The West and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) approved the lifting of the purse seine fishing ban in pockets 1 and 2 of the Pacific Ocean until February 2013. Still, WCPFC does not think this will make a big difference to the Philippines.
“The Philippines can fish in high sea pocket 1 only and any reporting in the press otherwise is wrong,” said Glenn Hurry, executive director of the WCPFC, Asian Correspondent reports.
However, no Philippine fishing firm has thus far sent off its vessels to pockets 1 and 2 of the Pacific Ocean pending the publication of the fisheries administrative order on the matter, which should be finished within the month, said Ambutong K Pautong, BFAR Region 12 acting director, Business World reports.
The country produces over 2 million tonnes of tuna per year. In 2011, frozen tuna landings dropped by about 19 per cent in General Santos City to about 110,000 tonnes in 2011 from roughly 150,000 tonnes in 2010 and earlier.
Secretary Luwalhati R Antonino, chairwoman of the Mindanao Development Authority, said that while the country has been granted access, "efforts must also be exerted to prevent abuse."
Last week, BFAR and tuna industry players held a meeting to discuss how Philippine fishing companies should benefit from the newly granted limited fishing access to the Pacific.
"Thirty-six Philippine fishing vessels have now been given limited access to the tuna fishing ground -- but Philippine vessel deployment will not take place until after September, as the WCPFC will close that part of the Pacific Ocean for three months starting in July as part of a yearly conservation measure, Pautong noted.
He had said that canneries in the city have been producing less due to lower catches supposedly attributed to the two-year fishing ban.
Pautong said the proposed guidelines, which will be set in consultation with the private sector-led Tuna Council of the Philippines, include assigning a specific catching ground to the fishing companies, which have agreed to impose high penalties on violators.
"We must live up to the expectations of WCPFC. We must satisfactorily comply with the provisions of the Conservation and Management Measure if we want to continue fishing in pockets 1 and 2 beyond 2013," said Asis G Perez, BFAR national director.
Tuna remains one of Mindanao’s top exports, with a combined value of USD 311 million in 2010.
The WCPFC banned commercial fishing in pockets 1 and 2 of the high seas in 2008 to mitigate overfishing of bigeye and yellowfin tuna. The ban took effect in 2010
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports reached USD 7 million in June 2026, down 32% compared with the same month in 2025. Nevertheless, thanks to strong growth in the first five months of the year, cumulative tilapia exports in the first half of 2026 totaled USD 69 million, up 67% year on year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company, a member of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), has been honored with the "Famous Brand - Competitive Vietnamese Brand 2026" certification at an award ceremony organized by the Vietnam Intellectual Property Association (VIPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China imported nearly $1.4 billion worth of Vietnamese seafood in the first half of the year, a 40% increase compared to the same period last year, surpassing the US to become the largest export market for the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the International Seafood Hosted Buyer Program has been designed as a dedicated B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers. The program provides opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood companies, gain market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A Story from Cà Mau’s Coast It’s 5 AM in Cà Mau. Minh, a third-generation fisherman, is ready to set sail. But unlike his father and grandfather, his boat no longer runs on an old diesel engine that burns fuel and clouds the sky with smoke. Instead, it’s powered by a hybrid engine that saves 40% fuel—funded by an ESG program from a major seafood exporter.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius industry is shifting its focus from increasing production volume to enhancing value-added products in order to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets. In An Giang Province—the country's leading hub for pangasius farming and processing—businesses and farmers are prioritizing product quality, traceability, food safety, and sustainable development rather than expanding output.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Following strong growth in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Sweden continued to edge higher during the first five months of 2026. However, the picture is far from straightforward. Orders have fluctuated significantly from month to month, indicating that this market remains cautious, with purchasing decisions closely tied to actual demand and the import cycles of Nordic distributors rather than to a steady upward trend.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports in the first five months of 2026 continued to surpass the same period in 2025, indicating that demand in the world’s largest seafood-consuming market remains strong. However, behind the growth figures lies an increasingly competitive landscape: Ecuador dominates the competitively priced whiteleg shrimp segment, India remains the second-largest supplier, while Vietnam stands out in the lobster segment but still needs to strengthen its advantages through quality, traceability, and reliable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Lobster exports to China continued to surge in the first half of this year, putting the lobster industry on the verge of reaching an export value exceeding $1 billion.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn