Seafoodnews.com Summary Friday, May 15

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News Summary May 15, 2026

Today's Top Story: Silver Bay Raises Opening Price for Bristol Bay Sockeye Up 23 Percent From 2025

In top news today, Silver Bay Seafood has kicked off the 2026 Bristol Bay salmon season by posting a pre‑season price of $1.60 per pound for chilled, floated, and bled sockeye—30 cents higher than last year and described as a conservative starting point. The Bristol Bay season opens June 1 and typically peaks around the Fourth of July, with landings tapering off by...

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ANALYSIS: US Shrimp Import Estimates for May Show 5.2% Rise as Timing Factors Drive Activity

May 2026 import estimates, adjusted for the remaining four days of the month, point to total volumes of approximately 150.5 million pounds, representing a 5.2% year-over-year increase. This uptick occurs against the backdrop of elevated inventory levels and pricing dynamics that suggest supply growth is outpacing demand fundamentals.

Peeled shrimp leads estimated volumes at 65.9 million pounds, though this represents a 3.5% decline versus the particularly strong May 2025 performance. Breaded shrimp emerged as the standout category with a 26.8% year-over-year...

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US Seafood Groups Demand Section 301 Investigation Into Unfair Trade Practices

Twenty-three American seafood organizations have formally asked US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer to launch a comprehensive Section 301 investigation into unfair seafood trade practices, escalating industry pressure for trade enforcement against imports they say are decimating domestic producers.

The May 19 letter, signed by groups ranging from the Southern Shrimp Alliance to the Hawaii Longline Association, asks USTR to address a sweeping range of alleged violations, including dumping, subsidies, environmental harm, banned veterinary drugs, false labeling, prohibited fishing gear, structural excess capacity, and labor abuse...

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Nova Scotia's Clark's Harbour Seafood Expands From Live Lobster to Global Processing Operation

Clark's Harbour Seafood has transformed from a traditional live lobster operation into a vertically integrated seafood business with global ambitions, according to a new case study from Invest Nova Scotia.

Under owner Jim He's leadership since 2016, the southwestern Nova Scotia company now operates alongside sister companies Atlantic ChiCan Seafood and Stoney Island Fisheries, creating an integrated supply chain spanning harvesting through export.

The evolution accelerated in 2019 when Clark's Harbour Seafood began diversifying beyond live lobster exports...

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Louisiana-NOAA Joint Patrols Result in Eight Fishing Citations in the Gulf

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents and NOAA Fisheries officers cited eight individuals for alleged fishing violations during joint patrols conducted on May 15 in the Gulf of America.

The citations included both recreational and commercial violations across multiple fisheries. Among the violations were possession of red snapper over legal limits, fishing without required federal permits, and possession of species during closed seasons.

Notable cases included a Mississippi shrimp vessel captain cited for lacking a federal shrimp permit, a Louisiana angler possessing eight red snapper...

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US House Committee Advances Bill to Close 'Port Shopping' for Imported Seafood

The House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously advanced legislation giving the FDA authority to order the destruction of contaminated seafood and other hazardous imports, marking a significant step toward closing a regulatory loophole that has allowed rejected products to re-enter US markets.

The Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act (H.R. 2715) passed the committee last week with a 43-0 bipartisan vote, sending it to the House floor for consideration. The bill targets "port shopping," where exporters withdraw contaminated merchandise flagged by the FDA at one port and...

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Pacific Heat Wave Triggers Closure of Large Area off California to Protect Loggerhead Sea Turtles

California’s swordfish drift gillnet fleet will need to stop fishing in a 25,000-square-mile area off California during June, July and August this summer to protect endangered loggerhead sea turtles.

“I am writing to request immediate closure of the Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area to drift gillnets,” wrote Catherine Kilduff, Senior Attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity in her May 18 letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

“The above-normal sea surface temperature anomalies in the Southern California Bight during the months...

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Menhaden Industry Fires Back at Conservation Group Over 'Double Standard' Criticism

The menhaden fishing industry is pushing back against the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership's criticism of recent fisheries management decisions, accusing the conservation group of applying inconsistent standards to protect recreational anglers while targeting commercial fishermen.

The Menhaden Fishermen's Coalition responded Monday to TRCP's May 6 blog post that criticized the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's decision to form a work group on Chesapeake Bay menhaden management rather than immediately advancing harvest cuts.

TRCP had called the ASMFC decision "another delay for Chesapeake Bay menhaden conservation" and argued...

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COREMAHI Honors Ocean Allies Winners for Responsible Bycatch Release

The Committee for Responsible and Sustainable Mahi-Mahi (COREMAHI) recognized winners of its Ocean Allies contest at an awards ceremony in Lima, Peru highlighting fishers in the country, as well as Ecuador, for responsible handling and release of marine wildlife during the 2025-26 mahi-mahi season.

Funded by Publix Super Markets and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership’s Global Mahi Supply Chain Roundtable and carried out by COREMAHI, the contest aimed to reward fishers already using strong bycatch handling and release practices. Participants submitted videos...

