Land-based fish farmer The Kingfish Company increased its harvest volume by 55% and sales and revenue by around a third in the second quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2023.

The Netherlands company, which grows yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) in a recently expanded recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Zeeland, sold 512 tonnes of fish, 36% more than the 377 tonnes sold in Q2 2023.

Source: FishFarmingExpert | Read the full article here

The most threatened reef fishes are also the most overlooked by scientists and the general public. That is the startling finding of a team of scientists led by a CNRS researcher.1 In a study to be published in Science Advances on July 17, they measured the level of human interest in 2,408 species of marine reef fish and found that the attention of the scientific community is attracted by the commercial value more than the ecological value of the fishes. 

Source: FishFocus | Read the full article here

At the founding meeting of the Fisheries Commission (PECH), the new vice presidents who will accompany Crespo in his mandate were also elected: Sander Smit, Giuseppe Milazzo, Stéphanie Yon-Curtin. This election marks the beginning of a new chapter for the commission, in which Crespo promises to face the challenges of the fishing sector with commitment and dedication.

Crespo, the only presidential candidate, was proposed by the European People's Party. In his opening speech he expressed his gratitude and willingness to listen to all MEPs. 

Source: EuropaAzul | Read the full article here

The Department of the Sea of ??the Xunta de Galicia has approved extraordinary aid aimed at guaranteeing the sustainability of associative entities in the marine sector by providing funds to "maintain the operation of these entities that were compromised by serious environmental events." "that caused loss of activity during the period of October and November 2023 and that put at risk the assumption of the basic operating costs of its activity."

Source: IndustriasPesqueras | Read the full article here

The Falklands Fisheries patrol vessel, FPV Lilibet, is one of several vessels that are sailing to the rescue of Argos Georgia 

The Falklands Fisheries patrol vessel, FPV Lilibet, is one of several vessels that are sailing to the rescue of Argos Georgia

A major rescue operation is underway to the east of the Falkland Islands to help a fishing vessel in distress. On Monday afternoon the Falkland Islands Maritime Authority received information that the fishing vessel Argos Georgia, with 27 persons onboard, was taking on water and requesting assistance some 200 miles east of Stanley.

Communications were quickly established between Falkland Islands Government, Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, HQ British Forces South Atlantic Islands, the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency, the fishing vessel company and other fishing vessels at sea.

The situation onboard the Argos Georgia has deteriorated over the past few hours and a rescue operation is underway with surface and air assets deployed, including the BFSAI A-400, BFSAI Search and Rescue helicopters, FPV Lilibet and 2 fishing vessels all deployed.

Further updates will be released as the situation develops.

FV Argos Georgia is a longliner, built in Turkey in 2018 with IMO number 9812690, a gross tonnage of 2,004, 53,85 meters long, 13 meters wide and a draught of 5,5 meters.

Source: MercoPress

EUGENE, Ore. — In the rivers of the ancient Pacific Northwest, a colossal salmon once swam – one that dwarfed even the largest of today’s prized catches. For decades, this extinct giant has captured imaginations as the “Sabertooth Salmon,” conjuring images of a fish with fearsome downward-pointing fangs. But a study published in PLOS ONE reveals that we’ve been telling fish tales about this prehistoric marvel all along.

Meet Oncorhynchus rastrosus, a salmon that grew to an astonishing 2.7 meters (8.9 feet) in length – nearly three times the size of the largest modern salmon. When first described in the 1970s, paleontologists found massive, isolated teeth unlike anything seen in living salmon. Without a complete skull to work from, they logically assumed these teeth pointed backward into the mouth like fangs. This led to the creature’s popular nickname and even its original scientific name, which translates roughly to “rake-toothed smilodon-fish.”

Now, thanks to remarkably well-preserved new fossils and advanced imaging techniques, researchers have discovered that we’ve had it all wrong. Those imposing teeth weren’t downward-facing fangs at all but rather sideways-pointing spikes!

