Pengcheng is already sourcing shrimp from Vietnam and salmon and mussels from Chile that originate from BAP-certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills. With the MoU, Pengcheng has pledged to source more seafood from BAP-certified facilities, expanding the availability of BAP product in the Chinese market.
Pengcheng, which distributes seafood to more than 300 high-end hotels in 70-plus Chinese cities, is committed to providing healthy, safe seafood to Chinese consumers. Food safety is one of the four pillars of BAP, the world’s largest and most comprehensive aquaculture certification program. All facilities are audited annually against a stringent set of food-safety and sanitation guidelines to attain BAP certification. The other three pillars of the BAP program are environmental responsibility, social accountability, and animal health and welfare.
Between April 6 and 12, 2026, authorities from the Primorsky Interregional Office of Rosselkhoznadzor inspected nearly 2 tons of unmarked salted caviar carried in both checked and hand luggage at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky International Airport (Yelizovo).
The inspections are part of an ongoing experiment launched on November 1, 2022, aimed at regulating the air transport of caviar lacking manufacturer labels. During the latest reporting period, no violations were recorded regarding the legal limit of 10 kg per passenger.
However, since the start of the program, officials have documented 270 violations, involving a total of 2.7 tons of unmarked caviar.
Overall, authorities estimate that more than 600.3 tons of such caviar have been inspected in Kamchatka Krai. According to the Service, the volume of caviar exported under the guise of personal consumption has decreased by threefold since the experiment began.
Vietnam’s tilapia export sector is showing strong momentum in early 2026, signaling expanding global demand and shifting market dynamics.
During the first two months of 2026, exports reached US$23 million, marking a sharp 242% increase compared to the same period last year, according to VASEP. The surge reflects not only sustained demand from traditional buyers but also rapid growth in emerging markets.
Brazil remains the leading destination, accounting for 54% of total exports, while the United States follows with 17%. This distribution highlights a notable shift in market structure, with new regions playing a larger role in driving growth.
Industry analysts point to these trends as evidence of untapped potential for Vietnamese tilapia, suggesting that continued diversification could further strengthen the sector’s global position throughout 2026.
Russia’s fisheries sector reported strong results, with total catches surpassing 1.5 million tons, according to the Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo). As of April 13, total aquatic bioresources reached 1,596 thousand tons.
Far Eastern Basin:
The largest share came from the Far Eastern basin with 1,354.4 thousand tons. Key species included pollock (1,025.2 thousand tons), Pacific herring (201.3 thousand tons), cod (42.9 thousand tons), and flounder (17 thousand tons)—an increase of 3.7 thousand tons vs. 2025.
Northern Basin:
Catches totaled 99 thousand tons, led by cod (53 thousand tons) and haddock (23.6 thousand tons), up 4.3 thousand tons year-on-year.
Western Basin:
Production reached 31.8 thousand tons, an increase of 1.7 thousand tons. Sprats (26.1 thousand tons) rose by 6 thousand tons, while Baltic herring accounted for 5.3 thousand tons.
Azov-Black Sea Basin:
Total catch stood at 14 thousand tons, dominated by anchovy (12.2 thousand tons).
Opromar and chef Lucía Freitas have sparked debate on fish consumption in school cafeterias at the Salón Gourmets. With the implementation of Royal Decree 315/2025, which mandates 1 to 3 weekly servings of fish and limits fried foods, the sector highlights an uneven starting point.
A study by Opromar and the Fundación Española de la Nutrición covering 2,738 schools shows that 96.6% meet the required frequency, but only 26% reach the recommended level of oily fish. Regional differences are stark: Aragón (74.4%), Castilla-La Mancha (59.1%), and the northwest (71.1%) versus Valencian Community (6.2%), Catalonia (2.7%), and Murcia (0%).
Common species include hake (91.7%) and cod (46.9%), while tuna appears as a main dish in just 6.8% of menus. Only 57% of schools provide full nutritional information.
Freitas showcased practical recipes—mackerel pie, anchovy salad, and monkfish with leeks—stressing that “children like fish when it’s well prepared.” Meanwhile, Opromar is rolling out Super Peixiño 2026 in 10 schools in Madrid, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and the European Union.
BANGKOK – The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Laylanta Co., Ltd., and Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote sustainable barramundi farming in Songkhla Lake, Thailand’s largest natural lake.
The agreement launches an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) under ASC’s Improver Programme, targeting environmental challenges such as declining water quality, sedimentation, and eutrophication caused by climate change and human activity. These issues have increasingly impacted small-scale farmers lacking technical resources.
Chris Ninnes, CEO of ASC, emphasized the initiative’s role in improving farming practices and protecting ecosystems. Laylanta, led by Thasit Natteesongsor, will pilot the project with 11 farms, aiming to expand to 100 farms within three years.
The program focuses on water monitoring, feed efficiency, biosecurity, and data tracking, while encouraging progress toward ASC certification.
Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, represented by Stephen Doe, will support the effort through responsible seafood sourcing, helping create stable market demand.
The three-year collaboration seeks to boost sustainability, strengthen local livelihoods, and ensure long-term resilience in Songkhla Lake’s aquaculture sector.
Product prototypes have been developed in a semi-industrial environment: a cod brandade and a tuna Bolognese-style sauce.
