October 22, 2026
Declining Baby Lobster Counts Point to Falling Adult Populations in Maine
A new University of Maine study published in Marine Ecology Progress Series found steep drops in lobster numbers at multiple life stages along the Maine coast, underscoring the value of early‑life monitoring for tracking the health of the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery.
Researchers reported an 80% decline in baby lobsters sampled from 2010 to 2022, a 70% decline in young lobsters since 2015, and a 50% decline in adults large enough to harvest. The fishery remains economically important...
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Declining Baby Lobster Counts Point to Falling Adult Populations in Maine
A new University of Maine study published in Marine Ecology Progress Series found steep drops in lobster numbers at multiple life stages along the Maine coast, underscoring the value of early‑life monitoring for tracking the health of the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery.
Researchers reported an 80% decline in baby lobsters sampled from 2010 to 2022, a 70% decline in young lobsters since 2015, and a 50% decline in adults large enough to harvest. The fishery remains economically important...
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ANALYSIS: US Shrimp Replacement Costs Normalize as Import Costs Rise
Expana's peeled replacement cost model, which uses declared value on new entries, is depletion-weighted and includes applicable duties for India, Indonesia and Ecuador, and stands at $3.77. The UB Peeled index is at $4.57. The relationship between the two series is 7.0%, down from 9.1% in August and slightly above the historically typical 5% to 6% range.
The relationship had been negative through late 2025 and reached a low near -9.4% in March, when replacement cost peaked at $4.79 and wholesale prices had already begun...
Full Story »Walmart Faces Class Action Over Great Value Shrimp Weight Claims
Walmart faces a class action alleging its Great Value frozen shrimp contains less shrimp than its labels claim, with the shortfall reaching up to 11%, according to Top Class Actions.
Plaintiff Elijah Baptist filed the case, Baptist v. Walmart Inc. (Case No. 2026CH09745), in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, on Oct. 8. The suit alleges that Walmart includes the weight of ice glaze in the net weight listed on packages, so consumers pay for ice rather than shrimp. It argues the practice is unfair, deceptive and fraudulent...
Full Story »Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Oysters Grows to 27 Illnesses in 12 States
The FDA, CDC and state health officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Telelkebir infections linked to raw oysters from the Little Wicomico River in Virginia. As of Oct. 19, 2026, the CDC reports 27 illnesses, 5 hospitalizations and no deaths across 12 states. The FDA's safety alert and the CDC's outbreak notice both advise consumers and businesses not to eat, sell or serve the recalled product...
Full Story »Declining Baby Lobster Counts Point to Falling Adult Populations in Maine
A new University of Maine study published in Marine Ecology Progress Series found steep drops in lobster numbers at multiple life stages along the Maine coast, underscoring the value of early‑life monitoring for tracking the health of the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery.
Researchers reported an 80% decline in baby lobsters sampled from 2010 to 2022, a 70% decline in young lobsters since 2015, and a 50% decline in adults large enough to harvest. The fishery remains economically important...
Full Story »Blumar Plans $20 Million Modernization of Puyehue Fish Hatchery in Chile's Los Lagos Region
Blumar has submitted an Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) to Chile's Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) for a US$20 million modernization of its Puyehue fish hatchery, according to a company announcement dated Oct. 16, 2026.
The hatchery has operated in Puyehue, Los Lagos, since 2023. The project will add incubation and fry-rearing facilities and smoltification tanks, increasing annual smolt production. Smoltification is the stage at which juvenile salmon adapt to seawater, so the tanks expand the capacity Blumar needs to supply its own ocean...
Full Story »Chilean Salmon Faces El Niño on Top of ISA, Tariffs and Feed Costs as Harvest Growth Slows
Chile's salmon farmers are preparing for El Niño while dealing with a string of other problems. Market participants say some of that preparation is already visible in the water. They describe producers reducing the biomass they hold in sea cages as a precaution against El Niño-linked mortality risk, and regulators and companies are rehearsing responses to mass mortality.
El Niño is a recurring warming of the tropical Pacific that shifts weather patterns worldwide, and it hits the west coast of South America...
Full Story »Maryland Survey Finds Strongest Four-Year Run of Juvenile Menhaden Abundance in Over 30 Years
For four years, Maryland's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has recorded strong numbers of menhaden, a key forage species for striped bass, the state fish. The four-year index for juvenile menhaden is the strongest since 1988–1991, according to the full survey series dating back to 1959.
