The Retail Rundown: Promotional Calendar Looking Towards Fall

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Mid-August can be a quieter stretch in the grocery calendar, but the latest retail feature data suggest the lull may be short-lived.

Promotional activity is building across beef, chicken, and pork, while eggs and dairy are seeing strong year-over-year gains as retailers prepare for fall-driven demand, including back-to-school shopping and Labor Day celebrations.

Beef posted one of the sharpest week-over-week increases. The USDA national feature rate climbed to 96.0%, from 80.2% a week earlier and 88.8% a year ago. Retailers increased advertising for...

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ANALYSIS: US Frozen Tuna Prices Hold Steady as Imports Tighten and Risk Builds

US frozen tuna fillet imports totaled about 42.7 million pounds through June, down 12.9% from 49.0 million pounds a year earlier and 4.0% below the five-year average for the same period. The data point to a tighter import pipeline heading into late summer, though not historically extreme.

The decline remains concentrated in the two largest suppliers. Vietnam shipped 18.3 million pounds through June, down 10.7% year over year, while Indonesia shipped 14.9 million pounds, down 15.8%. Together, they accounted for roughly 78% of total...

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Mowi Posts Record Revenues and Volumes in Q2 2026

Salmon farming giant Mowi delivered record-high revenues of EUR 1.6 billion ($1.9 billion) and operational EBIT in the second quarter of 2026, driven by strong biological and operational performance and record harvest volumes.

Operational EBIT reached EUR 231 million ($268 million), up 23% from Q2 2025, supported by lower costs across the business.

"Farming operations continue to deliver very strong biological and operational results. In particular, our Norwegian and Scottish operations are performing strongly, with record volumes and reduced costs, which is very encouraging," said Mowi CEO...

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Japan, China and Korea's Surimi Imports from Russia and the US Fell 12% in H1

According to reports by the Minato Shimbun—based on trade statistics from Japan's Ministry of Finance as well as trade data from China and South Korea—the combined volume of frozen Alaska pollock surimi (including frozen pollock meat other than filletsen for China) imported from the U.S. and Russia by these three nations in the first half of this year (January–June) totaled 73,786 metric tons, a 12% decrease year-on-year. Of this total, imports from the US...

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RAS Company Oceanloop Raises Up to $44.8M to Build Europe's First Commercial Giant Grouper Farm

German aquaculture technology company Oceanloop has secured up to €38.5 million ($44.8 million) to scale its recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) platform and expand production of Giant Grouper—a species it has already begun selling commercially, making it the first company to farm the fish in Europe.

The financing combines new equity from Hatch Blue's Blue Revolution Fund and Stolt Ventures, the venture arm of Stolt-Nielsen, with a €32 million venture-debt facility from the European...

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NOAA Increases Bluefin Tuna Quota Following Historic ICCAT Negotiations

NOAA is moving to increase US bluefin tuna quotas following what the agency described as historic negotiations at the 2025 annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The move is expected to dramatically expand opportunities for US fishermen.

The move boosts the US quota for Atlantic bluefin tuna while also providing additional quota for several other key fisheries. Negotiations at the ICCAT meeting also secured increases for North and South Atlantic swordfish and North Atlantic albacore.

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ILO, Thai Union Launch Pilot to Strengthen Seafood Sector Supervisory Skills

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and Thai Union Group have launched a pilot training program aimed at strengthening frontline leadership across Thailand’s seafood processing industry, with a focus on workplace communication, labor practices and decent work.

The two-day Supervisory Skills Essential Training, held June 24–25 in Samut Sakhon, brought together supervisors from Thai Union Group, along with representatives from the Thai Tuna Industry Association, the Thai Frozen Foods Association and their member companies.

The pilot is part of the...

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Hofseth Appoints Olav Holst-Dyrnes as CEO

Vertically integrated sustainable seafood producer Hofseth has appointed Olav Holst-Dyrnes as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Holst-Dyrnes brings executive experience from Havfisk ASA, Ekornes ASA, Insula AS and, most recently, Kverva AS.

In his new role, Holst-Dyrnes will lead the continued development of the Hofseth Group, building on the company's integrated value chain and its long-term ambition to become the world's most sustainable seafood company.

