Vietnam will investigate and handle all cases of the country’s fishing vessels being arrested by foreign countries, strictly punish all acts related to illegal fishing in the foreign waters and name them on the mass media, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien. In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Tien admitted the fact that there remain a small number of Vietnamese-flagged fishing vessels still illegally fishing in foreign waters. To put an end to this phenomenon, the heads of local Party committees and authorities at all levels should uphold the sense of responsibility in leading and directing the combat against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Localities should quickly calculate the number of fishing vessels, complete the issuance of licenses as well as the installation of monitoring equipment, and the update of vessel data into the National Fisheries Database (Vnfishbase) as regulated to meet the requirement of information search and boat management. Meanwhile, fishing ports should make statistics of all docking places; monitor and supervise all catches to ensure traceability; strictly handle vessels that do not dock at designated ports, said Tien. He also stressed the importance of stepping up communications to raise public awareness of respecting law, and request seafood enterprises to resolutely refuse to purchase, process and export products coming from IUU fishing.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien (Photo: VNA)
Regarding the fourth inspection of the European Commission (EC) to assess Vietnam’s efforts to fight IUU fishing, slated for April 2023, the deputy minister said that his ministry will coordinate with other ministries and sectors to launch patrols and inspections, and strictly sanction all acts of IUU fishing according to regulations. At the same time, efforts will be made to investigate and prosecute any cases of brokering and luring fishermen to conduct illegal fishing in the foreign waters. In October 2017, the EC issued a "yellow card" warning against Vietnamese seafood exports after Vietnamese fishermen violated IUU regulations. Since then, it has sent delegations to Vietnam thrice to assess Vietnam’s implementation of the commission’s recommendations to have the card removed./.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first three months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cake and surimi reached USD 63 million, down 5% compared to the same period last year. Although total export value declined slightly due to decreases in some key markets, many other destinations continued to post strong growth, opening up room for this convenience-oriented processed segment in the coming quarters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Favorable weather conditions in the early months of 2026 have brought encouraging signs for fisheries activities in Quang Tri. Output has grown steadily, contributing to improved livelihoods for local residents.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
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