The free trade agreement between the European Union and Vietnam, known as EVFTA, will come into force on 1 August, according to a Vietnamese government statement on 18 June.

The deal is expected to open the way for more Vietnamese seafood products to flow into the E.U.

Lawmakers in Vietnam’s National Assembly approved the deal on 8 June following the endorsement by their peers in European Parliament in February.

On 18 June, Vietnamese Vice Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son handed over a diplomatic note to Ambassador of the E.U. to Vietnam Giorgio Aliberti to notify the European side of the lawmakers’ approval. Following this procedure, as per the terms of the pact, EVFTA will enter into force from 1 August, the Vietnamese government said.

Author: Toan Dao /  SeafoodSource |  Read the full article here

A model of "Kindai Tuna" has appeared at the library of Kinki University (Higashiosaka City, Osaka Prefecture), which is famous for bluefin tuna farming, in order to maintain a social distance. Tuna heads about 45 cm in height line up on the desk with a gap. A model of about 2.5 meters was installed at the entrance, and it was used as a guide for the distance to be kept = 17 days [Jiji Press Center]

World Aquaculture 2020 is still proceeding with the new dates of December 14 - 18th, 2020.
Singapore has begun reopening so we are optimistic that the December dates will continue as planned.

All Registrations for conference and exhibition are still valid.

The Steering Committee is working hard to keep track of the developing guidelines and regulations from the Singapore government, international health organizations and other authorities.  As these develop, we will be incorporating them into WA2020 to make it the safest and most effective International Aquaculture Conference and Exposition.

The new quota is 19 106 tonnes, of which Spain will fish 6400

Spain and Portugal have decided to increase the Iberian sardine quota for this year after the upward revision of ICES recommendation 2020, released last week along with advice from 2021. Specifically, the fleets of both countries will be able to capture 19 106 tons in the current campaign, which means practically doubling the fishing possibilities initially decreed, which were 9500 tons. Of the total, the Spanish fleet will be able to catch 6,400 tonnes, double the amount expected at the start of the fishery. The two countries have already communicated their decision to the EU.

Source: Industrias Pesqueras | Read the full article here

Scottish finfish and shellfish farmers affected by the collapse of export markets due to Covid-19 can now apply to a new £1.25 million fund to cover the costs of maintaining unsold stock.

The Scottish Government scheme, funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), compensates businesses for the cost of transporting, freezing and storing salmon, trout and shellfish until the end of 2020.

Storage is relatively cheap, at between £5-£10 per tonne for 10 weeks, but the initial blast freezing can cost up to £300 per tonne.  

Author: Gareth Moore / fishfarmingexpert | Raed the complete article here

The Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia, which had been due to take place in St Petersburg in September, has been postponed.

The event has been rescheduled to 6-8th July 2021, following a decision made by the organising committee chaired by Federal Fisheries Agency head Ilya Shestakov.

According to the organisers, this decision came down to reasons that include the dynamics of the spread of Covid-19, as well as the lack of guarantees as to the quality of the event.

Author: Quentin Bates / Fisker Forum | Raed the complete article here

John West is delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Stephenson as Managing Director.

Paul has more than 20 years’ experience in the consumer goods industry, working predominantly with MARS Petcare and Confectionery. Until 2018 he was Global Vice President, Innovation, for the chocolate portfolio of Mars Incorporated, where he was responsible for accelerating and strengthening brand innovation and anticipating future consumer needs to identify new avenues for business growth. More recently Paul has acted as a consultant to strategy firms, private equity and corporate clients.

Health officials in Alaska found no cases of COVID-19 aboard an American Seafoods trawler that recently arrived in Dutch Harbor to fish for Bering Sea pollock. The ship, the Ocean Rover, docked in the Unalaska port on Sunday, 14 June, where, according to a press release from the city, local health officials worked together with American Seafoods to screen and test crewmembers.

“In a coordinated effort between the IFHS Clinic, City of Unalaska, State of Alaska Health and Social Services, and American Seafoods, all 121 members on board responded to health questionnaires and were tested for COVID-19 as warranted. Sixteen crew members were found to have possible symptoms of COVID-19 and were quarantined pending test results. All tests returned negative. The Ocean Rover is offloading frozen product and will return to sea,” the press release read.

Author: Brian Hagenbuch / SeafoodSource | Read the full article here

SALMON is not the source of a new Covid-19 outbreak in Beijing, Chinese authorities have declared.

The announcement will come as a huge relief to fish farming companies in Scotland, Norway and the Faroe Islands who all export to China, because once a particular food or product becomes the subject of a scare the impact often goes far wider than the area in question.

The salmon scare blew up towards the end of last week after the Chinese capital reported a fresh spike in Coronavirus cases coupled with the discovery that a chopping board used to slice salmon at the city’s main Xinfadi wholesale food market might be the source of the infection.

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

ICES has issued its guidance for 2021 Barents Sea quotas, with increases for the three main stocks of cod, haddock and saithe north of 62°N.

According to Audun Maråk, director of Norwegian vessel owners’ federation Fiskebåt, these stocks are all in good condition and harvested sustainably.

‘Despite a difficult market situation, it is highly positive that the most important white fish stocks north of 62°N are harvested sustainably and with increased quota recommendations. Increased quotas will contribute positively to activity and value creation along the coast,’ he said.

The ICES advice for north-east Arctic cod is for an 885,000 tonne quota, with the increase over last year’s figure limited by the stability regulation that allows a variation of no more than 20% from one year to the next. 

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