IN BRIEF - Coronavirus fears force cancellation of Aquafeed Horizons conference
UNITED STATES
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
(Kailua, Hawaii)– Organizers of Aquafeed Horizons 2020 conference, the specialized conference for aquaculture feed professionals due to take place March 24, 2020 in Bangkok, have cancelled the meeting.
“This was a very difficult decision, and we waited as long as we could in the hope that the coronavirus epidemic would slow, but unfortunately we are not seeing that”, Suzi Dominy, publisher of Aquafeed.com said.
“We are sorry to disappoint our delegates but their safety and wellbeing, as well as that of our presenters and staff has to come first. It would have been irresponsible to go ahead with an international meeting in this region; we really didn’t have a choice.”
The 13th Aquafeed Horizons 2020 was slated to take place at BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand, March 24, 2020, as part of the combined Victam Asia grain and feed expo / VIV Health & Nutrition Asia Trade Fair and Forum.
ABANCA has renewed its collaboration agreements with the OP ANACEF Professional Fishermen's Organization and the Port and Ría de Marín Fishing Producers' Organization (OPROMAR), reaffirming its commitment to the entire maritime value chain.
The signing ceremony, held in Marín, was attended by José Luis Ramírez (ABANCA), Francisco Freire Lino (OP ANACEF), Claudino González (OPROMAR), and Javier Fraga (ABANCA Mar). The meeting served to map out a joint roadmap to tackle challenges such as rising costs, the lack of generational renewal, and the current geopolitical situation.
Sustainability is the core focus of the agreement. Through ABANCA Mar (a specialized unit active since 2016), the bank offers a tailored product catalog where credit takes center stage. A key highlight is the naval mortgage, designed to upgrade the fleet with more efficient vessels.
These comprehensive solutions—including credit lines, loans, and advanced sustainable subsidy payouts—will benefit 18 freezer trawlers from OP ANACEF and 30 fishing companies from OPROMAR.
According to data compiled by the Miyagi Prefecture Fisheries Co-operative, market values for farmed coho salmon (gin-zake) are currently facing a downward trend. As of May 20, average cumulative prices have dropped by 8%, hitting a low of $5.11 per kilogram (812 Yen).
The recent figures show a clear decline compared to the much higher price ranges recorded during the exact same period in the previous year. Landings are still progressing across key distribution hubs, with the underlying data originating from the combined market locations of Onagawa, Ishinomaki markets, and the Shizugawa operations office.
Industry experts note that all listed unit prices are calculated excluding consumption tax. Despite steady shifting market values, overall aquaculture revenues in Miyagi Prefecture are experiencing pressure due to this ongoing price slump.
At the 33rd annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada, Vladimir Belyaev, Advisor to the Director of the Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), was elected President of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC). This appointment underscores the authority of Russian fisheries science and strengthens the country's role in managing transboundary marine resources.
The NPAFC, comprising five member countries, has established critical objectives for the upcoming term. Key priorities include tracking the migration, abundance, and survival of Pacific salmon. Following below-average catch volumes in 2025, the commission will focus on developing data-driven recommendations to protect vulnerable populations. Additionally, member states will coordinate strict measures to combat illegal fishing across the high seas.
"Conserving salmon stocks cannot tolerate disunity," stated Belyaev. "Sustainability depends on honest cooperation to forecast population dynamics and ensure protection in the convention area."
The measure, approved under the new temporary framework for the Middle East crisis, will cover costs for April and May 2026 and will be open until the end of the year.
The European Commission has approved a French state aid scheme worth €13 million for fishing companies affected by rising fuel prices resulting from the crisis in the Middle East. The decision falls under the temporary state aid mechanism adopted by Brussels on April 29, 2026.
According to information released by the Commission, the French program will cover costs corresponding to April and May 2026 and can be implemented until December 31 of this year.
The project by Itsas Balfegó, a company founded in 2022 by the Catalan firm Balfegó and the research center AZTI, to develop an open-sea aquaculture facility for fattening bluefin tuna in two 50-meter submersible tanks off the coast of Getaria, was officially presented in September 2024, marking the start of its testing phase. This followed a rigorous administrative and scientific evaluation. The initiative involved installing two submersible aquaculture structures 3.69 miles from the port of Getaria (Gipuzkoa), which would be tested during the autumn and winter months before the pilot test for fattening this species began in the summer of 2025. It was already being suggested at the time that if the experience proved positive, they would seek to move to the commercial phase.
Source: iPac.acuicultura | Read the full article here
UNITED STATES
“This was a very difficult decision, and we waited as long as we could in the hope that the coronavirus epidemic would slow, but unfortunately we are not seeing that”, Suzi Dominy, publisher of Aquafeed.com said. 
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JAPAN
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RUSSIAN FEDERATION
FRANCE
The measure, approved under the new temporary framework for the Middle East crisis, will cover costs for April and May 2026 and will be open until the end of the year.
The project by Itsas Balfegó, a company founded in 2022 by the Catalan firm
