The Farm Bill sets the United States’ nutrition and agriculture policy for the next five years, and, on Thursday, the Senate voted to advance its version of the bill, initiating about two weeks of debate on the Senate floor.
The previous Farm Bill, enacted in 2008, included a provision that gave the USDA the authority to inspect imported and domestic catfish. However, implementation of the measure has been delayed, even though the rule-making process and the public-comment period have come and gone.
The 2012 Farm Bill would override the 2008 Farm Bill, so if the McCain-Kerry amendment survives, the FDA, the agency responsible for monitoring the U.S. food supply, would retain the authority to inspect catfish.
It appears that support for doing so is only building. In late April, 17 U.S. senators, including McCain and Kerry, signed a letter to Debbie Stabenow, chair of the senate’s Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, urging her to repeal the USDA catfish inspection program. They agrued that the program would “simply supplant the existing FDA [Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points] seafood regulatory scheme.” They also cited two Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports calling the program redundant and duplicative; the program is expected to cost USD 30 million to implement, according to the GAO.
“Cost cutters on the Hill who have been looking to root out waste and protect American jobs have thrown down the gauntlet with this,” said National Fisheries Institute spokesman Gavin Gibbons. “McCain and Kerry are leading a bipartisan effort that says if you support programs that waste tens of millions in taxpayer dollars, if you support programs that will negatively impact U.S. agricultural exports, if you support regulatory programs that have no food-safety benefit, then you support the [USDA] catfish inspection program. If you’re sick of wasteful handouts, you support repeal. It’s a fairly cut and dry scenario.”
The McCain-Kerry amendment comes as a relief to U.S. catfish and pangasius importers, who say the USDA catfish inspection program would curb the flow of product into the U.S. market (it’s still unclear whether the catfish-like pangasius would be included in the program). They also contend that its supporters are simply trying to protect the domestic catfish farming and processing industry, not safeguard public health.
At the same time, U.S. catfish farmers and processors argue that their competitors overseas should be subject to the same scrutiny as they are when it comes to food safety. The USDA catfish inspection program has the backing of The Catfish Institute and several Southern legislators.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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