In a statement last week, Maryland DNR also reported that young Atlantic menhaden were found in such abundance. Atlantic silversides were recorded in their highest numbers in more than a decade, and bay anchovy abundance has been...
Full Story »Trump Administration Sued for Withholding Public Records on Gutting the Endangered Species Act
The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump administration late last week for failing to provide public records related to changes to the Endangered Species Act that remove protections for vulnerable species. “The Trump administration is trying to roll back decades of protections for imperiled wildlife under an illegal cloak of secrecy,” said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity.
“The incompetence and cruelty underlying these changes could permanently harm animals and plants already on the brink of extinction. Americans have...
Full Story »Monarch's Sovereign Seas Takes Traceability-Led Frozen Seafood Brand National
Monarch Trading, LLC has announced the national launch of Sovereign Seas, its flagship retail seafood brand, positioning the line around trust, transparency and traceability.
The Vernon, California-based family-owned protein company says it generates approximately $1 billion in annual sales across meat and seafood. In a LinkedIn post, Monarch says Sovereign Seas' frozen portfolio now reaches consumers and foodservice operators through major national and regional retailers, leading broadline distributors and commercial foodservice providers. The range includes shellfish, mollusks, cephalopods, seafood mixes and value-added products...
Full Story »VARPE: Russia's Frozen Crustacean Market Keeps Growing
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The frozen crustacean segment in Russia continues to grow and is one of the most promising areas for the wider market, according to industry association VARPE and the federal statistics service Rosstat.
The segment has grown for about five years and is still expanding in 2026. Official data show annual crustacean output rose from about 70,000 tonnes in 2022 to nearly 100,000 tonnes in 2025. Even so, crustaceans make up no more than 2.8% of Russia's total fish production...
Full Story »ANALYSIS: EU-UK Shrimp Imports Rise 11.3% in August, but Year-to-Date Volumes Remain Below Last Year
EU-UK shrimp imports gained momentum in August, even though year-to-date volumes are still below last year.
According to Eurostat, the EU-UK region imported 66,513 MT of shrimp in August, up 2.9% on July and 11.3% year-on-year. This volume is also 7.3% above the 2021-25 five-year average, confirming the positive trend the region has seen since June. The data cover frozen warm-water and cold-water shrimp, in both whole raw and prepared categories...
Full Story »Trump Signs Red Snapper and Tuna Origin Bill Into Law
President Donald Trump signed the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act (S. 283) into law on October 15, according to a White House statement. The law requires the Department of Commerce to develop a standard, chemical-analysis-based method to identify seafood's country of origin.
Expana reported in September that the House had passed the bill, which folds in provisions from Rep. Brian Babin's Standards for Understanding Source and Habitat Identification Act. A later Expana story reported that the Senate passed it unanimously and sent...
Full Story »Chile's Government Convenes High-Level Meeting on Harmful Algal Blooms as El Niño Nears
Chile's government has moved to strengthen interagency coordination ahead of possible harmful algal bloom (FAN) events in the 2026-2027 season, with officials pointing to possible changes in ocean conditions linked to El Niño.
Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture Osvaldo Urrutia attended an inter-institutional meeting at the Palacio de La Moneda, according to local media reports. Also attending were Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado, Defense Minister Fernando Barros, Interior Undersecretary Máximo Pavez and Senapred National Director Alicia Cebrián, along with representatives of the Environment and Health...
Full Story »NOAA Funds 70-Acre Oyster Reef Build in Chesapeake Bay
A $10 million investment from NOAA will create more than 70 acres of oyster reef habitat at the Hooper Strait Oyster Sanctuary in the Chesapeake Bay, NOAA said in a feature published October 19. NOAA's Office of Habitat Conservation awarded the funds in 2024 to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Work is underway. Murtech, a veteran-owned Maryland marine contractor, is placing about 1,669 tons of stone per acre...
Full Story »El Niño Adds to Cost Pressure on India's Shrimp Farmers as 2027 Stocking Looms
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Heat and low oxygen in ponds are a growing risk for Andhra Pradesh farmers, but rising costs are driving farmgate prices so far.
