Argentina’s Ocean Harvest, owner of leading toothfish catcher Estremar, is seeking to sell up to 49 % (around US$70 million) to an industry partner to fund acquisitions into shrimp, squid and scallops and diversify beyond its hoki, southern blue whiting and toothfish quota
Ignacio Kleiman warned that Latin America’s seafood industry is facing “unprecedented uncertainty” because political upheaval in Argentina, Chile, Peru and Ecuador has spurred companies with strong finances to look overseas, meaning domestic investment will slow and only sporadic strategic deals are likely
Ignacio Kleiman told Undercurrent that a “perfect storm” of inflation‑driven cost increases, higher interest rates and reduced consumption will force seafood companies to recapitalize and merge, predicting more consolidation across upstream and downstream sectors as firms struggle to protect margins