Myanmar has conveyed fisheries worth US$143.244 million to foreign trade partners as of 28 June in the current financial year 2024-2025 beginning 1 April, surging from $111.984 million registered in the FY 2023-2024, the statistics released by the Ministry of Commerce showed.

The figures showed an increase of $31.26 million compared with that recorded in the corresponding period last FY 2023-2024.

Myanmar sends fisheries products to international markets via maritime trade and border trade channels.

Myanmar exports fishery products to Japan, European countries, China and Thailand through maritime trade channels and also delivers fish, shrimp, prawn, and other seafood to neighboring countries at border posts (Muse, Myawady, Kawthoung, Sittway, Myeik, and Maungtaw).

More than 20 fish species, including hilsa, rohu, catfish, and seabass, are exported to foreign markets, according to the Myanmar Fisheries Federation.

Myanmar ships fishery products to over 40 countries, mainly to Thailand and China. — NN/KK

Since July 2nd, mackerel has been continuously processed in the fish processing plant in Neskaupstaður. Beitir NK brought the first load, then came Vilhelm Þorsteinsson EA and after him Börkur NK. Mackerel is currently being processed from Margréti EA and Barði NK is expected with 900 tonnes.

Börkur NK for mackerel fishing in Icelandic jurisdiction east of the country. Light Helgi Freyr Ólason

The website spoke to Geir Sigurpál Hlöðversson, operations manager of the fishery, and asked him how the processing was going. "She is doing really well. We are getting big and good fish for processing. The average weight is around 530 grams and there are very few smaller fish in the catch. The fishing is such that the processing remains continuous and that is important. It is also invaluable that most of the fish comes from Icelandic jurisdiction, so it is not far for the ships to collect the catch. We have received only one cargo from Smugu. Our work is diverse; it is either whole frozen, deboned or filleted. There seems to be a good outlook regarding the sale of the mackerel and there is an expected ship at the end of the week to take the mackerel so that the production does not stay long in the cold storage," says Geir Sigurpáll.

Source: Síldarvinnsnan hf

In the recent European elections, Ursula von der Leyen won a second term as European Commission president.

With her reelection, the E.U. fisheries sector, including fisheries trade body Europêche, is greatly hoping she fulfills her pre-election commitment to appoint a full-time fisheries commissioner who could elicit a better balance between conservation, sustainable use of natural resources, financial viability, and food security.

“Europêche is hopeful that this change will provide fisheries more political weight within the Commission’s structure and agenda, enhanced support for the sector, (...)”

Author: Jason Holland / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here

An innovative pilot project is now underway to build a new oyster reef off the coast of Belgium.

On behalf of the Belgian Federal Service of Public Health, partners from science and industry are now building the BELREEFS project: the first offshore pilot project for large-scale oyster reef restoration in the Belgian North Sea.

Before 1850, flat oyster reefs were a dominant structural and ecological component of the North Sea ecosystem. Due to human influences and a persistent oyster parasite, they have all but disappeared today. 

Source: FishFocus | Read the full article here

More than 50 companies, organisations, and individuals connected to the United States seafood industry have put their names to a letter sent to members of an important Congressional committee which has three offshore aquaculture related bills to consider.

The letter from industry coalition Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) has been sent to leaders of the Natural Resources Committee of the House of Representatives in a demonstration of growing support for expanding aquaculture in US federal waters.

Source: Fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here

The Secretary General of Fisheries, Isabel Artime, participates in the international forum that examines the challenges and advances related to fishing and aquaculture worldwide. Artime highlights the role of science and innovation to develop more sustainable fishing and aquaculture, as well as to have tools to face the challenges of climate change

Spain is committed to excellence in fisheries management and effective management to recover populations and, in this way, increase catches in the sector.

