For the Barents Sea, the world’s largest cod fishery, the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended a 25 percent hike in the 2013 quota, which would take the total cod catch up to a record high of 940,000 metric tons, compared with 740,000 metric tons in 2012.
Cod supplies from Iceland are also set to increase in line with a much-improved spawning stock. The country’s Marine Research Institute (MRI) has recommended that the government increase the quota for the year starting 1 September, 2012, to 196,000 metric tons, an 22.5 percent increase from the current season.
The MRI has further suggested that Iceland’s quota could reach 250,000 metric tons by 2016.
Also moving in the right direction, ICES has said North Sea cod stocks are now at their healthiest level in 14 years, doubling in the last six years. While fishing opportunities in the North Sea recovery zone could yet reduce further, the industry remains optimistic that the positive turnaround points to larger quotas in the future.
The proposed catch increases are certainly a well-deserved pat on the back for fisheries management, but exporters are fearful of the effects that the significantly greater supply will have on prices and subsequently their bottom lines. And their worries are not without reason: the current price of H&G cod in China stands at about USD 3,100 (EUR 2,542) per metric ton, whereas 18 months ago it was USD 5,500 (EUR 4,510).
John Rutherford, director of the Frozen at Sea Fillets Association (FASFA), which represents trawler owners and distributors of frozen-at-sea (FAS) fish from Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Spain, Russia, Greenland and the United Kingdom, believes that if cod prices continue to fall it’s plausible some of the quota will remain uncaught in the sea.
“The economics have to work both for the catchers and for the consumers,” he said. “Some companies will take full advantage of the quota but I can see others saying, ‘Why should we work harder for no more money?’ There must be a floor in the price, below which the catchers simply won’t go to sea.”
In Norway, the 8 percent increase in the Barents Sea cod quota for the current season has contributed to a decrease in the export value of the country’s groundfish for the first-half of 2012. According to the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), groundfish exports totaled NOK 5.1 billion (EUR 685.9 million, USD 837 million) for the six-month period, representing a NOK 356 million (EUR 47.9 million, USD 58.4 million) drop, or 7 percent compared to the first half of 2011.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The “Moringa Noodles Salad” product by Sa Giang Import-Export Corporation was honored as one of the “Top 10 Winning Products” at the THAIFEX – Anuga taste Innovation Show 2026, held as part of THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2026 in Bangkok.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a fairly strong upward trend in 2025, Vietnam’s clam exports entered 2026 with a mixed picture: strong growth at the beginning of the year, followed by a slowdown from March onward. According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s clam export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached more than USD 38 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
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