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

Craigslist is great, but if you're trying to sell a massive seafood company, it's going to take more than an online post. Consolidation has been moving at a rapid pace in the seafood, aquaculture and fisheries sector, but there is much more to be done. We spoke with Ignacio Kleiman of boutique M&A firm Antarctica Advisors about the climate for deals in the sector, and where the M&A 'hot spots' will be in the coming year.

Clothing giant Patagonia really doesn't like salmon farming, and it's used its massive resources to combat it. Will its latest attack have any effect?

At one point, the leading land-based salmon farmer in the world, Atlantic Sapphire, was worth $1 billion on the Oslo Stock Exchange. It's since become worth just a fraction of that, and several planned projects have dried up. Join IntraFish and land-based aquaculture expert Brian Vinci of The Freshwater Institute as we discuss the outlook for the sector. Also, a look at one of the most dangerous stretches of roads in Chile -- at least for truckers transporting farmed salmon. Tens of millions of dollars of salmon has been stolen at gunpoint in the past several years. What can be done? Correspondent John Evans reports. Remember to subscribe for free so you get every episode right on your mobile. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/intrafish-podcast/id1149438791 Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/search/intrafish

This episode gives you a double dose of salmon. First, we talk about two new innovative projects to make wild salmon, well, more like farmed salmon. In addition, we're joined by farmed salmon expert Dag Sletmo from Norwegian lender DNB, who gives us a look at 2024 and beyond.

The farmed shrimp market is in disarray: high inventories, lackluster demand and sliding prices. To help us make sense of it all, this week we've invited Rabobank's Gorjan Nikolik to discuss recent research on where the industry could be headed this year. Subscribe to the IntraFish podcast for free on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/intrafish-podcast/id1149438791) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Just how bad are retail seafood sales in Western markets? Really bad. New statistics released for December show that 2023 was a year for seafood to forget. But there are some lessons in the data, and some signs that a turnaround may be underway. IntraFish editors Drew Cherry and John Fiorillo discuss the outlook with Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics.