Other Media | Fish Focus: Record Mussel Output Marks Scottish Shellfish Industry’s 2024 Performance
UNITED KINGDOM
Monday, June 09, 2025
Scotland’s shellfish farming sector reached a significant milestone in 2024, according to the newly published Scottish Shellfish Farm Production Survey. The report, released as part of Scotland’s Official Statistics publications, presents detailed data on employment, production volumes, and the economic value of farmed shellfish across the country.
Tracking production trends for key species—including common mussels, Pacific oysters, native oysters, and king scallops—the survey reflects both progress and pressures across the sector over a 10-year period from 2015 to 2024.
The measure, which will be announced at the United Nations Ocean Conference, will increase the protected area from 4,000 to 30,000 km².
The United Kingdom government has announced its intention to significantly expand the ban on bottom trawling in its territorial waters, a measure that will affect more than 30,000 square kilometers of marine protected areas, up from the current 4,000.
The announcement was formalized by British Environment Secretary Steve Reed today, Monday, June 9, during the opening of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France. There, Reed explained the British government's commitment to marine sustainability and the protection of vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems.
Gunvar Wie, the Norwegian Seafood Council’s Manager of Global Operations has become the latest senior figure to leave for the salmon industry’s commercial sector.
Wie is to join the salmon processing and distribution company Seaborn as Marketing Director. Wie has previously been a seafood envoy to Japan and South Korea, and later to Italy.
Wie said: “I am incredibly proud of my time at the Seafood Council. It has been 10 exciting years at home and abroad.
Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer l Read the full article here
A US start-up creating cultured coho salmon has become the first such seafood company to win FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval.
San Francisco-based Wildtype, which has been championed by actor and anti-salmon farming campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio, now has its salmon on the menu at Kann in Portland, Oregon, and is preparing to launch its products in four other restaurants as well as retail outlets in the US, reported the website Green Queen.
The company’s scale-up was backed by feed giant Cargill as part of a total of $120 million funding raised before gaining regulatory approval.
Source: fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here
The European Commission shelves charging CO2 taxes to the fishing fleet
"This is not a message in a bottle, but a concrete action plan," declared Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, at the presentation of a European Ocean Pact that aims to promote "healthy fisheries, a competitive blue economy, and prosperous coastal communities." As part of a "holistic" and ecosystem-based approach to the management and use of the EU's 25 million kilometers of exclusive economic waters, the European Commission aims to "phase out bottom fishing" in marine protected areas by 2030.
Source: La Voz de Galicia l Read the full article here
Nauterra, formerly known as Grupo Calvo, appears on the list of "The 100 Best Companies to Work For" compiled annually in Spain by Forbes magazine, in collaboration with Sigma Dos. This recognition places the global food company specializing in canned fish among the organizations most highly valued by its employees in aspects such as work environment, work-life balance, diversity, and professional development opportunities, making it the only Galician company to appear on the list.
To compile this list, Forbes uses a study by Sigma Dos based on a series of employee satisfaction perception indicators.
Source: Industrias Pesqueras l Read the full article here
Lab-grown salmon hits US menus after landmark FDA green light.
San Francisco-based startup Wildtype has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell its cultivated salmon, marking a first for the seafood sector.
In a letter published by the FDA on 28 May, the regulator confirmed it had “no questions” regarding Wildtype’s conclusion that its cultivated coho salmon — derived from mesenchymal cells grown in bioreactors — is as safe as conventionally farmed salmon. The product is harvested as a cell mass or paste and mixed with plant-based ingredients to replicate the texture of traditional fish.
Author: Matthew Wilcox / SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here
A £120m onshore salmon farm has been granted planning approval, despite a legal challenge by an animal rights group.
A judicial review was held in February after Animal Equality UK challenged the proposed Cleethorpes farm on the basis of animal welfare concerns.
Deputy High Court Judge Karen Ridge upheld the council's decision to allow the salmon farm but ruled that animal welfare concerns could be a key planning consideration in future cases.
Author: Ivan Morris Poxton / BBC l Read the full article here
The Corporation will partner with Singapore-based Umami Bioworks to produce cell-cultivated bluefin tuna.
The companies have partnered since 2023 on research and development.
