Other Media | Fish Focus: ALDI South Group becomes first food retailer to include MSC’s new Improvement Programme in its sourcing policy
GERMANY
Friday, January 24, 2025
ALDI South Group has become the first food retailer globally to include the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)’s new Improvement Programme in its sourcing policy. The Programme was launched in October to offer fisheries support and incentives to become more sustainable, provided they make measurable improvements over a five-year period. It has been designed to support fisheries worldwide, regardless of their size or location to make the changes necessary for them to meet the MSC Fisheries Standard.
The 2026 fishing season in the Sea of Okhotsk is approaching a major milestone, with pollock catches nearing 600,000 tons, according to the monitoring system of Russia’s Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo).
As of March 8, fishermen in the Far Eastern basin had harvested 593,900 tons of pollock, including 375,900 tons caught directly in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Since the start of the year, the cod catch in the Far East has reached 29,300 tons, representing 101.9% of the 2025 level, with 8,600 tons taken from the Sea of Okhotsk. Meanwhile, the Pacific herring harvest totaled 142,200 tons, or 104.6% of last year’s catch, including 132,200 tons from the North Okhotsk Sea subzone.
Last week, the expedition involved 85 large-capacity vessels, 12 medium-capacity fishing boats, and 30 transport ships. Thirty-five inspectors were deployed to monitor transshipment operations.
Fresh fish shipments are being unloaded mainly in ports across Primorsky Krai. Cold storage facilities in the region are currently 39% full, holding about 48,900 tons of fish products, while 30 vessels carrying 46,300 tons of seafood are approaching port.
A new industry report from The Seafood Council reveals how changing consumer behavior and retail dynamics in the United Kingdom are shaping opportunities for seafood through 2026.
The report, titled “UK Market and Retail Trends Report (Q4 2025 – January 2026)”, provides an updated snapshot of grocery and online shopping trends and their impact on seafood sales. It was released last week ahead of the Norway-UK Seafood Summit and is now available to the wider Norwegian seafood industry.
According to the analysis, price, promotion, and value for money remain key drivers of the British shopping basket. However, the report also identifies clear shifts in how consumers select seafood, highlighting growing demand for certain formats and new opportunities in retail channels.
The study is organized into six sections, including an executive summary, an overview of the protein landscape, insights into shopper behavior, a market update, trends and outlook for 2026, and a retail “snapshot” from grocery stores.
The January 2026 edition includes retail data up to 29 November 2025, offering one of the most recent overviews of seafood performance in the UK grocery market
The Galician fleet operating in Falkland Islands waters began its campaign on February 22nd. This is the first of two campaigns carried out annually and typically serves as a barometer for the Loligo squid, a key resource for the region's processing industry. The instability experienced in the fishing grounds in recent years has caused considerable concern within the sector, and 2026 is shaping up to be a crucial year: either a gradual decline will be confirmed, or the recovery observed last year, when some 56,000 tons were caught, will be consolidated, albeit tentatively.
Author: Adrián Amoedo /Faro de Vigo | Read the full article here
Fuel prices have skyrocketed; shipowners are facing significant difficulties in crew changes; key international markets are beginning to suffer; and logistical costs and lead times have increased dramatically. Everything is uncertain, and the situation changes from one day to the next. What the European fishing sector is experiencing these days in March is sadly reminiscent of what happened in the same month of 2020, when the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic jeopardized the activity of the fleet and the entire sector.
But this time, the origin of the crisis is not a respiratory virus, but a war that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a coordinated attack on Iran that has spread to various countries in the Middle East.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
Since the first observance of International Women’s Day in the early 20th century, the lives and opportunities of women have changed dramatically. At that time, many women around the world could not vote, had limited access to education and were often excluded from most professions and leadership roles. Over the decades, persistent activism and social change have led to major progress, including the expansion of voting rights, greater access to higher education, stronger workplace protections, and increased representation in politics and business. Movements advocating for gender equality have also brought attention to issues such as equal pay, reproductive rights, and protection from harassment and discrimination.
Grieg Seafood revealed today that it has received a claim of NOK 185 million (£14.3m) and 6.6 million Canadian dollars (£3.6m) over the sale of its Finnmark Norway and Canadian businesses to Cermaq late last year.
Grieg made the revelation in an Oslo Stock Exchange announcement. It has rejected the demand.
Following completion of the transaction with Cermaq Group AS, Grieg is now concentrating on a smaller operation with farms located in Rogaland, as well as cutting workforce numbers at its headquarters in Bergen.
Author: VInce McDonagh / FIsh Farmer | Read the full article here
The Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority says yes to the base prospectus for the listing of the bond issued by Lerøy Seafood Group.
The prospectus concerns the listing of the company's senior unsecured green bond on the Oslo Stock Exchange, and was approved by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority on February 6, 2026, Lerøy said today.
