South Australian tuna sales to both China and Korea have risen from just 10 tons in 2012, to as much as 156 tons last year.
This year it is expected that this will rocket again, with up to 500 tons of fresh chilled bluefin being shipped from Port Lincoln’s tuna farms, before rising to 1,000 tons in 2015.
Port Lincoln tuna baron, Hagen Stehr, said that the rising sale of tuna to China and South Korea would likely lead to a buy-up of Port Lincoln tuna companies by Chinese seafood operators to help secure their future seafood supplies.
He said: “They have to because they are eating a lot more tuna in China, but it is getting harder and harder to find supplies around the world. Quite a few people are closely scrutinizing the Port Lincoln tuna farms as they consider buying into the industry.”
Stehr said that he believed fragility of some tuna businesses, along with changing business needs and regulations imposed by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority in Canberra, would mean that several companies would sell out to Chinese buyers.
Just last month, Australia’s largest fishing company, Austral Fisheries sold 50 percent of its firm to Japanese company, Maruha Nichiro Holdings. Chinese seafood investors have also bought a 25 percent stake in Tassal Group, Australia’s largest seafood company. The Chinese government is providing investment funds for its industries to buy seafood assets abroad.
Stehr added: “Consumption of tuna will increase rapidly in China and I know of Japanese companies pushing increasingly into China to sell tuna. It is inevitable that more people will come to Australia to secure their food and one is China with its 1.3 billion people.”
He stressed that Australia needs to improve its strategy for the agribusiness sector and food industry. “New Zealand is a small country with only four million people, but it is far ahead of Australia in marketing to China and Japan and they are a lot more switched on in selling their produce,” he said.
(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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang City has fully implemented all recommendations from the European Commission (EC) regarding the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, creating an important foundation for the removal of the “yellow card” in the near future.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Hoa Vang district (Da Nang City), red tilapia farming is demonstrating clear economic efficiency, becoming a promising livelihood that helps many households increase their income. A notable example is the model of Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nam, who operates two red tilapia ponds covering more than 4 hectares, generating stable annual income.
(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.
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