India's shrimp farmers face a tougher season as feed, packaging, freight, and energy costs rise. Expana reported in early October that farmgate prices are climbing again after months of seasonal decline, squeezing processor margins while export prices remain under pressure.
Feed is a growing concern. Peru, the world's largest fish meal and fish oil producer, has seen elevated sea temperatures reduce anchovy biomass...
Full Story »MSC Says Sustainability has Become a Mainstream Expectation for US Seafood Consumers
Sustainability is now a mainstream expectation among US seafood consumers, according to a new report from the Marine Stewardship Council, with shoppers placing increasing importance on independently verified environmental claims.
The report, A Decade of Change: Sustainability Now a Mainstream Concern of US Seafood Consumers, tracks attitudes toward seafood, ocean sustainability, ecolabels and the MSC program from 2016 to 2026. Conducted by GlobeScan on behalf of the MSC, the research draws on responses from 15,000 US seafood consumers...
Full Story »Japan Kamaboko Association Chair Declares Plan to Tackle Crisis, Seeks Support for Viable Pricing
According to a Minato Shimbun report, the Japan Kamaboko Association issued a "Chairman’s Declaration" on October 15. The declaration aims to address an unprecedented crisis marked by soaring prices and declining surimi supplies, the primary raw material for surimi products. By rallying the industry's collective strength, the association expresses a firm commitment to "ensuring that surimi products, such as kamaboko, never disappear from the Japanese dining table." The declaration also calls on distributors and consumers to understand the need for price...
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EU Fisheries Vision 2040 Draws Industry Fire for Lacking CFP Reform
The European Commission's Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture 2040, published Oct. 20, 2026, sets a 15-year framework for the sector's structural challenges. Europêche, the EU fishing sector's leading trade association, says it makes no commitment to a targeted revision of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and calls the document a dead end for the sector. The Europêche statement was issued jointly with ETF, EFFAT and Copa-Cogeca.
The CFP's last comprehensive reform was in 2013, which puts the next revision more than three years past its customary...
Full Story »Peru and Ecuador Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation to Combat Illegal Fishing
Within the framework of the Presidential Meeting and XVII Binational Cabinet of Ministers Peru-Ecuador, held at the Government Palace, the Ministries of Production of Peru and Economic and Productive Development of Ecuador signed a Memorandum of Understanding on fisheries to strengthen bilateral cooperation against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Production of Peru, Juan Carlos Requejo Alemán, and the Minister of Economic and Productive Development of Ecuador, Bernardo Cordovez Cereceda, and establishes a framework of collaboration to strengthen...
Full Story »ANALYSIS: Landings Strong, Sizes Split; Where the US Scallop Market Stands
Domestic scallop landings remain the dominant force in the US market this season. Cumulative landings through September passed the annual projected limit earlier than usual and are running ahead of the same point in each of the prior two seasons. September posted the highest monthly total for that month in three years. Harvests are now tapering in line with normal seasonality, but cumulative volume remains solid by recent standards. Imports are the other half of the supply picture. Volumes through August are running well below last year's pace and sit close to pandemic-era levels, leaving domestic product to carry more...
Full Story »Brazil's Tilapia Exports Jump 32% in September as Feed Costs Squeeze Producers
Brazil's tilapia exports rose about 32% in September to 852 tonnes, up from 646 tonnes in August, according to Embrapa data presented at a meeting of the Brazilian Fish Farming Association (PEIXE BR). Export value rose far less, to US$3.68 million from US$3.51 million. That implies the average unit value fell from roughly US$5.43 a kilogram in August to about US$4.32 in September, so the volume gain came at lower prices...
Full Story »The Retail Rundown: Egg Retail Looks Ahead to Holiday Baking Demand
Grocers are entering a key period for egg demand, as seasonal baking and an uptick in home cooking typically support purchases toward year-end. However, the holiday boost has yet to translate into stronger consumer demand, with feature activity easing in recent weeks.
According to the USDA’s latest Feature Activity report, national egg feature activity declined to 39.5% from 45.8% the previous week, but remained above the 32.1% during the same period last year.
At retail, shelf prices remain largely unchanged, while wholesale egg prices are hovering at multi-year lows, potentially...
