North Ayrshire Council highlights the potential for 264 full-time construction roles in the development of Bakkafrost Scotland's recirculating aquaculture system facility.
North Ayrshire Council has announced that the construction of a major salmon rearing facility at Hunterston is projected to create 264 full-time jobs during its development phase.
The recently approved plans, spearheaded by Bakkafrost Scotland, outline the construction of a state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility. This development will occupy a 6.75-hectare area situated at the north-east corner of the Hunterston Construction Yard.
Councillor Tony Gurney, the cabinet member for green environment and economy at North Ayrshire Council, expressed his enthusiasm for the project: “We welcome this decision by the Planning Committee and eagerly anticipate seeing this significant development come to fruition in the months ahead. Hunterston is a key strategic site for North Ayrshire and is intended to play a pivotal role in Scotland’s transition to net-zero emissions by 2045."
Councillor Gurney further emphasized the broader potential of the site:“Hunterston possesses incredible potential and could become a driving force for Scotland in tackling climate change, generating vital employment opportunities, regenerating the local community, and delivering numerous other benefits.”
The Trump Administration launches a strategy to make the United States the world leader in seafood
For Donald Trump, the United States should be the world leader in seafood. He has the makings, he says: more than four million square miles of rich "premium" fishing grounds and "the best seafood in the world" (sic). And yet, it turns out that the country imports almost 90% of the seafood it consumes, resulting in a negative trade balance exceeding $20 billion (about €17.35 billion).
Source: La Voz de Galicia l Read the full article here
The Galician Mussel Producers Organization (Opmega) will be present once again at the Seafood Expo Global fair in Barcelona, ??taking place from May 6 to 8, with an intense agenda of contacts and meetings already scheduled with buyers and distributors from different countries. The aim is to strengthen commercial relations and continue opening markets for Galician mussels.
Part of Opmega's Board of Directors, headed by President Ricardo Herbón, will be representing the organization in Barcelona for various institutional meetings. Among other events, officials from the Regional Ministry of the Sea and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food are scheduled to visit the bateeiros stand.
Source: iPac.acuicultura l Read the full article here
Many of the fish we eat play a key role in maintaining the seabed and therefore our climate, according to new research by the University of Exeter.
Scientists working on the Convex Seascape Survey focussed on the role of fish in bioturbation, the process of churning the seabed to keep it healthy and fertile, in shallow UK seas.
The Atlantic cod, a staple in chip shops, jointly topped the list of these important "ecosystem engineers", along with Atlantic hagfish and European eel.
In total, 185 fish species were found to play a role in bioturbation, and 120 of these are targeted by commercial fishing.
Author: Dan Wareing / BBC l Read the full article here
Skretting opens LifeStart production line in China to support aquaculture growth
Skretting has opened its first dedicated LifeStart production line in Asia with the launch of a new facility in Zhuhai, China. The move is part of the company’s strategy to expand its presence in the world’s largest animal protein market.
The new production line, inaugurated on 17 April 2025, will focus on hatchery feeds for salmon, tilapia, golden pompano, snakehead, and catfish.
Source: SalmonBusiness l Read the full article here
Sales volume increased by 5.8% as Brits put more of the fish on the table
The value of salmon sales in the United Kingdom increased by 5.5% to £1.5 billion last year, accounting for nearly a third of the value of all fish sales in the UK.
The year-on-year value growth for salmon outpaced the 2.9% rise recorded across the wider fish category, and was due to more salmon being sold.
Salmon maintained its leading position in the seafood sector, holding 31% of the value share and achieving a sales value of nearly three times more than cod, its closest competitor.
Source: fishfarmingexpert l Read the full article here
The Seagriculture EU 2025 conference, one of the leading conferences for the seaweed industry, is heading to Rotterdam, The Netherlands from 17-19 June 2025.
Under the theme “Seaweed 2.0: Today’s Scaling for Tomorrow’s Needs”, this year’s conference will focus on scaling up and professionalizing the seaweed sector to meet the growing global demand for sustainable solutions.
With an emphasis on collaboration across the value chain, Seagriculture EU 2025 will gather seaweed farmers, processors and distributors, buyers, equipment providers, researchers, investors, and policymakers, to drive synergy and build a resilient, future-proof seaweed industry.
The recommendation includes annexes from the sector and the industry. The former agree with the objective of maintaining the industry's competitiveness, but not at the expense of their interests. Processors, for their part, demand that the EU recognize the importance of tariff-rate quotas (TAQs).
When the European Commission has just opened a consultation process to assess the possibility of strengthening sustainability criteria in the future renewal of the tariff-rate quota (TAQ) regulation for seafood products, the Market Advisory Council (MAC) has adopted a recommendation aligned with these principles
Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here
Samherji Fish Farming ehf., a subsidiary of Samherji hf., has successfully secured financing for the first phase of Eldisgarður, a new land-based fish farm located at the Reykjanes Power Plant.
The financing, which combines new share capital issuance and a syndicated loan, totals EUR 235 million (approximately ISK 34 billion). The project is expected to create 100 new jobs directly at the site, with an equal number of additional indirect jobs.
Basque fishermen expressed their satisfaction with the week's anchovy harvest, having been able to unload large anchovies weighing 28 to 31 grains per kilo, with average prices of 4 to 5 euros per kilo. "It was the cannery fishermen who caught this anchovy. It was an opportunity they couldn't pass up, and that's why it has yielded good prices," said Emeterio Urreisti, president of the Getsaria Association.
On the other hand, the 2025 season for mackerel and anchovy in the Cantabrian Sea is marked by significant challenges, affecting both the Basque and Cantabrian fleets.
The mackerel season began with a 22% reduction in the quota for smaller-scale fishing vessels compared to the previous year.
UNITED KINGDOM
UNITED STATES
The Trump Administration launches a strategy to make the United States the world leader in seafood
SPAIN
The Galician Mussel Producers Organization (
Scientists working on the Convex Seascape Survey focussed on the role of fish in bioturbation, the process of churning the seabed to keep it healthy and fertile, in shallow UK seas.
CHINA
Skretting opens LifeStart production line in China to support aquaculture growth
The value of salmon sales in the United Kingdom increased by 5.5% to £1.5 billion last year, accounting for nearly a third of the value of all fish sales in the UK.
NETHERLANDS
The Seagriculture EU 2025 conference, one of the leading conferences for the seaweed industry, is heading to Rotterdam, The Netherlands from 17-19 June 2025. 
EUROPEAN UNION
The recommendation includes annexes from the sector and the industry. The former agree with the objective of maintaining the industry's competitiveness, but not at the expense of their interests. Processors, for their part, demand that the EU recognize the importance of tariff-rate quotas (TAQs).
ICELAND
Samherji Fish Farming ehf., a subsidiary of 
Basque fishermen expressed their satisfaction with the week's anchovy harvest, having been able to unload large anchovies weighing 28 to 31 grains per kilo, with average prices of 4 to 5 euros per kilo. "It was the cannery fishermen who caught this anchovy. It was an opportunity they couldn't pass up, and that's why it has yielded good prices," said Emeterio Urreisti, president of the Getsaria Association.