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DoorDash, Deliveroo and Wolt Launch First Global FIFA World Cup 2026 Campaign

DoorDash is taking its FIFA World Cup 2026 sponsorship global, launching a new international campaign with Deliveroo and Wolt as the three brands come together in a shared marketing push for the tournament.

The campaign, titled “Deliver Us to Fútbol,” rolled out today across TV, BVOD, out-of-home, paid digital, audio and social channels. It marks the first international creative campaign spanning DoorDash and its global portfolio brands, with local activations, events and partnerships planned across the US, Canada, the UK...

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Webinar Explores Seafood Market Outlook for H2 2026, Price Trends and Sourcing Risks

Seafood markets are entering H2 2026 under real pressure.

How will shifting trade flows, disease outbreaks, evolving consumer demand, and shipping volatility shape seafood procurement and pricing in the coming months?
In just 30 minutes on May 28, Expana's seafood experts Angel Rubio and Janice Schreiber will walk you through the latest price movements, supply dynamics and sourcing risks potentially impacting your supply chains in H2 2026.

● Shrimp: Where farmed output from Ecuador, India, Vietnam are heading, antidumping duties updates - and the impact on US and EU prices.
● Salmon: Supply vs. demand for Norwegian and Chilean Atlantic salmon, impact of sea lice...

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Brazil Eyes Return to EU Fish Market After Decade-Long Ban

Brazil’s fishing industry is preparing for a crucial European Union audit next month that could reopen the European market to Brazilian fish exports after nearly 10 years.

The issue was the focus of the 27th Ordinary Meeting of the Sectorial Chamber of Fish Production and Industry (CSPES), held Monday at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) in Brasília.

The EU mission, scheduled for June 8–19, will include inspections of industrial fishing vessels in Rio Grande do Norte and Santa Catarina. Industry and...

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Hokkaido Okhotsk Scallop Production Projects 220,000 MT, a 15% Down YOY

In the Okhotsk region of Hokkaido, full-scale scallop fishing operations began in mid-May at some fishing cooperatives in the northern area. The scallop catch plan for fiscal year 2026 (April 2026 to March 2027), including fishing ground development and farmed scallops, is projected to decrease in both the northern (Soya-Esashi) and southern (Omu-Utoro) areas, falling 15% further from the previous year's figure of 220,250 tons—the first time in seven years that the catch has fallen below 300,000 tons. However, signs of improved scallop growth...

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Long Island Shellfish Growers Gain Access to Federal Disaster Aid

New York oyster growers battered by this winter’s severe weather will now have access to federal disaster assistance after the US Department of Agriculture approved a Secretarial Disaster Designation for Suffolk County.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the designation Tuesday, making aquaculture operations in Suffolk and neighboring Nassau County eligible for low-interest emergency loans through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

The designation follows heavy snowfall, prolonged freezing temperatures and widespread ice formation in February that prevented shellfish growers from accessing harvesting areas and damaged...

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Atlantic Sapphire Unveils Restructuring Plan, Sets Stage for Delisting

Atlantic Sapphire ASA has unveiled a sweeping restructuring plan designed to stabilize its finances, secure fresh liquidity, and reshape the company’s ownership after months of mounting financial pressure.

The land-based salmon farming company said it has entered into a restructuring agreement with a group of major shareholders and convertible loan holders representing about 63% of its shares and 93% of its outstanding convertible debt. The investor group includes Condire Management L.P., Nordlaks Holding AS, Nokomis Capital, Strawberry Capital AS, and Joh. Johannsson...

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Second Senior Kroger Executive Announces Retirement This Month

Kroger said Tim Massa, Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer, will retire Sept. 18, closing out a 16-year run in which he helped shape the retailer’s people strategy, labor approach and leadership pipeline.

Massa has been with Kroger for 16 years, following a long tenure at Procter & Gamble. During his time at Kroger, he held several senior leadership roles, including Group Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations, Chief People Officer, Senior Vice President, and Executive Vice President and...

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Federal Judge Halts Extended Recreational Red Snapper Seasons in Four States

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction on May 21, halting extended recreational red snapper fishing seasons across four South Atlantic states after finding NOAA Fisheries acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" in approving permits that could allow catches up to 20 times the annual recreational limit.

US District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service failed to address public comments warning of potential overfishing and violated its own regulations by approving incomplete exempted fishing permit applications...

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Norway's Seafood Industry Splits Over "Production Fish" Export Ban Reversal

Norway's seafood sector faces a deepening divide after Sjømat Norge, the Norwegian Seafood Federation, announced it would support lifting the country's longstanding ban on exporting uncorrected "production fish" to increase its market access in the European Union.

The industry group informed members of the decision in an internal email on May 15, according to Dagens Næringsliv. Production fish refers to farmed salmon with wounds, injuries, or other defects that currently must be corrected through filleting before export under regulations dating to the early 1990s...

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