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.

Vigo-based vertically integrated fishing company Grupo Profand is keen on acquiring the Canary Islands-based Unión Martín, another firm with tuna and seafood operations at its helm. Profand, which is undergoing a restructuring process, is evaluating the deal prospects, reported Economia Digital Galicia.

In 2025, Unión Martín opened a -60°C refrigerated warehouse in the Port of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to distribute more than 2,000 tons of sashimi grade tuna annually, internatonally. The facility is supplied by the fleet of Japan tuna. Grupo Profand operations include cuttlefish, squid, octopus, and lobster, and aquaculture for sea bream, sea bass, trout, and shrimp. Last year, Atuna reported that the Group won in the New Products category for its innovative Atún 360 line, which are value-added tuna products, at the 12th Anfaco World Tuna Conference.