First - the business climate. Europe is not monolithic, and although you may see headlines about European economic problems, they are impacting different countries very differently.
The biggest problems for seafood are Spain and Greece, with the Spanish market being especially vulnerable. Spains weakness may spill over into the cod market, and into some types of shrimp, as sales that would have gone to Spain seek homes elsewhere.
But business is strong in Germany, the UK and other parts of Europe, including Russia, and so there is no indication that somehow the European market is suffering a crisis at this time.
One of the major themes is value added seafood. At the Dutch seafood breakfast, major importer and European distributor Culimar introduced new branding, for its responsible artisanal seafood.
Marketing manager Martin Van Geest also said they were competing with a plague of adulterated products - particularly shrimp, where a 20% glaze product often does not produce 800 grams of net weight - but 750 or less. In southern Europe, price is supreme and it is very hard to sell 100% net weight. Their business is targeting high end foodservice and customers who want guaranteed quality.
Culimar also introduced a new snow crab item, a merus pack of snow crab meat harvested in Korea and processed in their plant in Vietnam. There is an opportunity for snow crab in Europe, both as sections and meat, and it is being driven by chefs who want an alternative to high priced king crab.
Over time, snow crab should become a more important item in Europe.
There is a huge ongoing debate here about marketing sustainability. There is a lot of spin from different organizations about how important their label is, and there is a sense that the fight over sustainability certifications is hurting the industry.
Alaskan companies have both reported some customers who wish to retain an MSC label - for marketing reasons such as having packaging created, and having invested in educating customers, while others say their buyers in some of the most sophisticated markets, like Germany, are fine with the Global Trust Certification.
In fact, Mark Tupper, president of Triad Fisheries which markets troll caught kings and coho under the Bruce Gore label, said his customers in Germany were fine with their switch to Global Trust Certification.
In fact, Triad is just completing the chain of custody inspection, and plans to be the first Alaskan company certified with the Global Trust chain of custody certification.
We will have much more about the sustainability issues, but long term, it is clear that there is a different environment emerging about how to market sustainability, and the discussion has moved from whether a fishery is sustainable or not, to how to best convey that to consumers.
Finally - cold water shrimp prices are still not settled, and may not be settled at the show this year. Some major Canadian companies want to get some feedback from customers and then look at their costs to determine final pricing - but no one thinks the market can sustain an increase. The issue is how to maintain stability.
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(seafood.vasep.com.vn) An Giang is focusing on expanding climate-adaptive marine aquaculture models, aiming for safe and sustainable production. This approach not only enhances economic efficiency but also helps fishermen stabilize their livelihoods amid weather fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to China (including Mainland China and Hong Kong) reached $483 million, up 1% compared to the same period in 2024. October alone posted $73 million, a strong 19% increase year-on-year. The Chinese market currently accounts for nearly 27% of Vietnam’s total pangasius export value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to data from Vietnam Customs, the country’s lobster exports posted another strong month in October 2025, reaching $93 million - a 75% increase from the same month in 2024. This performance extends the sector’s impressive growth streak from earlier in the year, pushing cumulative exports for the first 10 months to $712 million, up an extraordinary 135% year-over-year. Within the product mix, green lobster remained the dominant driver, accounting for 98% of total export value, with $700 million recorded in the first 10 months - a 141% jump year-on-year. In contrast, exports of spiny lobster and other lobster varieties declined slightly by 22% and 1%, respectively, indicating that market demand is becoming increasingly concentrated on the most sought-after product line.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, Da Nang City has no fishing vessels detained, sanctioned by foreign authorities, or criminally prosecuted for IUU fishing violations. Patrols, monitoring of marine fishing activities, and handling of violations have been prioritized by competent forces, significantly reducing nearshore fishing infringements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first 700 tons of Vietnamese tilapia ordered and imported by JBS Group will initially be distributed through supermarket chains, the Horeca network and JBS’s product showrooms in Brazil.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In October 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports hit $217 million, representing an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2024. For the first 10 months of the year, total export value has surpassed $1.8 billion, up 9% year-on-year. This growth demonstrates clear positive momentum for the pangasius industry, despite continued declines in certain markets.
In recent days, the Central provinces of Vietnam have been suffering from historic flooding, with prolonged heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and deep inundation causing extremely serious impacts on tens of thousands of households, as well as many VASEP member exporters located in the region. With the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, and in order to promptly assist residents and member exporters in the affected areas to stabilize their lives and restore production activities, VASEP calls on all seafood exporters, organizations, and individuals to extend supports to the people and member exporters in the flood-hit areas. We urge timely and practical material and spiritual contributions to help member exporters and local communities in the severely affected provinces overcome this difficult period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final days of October 2025, Vietnam’s domestic raw shrimp market remained generally stable, though slight adjustments were recorded in several sizes across key farming regions.
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