"It is great to finally get started. I have genuinely been looking forward to joining Hofseth and working together...

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Salmon Evolution Posts Q2 Loss on Weak Prices as Phase 2 Ramp-Up Gets Underway

Norwegian land-based salmon farmer Salmon Evolution delivered continued operational progress in the second quarter of 2026 but posted a Group EBITDA loss of NOK 11.1 million as weak salmon prices weighed on results.

Farming EBITDA came in at negative NOK 3.0 million for the quarter, with year-to-date farming EBITDA at NOK 14.6 million. Farming costs were approximately NOK 71/kg in Q2, slightly down from Q1 and 13% lower year over year — a sign that operational improvements are...

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ANALYSIS: Chilean Salmon Market Driven by Fewer Arrivals, Higher Costs, and Stiffer Competition

Fresh Chilean Atlantic salmon fillet prices have established themselves at meaningfully elevated levels through 2026, with multiple structural shifts converging to push pricing well above recent seasonal norms. The current mid-price for 3-4 lb fillets of about $6.50/lb represents a gain of roughly $1.22/lb — or about 23% — versus the same period one year ago, when the market traded near $5.28/lb. The current level also sits approximately 15% above the three-year seasonal average for this time of year, suggesting...

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ANALYSIS: India’s Shrimp Exports in June Reach Second‑Highest Monthly Volume

Indian shrimp exports hit the second‑highest monthly volume in June after a gradual build since the start of the year. According to the Indian Directorate General of Commercial Statistics, exporters shipped 79,884 metric tons in June, up 10.1% m-o-m and 6.4% y-o-y. June revenue was 50.27 billion INR, a 13.1% increase y-o-y; converted to USD, the y-o-y rise is reduced at +2.4% (529.6 million USD)...

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Ode Names Marcy Bemiller Commercial Director to Drive Americas Expansion

Atlantic cod producer Ode has appointed Marcy Bemiller as Commercial Director as it steps up expansion in the Americas ahead of a broader US market launch this fall.

Bemiller will lead regional commercial strategy, bringing more than 30 years of experience in seafood management, logistics, sales, marketing and international trade. She joins the company from Candor Consulting LLC and Candor Seafood, where she spent the past decade advising global seafood clients across marketing, sales and logistics.

"Over the years, I’ve had many...

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Baltic PE Giant INVL Bets on Fish Processing with Dual Lithuanian Acquisition

INVL Private Equity Fund II, one of the leading private equity funds in Central and Eastern Europe, has signed agreements to acquire two Lithuanian fish processors — Nordian Group and Norvelita — in a deal that will create one of the largest fish processing groups in the region, with combined annual revenues of approximately EUR 200 million ($232 million).

The acquisition, announced August 17, is subject to approval from the Lithuanian Competition Council and is expected to close in the coming months. Financial terms were not disclosed...

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State Department Launches $2M Initiative to Combat Forced Labor, IUU Fishing in Supply Chains

The US Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) is seeking a single NGO or institutional partner to run a nearly $2 million program targeting forced labor and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing across global seafood supply chains, with a focus on East Asia, the Pacific, and the Western Hemisphere.

The funding opportunity — formally titled "Ensuring Resilient Seafood Supply Chains: Countering Forced Labor and any Associated Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing" (DFOP0019538) — was posted August 6, 2026, with applications...

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ANALYSIS: July US Shrimp Inventory Estimated at 376M lbs — Above Trend but Within a Manageable Range

With July imports estimated at 167–169 million lbs on a customs-model basis, end-of-July inventory is projected at approximately 376 million lbs — roughly 5.6% above the pre-pandemic ETS trend line, which serves as a demand-consistent baseline. At the export-seasonal model's midpoint of 183 million lbs, that gap widens to approximately 6.6%. A 5–8% overhang above trend represents a soft supply bias, not a structural imbalance. The July figure is worth contextualizing...

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AGRIMINGOLD First in Ecuador to Move from ASC’s Improver Program to Full Certification

Ecuadorian shrimp producer AGRIMINGOLD S.A. has become the first company to transition from Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC's) Improver Programme to full ASC certification, marking a milestone for both the producer and the ASC improvement pathway.

Last year, AGRIMINGOLD became the first farm in Ecuador and the first producer in Latin America to enter ASC’s Improver Programme through an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP).

According to an Expana report, the project initially covered a 135-hectare Pacific white shrimp farm in El Oro Province...

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Dungeness Crab Price-Fixing Suit Discloses $263M Damages Claim Against Pacific Seafood, Defendants

Plaintiffs in the Dungeness crab antitrust lawsuit targeting Pacific Seafood Group and dozens of other West Coast seafood buyers have publicly disclosed for the first time that they estimate total damages at $263 million — a figure that could reach approximately $789 million under federal antitrust law, which allows courts to award triple damages in price-fixing cases.

The disclosure came in an August 11 filing in the US District Court for the Northern District of California...

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The Kingfish Company Reports Positive H1 EBITDA as Sales, Margins Improve

The Kingfish Company, a sustainable land-based producer of yellowtail kingfish, on Friday reported preliminary, unaudited first-half 2026 financial results, with operational EBITDA returning to positive territory as profitability improved across the business.

The company said stronger sales volumes, higher revenue per kilogram and lower farming costs drove the improvement in the first six months of the year. Sales volume rose 13% to 1,470 metric tons from 1,301 tons a year earlier, while revenue increased 16% to €19.8 million...

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Farm Groups Urge Swift Passage of SAWA as H-2A Costs Squeeze Growers

On August 10, a broad coalition of US agricultural groups urged lawmakers to swiftly pass HR 9535, the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act (or SAWA) which would overhaul the H-2A farm labor program through changes to worker eligibility, wage rules, and administrative requirements. The use of foreign labor is an aspect of farming closely tied to production costs, margins, harvest timing, crop acreage, and marketable supply.

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The Retail Rundown: Promotional Calendar Looking Towards Fall

Mid-August can be a quieter stretch in the grocery calendar, but the latest retail feature data suggest the lull may be short-lived.

Beef posted one of the sharpest week-over-week increases. The USDA national feature rate climbed to 96.0%, from 80.2% a week earlier and 88.8% a year ago. Retailers increased advertising for...

Full Story »

Ever After Foods Acquires Belgian Cultivated Fish Startup Fishway, Secures $2M Investment

Ever After Foods has acquired Belgian cultivated fish company Fishway, bolstering its industrial protein manufacturing platform with aquatic cell biology expertise and a new European operational base.

The deal, announced August 17, gives the Haifa-based company access to Fishway's portfolio of aquatic cell lines, know-how in animal-component-free (ACF) media development, and its scientific team. Belgium will serve as EAF's European center of excellence for those capabilities — the company's first significant operational foothold outside Israel. Financial terms were not disclosed. Alongside the acquisition...

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StoneX Expands North American Feed Ingredients Platform with AMG Acquisition

StoneX Group has announced the acquisition of Advanced Marketing Group, LLC (AMG), a merchandiser of protein-based feed ingredients, pet food ingredients, and organic fertilizer.

StoneX said AMG will be integrated into StoneX Supply & Trading’s feed ingredients capabilities.

Founded in 2010 and based in Wilsonville, Oregon, AMG employs approximately 20 trading and operations staff in four US states (Oregon, Kansas, Texas, and Virginia) and in Canada, and runs a network of trans-load and storage locations.

"AMG brings an established, well-run feed-ingredients business with supplier relationships

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Gigante Salmon Cuts Production Outlook Amid Fish Health Challenges

Norwegian land-based salmon farmer Gigante Salmon is lowering its production expectations for two generations after fish behavior and fish health issues disrupted operations at its facility.

The company now expects 5,800 tonnes HOG from both its H2025 and H2026 generations, with a range of 5,000 to 6,200 tonnes. For H2025, Gigante estimates production costs of NOK 86/kg HOG at the 5,800-tonne base case, while H2026 is estimated at NOK 76/kg.

The revisions follow problems associated with newly installed fish barriers intended to...

