But as the financial problems engulfing the eurozone deepen, merchants are finding it more and more difficult to sell fish there and prices for some of these species have fallen considerably.
The price of megrim for example, most of which goes to Spain, has “all but collapsed,” said Paul Trebilcock, chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers' Organization.
He said 90 percent of his members’ megrim goes to Spain, and while prices had been volatile for the last two years or so they had now “all but collapsed."
Hake was also badly affected, but the fall there has been mitigated to some extent because the UK market has been developed.
“We are now getting somewhere around £2.50 (€3.1/$3.9) to £3 (€3.7/$4.7) per kilogram for hake, which is well down on the prices we used to get, but if we hadn’t developed the UK market prices for hake would be like megs [megrim] -- on the floor, he said.
“The biggest consumers of fish in Europe are countries like Spain, Portugal and Italy, so if we can’t sell fish there then it has to go somewhere else, which means you have a downward pressure on prices in the northern European states as well.”
He added that the uncertainty is a killer. "We need something to happen to resolve things one way or the other so that we can move on.”
Will Clark, chairman of Peterhead and Fraserburgh Fish Processors Association and the Scottish Seafood Association, said Scottish merchants were also experiencing difficulties because of the eurozone’s problems.
He said the euro was now 22 percent weaker against the pound than a year ago, which made exporting fish and seafood more difficult and resulted in fewer sales to countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
The problems had been offset to some extent by changing patterns of consumption in countries such as Spain.
Shortage of money meant people were eating out less in restaurants, which hit that trade, but were tending to buy more fish from supermarkets to eat at home.
This was helping to hold up prices of species such as monkfish and prawns.
“It’s swings and roundabouts but we are very reliant on exports to the eurozone countries and with all the financial turmoil we are really in uncharted waters,” he told Fishing News.
Clark said markets were “volatile and fragile."
Processors had been forced to use up funds last year when fish prices reached record highs, and now the eurozone crisis and fluctuating fish supplies caused by fishermen having to juggle their days at sea and quota leasing costs to stay viable was adding to the difficulties.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
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
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