The Japanese group launches a national sustainable seafood campaign after receiving the MSC Japan Award in the retail category for the third consecutive year.

TOKYO — Aeon will promote MSC-certified seafood products from September 11 to 13 across approximately 390 Aeon and Aeon Style stores in five regions of Japan, strengthening the presence of sustainable seafood in large-scale retail.

The campaign includes certified cod roe, mentaiko, capelin with roe, and skipjack tuna tataki. The group was recognized on September 10 with the MSC Japan Award 2026 for recording the highest national volume of consumer sales of MSC-labeled products during fiscal year 2025.

Aeon notes that its Topvalu brand had 41 MSC references across 23 species as of late July, distributed among fresh fish, frozen items, prepared products, and other categories.

Draft rules set technical and environmental requirements for tank systems in reservoirs and lakes

China is consulting on a standard for intensive aquaculture tanks of 25–120 m³ in reservoirs and lakes.

It requires dissolved oxygen of at least 6 mg/L, removal of ≥90% of solids, smart water monitoring and effluent treatment. Comments close September 17.

Species covered by the proposal include largemouth bass and various carp species.

Cook Strait estimate more than doubles, while Pegasus Canyon reaches a record high

Fisheries New Zealand surveys show hoki spawning aggregations rising sharply: 124,000 tonnes in Cook Strait, up from 58,000 tonnes in 2023, plus record indices of 145,000 tonnes in Pegasus Canyon and 38,000 tonnes in Conway Trough.

The data do not represent total stock biomass or automatically imply higher TACs.

Government, researchers and producers assess costs, climate risks and stronger import competition

South Korea gathered 120 aquaculture stakeholders in Yeoju to discuss competitiveness, rising production costs, climate adaptation and a potential CPTPP entry. The minister also visited an eel farm, highlighting needs in automation, energy efficiency, feed and fish health.

New support will cover up to 95% of premiums for vulnerable producers

From October 20, 2026, Vietnam will expand agricultural insurance aid to aquaculture. Subsidies will reach 95% for poor producers, 50% for other individuals and 30% for eligible firms and cooperatives, initially covering black tiger shrimp, whiteleg shrimp and pangasius.

This measure could reduce farms' financial exposure to disease, flooding, salinity, and heatwaves, while also creating opportunities for insurers, environmental data providers, and remote assessment services.

Landings from Norwegian waters support pelagic processing activity

Faroese vessels Finnur Fríði, Tummas T, Birita and Arctic Voyager return with 394 tonnes of mackerel. 215 tonnes will go to Varðin Pelagic in Tvøroyri and 179 tonnes to Pelagos in Fuglafjørður, supporting local processing and export operations.

The landings will activate local capacity for the reception, sorting, processing, and logistics of pelagic products.

The operation will also enable continued activity at Faroese plants and the scheduling of new shipments to international markets.

The vessel will target cod, haddock, halibut and wolffish in the Barents Sea

The 58-m Gandvik-3, built for Virma under Russia’s investment quota program, can process 35 t of raw fish/day, freeze 25 t of products, store nearly 600 t and operate autonomously for 45 days with a 36-person crew.

The freezer hold is designed to hold almost 600 tons of product, which allows the vessel to remain in the fishery for up to a month and a half.

https://fish.gov.ru/

GSSI welcomes American tuna to the GSSI Global Partnership. The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) is pleased to welcome American Tuna as its newest Funding Partner.

Founded to champion responsibly sourced, one-by-one caught tuna, American Tuna has spent more than two decades working with traditional pole-and-line and troll fisheries to bring responsibly harvested seafood to consumers across the United States. What began in 2004 with a commitment to support American fishing communities has since grown into partnerships with one-by-one fisheries around the world, from the Maldives to New Zealand.Today, American Tuna offers a growing portfolio of responsibly sourced seafood products, working with retailers, distributors and private-label partners 

Source: Fish Focus | Read the full article here

Norway will make up to 8,200 tonnes of additional salmon farming capacity available in green production areas this year, while farms in the country's sole red area face an estimated 5,300-tonne reduction.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries has formally adopted the regulations governing the 2026 capacity adjustment under Norway's traffic-light system.

Three of the country's 13 production areas have been classified green and can increase maximum permitted biomass by up to 6%. Nine areas remain yellow, with capacity unchanged.Production area 3, stretching from Karmøy to Sotra, is the only red area and must cut capacity by 6% because of the assessed impact of salmon lice on wild salmon.

Source: SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here

The large Norwegian based wellboat and aquaculture services company Frøy is strengthening its fleet with three more new service vessels from Rainbow Nantong Shipyard in China.

Two of the vessels have already secured long-term contracts with two of Norway’s largest aquaculture companies – and the company says the investment marks a new step in Frøy’s work to build a more modern, efficient and sustainable fleet.Frøy said the boats represent the next generation of service vessels and will strengthen its capacity to meet the future needs of the aquaculture industry.

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