The NOK 500 million (£38.6m) bond was issued on October 1, 2025. According to the company - which co-owns Scottish Sea Farms - the listing will facilitate trading in the secondary market.
Source: fishfarmingexpert | Read the full article here
A surge in capelin roe landings has kept fish processing plants operating at full pace in Neskaupstaður, Iceland, over the weekend, according to the Icelandic Coal Processing Company, cited by Auðlindin.
Major pelagic vessels delivered large catches to port. Börkur NK landed 1,600 tonnes, Barður NK delivered 1,750 tonnes, while the Greenlandic vessels Polar Amaroq and Polar Ammassak brought in 1,600 tonnes and 1,400 tonnes respectively—nearly 6,400 tonnes in total.
Fishing grounds showed different roe maturity levels. Capelin caught by Börkur and Barður off Reykjanes showed about 100% roe development, indicating fully mature eggs. Meanwhile, catches taken by the Greenlandic fleet in Breiðafjörður showed roughly 40% development.
According to Þorkell Pétursson, captain of Barði, the crew conducted a test cast on Wednesday evening, catching around 100 tonnes and confirming 100% roe maturity, which led to most of the vessel’s catch being secured in three casts on Thursday.
While Börkur, Polar Amaroq, and Barði have already returned to the fishing grounds, Polar Ammassak continues unloading. Rough seas halted fishing during the weekend.
The meeting on March 5 and 6 ended without an agreement on the allocation of the TAC for mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic, while Spain and Ireland close ranks in defense of the historical rights of the EU fleet.
Negotiations on mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic have stalled once again. The meeting held in Copenhagen on March 5 and 6 between the European Commission and the coastal states ended without an agreement on the allocation of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for 2026, confirming that one of the most sensitive issues for pelagic fisheries in Northern Europe remains trapped in an increasingly bitter political and economic standoff.
The Government is negotiating with Portugal to revise the agreement that grants approximately 130 Portuguese vessels 66.5% of the quota shared by the two countries, while some 270 Spanish vessels receive only 33.5%.
Following its announcement at the end of last year, the General Secretariat for Fisheries is entering into negotiations with the Portuguese Secretariat for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs to renew the Iberian sardine management agreement, which will be in effect next year and subsequent years.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food frames the meeting between Spanish and Portuguese fisheries authorities as part of the "periodic meetings to strengthen collaboration and joint work."
Source: La Voz de Galicia | Read the full article here
GERMANY
ALDI South Group
RUSSIAN FEDERATION.jpg)
As of March 8, fishermen in the Far Eastern basin had harvested 593,900 tons of pollock, including 375,900 tons caught directly in the Sea of Okhotsk.
UNITED KINGDOM
FALKLAND ISLANDS
The Galician fleet operating in Falkland Islands waters began its campaign on February 22nd. This is the first of two campaigns carried out annually and typically serves as a barometer for the Loligo squid, a key resource for the region's processing industry. The instability experienced in the fishing grounds in recent years has caused considerable concern within the sector, and 2026 is shaping up to be a crucial year: either a gradual decline will be confirmed, or the recovery observed last year, when some 56,000 tons were caught, will be consolidated, albeit tentatively. 
WORLDWIDE
Fuel prices have skyrocketed; shipowners are facing significant difficulties in crew changes; key international markets are beginning to suffer; and logistical costs and lead times have increased dramatically. Everything is uncertain, and the situation changes from one day to the next. What the European fishing sector is experiencing these days in March is sadly reminiscent of what happened in the same month of 2020, when the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic jeopardized the activity of the fleet and the entire sector.
Since the first observance of International Women’s Day in the early 20th century, the lives and opportunities of women have changed dramatically. At that time, many women around the world could not vote, had limited access to education and were often excluded from most professions and leadership roles. Over the decades, persistent activism and social change have led to major progress, including the expansion of voting rights, greater access to higher education, stronger workplace protections, and increased representation in politics and business. Movements advocating for gender equality have also brought attention to issues such as equal pay, reproductive rights, and protection from harassment and discrimination. 
NORWAY
Grieg Seafood 
The Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority says yes to the base prospectus for the listing of the bond issued by 
ICELAND
Major pelagic vessels delivered large catches to port. Börkur NK landed 1,600 tonnes, Barður NK delivered 1,750 tonnes, while the Greenlandic vessels Polar Amaroq and Polar Ammassak brought in 1,600 tonnes and 1,400 tonnes respectively—nearly 6,400 tonnes in total.
DENMARK
The meeting on March 5 and 6 ended without an agreement on the allocation of the TAC for mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic, while Spain and Ireland close ranks in defense of the historical rights of the EU fleet.
SPAIN.png)
Following its announcement at the end of last year, the General Secretariat for Fisheries is entering into negotiations with the Portuguese Secretariat for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs to renew the Iberian sardine management agreement, which will be in effect next year and subsequent years.