“The teeth projected laterally like tusks, not ventrally like sabers or fangs,” the study authors explain in the report.

Brussels - During the Ocean EDITO 2024 Digital Forum, Elías Pinilla, researcher at the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP), presented the innovative CHONOS Initiative, a program whose central objective is the sustainable management of the coasts in the Chilean Patagonia region, through ocean observations and simulations.

Presentation of the CHONOS Initiative at the Ocean EDITO 2024 Digital Forum, Brussels 2024.

Aligned with the UN Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development, the European Digital Twin Ocean (EU DTO) is a multidimensional virtual representation of the ocean. It combines marine observations, artificial intelligence, and ocean models operating on high-performance computers. This flagship initiative of the European Commission, co-developed by Mercator Ocean International and the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), was presented at the Digital Ocean Forum 2024, offering new capabilities for marine data exploration and decision-making. The forum brought together experts and representatives of mainly European initiatives, which makes the presence of IFOP's CHONOS especially relevant as an outstanding example of 'Digital Ocean' applied to the complexity of the channels and fjords of Patagonia.

The introduction of CHONOS and the discussion forums is a significant recognition, as it positions IFOP on the global map of advanced science-based ocean research and management.

On Thursday, July 18, the 9th District Court of Appeals heard cases for and against a lower court ruling that threatened to halt Southeast Alaska’s troll fishery for king or chinook salmon. Although there’s no decision yet, a panel of judges expressed sympathy for the coastal communities that could be hurt by the order.

With an opener the first week of July, Southeast Alaska trollers already got to fish for kings this summer. But the future of their fall season is in the balance at a courtroom over a thousand miles south, in San Francisco, California. 

The Alaska Trollers Association, the State of Alaska, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — or NOAA — and other entities appealed a lower court ruling that found NOAA broke the law by letting Southeast trollers catch too many kings — to the detriment of a population of endangered killer whales.

The Washington District Court order would have effectively stopped Southeast trollers from fishing for kings. But the case is now on hold in the appeals process and in the hands of judges Mark Bennett, Anthony Johnstone, and Milan Smith Jr.

Statistics in the first half of this year show that for the first time, Vi?t Nam’s fishery products maintained its position as the fifth largest partner in Singapore for the second consecutive quarter.

Processing Tra fish fillets for export at a factory of C?u Long An Giang Import-Export JSC. — VNA/VNS Photo

The Vi?t Nam Trade Office in Singapore said Vi?t Nam’s fishery exports to Singapore in the period under review rose by 0.81 per cent to reach US$51.7 million, occupying a market share of 9.46 per cent. A sharp export revenue rise was seen in fresh fish (25.42 per cent).

Trade Counsellor in Singapore Cao Xuân Th?ng advised Vietnamese businesses to further improve the quality of the exports and take an active part in the office’s efforts to connect with the host country’s peers so as to broaden their presence there.

Singaporean statistics show that in the first six months of this year, the country spent about SGD546.14 million (over $406 million) to import fishery products from nearly 100 countries and territories. Imports from Vi?t Nam included frozen fillet (28.69 per cent) and processed fish (19.24 per cent).

It is implementing a policy of continuously diversifying the sources of supply to ensure food security, and this is intensifying the competition among the exporters of fishery products to Singapore. — VNS

Martiko launches two new references, Smoked Salmon with Curry and Smoked Salmon with Dill, with which the company expands its commitment to varieties of smoked salmon, the protagonist in its seafood products, with the so-called Martiko Salmon Supremes.

Martiko's salmon uses Norwegian salmon as raw material, coming from the cold waters of the Norwegian Sea, which is never frozen, and is made under strict quality and safety controls. As for smoking, it is done slowly with beech wood.

In both varieties, made in 80 gram containers, the belly of the salmon is used, the juiciest part due to its high fat content and therefore, higher concentration of Omega 3, and is presented with a cut for presentations made with a slight layer of spices that “highlights the unctuousness of the cut used and the more traditional smoked flavor,” as they explain.