As long as there is no authority in place to regulate the practice of shrimp overglazing, the market will continue to short-weight its products, Andre Buijs, managing director at Dutch firm Affish, told IntraFish.
"European governments and authorities should look at this because they are the ones who can change things," he said.
His comments came in response to a recent IntraFisharticle on rampant shrimp overglazing in the European Union (EU), after a study found about 50 percent of frozen shrimp imported to
Buijs has no expectations the industry itself will take steps toward stricter rules. With increasing competition, importers have started taking measures to drive down prices -- and short-weighing products is one convenient way to do it.
"The product is more or less the same; it's always the same quality," he said, adding price is the only way to outrival each other.
Even though it is illegal to not indicate overglazing on the package, "some companies don't care, they just care about the price," he said. "It's pretty well-known throughout the market."
Affish was listed with one positive example in the study, conducted by Belgafood, the association of Belgian food importers, but Buijs said he can't explain why it had tested positive.
With Affish's mother company, UK-based multinational company Camellia, listed on the London Stock Exchange, "we're not allowed to cheat on the pack," Buijs said.
"We're always honest and I don't see any reason whynot to be honest," he said. "But not many competitors do it the same way."
Mistakes, however, can happen from the supply side,which is why Affish takes samples before shipping and upon arrival of the products.
He heavily criticized EU regulations and rules on food imports, saying "if a comma is wrong in your documents" products are rejected.
"So why don't check the label and the quantity indicated on a package?" he said. "That's much more important than a comma."
Organizations such as the Dutch Association of Importers of Fish (VIV) and the Seafood Importers & Processors Alliance (SIPA) are lobbying in
At the time of publication of the IntraFisharticle, Olivier Hottlet, president at Belgafood, said the practice is known to the European Commission, however, it doesn't intend to take action.
"As long as there is no control from authorities this problem will go on," Buijs 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.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn