IN BRIEF - Fiji’s new national fisheries policy paves the way for sustainable growth and food security
FIJI
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Cabinet has endorsed the National Fisheries Policy 2024–2028.
The policy provides a strategic framework for managing Fiji’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors, focusing on sustainability, economic growth and food security.
The policy includes strategies for specific sectors within the fisheries sector, including offshore fisheries, aquaculture and coastal and inland fisheries.
It will also focus on cross-sectoral issues and assist in addressing marine spatial management, gender and youth involvement, environmental policies, and the intersection with tourism.
The policy is the result of extensive stakeholder consultations and aligns with national objectives and international commitments.
According to the North Ocean Development Association of the Hokkaido Shipbuilding Federation, Russian scientific research institutes have projected a total Pacific salmon and trout catch of 311,000 tons for the current season. This includes:
189,000 tons of pink salmon,
82,000 tons of chum salmon, and
Over 31,200 tons of sockeye salmon.
By region, the catch is expected to be distributed as follows:
Kamchatka Krai: 199,250 tons,
Sakhalin Krai: 61,920 tons, and
Khabarovsk Krai: 36,380 tons.
This forecast comes after a challenging year in 2023, when the actual catch reached only 235,500 tons—27% below the recommended catch of 320,000 tons and marking the lowest catch in 20 years. Russian scientific research institutes caution that record-breaking catches are unlikely for the next five to seven years, signaling a period of recovery and adjustment for the fishery.
The shrimp season at the port of Rawson, in the province of Chubut, continues its course with a significant volume of landings.
At the close of January, more than 27,000 tons were recorded, bringing the cumulative total since November to nearly 80,000 tons. Specifically, 25,000 tons were recorded since November, December added another 22,000, and January was the strongest month with 27,483 tons. In addition, as of February 4th, landings totaled another 2,336 tons, bringing the season total to 77,756 tons.
However, the commercial outlook presents considerable challenges, as international markets show no signs of recovery and a substantial portion of the seafood remains stored, awaiting buyers.
Comparative and Catch Trends
While the landing numbers are robust, when compared to January 2024, a slight decline is observed, with a difference of nearly 3,000 tons less. This data suggests a variability in catches that sector professionals must consider in their strategies.
In a milestone for the Chilean food industry, three salmon producers—Blumar, Multi X and Camanchaca, all partners of SalmonChile—have been recognized among the most sustainable companies in the world, according to the Sustainability Yearbook 2025 by S&P Global.
The yearbook, which analyzes more than 7,690 companies from various sectors, included only 26 companies from the food sector globally, and the only three Chilean companies come from salmon farming, a sector that SalmonChile represents and articulates in its commitment to sustainability.
Source: MundoAcuicola l Read the full article here
The canning association Anfaco-Cecopesca has announced the seventh edition of its Design Award, which has the collaboration of the Banco Sabadell Foundation and is aimed at young people up to 35 years of age who wish to create a packaging design to case the cans used in the campaign to promote the consumption of canned fish and seafood Cata la Lata, which this year will run from June 2025 to June 2026.
The deadline for submitting proposals will open next Saturday, February 15 and will close on April 1.
Source: La Voz de Galicia l Read the full article here
U.S. president Donald Trump announced that he would impose reciprocal tariffs on the nation’s trading partners on 13 February, prompting numerous trade experts to predict higher prices for American consumers.
Shortly after Trump announced the measures, Capital Economics, a global financial analytics firm, told the New York Times that it “predicts that the effective tariff rate on all U.S. imports could rise from less than 3 percent now to around 20 percent.” The effective tariff rate is the percentage of the price of imported goods that goes toward paying tariffs.
Author: Erin Spampinato / SeafoodSource l Read the full article here
Mitchell Lench, founder of Ocean’s Balance, believes that working closely with corporate food and pet food companies, rather than creating novel consumer-focused products from scratch, could be a ticket to success for the West’s seaweed sector.
Founded in 2016, Ocean’s Balance aggregates seaweed from Maine, New Brunswick and Central America, operates the largest seaweed processing hub in New England, and is currently working with up to eight major human and pet food multinationals, including Purina and Mars.
Author: Rob Fletcher / The Fish Site l Read the full article here
Scottish salmon exports reach record high of £844m
Scottish salmon exports reached a record £844 million in 2024, a 45 per cent increase year-on-year, maintaining its position as the UK’s top food export.
Data published by HM Revenue & Customs today confirm that the growth was driven by increased demand in Asian markets, where sales rose by over 60 per cent, particularly in China and Taiwan. France remained the largest market, accounting for 55 per cent of total exports, followed by the United States at 27 per cent.
Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here
Saudi Fisheries has announced plans for a rights issue to raise SR334.9 million (approximately US$89.3 million), subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. The capital raise aims to bolster the company's strategic initiatives following substantial losses in recent years.
The proposed rights issue represents a significant capital increase of 36.7%. Following the announcement, shares closed down 5.3% on Monday at SR136.40, giving the company a market capitalization of SR913.7 million.
Financial performance for the nine months ending September 30th reveals a 58.9% year-on-year decline in revenue to SR17.6 million. Net losses widened slightly to SR48.5 million, compared to SR47.1 million in the same period of 2023. The company cited supply chain disruptions as the primary cause of declining sales, with losses further impacted by reduced income from investment properties and increased consultancy expenses.
A January extraordinary general meeting (EGM) approved an 83.3% capital reduction to eliminate accumulated losses, leaving approximately 6.7 million shares outstanding. As of September, accumulated losses stood at SR333 million, and liabilities exceeded assets by SR50.1 million.
Following a mooring failure at Mowi's Storvika V facility in Dyrøy municipality, Troms, on Sunday, February 9th, an estimated 27,000 farmed salmon escaped. Mowi is now offering a reward of NOK 500 per recaptured salmon.
Fishermen can deliver caught salmon to designated fish reception centers in the municipalities of Senja, Dyrøy, Sørreisa, Salangen, Lavangen, Gratangen, Ibestad, Harstad, and Andenes. The fish will be registered on the Råfisklaget's final bill as farmed salmon (round or gutted with head) at a price of NOK 0, with the number of fish recorded.
Mowi will arrange payment of the bounty after the fishing effort is completed. The fish reception centers will retain the delivered salmon.
The bounty applies to escaped farmed salmon within a weight range of 4.5kg to 6.5kg.
Greece’s aquaculture sector is one of the most dynamic and strategically significant pillars of the national economy. As the leading producer of sea bream and sea bass in the European Union and the second-largest globally, Greece holds a prominent position in an export-driven industry with vast growth potential. The sector’s advancement relies on expertise, investment in innovative technologies, and continuous improvements in production processes, making it one of the most vital components of Greece’s primary industry.
Aquaculture is a key driver of economic development in coastal and island regions, providing not only financial benefits but also sustainable employment opportunities.
Author: Thodoris Antoniou and Dimitris Pafras / FIsh Focus l Read the full article here
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