HRH The Princess Royal will officially open the Seawork trade show and conference on Tuesday 11 June 2024, marking the 25th edition of Europe’s leading commercial marine exhibition.  The Princess Royal has visited Southampton many times, however, this will be her first visit to the city’s Mayflower Park for the Seawork exhibition. Seawork takes place over 11-13 June, offering unique combination of purpose-built undercover exhibition space, open air displays and over 70 vessels, floating plant and equipment on the quayside and pontoons. Attendees will include representatives of HM Governme ..read more

US lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) is officially requesting that funding for offshore aquaculture be approved by Congress. SATS has submitted a letter to the Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, calling for support of US $25m (£19.9m) for the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Office of Aquaculture and US $14.08m (£11.2m) for Ocean and Atmospheric Research (OAR) for the Sea Grant Aquaculture Research programme. If approved, the funding for the organisations, which are both part of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheri ..read more

Sea cucumbers may not look too appetising to the Western consumer, but their potential in the export market is huge, Robert Outram finds In a series of man-made lagoons in the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park in southern Spain, a species is being farmed that is destined to be consumed on the other side of the world. Guatizamar, the company operating the farm at San Ramón de Chiclana de la Frontera, near Cádiz, is still at the developmental stage and is raising funds for the investment needed to carry out its first commercial harvest. Even so, its Chief Executive, Antonio Fernandez-Perez, is confide ..read more

Seafood processing specialist BAADER has won a major contract to fit Grieg’s new seafood centre with a state-of-the-art filleting system. The deal was announced today at the trade show Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global in Barcelona. BAADER will supply processing equipment for Grieg’s new plant at Gardermoen Airport near Oslo, which is due to be completed in the summer of 2025. The BAADER delivery encompasses a complete processing line, from raw material reception to finished product packaging, featuring the BA581 Pro for maximum yield and the BA1860 for precise sorting. Modulf Bars ..read more

Physical checks on plant and animal products imported from the EU into the UK will start from 30 April. Will the UK’s seafood exporters feel that they have a level playing field at last? Sandy Neil investigates The UK left the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union on 31 December 2020, leaving the UK and EU with separate customs and regulatory regimes. On New Year’s Day 2021, the EU applied its usual third-country regime to goods imported from Great Britain (GB) to the EU to ensure correct taxes (for example, tariffs, VAT and excise duty) are paid, safety and security obligations are fulfilled ..read more

Five major trade organisations representing European aquaculture, fishing and seafood processing have come together in a new strategic alliance. Their aim is to get Europeans to eat – and produce – more fish. In an announcement at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, they said the alliance is aimed at advancing shared goals and promoting critical industry priorities on a broader stage. The groups are the European Fish Processors and Traders Association (AIPCE-CEP, combining two organisations), the European Association of Fisheries Producer Organizations (EAPO), EU fishing trade group Europec ..read more

A new parasite which turns fish flesh into a slimy jelly has been found in cod off the Norwegian coast. So far it does not appear to have affected the country’s cod farmers but the Institute of Marine Research and the industry are keeping a watch on the situation. The parasite is known as Kudoa thyrsites which is normally found in more southerly waters around Africa and South America , but it has now appeared around the coast of Helgeland. Kudoa is a type of jellyfish, which attacks the cod through the skin and then gets into the muscles. After the fish dies, the parasite’s enzymes reduce the ..read more

Independent salmon farmer Loch Duart says its switch a year ago to BioMar’s Blue Impact feed has reduced its carbon footprint, improved health for the stock and reduced natural impurities in its fish. The results of the analysis were announced today at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, the world’s biggest seafood trade show. Loch Duart, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, started using Blue Impact feed last year and is now harvesting the first fish to be fed on the new feed. The company said a study of the outcomes shows that the new feed means its salmon have maintained high ..read more

Mowi has lost the first round of a court battle against Norway’s “salmon tax”. A court in Hordaland, Norway has rejected the company’s lawsuit against the tax, also known as the ground rent or resource rent tax. The company said it will study the decision before deciding its next step. Mowi has a month in which to lodge any appeal, but the news is clearly a big blow for the world’s largest salmon farmer, which has consistently branded the tax as unfair. CEO Ivan Vindheim has been arguably the industry’s strongest voice against the tax, telling the court it was discriminatory and contrary to EE ..read more

Oysters and seaweed products took the top accolades at the Seafood Excellence Global Awards, held last night in Barcelona. The top award for Best Retail Product was presented to Parcs Saint Kerber for its entry, Oysters Trio Saint Kerber, while Algolesko won the grand prize for Best HORECA (hotel/restaurant/catering) Product for its Wakame Pickles. The competition recognizes the best products exhibited at Seafood Expo Global, the world’s biggest seafood trade event. Oysters Trio Saint Kerber features four each of three of the company’s iconic oysters in a single retail box. The first is Saint ..read more