Now, Maruha Nichiro will use its 100 percent egg-to-harvest farmed bluefin tuna to supply bluefin tuna cells for Umami Bioworks to develop into cultivated fish.
In a release about the news, Maruha Nichiro said that this expansion into cell cultivation aligned with its long-term vision of providing sustainable protein sources to the world.
Author: Erin Spampinato / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here
OSAKA – Chile is showcasing its prowess in sustainable seafood and aquaculture at Expo Osaka 2025's "Semana del Mar" (Sea Week), running from June 2-6. The initiative aims to solidify the nation's global leadership and reinforce its position as a reliable, responsible food provider.
With over 6,400 kilometers of coastline, Chile's robust seafood industry is globally recognized for its innovation and commitment to environmental stewardship. A diverse delegation, including representatives from aquaculture innovation, sea urchin, and salmon industry groups (like Salmon Chile and Consejo del Salmón), is present to highlight the nation's premium offerings.
Japan stands as a crucial partner for Chile. Ricardo Arriagada, regional director of ProChile Los Lagos, emphasized its importance, noting that Chilean seafood exports to Japan reached US$1.24 billion in 2024. Chile, the world's second-largest salmon producer, finds Japan as its second-largest market for this product, accounting for 16% of its total salmon exports (approximately US$1.07 billion). Furthermore, Chile is Japan's primary exporter of sea urchins, with 85% of its 2024 sea urchin exports (around US$50 million) destined for the Japanese market.
Beyond trade, Chile's presence at Expo Osaka underscores its focus on the blue economy, active participation from coastal communities, and efforts to attract investment and foster strategic alliances.
Patagonia Fishing S.A.'s "Lu Qing Yuan Yu 280" records the highest volume of Illex squid landed so far this year, solidifying Mar del Plata as a key port for the species.
MAR DEL PLATA – A jigger vessel operated by a Chinese company sailing under the Argentine flag has achieved the largest Illex squid catch to date in the 2025 season. According to the official INIDEP Technical Report, the "Lu Qing Yuan Yu 280", belonging to Patagonia Fishing S.A. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of China's Shandong Bodelong Group), stands as the vessel with the highest quantity of squid caught and landed so far.
The vessel, which began its season in late December, has recorded approximately 3,600 tonnes of frozen Illex squid on board across six fishing trips, with average daily catches reaching up to 28 tonnes.
This significant volume contributes to the Port of Mar del Plata surpassing 80,000 tonnes of frozen squid landed, positioning it as the number one port compared to other Patagonian terminals. Operations in Mar del Plata accelerated notably once the squid fishery shifted north of the 44th parallel.
Although the final figures for the season are not yet closed, projections suggest that the total Illex squid catch within Argentina's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) will exceed 180,000 tonnes in 2025.
UNITED KINGDOM
Scotland’s shellfish farming sector reached a significant milestone in 2024, according to the newly published Scottish Shellfish Farm Production Survey. The report, released as part of Scotland’s Official Statistics publications, presents detailed data on employment, production volumes, and the economic value of farmed shellfish across the country..png)
The United Kingdom government has announced its intention to significantly expand the ban on bottom trawling in its territorial waters, a measure that will affect more than 30,000 square kilometers of marine protected areas, up from the current 4,000.
NORWAY
Gunvar Wie, the Norwegian Seafood Council’s Manager of Global Operations has become the latest senior figure to leave for the salmon industry’s commercial sector.
UNITED STATES
San Francisco-based 
EUROPEAN UNION
"This is not a message in a bottle, but a concrete action plan," declared Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, at the presentation of a European Ocean Pact that aims to promote "healthy fisheries, a competitive blue economy, and prosperous coastal communities." As part of a "holistic" and ecosystem-based approach to the management and use of the EU's 25 million kilometers of exclusive economic waters, the European Commission aims to "phase out bottom fishing" in marine protected areas by 2030. 
SPAIN
Nauterra
San Francisco-based startup Wildtype has received clearance from the 
A £120m onshore salmon farm has been granted planning approval, despite a legal challenge by an animal rights group.
JAPAN
Corporation will partner with Singapore-based Umami Bioworks to produce cell-cultivated bluefin tuna. 
CHILE
ARGENTINA.png)
