April 15, 2025 — The following was released by National Fisheries Institute:
The National Fisheries Institute congratulates Eugenio Piñeiro
Soler on his appointment to serve as the new Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. We
commend the administration for working quickly to fill this vital position and for choosing a
seasoned veteran of the council management system and Magnuson-based fisheries policy. We
look forward to working with him.
April 7, 2025 — The 31st edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, taking place from 6 to 8 May in the Fira de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, will feature a conference program bringing in over 80 seafood industry experts to lead more than 20 sessions.
Event organizer Diversified said the 2025 conference program will feature experts and representatives from prominent global organizations like the FAO, World Trade Organization (WTO), and WWF – along with figures from leading seafood companies. This year’s program will cover a range of topics relevant to the seafood industry and address opportunities and challenges in the global seafood market. [Editor’s note: Diversified Communications also owns and operates SeafoodSource.]
April 1, 2025 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
The NFI Sushi Council has established a digital presence with the launch of NFIsushicouncil.com. The site serves as a central knowledge bank for all things sushi, educating supply chain actors on food safety, product quality and economic integrity as well as promoting sushi as a healthy and exciting seafood-centric cuisine.
March 31, 2025 — The following was released by the National Fish Habitat Partnership:
The National Fish Habitat Partnership seeks a candidate representing the commercial fishing industry to join the National Fish Habitat (Board). Join our efforts to protect, restore, and enhance fish habitat nationwide by submitting your application by April 30, 2025. Please email your resume and letter of interest to info@fishhabitat.org.
Additional Information
The National Fish Habitat Partnership Board (Board) seeks nominations from organizations or individuals whose work and interests include fisheries and aquatic habitat conservation to fill one vacant seat on the Board representing the commercial fishing industry. The term of the Board seat will be three years once elected to the Board. The Board views the wide-range of its members and their respective organizations as critical to our conservation mission to protect, restore, and enhance our country’s fish and aquatic communities through a network of partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people. The National Fish Habitat Partnership Board’s membership was codified in 2020 (reauthorized in 2024) through the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (ACE Act) Section 203(b)(5) to implement the vision and requirements of the ACE Act and the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.
What is the National Fish Habitat Board?
As detailed in the ACE Act and Board’s National Fish Habitat Action Plan, the Board through its bylaws facilitates the coordination of fish habitat conservation efforts through 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships across the United States. The Partnerships focus on specific geographic regions, species, or habitat types and use an evidence-based, scientific approach to conservation. The 28-member Board is composed of representatives from federal and state agencies, Tribes, non-governmental organizations, private industry, and other partners. Through participation in committees and ad hoc working groups, Board members are responsible for the following:
March 17, 2025 — Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, North America’s largest seafood trade event, kicked off on 16 March in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
North America’s largest seafood trade event – produced by Diversified – opened for its 43rd edition, running from 16 March through 18 March. The latest edition of the event occupies 249,665 net square feet with 1,215 exhibiting companies from 51 countries – including new participating countries from Bahrain, Croatia, Ireland, Mauritius, Puerto Rico, and United Arab Emirates; and an increased presence from countries including China, Ecuador, France, Japan, Norway and Vietnam, Diversified said. [Editor’s note: Diversified also owns and operates SeafoodSource.]
March 17, 2025 — The following was released by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative:
The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) is pleased to welcome MarinTrust as an Affiliated Partner.
As the leading program for marine ingredient production factories, MarinTrust focuses on responsible sourcing, traceability, and ingredient-level production. Their focus on the responsible production of marine ingredients complements GSSI’s efforts to advance alignment and transparency across the broader seafood supply chain.
This affiliation brings together expertise from different parts of the supply chain to strengthen sustainability efforts from raw materials to final products. Both organizations are committed to responsible sourcing, robust benchmarking, and reducing duplication, ensuring confidence in the global seafood and feed industries.
Through this partnership, MarinTrust and GSSI will leverage their strengths to enhance sustainability, strengthen certification credibility, and broaden industry engagement on the role of marine ingredients. This collaboration helps clarify how different certification schemes interconnect while maintaining clear distinctions between marine ingredient production, feed standards, and seafood certification.
