(vasep.com.vn) In 2012, EU imported nearly US$4.5 billion of shrimp products, down over 30.5 percent compared to that of 2011. This was the sharpest drop since 1995.

Norway's seafood exports totaled NOK 51.6 billion (€7 billion/$9.3 billion) in 2012, a fall of NOK 1.8 billion (€243.9 million/$322.7 million) from the previous year, according to the Norwegian Seafood Export Council.

The value of seafood exports in April totalled NOK 4.4 billion (EUR 577.4 million), representing an increase of NOK 795 million (EUR 104.3 million) or 22 per cent compared to April 2012, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC).

Unloading of frozen tuna for canned production by Philippine fishing companies has been in a huge downtrend in the first two quarters, but a fisheries official said Thursday the catch is expected to improve towards the end of the year.

Fisheries officials are projecting an increase of 50,000 metric tons in tuna landings this year following the deployment of more Filipino fishing vessels in the Pocket 1 High Seas in western Pacific Ocean.

(vasep.com.vn) Japan is a large consumer market of Vietnam seafood every year. Fish paste and surimi exports to the market have reported a stable growth.

"We want the EU to consider extending such tax privileges for a certain period of time while Thailand is trying every way to defeat the disease," said Somsak Panitatyasai, president of the Thai Shrimp Association.

(vasep.com.vn) In 2012, Vietnam had faced many difficulties in shrimp exports to big markets as the U.S., Japan or EU and the year 2013 is expected to expose shrimp exporters to a lot of new challenges.

Bluefin tuna eggs from the broodstock cages of the EU Transdott project are being collected off the south east coast of Malta, and flown to Europe for rearing trials.

(vasep.com.vn) Australia is a potential market for seafood products. The country is importing averagely 200,000 MT per year, making up 70 percent of its annual fish consumption. Fish from Vietnam accounted for 25 percent of total Australian imports.

(vasep.com.vn) As three large markets – the EU, Japan and the U.S. – got a sharp drop in imports of bivalve mollusk, Vietnamese exporters accelerated exports of this species to South Korea, Australia and Canada in the first five months of 2013. However, earnings from these countries did not compensate losses from important markets because consumption demand has been weakened globally.

The lifting of the ban on fishing on some of the High Sea Pockets for Philippine vessels in the Pacific boosted domestic production by 25 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, both in volume and in value, according to the Philippine Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS).

Argentina exported 150,538 tonnes of fish and shellfish between January and May 2013, a figure that shows a 13 per cent rise over the same period in 2012, when 133,197 tonnes had been shipped abroad.

Exports of seafood (including fishmeal) from Japan rose a massive 78.4 percent in May compared to the same time last year, hitting 60,449 metric tons.

German fish sales saw yet another decline in volume last year, dropping 3.3 percent year-on-year, according to GfK-data provided by the German Fish Processors Association.