IntraFish Podcast

Salmon farming is facing near-unprecedented levels of opposition and biological challenges. So why is the CEO of the country's second-largest salmon producer so optimistic? Listen to our interview with Multi X's Cristian Swett, plus a round-up of this week's seafood, aquaculture and fisheries news.

Join the IntraFish team as we take a look at the week's most interesting and compelling seafood news.

Before you complain about your workday, listen to this episode. We first spoke with Nitesh Pal, the CEO of Polar Seafood Ukraine, just days after Russia began its incursion into the country in 2022. Pal, like so many other Ukrainians, had his life and business turned upside down by the attack. He went from living what he called the life of his dreams to a nightmare.Since that time, Pal and his company have gone through unimaginable changes. But remarkably enough, it's still supplying seafood, and Ukrainians are still happily eating it.

We're seeing a lot of companies in trouble in seafood right now, and this week saw some of those ugly numbers exposed. On the bright side, though, one of the bigger potential implosions appears to have been avoided. We look into the Bristol Bay wild salmon season this week, and explore Norway's unusual drop in salmon exports. Plus, some thoughts on where new retail numbers might put seafood consumption.

Seafood eco-labels have been a lot of things over the years: a must-have ticket to certain customers, a shield against NGO attacks, and to some, an expensive burden.Now, exposes in India and China have called into question just how thorough the auditing process is for companies carrying certification, and if those labels are enough assurance.While sustainable seafood expert Andrew Mallison of Fishthink says certification has played one of the most important roles in making fisheries and aquaculture supply chains better, businesses and consumers are often confused on just what those eco-labels are telling them.

This week a series of reports and investigations into the Indian shrimp farming sector has once again led to a massive scramble for answers. But at the heart of the issue are increasing questions about how much buyers and suppliers can trust third-party seafood certifications. Plus, we're joined by IntraFish Reporter Anders Furuset, who helps us understand the controversy over Norway's lower-grade "production" fish.

There's no better way to gather news than in person, and the IntraFish team took full advantage this week. Editor Drew Cherry and Executive Editor John Fiorillo discuss what we learned from panels at the IntraFish Seafood Leadership Event, as well as from the Seafood Expo North America showfloor.

Journalist Ian Urbina's investigation into the China seafood processing sector has already had a huge effect on the supply chain. His latest story in the series, part of the Outlaw Ocean Project, uncovered even more forced labor violations by some of the largest seafood processing companies. We brought Urbina on to the podcast to ask him about the story behind the story, and what seafood companies can and should do next. You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Read more: https://www.intrafish.com/opinion/chinas-seafood-supply-chain-has-been-broken-for-years-the-industry-has-looked-the-other-way-/2-1-1604567 https://www.intrafish.com/opinion/cheap-labor-often-comes-at-a-high-price-and-we-are-all-complicit-it-is-time-to-change-the-rules-of-the-supply-chain-/2-1-1537675 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/16/the-crimes-behind-the-seafood-you-eat https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/03/04/inside-north-koreas-forced-labor-program-in-china https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-uyghurs-forced-to-process-the-worlds-fish