Source: EuropaAzul | Read the full article here

The judge of the National Court María Tardón has proposed trying eight people and twelve companies, among them the Ricardo Fuentes Group of companies, the main tuna exporting group worldwide, for "the marketing of bluefin tuna from illegal fishing and the laundering of the considerable profits obtained". The order indicates that the investigation has made it possible to prove the "terrible health conditions" in which the facilities they used were found and the poor conditions for human consumption of the tuna, into which they allegedly injected additives to give them an appearance of freshness

Source: IndustriasPesqueras | Read the full article here

[Sapporo] On the 5th, the Hokkaido Fisheries Association announced that the expected kelp production volume for the fiscal year 2024 (as of the end of June) is 9,812 tons, about 20% lower than the previous fiscal year, or about 2,400 tons in terms of quantity.

This is about 70% of the average production volume over the past 10 years (13,967 tons). They plan to re-investigate at the end of August. Still, for now, it is expected to be the first time that the production volume will fall below the 10,000 tons mark, making for an unprecedentedly severe production situation.

The Hokkaido Fisheries Federation conducted interviews with each fishing cooperative through its branches in production areas as of the end of June, and the results were reported by Shimada Naoki, head of the cooperative sales department, at the general meeting of the Hokkaido Kelp Business Cooperative Association held on the 4th.

Looking at each production area, the Hakodate area in southern Hokkaido produced just under 4,000 tons, almost the same as the previous year (3,897 tons). Wild catches were about 400 tons, with farmed catches (mainly forced cultivation) accounting for 90% of the total. The main production area, JF Minami Kayabe Fisheries Cooperative, is expected to produce a slight increase. [....]

Source: Suisan Keizai (translated from original in Japanese)

In the first half of 2024, Frozen Small Octopus imports increased by 18% compared to the previous year.

In June 2024, 427 tons of Frozen Small Octopus were imported, marking a 77% decrease from the 1,831 tons imported during the same period in 2023. However, the cumulative import volume for 2024 reached 12,836 tons, up from 10,919 tons in the same period in 2023. This accounts for 3% of the total seafood imports, which amounted to 445,418 tons

Analyzing the imports by country, 10,051 tons (78%) of Frozen Small Octopus were imported from Vietnam by the end of June, followed by Thailand with 2,119 tons, Indonesia with 364 tons, and China with 238 tons. The import prices varied by country, with Thailand having the highest at USD 7.17/kg, followed by Vietnam at USD 6.18/kg, and China at the lowest price of USD 4.60/kg.

In June, the import value of Frozen Small Octopus was USD 2.77 million, a 77% decrease from USD 11.93 million during the same period in the previous year. However, the cumulative import value for 2024 was USD 80.65 million, a 14% increase compared to USD 70.94 million in 2023.

The increase in Frozen Small Octopus imports is aligned with the growing domestic consumer demand and the diversification of import sources, ensuring a stable supply.

Source: Union Forsea Corp.

The deal includes fresh, unbreaded catfish fillets for use in child nutrition programs and other food distribution activities.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it will pay about $22.9 million to five businesses in the Gulf Coast states to buy 4.9 million pounds (about 2,222 tons) of catfish.

The purchase will be used for child nutrition assistance programs and related food distribution activities. The purchase price ranges from $4.25 to $5.75 per pound of product.

The catfish products will be distributed to more than 200 locations across the United States, and transported by container trucks containing 20 two-pound packages each.

Heartland Catfish, of Itta Bena, Mississippi, is the biggest beneficiary of the scheme, earning $9.4 million for supplying about 2.2 million pounds. In addition, Ocean Select Seafood, of Henderson, Louisiana, is being paid more than $6.1 million for distributing nearly 1.3 million pounds.

Magnolia Treatment, located in Tunica, Mississippi, was paid just under $3.2 million to supply 608,000 pounds. Similarly, Alabama Catfish, located in Uniontown, Alabama, received a $3.1 million contract to supply 646,000 pounds. Simmons Farm Raised Catfish, located in Yazoo City, Mississippi, is supplying 114,000 pounds in exchange for $536,940. For Ocean Select, this is the second time in recent memory that the company has benefited from a USDA contract.