the shift, but demand specifics and consensus with the sector.
SPAIN
As announced at the end of last year, the General Secretariat for Fisheries is entering into negotiations with the Portuguese Secretariat for Fisheries and the Sea to renew the Iberian sardine management agreement for next year and subsequent years. At a meeting held on March 4th in Madrid, Spain's Isabel Artime and her Portuguese counterpart, Salvador Malheiro, formalized the creation of a working group in which Spain will "promote a review of the current allocation key, the percentage of quota allocated to each country, to align it with the actual catch by each country's fleet." 
Norwegian Maritime Partner is building seven new search and rescue (SAR) vessels for the Danish Armed Forces. Together with researchers and technicians from 
MEXICO
Mexico has introduced legislation to ban all cephalopod farming nationwide. The proposed bill makes Mexico the second country in Latin America to propose legislation to ban octopus farming, following a similar federal bill introduced in Chile in 2025. Senator Maki Esther Ortiz Domínguez, of the Partido Verde Ecologista de México (PVEM), presented the bill last week in the Mexican Senate. It proposes reforms to the General Law of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture that would prohibit the breeding or growth stages of any cephalopod species in Mexican territory. No concessions or permits would be granted for such activities. The bill now moves to the relevant Senate commissions for discussion.
UNITED STATES
Taylor Shellfish Farms
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More than 20,000 square meters of exhibition space, the participation of more than 550 exhibiting companies, and an International Congress that will bring together more than 40 speakers to address the main challenges of the aquaculture industry in Chile and the world will shape 
ICELAND
IceFish exhibitor and packaging giant 
Pollock nuggets, raw octopus and a range of salmon-based products are among the shortlisted finalists for the Seafood Excellence Awards. The list includes the US arm of smoked salmon specialist St. James Smokehouse.
CHINA.png)
Growth in volume and value for Norwegian salmon exports..png)
The Regional Minister of the Sea, Marta Villaverde, signed the collaboration agreement with the foundation’s president to support the event, which will once again position the region as a global showcase for the quality and excellence of Galician seafood products.
