Total sales in fish markets were down by 4% in both volume and value from 2012, to €616 million and 209,103 metric tons, said the report.
Landings of all seafood categories (including whitefish, pelagics, cephalopods) were down, except for the segment of fine fish, it said.
The figures — which exclude around 100,000t of fresh fish and 150,000t of frozen fish sold outside the fish markets — show the biggest species in volume were sardine (nearly 19,000t, up 38%), scallop (15,500t, down 9%), monkfish (13,500t, down 1%) and cod (12,200t, up 23%).
These four were the only ones to exceed 10,000t in sales each last year.
An 8% drop in the average price of sardines, however, saw this species rank as only the 11th most valuable in sales, with €13.9 million, albeit a 26% increase on 2012.
The most valuable species instead were monkfish, which reaped 1% more in sales to €70.38m, and sole, down 5% to €67.68m.
Seabass was the third most valuable species, up 4% to €44.6m, followed by scallop (down 7% to €36.87m) and cod (up 20% to €30.57m).
Only three other species netted more than €20m in sales: langoustine, or crayfish (down 2% to €29.6m), squid (down 20% to €26.3m) and cuttlefish (down 28% to €24.5m).
FranceAgrimer said the poor landings were caused by adverse weather conditions in the first and latest quarters of the year.
The falling supply, however, helped offset a sluggish demand, so average prices at the first sale kept at €3.01 per kilo.
Whitefish landings down 8%, fine fish up
Whitefish landings decreased by 8% compared to 2012. The largest decreases were recorded for cod (- 26%) and haddock (- 31%). Prices are up for the majority of whitefish species, except for cod, due to increased competition from imports from the Barents Sea, it said.
Landings of fine fish, however, were on par with 2012′s as all species were stable or up from last year. The only exception was red mullet, which dropped 35% in volumes from 2012. Average prices for first sale of fine species were down by 1%, and the value of sales fell 2%.
Sardines up, mackerel, anchovy, herring down
Although sardine landings soared (38%, as mentioned above), overall pelagic landings fell last year by 1% in volumes, and the lower price of sardine helped drive a 10% drop in overall sales.
Anchovy sales were particularly down, falling 45% in volume to 4,100t and by 43% in value to €7.3m — ranking it bottom of the 20 species listed in the ranking, in value.
Mackerel sales fell 14% to under 7,000t, down 5% in value to €9.6m.
Squid, cuttlefish drive cephalopods down 25%
After four years of higher volumes, landings of cephalopods fell by 25% in 2013, and the sales value dropped 23%.
This was driven by poor catches of squid and cuttlefish, which dropped by 34% to 4,000t and 28% to 8,700t last year. In value, squid fell by a fifth to €26.3m, and cuttlefish by 28% to €24.5m.
Other categories of species, lobster, whose sales were down sharply in 2012, was not more abundant in 2013 (landings down 2%).
Scallop landings down 10%
Scallop catches were also affected by difficult weather during the fishing season of October to December, said FranceAgrimer. Volumes sold fell 9% during the year, to 15, 468t, driven by a 10% drop during the fishing campaign.
A sustained demand meant first sale prices were up 13% in December, but overall sales for the year were down 7% to €36.87m.
(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.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
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