The sector's supply, consumption and commercial revenues are expected to decline due to sanitary restrictions, while global aquaculture production is expected to decline by 1.3%.

Global fisheries and aquaculture have been severely affected by the Covid-19 disease (coronavirus) pandemic and could face further shocks in 2021 as lockdowns will affect supply and demand across the sector, according to a report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Source: aqua.cl | Read the full article here

AKVA group ASA (AKVA) has acquired 33.7% of the shares in Observe Technologies Ltd (Observe) to further strengthen its digital strategy, as presented at the recent Capital Markets Day.

Observe, through partnership with AKVA, has successfully sold and delivered their artificial intelligence (AI) feeding solutions to more than 20 farm sites in 5 different countries. With this new agreement, AKVA and Observe will continue to develop and leverage their complimentary technologies and solutions using AI to partner with customers to improve fish performance.

Norway’s seafood exports fell by a double-digit percentage in January 2021 compared to 2020, largely the result of ongoing downturns related to COVID-19.

Norway exported NOK 8.1 billion (USD 941.5 million, EUR 786.1 million) worth of seafood products last month, some 16 percent or NOK 1.6 billion (USD 185.8 million, EUR 155.3 million) less than it sold to overseas markets in January 2020, with reduced demand for salmon accounting for much of the downturn. Reduced exports of trout and fresh cod compared to the record month of January 2020 also contributed to the lower earnings.

Author: Jason Holland / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here

A number of key players in the Cornish seafood industry begin new research into the feasibility of bringing Cornish sole and Cornish king crab products to consumers across the nation.

A unique project kicked off this month designed to explore options for increased consumption of sustainably-caught Cornish fish and shellfish within the domestic market. The consortium behind the project is a collaboration between the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation, Seafood Cornwall, Ocean Fish, and well-known Cornish chef and author James Strawbridge.

Author: Quentin Bates / FiskerForum | Read the full article here

The verdict in the ongoing salmon trial may have unprecedented ripple effects.

The articles have been well-read. Daily articles from the trial between the 25 Western Norway fish farmers and the government are addictive. Readers from all over, including fish farmers, environmentalists, exporters, scientists, students, management and politicians, are gripped.

Although the plaintiffs’ legal team emphasised that the trial does not deal with the traffic light system as such, that is exactly what it does.

Author: Aslak Berge / SalmonBusiness | Read the full article here

Chile will be able to catch 504,800 tonnes of horse mackerel in the South Pacific during 2021, this is 15% more than in 2020, as agreed in the last cycle of sessions of the PS RFMO, explains the Chilean Undersecretary of Fisheries who clarifies that the The increase has been proportional for all parties.

The global allocation of the resource arranged by the Organization in 2021 for the entire South Pacific is 782,000 tons, compared to the 680,000 tons of the previous year since, Subpesca points out, an improvement in the status of the stock has been detected. The Chilean quota represents 64.56% of the total allocation of this resource for the countries that make up the ORP, he points out.

Source: Fisheries Industries | Read the full article here

A major civil court case has opened to test the legality of Norway’s controversial fish farming traffic light scheme.

Expected to last up to two weeks, the hearing was triggered by 25 salmon and trout companies, mostly based in the south west of the country, who claim not only that they are being robbed of their livelihood, but that the country is losing out on its second most valuable export.

The scheme, they also argue, will also impact on many coastal communities who depend on aquaculture for jobs and social amenities.

Author: Vince McDonagh / Fish Farmer | Read the full article here

Reference is made to the announcement on 1 December 2020 regarding the financial calendar for 2021, and to the announcements made on 11 and 18 of January 2021 regarding the cyber-attack.

All main IT systems, including applications hosted for customers, are restored or in the process of being restored. There is still some work to be done to restore minor support systems and file servers. This is expected to be completed during the next weeks.

As a result of the cyber-attack, the closure of the accounts and the audit have been delayed. Consequently, the presentation of the Q4 results is postponed from February 19 to March 12 and publication of the annual report is postponed from March 24 to April 14.

The financial impact of the cyber-attack and further details will be reported in connection with the Q4 presentation.

Russia’s antitrust regulator, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), has opened a case against the Pollock Catchers Association (PCA) and several of its members over allegedly anticompetitive conduct.

The plaintiff in the case is the Russian Fishery Company (RFC), which has been in conflict with PCA since late last year, when it was ousted from the association.

According to FAS case documents, the PCA possibly violated a clause in section 11 of Russia’s federal law regulating competition, Vedomosti reported. The clause prohibits businesses or business associations from blocking companies' market access.

Author: Ivan Stupachenko / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here

This weekend the Síldarvinnslan factory at Neskaupstaður in eastern Iceland began processing capelin for the first time in three years, working with raw material landed by Norwegian pelagic vessels.

The first landing was 310 tonnes landed by Fiskebas, followed by Slaaterøy with 100 tonnes and Sjøbris with 360 tonnes.

While the Norwegian fleet is able to catch its quotas in Icelandic waters during the early part of the season, the Icelandic fleet is staying away from the capelin fishery.

Author: Quentin Bates / FiskerForum | Read the full article here