The VALORAFOOD 2.0 project, part of IRTA's Food Quality and Technology program, has focused on utilizing byproducts obtained during fish processing, specifically tuna and cod, with the aim of developing new food products. These byproducts, which are primarily used in other sectors or in animal feed, have significant potential for higher value-added food applications.
One of the project's lines of research has been the study of a byproduct generated during the cutting and filleting of fish; a material suitable for consumption, but highly perishable, requiring specific handling and storage conditions to guarantee its quality and food safety.
Source: iPac.aquacultura | Read the full article here
According to the daily report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, on April 14th, the average price of diesel for fishing vessels was €1.075 per liter at maritime stations in the province of Lugo, €1.097 in A Coruña, and €1.122 in Pontevedra. This is below the national average of €1.150, which is now 70% more expensive than before the conflict in the Middle East. With this high cost and boats limiting their departures because they can't make ends meet, Spanish fishing guilds held a meeting yesterday in which they agreed to consult with each port about whether to lay up their fleets to demand immediate, sufficient, and specific public support.
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
The General Secretariat for Fisheries has approved a modification to the management of the mackerel fishery in areas 8c and 9a for the fleet using gear other than trawls and purse seines based in Asturias. This decision raises the adapted quota for this season to 687,054 kilos. The measure, published this Tuesday in the Official State Gazette, represents a significant increase compared to the allocation set in February and seeks to adapt the management of the fishing season to the new quota availability for 2026.
Denmark showcases innovation, collaboration and new market ambitions when 37 companies exhibit on Pavilion of Denmark at SPG 2026. At SPG 21-23 April 2026 held at FIRA Gran Via Barcelona, the Danish aquaculture, fish processing and fisheries industries will once again present a strong, unified presence on the Pavilion of Denmark in Hall 3. Pavilion of Denmark is organised by Danish Export – Fish Tech. With 37 companies exhibiting, the pavilion highlights Denmark’s leading position within technology and solutions to the industries mentioned, while also reflecting a growing interest in exploring new markets across the world.
Norwegian submersible cage developer Subfarm taking part in feasibility study with local renewables company
Subfarm, a Norwegian company that develops submersible fish farming systems for operation in more exposed waters and offshore, is taking part in a feasibility study in Japan to assess how farming can be combined with offshore wind.
“The goal is to find out whether there is a basis for establishing a concrete pilot project,” Subfarm general manager Paal Hylin told Fish Farming Expert’s Norwegian sister site, Kyst.no.
The study is currently in an early phase, where the work includes mapping relevant areas, assessing environmental conditions and adapting the technology to local conditions.
Author: Therese Soltveit / fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
CHINA
Pengcheng is already sourcing shrimp from Vietnam and salmon and mussels from Chile that originate from BAP-certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills. With the MoU, Pengcheng has pledged to source more seafood from BAP-certified facilities, expanding the availability of BAP product in the Chinese market.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VIET NAM.png)
During the first two months of 2026, exports reached US$23 million, marking a sharp 242% increase compared to the same period last year, according to VASEP. The surge reflects not only sustained demand from traditional buyers but also rapid growth in emerging markets..png)
SPAIN
THAILAND
The agreement launches an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) under ASC’s Improver Programme, targeting environmental challenges such as declining water quality, sedimentation, and eutrophication caused by climate change and human activity. These issues have increasingly impacted small-scale farmers lacking technical resources.
The VALORAFOOD 2.0 project, part of IRTA's Food Quality and Technology program, has focused on utilizing byproducts obtained during fish processing, specifically tuna and cod, with the aim of developing new food products. These byproducts, which are primarily used in other sectors or in animal feed, have significant potential for higher value-added food applications.
According to the daily report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, on April 14th, the average price of diesel for fishing vessels was €1.075 per liter at maritime stations in the province of Lugo, €1.097 in A Coruña, and €1.122 in Pontevedra. This is below the national average of €1.150, which is now 70% more expensive than before the conflict in the Middle East. With this high cost and boats limiting their departures because they can't make ends meet, Spanish fishing guilds held a meeting yesterday in which they agreed to consult with each port about whether to lay up their fleets to demand immediate, sufficient, and specific public support.
The General Secretariat for Fisheries has approved a modification to the management of the mackerel fishery in areas 8c and 9a for the fleet using gear other than trawls and purse seines based in Asturias. This decision raises the adapted quota for this season to 687,054 kilos. The measure, published this Tuesday in the Official State Gazette, represents a significant increase compared to the allocation set in February and seeks to adapt the management of the fishing season to the new quota availability for 2026.
DENMARK
Denmark showcases innovation, collaboration and new market ambitions when 37 companies exhibit on Pavilion of Denmark at SPG 2026. At SPG 21-23 April 2026 held at FIRA Gran Via Barcelona, the Danish aquaculture, fish processing and fisheries industries will once again present a strong, unified presence on the Pavilion of Denmark in Hall 3. Pavilion of Denmark is organised by Danish Export – Fish Tech. With 37 companies exhibiting, the pavilion highlights Denmark’s leading position within technology and solutions to the industries mentioned, while also reflecting a growing interest in exploring new markets across the world.
JAPAN.png)
Subfarm, a Norwegian company that develops submersible fish farming systems for operation in more exposed waters and offshore, is taking part in a feasibility study in Japan to assess how farming can be combined with offshore wind.
