(seafood.com) Japan's seafood imports in the first six months of this year gained 7.1% over the corresponding period of the previous year to 1,137,563 tons, the Finance Ministry said on July 25.

(SeafoodSource) Recession is good news for the frozen food category — the tougher the economy gets, the more consumers turn their backs on fresh products in favor of comparably cheaper frozen foods.

(fis.com) A severe decline resources nearly paralyzed the fishing industry in eastern China earlier this year, leaving many boats anchored during the prime fishing season. Dwindling stocks brought on by years of over-fishing has become a challenge for many countries around the world. With this in mind, China and other nations are starting to exploit the resources of the South Pole. Zhang Wan takes a closer look.

(TheFishSite) Total catfish feed delivered in the United States during June 2012 was 73,325 tons, down 5 percent from June 2011, but up 15 percent from the previous month. Foodsize catfish feed delivered totaled 69,170 tons, down 6 percent from the corresponding month a year ago. Feed delivered for fingerlings and broodfish totaled 4,155 tons, up 3 percent from the corresponding month a year ago.

(SeafoodSource) During the first half of 2012 more than 216 thousand MT of fish and seafood was caught in the Sakhalin-Kuril region, and catches of pollock showed a notable increase compared to 2011, particularly in North-Kuril region.


(The Saigon Times Daily) Despites difficulties such as material and capital shortage and slow consumption, the Vietnam Association of Seafood exporters and Producers (VASEP) maintain the nation will meet its seafood export revenue target of US$6.5 billion for this year compared to US$6.1 billion in 2011.

(arkansasnews.com) An Arkansas farmer is featured in a new national ad campaign intended to bolster the nation’s struggling catfish industry.

(NASS-USDA) Farm-raised catfish processed during June 2012 totaled 23.9 million pounds round weight, down 2 percent from June 2011. The average price paid to producers was 93.4 cents per pound for June 2012, down 10.4 cents from last month and 29.7 cents below a year ago.

(foodqualitynews.com) A new European Commission report has highlighted how control measures are mitigating food safety risks. The report reveals how the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has ensured food safety by averting or mitigating many safety risks “by triggering a rapid reaction when a food safety risk is detected.”

(vasep.com.vn) In the first 6 months of 2012, Vietnam cephalopod exports to Japan grew impressively. In January 2012, exports to the market reduced slightly by 0.2 percent and 6 following months exports grew by 50 – 155 percent, exports in February grew sharply by 157.8 percent over 2011.

(fis.com) Pakistani fish exports surpassed USD 300 million for the first time and fetched a higher average unit price (AUP) in fiscal year 2011-12 versus 2010-11.

(IntraFish) US scallops prices are up in comparison to 2009 but are not as high as they were last year, largely due to higher supply coming out of Japan.

(vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2012, out of main exported seafood products from Vietnam, exports of tuna products witnessed the highest year-on-year growth of 38.5 percent although tuna only made up 10 percent of total export value.

(EuroAlert) The Fisheries Committee at the European Parliament highlighted during a vote celebrated July 11th that failing to manage EU stocks sustainably means that 75% of them are overfished, costing the EU about €1.8 billion a year.

(SeafoodSource) With European cod stocks at unprecedented levels and quotas set to soar over the next few years, there’s heavy pressure on exporters to find new markets for the additional fish or see prices slide further toward unprofitability. In traditional cod markets, however, it’s the producers of other whitefish products that should expect to lose the most ground.