Chris Chase

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has maintained a moratorium on fishing for northern shrimp for another three years through 2028 and decided on no sampling program in 2026.  The decision comes after the commission voted in 2024 to open a small winter harvest to collect data on the stock in 2025. The limited winter harvest allowed fishers to run through March 2025 or until they reached a 26.5-metric-ton (MT) limit,… Read More

Norwegian cod-farming company Ode has harvested and sold its first batch of “deep farmed” cod, in what it describes as the world’s first example of a product like it hitting the market. Ode harvested its first-ever batch of farmed cod in 2022, and since that time, the cod-farming industry in Norway has rapidly grown to become a key part of the country’s fresh cod exports. In November, farmed cod made up more than half the export value… Read More

Salmon-farming firm Mowi has entered into a strategic and industrial partnership agreement with Skretting/Nutreco, which will see it produce feed based on Skretting’s formulations.  Mowi said the new partnership will deliver more than NOK 650 million (USD 64 million, EUR 54 million) in annualized net cost savings through improvements in procurement and logistics and through better feed formulations and recipes. The company said it plans to… Read More

Canada and the U.S. are poised to enter formal trade talks in 2026 as the U.S., Mexico, and Canada Agreement (USMCA) reaches its first review period. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump established the USMCA in 2018, replacing the longstanding North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). When it was established, the USMCA included a clause to potentially renegotiate the deal in 2026, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has now… Read More

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has joined the industry advisory board of the U.S. Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) and said it plans to help support its work on marine science. The certification body said in a release that it will help further SCEMFIS’s mission to identify and fund developments in marine science to support sustainable fisheries. “The MSC shares the Center’s mission of supporting critical scientific… Read More

Norway and Russia have reached an agreement on fishing quotas in 2026 for shared Barents Sea stocks, but the sanctioning of two major Russian companies by Norway continues to be a point of contention.  Norway and Russia have agreed to set a total quota for Northeast Arctic cod of 285,000 metric tons (MT), a decrease of 16 percent compared to the quota set for 2025. That proposal is a compromise between the Russian-Norwegian Arctic Fisheries… Read More

Norwegian land-based salmon farming company Andfjord Salmon posted wider losses in Q3 2025 as its ongoing pause in farming operations lead to no revenue. Andfjord Salmon posted no revenue and an operating loss of NOK 20.7 million (USD 2 million, EUR 1.7 million) in Q3 2025, which was higher than the loss of NOK 16.5 million (USD 1.6 million, EUR 1.4 million) it posted in Q3 2024. Its overall comprehensive losses for the period, factoring in… Read More

Land-based aquaculture company West Coast Salmon has filed for bankruptcy with the Oslo, Norway District Court. West Coast Salmon declared its plans to build a large 50,000 metric ton (MT) recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in the U.S. state of Nevada in 2020, aiming to use a three-phase development plan with an initial 12,600 MT of production. Based in Oslo, Norway, the company initially said Skretting would provide feed for the… Read More

Bensenville, Illinois, U.S.A.-based Fortune International has acquired Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A.-based seafood distributor Simply Fresh. Simply Fresh is a processor and purveyor of fish and seafood and delivers fresh products to cities in North Carolina. Fortune said the acquisition will expand its capabilities in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast U.S. and give it new regional sourcing relationships. "We are thrilled to welcome Simply Fresh… Read More

Scallop fishing opportunities in the U.S. Northeast continue to be low, leaving companies in the region facing another lean year.  The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) recently approved Framework Adjustment 40, setting 36 days-at-sea for full-time Limited Access permit holders and 14.4 days-at-sea for part-time Limited Access permit holders. With that level of fishing opportunity, the council is projecting landings of 17.1 million… Read More