For the third year in a row, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) will ban the use of fish-aggregating devices (FADs) on all purse seine vessels in the region for three months, effective July 1. First implemented in 2009, the three-year measure aims to restrict the catch of juvenile bigeye tuna, which are caught incidentally with FADs, by 30%. Similarly, the eight Pacific island nations that make up the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) are also imposing the FAD closure for four months.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) will halt all purse seiners from fishing for a 62-day period, either beginning July 29 or November 18, to allow tuna stocks to recover. While it’s up to the fishing flag states to choose the first or second period, Hamby says about half of the fishing fleets refrain from fishing in the summer.
Both regional initiatives could negatively impact the raw material supply during the next few months, he says, which has canneries concerned.
“Even without stopping the fishing, the volume of raw material from the purse seiners operating in the IATTC is insufficient to meet the needs of the Latin American tuna processors. They must import substantial quantities of tuna raw material transshipped from purse seiners operating in the WCPFC. And with less tonnage expected from the WCPFC due to the FAD closure, the Latin processors expect raw material shortages and therefore increasing fish prices. Thai packers expect the same,” Hamby says.
With the FAD closure, daily catches will be reduced by as much as 20-30% depending on the vessel, says Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., owner of Frabelle Fishing Corporation in the Philippines.
“Catching school fish is not as easy as catching fish with FADs,” Tiu Laurel Jr. says. “We have to really run our boats and burn more fuel to look for school fish.”
In contrast, the man-made, floating objects are easy lures, but they attract everything including baby bigeye and yellowfin tuna, sharks and turtles. When a seine net is set around a FAD, about 7% of its haul is juvenile bigeye, which prevents the species from breeding and contributes to overfishing.
By forcing fleets to fish on free-swimming schools of skipjack tuna – which has minimal by-catch – members are becoming better at fishing without the use of FADs, says Glenn Hurry, WCPFC’s executive director. He says the ban has been effective in reducing juvenile bigeye mortalities.
Bigeye catches have been further reduced because some fleets are now choosing to fish on free schools outside of the closure period, says John Hampton, manager of the Oceanic Fisheries Program at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, an international organization that helps Pacific Island people achieve sustainable development.
According to Hampton, the purse seine fleets operated at high levels through the closure in 2011, but the catch rates declined significantly at the start of the ban. By its end in September, catch rates had recovered minimally, but not to the extent of previous years.
“This may have been due as much to reduced abundance of skipjack in 2011 than to a specific impact of the closure,” he says. He adds conclusions for 2011 will be confirmed when full observer data are available.
Catch rates of skipjack and yellowfin tuna were “slightly depressed” during the 2009 and 2010 closures, says Hampton, but the larger, average size of fish – characteristic of free school fishing – attracted a higher price, thereby lessening the economic blow of reduced catch rates.
With prices in Bangkok being already at the record level of USD 2200 per MT for skipjack of 1.8kg and up, and reduced catches, the general expectation in the market is that 2012 is likely to set even higher record price levels which could well reach as high as USD 2500 per MT for deliveries in August.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Japan continues to be one of Vietnam’s most important and stable shrimp markets. In recent years, shrimp exports to this market have fluctuated in line with Japan’s broader economic and consumption cycles, yet Japan remains a major, high-value destination with stringent standards.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain increased by 13% compared to 2024. This growth trend has continued into the first two months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover to this market reached nearly USD 3 million in January–February 2026, up 101% year-on-year and significantly higher than the same period in 2024. This development indicates that Spain is once again becoming a notable destination for Vietnamese tuna amid strong demand for tuna raw materials and products in Europe.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The 2026 brackish water shrimp farming season in the Mekong Delta has started earlier than usual, mainly driven by positive market signals, as shrimp prices in 2025 remained high and supply was limited. Many enterprises and farms in Cần Thơ, Cà Mau, and Vĩnh Long have proactively stocked early to seize opportunities. By early 2026, stocking areas in many localities had reached a high proportion of planned targets, with intensive and high-tech farming models expanding rapidly.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States recorded remarkable growth in 2025, opening up major opportunities while also presenting considerable challenges. The U.S. remains the largest importer of Vietnamese tilapia fillets, with export turnover reaching USD 40 million—an increase of up to 499% compared to 2024. This impressive growth reflects strong demand in the U.S. market, as supply from competing countries such as China has been constrained by tariffs and rising production costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains a strategic export commodity in Vietnam’s seafood sector. Entering 2026, the industry faces a strong need to transition from volume-based growth to a value-driven development model, with a focus on quality, food safety, and sustainability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Following damage caused by Storm No. 13 in late 2025, brackish water shrimp farming in Gia Lai is being rapidly restored. In key farming areas such as Tuy Phước and Tuy Phước Đông, farmers are focusing on rehabilitating ponds, repairing infrastructure, and treating the environment in preparation for the 2026 crop.
(seafood.vasep.com) Facing the decline in fishery resources, Vietnam is accelerating livelihood transitions for fishermen to reduce fishing pressure and move toward sustainable development. Marine fish stocks have dropped significantly from 4.82 million tons in 2000–2005 to 3.95 million tons in 2016–2020.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp industry is entering a period of strong transformation with the emergence of various high-tech farming models, helping improve productivity and competitiveness. Over the past 5–10 years, farming practices have shifted from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive systems, featuring lined ponds, environmental sensors, automated feeding, and data management.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With a focus on sustainable development, high-tech application, and climate change adaptation, An Giang Province aims to maintain its brackish water shrimp production in 2026 at a level equivalent to the previous year. Specifically, output is projected to reach over 155,510 tons, serving both domestic consumption and export processing, thereby sustaining the fisheries sector’s key role in the local economic structure.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the Mekong Delta, key pangasius farming provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, and Can Tho are accelerating the transition toward a circular economy model, contributing to higher product value and reduced environmental impact. Instead of focusing solely on farming and processing, the pangasius value chain is increasingly utilizing by-products and waste streams to generate added value.
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