Spotlight

A slippery slope for sea bass, sea bream

April Forristall — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:43:39 GMT

There are mounting concerns that the Mediterranean sea bass and sea bream farming industries could soon implode amid reports of very cheap fish being put on the market.

Grouper culture competition rises in Asia

April Forristall — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:30:54 GMT

Japan's current grouper production is mainly aimed at the domestic market, but new research is helping the country tap the Chinese market with farmed red grouper.

European flatfish volumes look promising

April Forristall — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:07:45 GMT

Sustainable plaice stocks, effective sole management and increasing supply of megrim are positive indicators for southern Europe’s flat and whitefish sectors, despite variable consumption and price patterns.

Bluefin breeding encouraged

April Forristall — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:41:42 GMT

While the chief substitute — bigeye tuna — for the species remains cheap, Japan’s government is limiting the catch of wild juvenile bluefin tuna while boosting captive breeding.

Turbot farming becoming big business

April Forristall — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:07:57 GMT

Production volumes and prices are rising steadily centered on farming, with leading farmers in Spain and Portugal with France, the Netherlands, U.K., Iceland and Denmark producing as well.

Squid season hits full swing

April Forristall — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:00:46 GMT

Along with Italy, Spain is importing less in 2012 than in 2011, but its rich coastal and oceanic squid numbers make this cephalopod the country’s fourth most widely traded seafood

Red tide raises sea bream prices

April Forristall — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 17:06:29 GMT

Issues with Korean flounder boost demand for Japan’s sea bream, with rising prices beginning in the spring and showing no signs of letting up.

Spain’s cuttlefish prices trending downward

April Forristall — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:57:33 GMT

Tight supplies and slow demand was expected to drive up cuttlefish prices in Spain this year, but a lower catch combined with lackluster demand have seen prices drop and margins tight.

Turf war for squid

April Forristall — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:27:28 GMT

A territorial dispute is affecting landings of Japanese squid. In the first four months of the year, landings of were down 28 percent from last year.

Peru sees strong fishmeal production

Fiona Robinson — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:44:04 GMT

Peru sees strong fishmeal production 2012-08-20 0 The majority of the Peruvian sardine market is destined for fishmeal exports, with China being the dominant buyer. Peruvian anchovies, also known in some markets as Peruvian sardines, are harvested off the coast of Peru, with smaller catches sou

Early swordfish season results in active market

April Forristall — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 20:17:34 GMT

Thanks to an unusually warm North American winter, from Canada through the U.S. Southeast, swordfish catch is strong and early.

Demand for eel dampened in Japan

Steve Hedlund — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:55:55 GMT

As Japan’s biggest day for eel consumption approaches, high prices are spoiling demand. Specialty shops have been hit hardest. They have had to raise prices sharply, as they must profit on the dish to survive.

Japan hesitant on Mauritanian octopus

Steve Hedlund — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:04:11 GMT

The Japanese market, the largest for octopus, prefers smaller sizes, but the Mauritanian catch this year has been the predominately larger specimens popular in Spain. Cephalopods caught by the Mauritanian national fleet are sold through the quasi-governmental corporation Société Mauritanienne de Commercialisation du Poisson, which has set a price of USD 11,900 per metric ton for 800- to 1,200-gram octopus, up 16 percent from last year.

Spain’s European anchovy season kicks off

April Forristall — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:11:12 GMT

Spain’s European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) season starts in early March, with the first Bay of Biscay catch landed in Cantabria on the north-central coast. This early catch is destined for fresh fish markets prior to larger catches as the season progresses to meet anchovy canners’ demand.

U.S. albacore catch disappoints

April Forristall — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:42:06 GMT

A spotty season didn’t slow demand for wild Pacific albacore this year. In fact, prices are nearly double that of a year ago due to strong demand.

Pangasius rising in popularity, and in price

April Forristall — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:41:31 GMT

Pangasius broke onto the top 10 list of America’s favorite seafood items in 2009, and demand for the species hasn’t slowed since. In 2010, it gained a position, jumping from No. 10 to No. 9, with per-capita consumption reaching 0.405 pounds.

Vietnam looks to increase yellowfin exports

Mercedes Grandin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:58:22 GMT

With the recent cuts in bluefin tuna catches in the eastern Atlantic Ocean region, Vietnam’s yellowfin tuna industry is hoping for better earnings. The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) in early February announced it is aiming for a 4.5 percent increase in tuna exports to 120,000 metric tons valued at USD 300 million, compared to 2009 totals valued at USD 13 million.

Swordfish supplies, prices consistent

Mercedes Grandin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:29:26 GMT

For swordfish, it’s been a typical winter pattern this year. Low supplies are keeping prices moderately high, although global economic conditions are keeping prices lower than they could be as spring approaches.

Mahi prices close to rock bottom

Steve Hedlund — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:45:16 GMT

Mahi prices have bottomed out, as production in Central America have peaked in recent weeks. However, prices are expected to increase in the spring and summer months as Pacific production winds down in May with Atlantic production not kicking in until a few months later.

Swordfish demand, prices edge up

Michelle Gayton — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:25:14 GMT

Thanks, in part, to higher demand and lower global supplies earlier this year, swordfish prices are strengthening somewhat.