Full Story »Italy Seizes $19.8 Million in Alleged Seafood VAT Fraud Case
Italy's Guardia di Finanza in Naples has seized assets worth €17.6 million ($19.8 million) in a case alleging tax fraud in wholesale fish trading. A Naples judge ordered the preventive seizure, which is intended to support confiscation, against 14 individuals and companies, according to ANSA.
Investigators allege the group sold salmon, tuna, sea bass and sea bream at prices below those of compliant operators by not paying VAT, according to NapoliToday. The fish was allegedly bought mainly from traders in Sweden, Spain and Greece...
Full Story »“Golden Opportunity” for Scotland’s Economy
Scotland must strengthen economic and cultural ties with India for the benefit of jobs, investment and growth, First Minister John Swinney has said.
Ahead of visiting Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, he hailed the success of Scottish salmon exports as an example of the “golden opportunity” that exists for Scotland’s economy if new international trading opportunities can be unlocked.
On a visit to Heathrow Airport’s cold storage facility, he will see Scottish salmon being prepared for export around the world. An estimated £300 million of Scottish salmon is exported via Heathrow to international markets...
Full Story »Ecuador Shrimp Chain Warns Power Cuts Have Hit 72 Hours a Week
Ecuador's shrimp industry says prolonged power outages have reached a "critical point." The National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) said in an October 14 statement that restrictions have risen from 24 to 48 and then 72 hours a week in a matter of weeks. Medium-voltage users were cut off from October 14 and are due to be reconnected at 06:00 on October 21, leaving them without grid power for about a week. For companies without their own generation, the CNA says that means operations will come to...
Full Story »Peru Halts Second Anchovy Season as Biomass Drops 28%
Peru's Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) will not authorize a second anchovy season in the north-central zone, the country's main fishery for the species. The decision follows a scientific review by the Marine Research Institute (IMARPE) that found a shrinking, young stock and warm ocean conditions linked to El Niño. The fishery targets Peruvian anchovy (anchoveta, Engraulis ringens).
IMARPE's Cruise 2609-10, with data to October 7, estimates acoustic biomass at about 5.12 million tonnes. That is 27.9% below the summer 2026 level and 22.8% below the 1996–2025 winter-spring...
Full Story »Starfish Seafood Recall Expands to Premium Cold-Smoked Norwegian Salmon
The Starfish Seafood recall has widened. Brooklyn, New York-based Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. has recalled Starfish Seafood Premium Cold Smoked Norwegian Salmon, in addition to the Starfish Seafood Trio of cold-smoked salmon, halibut and trout that Expana reported on October 13.
All of the recalled products are linked to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. According to a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notice, the cold-smoked Norwegian salmon was distributed in New York, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets...
Full Story »Cousins Maine Lobster San Antonio Hits the Road for Six-Day South Texas Tour
Cousins Maine Lobster, the nationally recognized seafood brand known for its authentic Maine lobster rolls and Shark Tank success story, is sending its San Antonio food truck on a six-day tour across South Texas from October 21st through October 26th.
Starting from San Antonio, the truck will roll west to the Rio Grande in Del Rio, then head south to Laredo, through the Rio Grande Valley to McAllen and Brownsville, and finish up the Gulf Coast in Victoria. Along...
Full Story »ANALYSIS: Bangladesh Black Tiger Shrimp Exports Down 19.5% So Far This Year
Bangladesh is one of the countries whose shrimp exports rely almost exclusively on black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon). Production is either farmed in ponds or registered as "extensive farming", meaning the shrimp feed naturally in mangroves. The species is known for reaching large sizes, up to 2-4 count per kg. It has only one harvest season per year, in H2, and is mostly exported head-on, shell-on. For these reasons, it is usually priced higher than vannamei...
Full Story »Hannaford Sued Over Salmon Sustainability Claims; Cooke Named in Complaint
A consumer class action filed in New York accuses Hannaford Bros. Co. and its parent, Ahold Delhaize USA Services, of misleading shoppers about the sustainability and origin of the farmed salmon they sell. The complaint names Cooke Aquaculture USA as the sole producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the Gulf of Maine.
The suit, Boyle v. Hannaford Bros. Co., LLC and Ahold Delhaize USA Services, LLC (Case No. 1:26-cv-2108), was filed October 13 in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York. Plaintiff Kathleen...
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