Daily recap: Alaskan investor joins Gustafsson’s bid for pollock giant; US Dungy crab season to open shortly

Here's a recap of the top daily seafood stories from Friday, Dec. 20.

• Former American Seafoods investor Coastal Villages involved in Gustafsson's bid for pollock giant

Alaskan community development quota group Coastal Villages Regional Fund is involved in Einar Gustafsson's bid for American Seafoods Group, sources told Undercurrent News.

• After delays, California Dungy crab season to open Jan. 5, 2025

Commercial crabbing in the US state of California will finally begin Jan. 5, 2025 after repeated delays due to concerns over marine mammal entanglement.

• CapVest's Lakeview puts US smoked salmon buyout on ice after inking yogurt brand deal

UK-based private equity firm CapVest Partners' US roll-up vehicle Lakeview Farms has put its talks to acquire salmon processor Honey Smoked Fish Company on hold, having inked a deal for a yogurt company, sources told Undercurrent.

• Vietnam's shrimp exports slow as main markets cut purchases

After surprisingly high export volumes of farmed vannamei from Vietnam in October, November saw a drop to all main markets, according to a Ho Chi Minh City-based consultancy compiling trade data for Undercurrent.

• Salmon, other 'higher fat fish' now can be labeled 'healthy' in US, FDA says

The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday (Dec. 19) announced a coming new final rule that will allow salmon, as well as other "higher fat fish," to be identified as "healthy" in food labels.

• Morocco's octopus season soon kicks off with Mauritania prices high

The Moroccan winter octopus fishing season is set to start on Jan. 1, just after midnight, with good prospects for initial catches, according to a communication by the country's authorities seen by Undercurrent.

• ASMI receives additional $8.5m in gov't funding to pitch Alaska seafood abroad

Alaska's seafood marketing board announced Dec. 19 it's received an additional $8.5 million in US government funding to bolster its efforts to promote the US state's wild seafood products across Europe, Asia and Latin America.

• US aquaculture sales grew 38% to $1.57bn in latest census

US farms raising aquatic products for human consumption — including finfish, mollusks and crustaceans — generated $1.57 billion in sales in 2023, a 38% increase from the $1.13bn seen in 2018, with much of the growth fueled by explosive gains in mollusk and crustacean sales, according to the latest US aquaculture census.

• Norway salmon prices see typical Christmas week surge, Chile flat, Scots up

Spot prices for farmed Norwegian Atlantic salmon to be delivered in week 52 (commencing Dec. 23) have jumped as expected by more than NOK 10/kg ahead of the country's public holidays, which create a two-day work week in the final week of the year.