“We are delighted that MarinTrust is joining GSSI as an Affiliated Partner. I have no doubt that MarinTrust’s deep knowledge of the marine ingredient value chain will greatly complement GSSI’s scope and serve as the bridge linking fisheries and aquaculture. I expect this partnership to support MarinTrust’s efforts to increase the availability of certified marine ingredients by utilizing GSSI-recognised schemes.” Francisco Aldon, CEO at MarinTrust.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome MarinTrust as an Affiliated Partner. I’m confident that this partnership will help promote greater clarity, confidence, and choice at the feed level — a critical part of the value chain that deserves attention. While GSSI’s Global Benchmark Tool focuses on recognizing seafood certification schemes that meet internationally accepted sustainability criteria, MarinTrust works at the factory and ingredient level, certifying marine ingredient production facilities and their sourcing practices. This important distinction highlights the complementary roles our organizations play in supporting responsible sourcing and sustainability across the entire seafood and aquaculture supply chain.” Øyvind Ihle, CEO at GSSI.
March 17 2025 — Apps, online markets, and in–person markets are connecting fishermen and customers.
The Covid pandemic boosted direct marketing of seafood, with some fishermen tripling their sales and others getting into direct sales for the first time. In the wake of the pandemic, many fishermen want to continue to capitalize on consumers’ desire to access high-quality seafood, and a number of app developers, online markets, and live markets are providing them with ways to continue making direct sales.
Landon Hill, of Wilmington, N.C., got the idea for a marketing app for fish—a sort of Tinder App for connecting fishermen with fish buyers—while finishing business school at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.“After I graduated, I kept playing with the idea. I don’t have a lot of background in fisheries, but I could see that the lack of communication was a real pain point in fishing communities. I mean the idea that Tidewater restaurants were getting supplied by 18-wheelers just didn’t make sense to me, and it didn’t make sense to the chefs in those restaurants.”
Hill wants his app, Local Catch, to facilitate communication in the seafood market. To do that, he breaks the players down into four categories: fishermen, dealers, restaurants, and consumers. “You can register on the app and put in your zip code to see what’s available, or as a dealer or fisherman what you have available. As a consumer you can also make a cast, as we call it, and ask for what you are looking for.”
Hill reiterates that the project is about facilitating communication in the seafood industry. “We’re want people to know what seafood is for sale in their areas, and we’re exploring ways to do that better,” he says. “We’ve updated the app about 70 times since we released it to the public in 2022, and we’llprobably update it 70 more times in the next two years. Right now, we have 1,300 users in the app, and we’re on all coasts of the continental U.S.”
Hill adds that Local Catch is currently adding capacity for customers to pay vendors in the app using PayPal. “The other thing we’re looking at is distribution. That’s been on our white board since we started.” Right now, Local Catch connects buyers and sellers and leaves them to iron out the details of whether the vendor will deliver, or the buyer will pick up.
Whether the app can generate revenue is an open question. “Last year we received a NCIDEA grant, but before that I was bootstrapping everything with other work,” says Hill. “We’ll collect a small service fee when buyers use PayPal in the app and we’re exploring other revenue streams. Right now we just want to make it work, and we’re keeping it free.”
March 13 2025 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
The National Fisheries Insitute launched a revitalized AboutSeafood.com to continue its efforts connecting the seafood community and increase access to crucial seafood information. The updated website is part of NFI’s Strategic Plan, launched in March of 2024, which aims to shape, connect, and grow the sector across the supply chain.
March 13, 2025 — The 31st edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global has garnered exhibitors from 79 countries so far and is still growing, according to event organizer Diversified.
The event, taking place from 6 to 8 May at the Gran Via venue of the Fira de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, is currently at 50,918 net square meters of exhibition space sold. According to Diversified, the trade event will feature 63 national and regional pavilions, a conference program, and is still growing. [Editor’s note: Diversified also owns and operates SeafoodSource.]
March 12, 2025 — Perusing the Federal Register — an old habit from my wire service days — I see that a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, will hold a four-day meeting to “consider actions affecting the Gulf of Mexico fisheries in the exclusive economic zone in early April.”
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