In a way similar to Listeria monocytogenes outbreak derailing Viciunai French smoked salmon expansion in the recent past, salmon exports of 13 Norwegian plants to Russia have been hit by restrictions as of 5 May current due to insufficient food safety routines as claimed by Russia's vet watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor. To resolve the crisis a team of Custom Union inspectors (RF, Belarus and Kazakhstan) will be visiting Norway in June in order to check plants wishing to export to Russia and sort out food safety concerns in negotiations with Norway's Mattilsynet, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

Murmansk-based fishing company OOO Persey (ltd) and Saint Petersburg shipbuilders OAO Pella (plc) have launched a joint project for construction of a series of high-tech longliners for sustainable bottomfish operations in the Barents Sea, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

Senegal's new government has revoked the licenses of 29 foreign fishing trawlers and demanded that they land their catches in the capital Dakar before leaving the country's waters. The ban first of all has touched Russian vessels, namely 10 trawlers owned by Murmansk Trawl Fleet who used to harvest ca.*** MT of Senegal fish during the season which accounted for **% of the total harvest of local fishermen, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

So far little known Eretik Island in the village of Ura-Guba, Cola Peninsula, may soon become one of the centres for aquaculture development in Murmansk region. In its waters farmers are ready to install cages for Atlantic salmon culture, smolt is coming soon, reports http://www.megafishnet.com

Thanks to multimillion investments into aquaculture Saint-Petersburg-based seafood producer Baltiisky Bereg is planning to raise its farmed salmon output to *** MT by 2013, reports www.megafishnet.com

To continue computerization of its production facilities Murmansk Trawl Fleet plc has hired NPP SpetsTek (scientific and production company) which will introduce information system of vessel maintenance and repair management of MTF's affiliates, namely ZAO MTF-1, ZAO MTF-2, ZAO MTF-3 and ZAO MTF-4, reports http://www.megafishnet.com

Under the regional target program on fishery development in 2012-2016 Kaliningrad authorities are planning to establish a fish auction so that local fishermen could send catches directly to retail chains and fish processing factories, just like it has been successfully practiced in neighbouring Klaipeda harbour (Lithuania), reports http://www.megafishnet.com/

Against the background of declining importation of frozen seafood Russia continues boosting imports of chilled and fresh products with the value of the latter category outstripping frozen imports nearly twofold, according to Federal Fisheries Agency.

The Japanese holidays have passed, and all the market players met in Busan to define the destiny of Russian pollock roes. The sellers didn't care about holidays in Russia, and sold almost six thousand tons, enormous volume. Small doubt on the last day some buyers were simply short of money to give a proper price, reports www.megafishnet.com.

In Q1 2012 Russian importers purchased on the world market ***,*** MT of seafood products at the total value of nearly RUR **.* billion

In Q1 2012 Russian importers purchased on the world market ***,*** MT of seafood products at the total value of nearly RUR **.* billion...

In January-March 2012 601 foreign companies supplied seafood products to the Russian market. Leading supplier in value terms was Norway Pelagic

In January-March 2012 601 foreign companies supplied seafood products to the Russian market. Leading supplier in volume terms was Norway Pelagic

In Q1 2012 top30 of Russian importers of seafood (in value terms) also showed some important changes...

In Q1 2012 top30 of Russian importers of seafood (in volume terms) showed some important changes. More specifically, former outsiders pushed some leaders from top5...

In March 2012 Russian importers activated their purchases of seafood products on the world market with the import volume through the month amounting to ***,*** MT, almost the same as in the first two months of the year (***,*** MT)

HB Grandi's freezer trawler Helga Maria AK is due to dock in Reykjavik tomorrow after a short trip. The 7000 cartons on board will be landed and a new Hampidjan Gloria pelagic trawl will be taken on board for the redfish season that is about to start. According to skipper Eirikur Ragnarsson, there is no great pressure as the redfish quotas have been cut significantly since last year, reports www.megafishnet.com

Production from the 1540 tonne landing by Faxi RE finished last Friday at HB Grandi's fishmeal plant in Vopnafjordur. According to factory manager Sveinbjorn Sigmundsson, this was the last full trip of blue whiting that the company's vessels will have this year and the outlook is now that production at Vopnafjordur will not start again until the end of June when fishing on mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring begins, reports www.megafishnet.com.

In April 2012 the fishery activity continued developing and, according to estimated figures, through the month the Russian harvest in the Atlantic Ocean amounted to *** MT, *** MT up on March 2012. The contribution of Kaliningrad-based vessels amounted to ca.**%, reports www.megafishnet.com.

HB Grandi's pelagic vessel Faxi RE is now close to finishing its last targeted trip on blue whiting for the year, and is currently at a position around 70 nautical miles south of the Faroe Islands. Faxi has around 1200 tonnes on board already and chief mate Ebenezer Gudmundsson said that they are hoping to have filled up by the end of today. As Faxi has a maximum carrying capacity of 1550 tonnes, there is every chance that they will be setting for Vopnafjordur later today, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to HB Grandi.