Traditionally, all seafood imports into the United States must be inspected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while imports of foodstuffs of all other types are handled by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
That's still how it works, with one small exception: Any catfish coming into the United States will have to be inspected by the USDA. This little wrinkle came back in 2008, slipped almost as an afterthought into the update that year to the Farm Bill, which sets these regulations.
Recently, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) declared the program a waste of money. Various fiscal conservative government watchdog groups and a growing number of senators and U.S. Representatives from both sides of the political aisle have noted that the program has spent the USD 20 million just to equip itself to do the inspections, let alone actually inspect any fish.
The vast majority want this program cut, except for domestic catfish producers and Sen. Thad Cochran (pictured), R-Miss. He's a ranking member of the Senate Agricultural Committee which, in cooperation with the House Agricultural Committee, was responsible for preparing the bill for a vote on the floor.
Cochran has declined several requests by SeafoodSource to provide a comment of any kind on the issue. His office has pointed us to statements he has made in the past on the subject, which indicate the senator trusts the USDA more than the FDA to inspect catfish coming in from other countries.
Whether there is any real health risk connected to catfish, as opposed to the rest of the seafood exported to America (more than 90 percent of total seafood consumed here, by the way), is not clear, but anyone who thinks this is the senator's only motivation must consider some other facts.
Most importantly, the rule sets up a lot more red tape for countries such as Vietnam who want to export pangasius, a type of catfish, to the United States, whether the USDA ever gets around to inspecting it or not. That spells very good news for the USD 1 billion domestic catfish industry, which is a strong constituency in Sen. Cochran's home state.
Clearly, the Mississippi catfish industry is driving the bus on this one. Apparently, said industry cares little about foreign catfish exporters. It also doesn't seem to care about the American companies that import and distribute Vietnamese catfish, and the impact this trade barrier — for what else can we call it — has on their future.
This is pork-barrel politics at its worst, and if you're a part of the seafood industry — whether you're based in Mississippi or not — and you haven't told the senator how ridiculous you think this program is, now is the time. This catfish program has survived the ax twice, and if it really does have nine lives, we could be stuck with this waste for quite a while.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
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