Panaji: The Fisheries Department, in collaboration with coastal police and a local fishermen's representative, seized two fishing trawlers from Malpe, Karnataka, on Saturday for conducting illegal bull trawling in Goa’s territorial waters.

The enforcement operation, which began early in the morning, saw the team depart from Panaji jetty and head eight nautical miles offshore to monitor illegal fishing activity in Goan waters.

During the patrol, the team encountered four trawlers engaging in illegal bull trawling. While two of the vessels were successfully apprehended, the other two managed to evade capture by cutting their fishing nets and fleeing the scene.

The two seized trawlers, along with their 15 crew members, were escorted to the fisheries jetty in Panaji for further legal proceedings.

This operation is part of the department's ongoing efforts to combat illegal fishing and protect Goa’s marine resources.

Dutch plant-based seafood brand, Vegan Zeastar, has introduced an exciting new addition to its lineup: Plant-Based Sushi Rolls.

Unveiled at the prestigious CuliPerslunch event in De Kookfabriek, Amsterdam, the launch allowed food service professionals to sample the innovative offerings firsthand.

The sushi rolls come in three flavorful varieties: Oshi No Salmon, Spicy No Tuna, and No Salmon Asparagus. Created by Vegan Finest Foods, the company behind Vegan Zeastar, these pre-cut, frozen rolls are designed for ultimate convenience—simply defrost, top as desired, and serve. They cater to both restaurants and consumers seeking quick, easy-to-prepare, plant-based meals at home.

More details can be found on the Vegan Finest Foods website

As of October 4, 2024, South Korea has imported a cumulative total of 18,968 tons of fresh salmon, which is similar to the 18,903 tons imported during the same period last year. 

However, the import value has dropped by nearly 10%, from USD 297,650 in 2023 to USD 267,989 in 2024. 

Most of the imports came from Norway, accounting for 18,315 tons, followed by Chile with 445 tons and Canada with 90 tons. The import prices per kilogram were highest for Norway at USD 14.19, followed by Chile at USD 12.61, and Canada at USD 12.23, the lowest.

Source: Union Forsea Corp.

• Those attending the event receive recipe books and promotional gifts, thus contributing to a complete culinary experience that goes beyond simple tasting..

• With this initiative, Opmega reinforces its commitment to innovation in the sector and its goal of making a fresh, healthy and easy-to-prepare product available to all homes.

Valladolid - From October 3 to 5, the Val de Valladolid Market is the epicentre of the 'OPMEGA Gastronomic Days', where not only the quality of Galician mussels is celebrated, but also one of its main innovations: the new fresh mussel packaging, developed by the Galician Mussel Producers' Organisation (OPMEGA).

These packages, designed to improve the conservation and facilitate the consumption of mussels, are available to the public of Valladolid in the fishmongers of the market. The key to this innovation lies in the controlled atmosphere of the packaging, which allows the mussel to remain alive and perfectly clean, extending its useful life by 40%.

This represents a great advance both for consumers, who can enjoy the fresh product for longer, and for the fishing sector, which sees how the distribution chain is optimized without losing the characteristic quality of the Galician mussel.

Source: Opmega Comunicación

Conxemar closed after a week full of contacts, but uncomfortable due to the rain that fell and the difficult access to the premises. The International Fair of Seafood and Frozen Products has noted the low and high prices due to the absence of raw materials due to the closure of the Malvinas fishing ground. Among the conclusions. "We have had a large number of buyers," revealed Eloy García, president of the Fair a few hours after the doors of the exhibition closed.

The number of exhibitors was 767, because in 2023 all the available exhibition space at Ifevi had already been reserved. So this year these figures were simply consolidated.

Muchos de ellos quedaron fuera existiendo una gran lista de espera. Conxdemar lleva años defendiendo la necesidad de ampliar el recinto ferial que acoge la feria más importante de Galicia.

Source: EuropaAzul l Read the full article here

The Court of Justice of the European Union has rejected the appeals filed by the Council of the EU and the European Commission against the 2021 ruling that annulled the fisheries and agricultural agreements between the EU and Morocco, following a complaint by the Polisario Front for not having taken into account the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara and, in the specific case of fisheries, for not treating the territory of Western Sahara and adjacent waters as separate and distinct from the Kingdom of Morocco.

The new ruling, with a definitive character, generates more uncertainties about the future of fisheries relations with Morocco. 

Source: Industrias Pesqueras l Read the full article here

Proximar Seafood has harvested and sold the first Atlantic salmon to the Japanese market under the brand Fuji Atlantic Salmon.

Proximar has, from its salmon facility at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan, over the past two years prepared for the company’s first harvest– and the first harvest ever in Japan of domestically produced Atlantic salmon. The completion of the first commercial harvest is marking an operational and commercial pivotal milestone.

Source: Fish Focus l Read the full article here

How Ecuador’s shrimp industry has established itself as a global model of sustainability is set to be the key theme of an event taking place on 22 October during AquaExpo Guayaquil.

Organised by the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) and Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), it will be the first edition of the new sustainability forum, Race to the Top.

The event, held at the Guayaquil Convention Center, is set to contain four sections – focused on governance, environmental, social and economic topics – and will feature 15 lectures, panels and success stories from Ecuador’s shrimp industry, with more than 35 internationally and nationally renowned speakers.

Source: The Fish Site l Read the full article here

The UK Government has begun rolling out Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) systems on fishing vessels, marking a significant step towards modernising the monitoring of fishing activities and promoting sustainability.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in collaboration with key partners, is implementing this technology to collect real-time data on fishing activities and catches, supporting both the industry and environmental conservation efforts.

Author: Oliver McBride / The Fishing Daily l Read the full article here

In late September 2024, federal regulators shut down a significant Alaska fishery after two trawlers from Kodiak accidentally caught around 2,000 king salmon (Chinook Salmon - Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) while targeting pollock, a whitefish commonly used in processed products like fish sticks and surimi. This bycatch incident—where non-target species are unintentionally caught—triggered the closure, as the fleet approached its annual limit of 18,000 king salmon.

This closure affects about 20 boats and potentially hundreds of shore-based processing jobs, as the season was initially set to continue until November. The event has intensified ongoing debates about bycatch, with conservationists and Tribal advocates pushing for stricter regulations on trawl fleets, which often unintentionally harvest vulnerable species like salmon while targeting lower-value fish.

While bycatch in the Bering Sea has been a primary concern, this incident occurred in the Gulf of Alaska, an area whose bycatch includes salmon originating from British Columbia, the U.S. West Coast, and some from Alaska’s Copper and Kenai rivers.

This closure highlights the ongoing tension between sustaining Alaska’s commercial fishing industry and the urgent need to protect threatened salmon populations.