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Red Lobster Brings Back Endless Shrimp for Limited-Time Run

Red Lobster is bringing back its Endless Shrimp promotion for a limited time, betting that strong customer demand can once again turn the long-running offer into a traffic driver, this time with tighter operational controls.

The dine-in-only promotion, available now, lets guests mix and match five shrimp preparations throughout the meal.

"Our guests were thrilled to have Endless Shrimp back this spring and made it clear they wanted more — so we listened," said Damola Adamolekun, CEO of Red Lobster. "We proved we could...

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Eight Ecuadorian Shrimp Plants Back in China's Market After Two-Month Sulfite Standoff

China has restored import access for eight Ecuadorian shrimp processing plants suspended since June, marking the first concrete sign of progress in a dispute that has cost Ecuador's shrimp sector tens of millions of dollars and drawn urgent diplomatic attention from both governments.

According to Diario Expreso, China's General Administration of Customs reinstated the eight facilities effective August 14, 2026 — roughly six weeks after restrictions were first imposed following a change in China's sodium metabisulfite testing methodology that took effect June 30...

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Commerce Raises Final Antidumping Rates on Vietnamese Pangasius

The US Department of Commerce has finalized significantly higher antidumping duty rates for Vietnamese frozen pangasius fillet exporters, closing out the 21st administrative review of an order that has governed the trade for more than two decades — and delivering a sharper outcome than the preliminary results suggested.

The final results, published in the Federal Register on August 13 (91 FR 52286, Doc No. 2026-16553), cover the period of review (POR) from August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024. Commerce determined that mandatory respondents Bien Dong Seafood Co., Ltd...

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USDA's Office of Seafood Joins UMaine's Local Catch Network to Connect Industry With Federal Program

The US Department of Agriculture's Office of Seafood, now four months old, has signed an agreement with the University of Maine's Local Catch Network to help connect fishing communities with federal programs and services — and to learn from the industry about what it actually needs.

The partnership is designed as a two-way exchange: the Office of Seafood gains direct outreach into fishing communities and seafood businesses that could benefit from USDA programs, while the industry gains a clearer picture of what the office can...

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KIME Akva Becomes Second ASC-Certified Cod Producer

KIME Akva AS, a Norwegian seafood company specializing in fully integrated, sustainably farmed Atlantic cod, has announced it has received Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification, becoming the second cod producer to achieve the standard.

In a statement shared on LinkedIn, the company said the certification could help expand its market opportunities.

"The ASC logo on the packaging on the store shelf opens new doors to markets that require documentation that our fish is produced in a way that safeguards quality, welfare, biodiversity and...

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ANALYSIS: US Scallop Season Runs Ahead of Pace but Smaller Counts Weigh on Pricing

The 2026–27 domestic sea scallop season is tracking ahead of the prior two years, with cumulative landings reaching 14.18 million lbs through July — representing 83.1% of the 17 million lb Annual Projected Limit. Monthly volumes followed a typical seasonal pattern: May reached 4.52M lbs, June came in at 3.63M lbs, and July moderated to 2.15M lbs, slightly below last year's July result but keeping the season ahead on a year-to-date basis compared to both 25-26 (11.97M lbs) and 24-25 (10.96M lbs)...

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Annual Tuna Closure Hits Eastern Pacific — Routine, But Timed as Prices Stay Elevated

The Eastern Pacific Ocean purse seine tuna fishery is in its annual closure period under rules set by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the multilateral body that manages tuna and other fish stocks across the region. The closure applies to large purse seine vessels targeting bigeye, yellowfin, and skipjack tuna and is a standard conservation measure in place for years.

For 2026, the closure runs 64 days—eight days shorter than the 72-day closure in prior years —following a resolution adopted...

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Russia Ramps Up Seafood Exports in Push for Additional Revenue

Russia is stepping up seafood exports this year as part of a broader effort to generate additional revenue for the state budget.

Shrimp is a particular focus. Russian shrimp exports reached more than 5,000 MT in the first half of the year, valued at approximately $76 million — up 17% year-on-year, according to the Russian federal export center Agroexport. South Korea is the largest buyer, accounting for $57 million of that total, with China and Japan also among the top destinations...

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