The European Commission recently launched the European Ocean Board, a high-level expert group comprising 28 members from business organizations, NGOs, and research institutes, to support the implementation of the European Ocean Pact. The expert group will advise the Commission on achieving the objectives of the Pact, provide opinions on specific matters related to it, and foster dialogue among members. The Board held its first meeting on March 31.

European fishing industry representative, Europêche, NGOs such as Oceana, Seas at Risk, WWF, and European Shipowners ECSA are among the members of the European Ocean Board. Earlier this year, the Commission launched a “call for evidence” to shape the Ocean Act, inviting citizens, experts, and stakeholders to submit their comments. The Ocean Pact, presented in June last year at the UN Ocean Conference, intends to bring together the EU’s policies and actions related to the ocean and create a unified and coordinated plan for managing the ocean. It will be implemented next year.

The countdown for the Seafood Expo Global (SEG) 2026 has begun. Ahead of the event, the 38 finalists selected for the 2026 Seafood Excellence Global Awards were announced this week. Two top awards will be presented for the Best Retail and Best HORECA (Hotel/Restaurant/Catering) Products. Only one tuna product, from Turkey’s Dardanel Dis Ticaret A.S, has been listed in the Retail category, and none in HORECA.

The Awards recognize outstanding seafood products showcased at the Expo, offering a snapshot of innovation and emerging trends across the industry. All submitted items will be displayed throughout the three-day event. The winners will be revealed during a reception taking place on the opening day of the Expo. The SEG 2026 will be held in Barcelona from April 21 to 23.

The Ecuadorian vessel ‘Don Maca’ and six smaller vessels, which were reported missing in late March, were found last week off northern Manabí within Ecuador’s EEZ. All 20 crew members were safe. Authorities have to determine where the boats were located in the missing days, and investigations are still ongoing, officials said.

Six small vessels, led by the mothership ‘Don Maca’, set out on March 18 in the EPO targeting albacore, swordfish, and marlin. Within a week, relatives of the 20 crew members said they lost contact and the last signal of the boats was received near the Galápagos Islands. The small fleet, which had lost all satellite contact in international waters, was finally located, marking the end of one of the most critical search alerts in the Manabí fishing sector so far this year, reported news site El Universo.