More than 600 participants from sixty countries and territories in the world, representatives from international organizations and relevant agencies, tuna exporters, companies and organizations providing various goods and services to the tuna industry attended the event. The event was officiated by the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand, Mr. Theera Wongsamut.
The main goal of 2012 tuna conference is to call upon international community to turn towards sustainable fishing with an aim to conserve tuna stocks, avoid deteriorating tuna resources due to method of excessive tuna fishing in many regions in the world.
The participants in the conference heard and discussed many issues related to world tuna industry. The follows are some outstanding issues of the conference:
- Catching tuna in the most environmentally friendly way, eco-label for tuna and developing techniques of tuna fishing and processing.
- Conserving tuna stocks by sustainable method of tuna fishing.
- Establishing more rational regulations on fishing, processing, and trading tuna.
- Discussing challenges in tuna trade in the wake of dwindling tuna resources, increasing tuna demand and price.
- Discussing cooperation among tuna stock management organizations, non-government organizations, tuna processors and exporters and consuming markets in tuna trade sector.
According to participants, the conference created a good chance for stakeholders in the tuna industry to share and exchange information, promote products as well as expand long-lasting business relations. Through evaluation reports on key markets of tuna sector, tuna exporters joining in the conference will have an overview of tuna import. Accordingly, exporters can access to more information of tuna market trends, tuna production and export.
Once again, Thailand is chosen as the venue of the conference. The tuna industry is an important economic sector in Thailand, creat jobs and foreign exchange for the country. In 2012, the country makes effort to speed up tuna exports to offset for the decline in tuna export value in 2011.
However, Thai tuna exports are coping with huge obstacles such as soaring price of raw tuna due to declining tuna catches caused by tighter international restrictions, conservation measures which are being applied in the region and in the world. The cost and freight (CFR) price of skipjack raw material in Bangkok had increased from US$918 per MT in 2006 to around US$1,800 - 2,025 per MT last year, Mr. Theera Wongsamut spoke at the conference.
It is expected that Thailand tuna exports would rebound this year, but this largely depends on raw tuna. As much as 85 percent of tuna raw material for local production is imported. Apart from the declining tuna stocks, limits on the number of tuna ships and pirate attacks have dampened the global tuna industry’s prospects even as global demand keeps rising.
According to the Thai Frozen Products Association (TFPA), the Thai canned tuna industry is expected to import more pre-cooked tuna loins for canning and reexporting. To offset the declining demand in the traditional markets like the U.S. and EU, Thai canners are aggressively diversifying their markets by exporting to as many countries as possible particularly to emerging markets like the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America and Africa. Exports to these new markets has increased tremendously in recent years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a fairly strong upward trend in 2025, Vietnam’s clam exports entered 2026 with a mixed picture: strong growth at the beginning of the year, followed by a slowdown from March onward. According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s clam export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached more than USD 38 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
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