Barents Sea cod stocks have improved significantly over the past few years and are the largest in decades. The 2012 quota is up 8 percent over 2011, to 750,000 metric tons.
At the same time, the haddock quota has increased by 5 percent, to 318,000 metric tons.
Because of this great supply story and weak markets, especially the troubled European Union, industry sources are skeptical about future price development.
“It is difficult to say what will happen for the next months,” said the managing director of a Norway-based trader, talking about future price development up or down.
“It depends all on how the market for the ready products in Europe and the United States acts, and especially as the market in Europe is slow now,” he told IntraFish.
“I am very uncertain, I must admit,” said an executive with a large cod trader.
“There is very little H&G in the market, so normally prices would have started to increase now,” he told IntraFish. “They are not, so this could be a sign that the market are not working properly.”
Prices will stay at around $3,350 (€2,706) to $3,400 (€2,746) CIP China, “even with the shortage of supply for the next couple of months,” he said. “The euro has weakened 7 percent against the US dollar, so I think this could also have some impact.”
The executive pointed to the situation in Spain and Portugal, both large cod buyers. Not only does the dollar and euro exchange rate make business tough, the banking system is freezing up in these troubled Eurozone members, limiting options for companies.
“Portugal and Spain might have an even bigger problem as their banking systems are not working, and there is a lack of funds,” he said. “There certainly seems to be very few good news stories coming from that direction.”
The sales director of a large Norwegian company also warned on the markets in southern Europe.
However, it seems Portugal, the largest market for Norwegian cod, seems to keep buying, he said.
“I am amazed the prices are at this level,” said this sales director. “I don’t see that they can move up a lot, the processors simply can’t get the higher prices from retailers.”
The predicted increased supply of farmed salmon onto the market later in the year could also have an impact on general cod prices, he told IntraFish.
“If salmon is very cheap -- which it looks likely to be in September – that could impact demand for cod. Retailers will promote on salmon.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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