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) A project titled "Sustainable Shrimp Industry Governance" has been launched in Ca Mau Province with the aim of supporting the transition of the province's shrimp industry toward higher quality, lower emissions, stronger governance capacity, improved supply chain traceability, and the development of a sustainable shrimp brand that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Khanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Center for Marine Aquaculture Research and the Van Hung Public Service Center, recently organized a training course on disease-free golden pompano seed production. The program is part of a National Agricultural Extension Project aimed at developing industrial-scale seed production models to support sustainable marine aquaculture.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The application of high technology in shrimp farming is delivering positive results in the coastal areas of Vinh Long Province, contributing to improved production efficiency and creating significant potential for further industry expansion. However, to fully capitalize on this potential, the province is focusing on aquaculture zoning, infrastructure investment, and promoting modern, sustainable production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Đồng Tháp Province has intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by strengthening vessel monitoring, law enforcement and seafood traceability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood businesses need solutions to overcome bottlenecks such as labor shortages, difficulty accessing capital, high input costs, and administrative procedures in order to maintain production, adapt to market fluctuations, and effectively exploit export opportunities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The FTA would widen access to markets with strong demand for premium food products in line with the country’s strategy of shifting exports towards increasing added value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the morning of July 13th, Mr. Ho Quoc Dung, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Deputy Prime Minister, along with his delegation, visited and worked with businesses in An Giang province to promptly resolve obstacles and promote production and business activities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As importing markets increasingly focus on biosecurity and traceability, Vietnam has established a relatively comprehensive legal framework and disease management system for aquaculture, covering tilapia farming as well as other cultured species. This system is based on the Law on Animal Health, regulations on the prevention and control of aquatic animal diseases, the National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Major Diseases in Farmed Aquatic Species, and environmental monitoring and early warning programs for aquaculture areas.
(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.
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