The three authorities decided to take joint countermeasures to protect Nihon unagi, or Japanese eel, for their mutual benefit. Japan, which is a major eel consumer, imports 60 percent of its supply of the fish from China and Taiwan.
As eel catches have been dwindling, they decided to work together to secure a stable supply in the future.
According to a plan agreed upon by executives of the three fishing authorities in December, they will share by May precise data on fishery yields, the amount of farmed eel produced and trade volumes.
The agencies also plan to build a "traceability system" in about two years to track global eel distribution routes in an effort to analyze the overfishing situation.
The United States had considered submitting a proposal for an international trade regulation on eel catches at a conference on the Washington Convention, also known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), this March. Though it eventually decided against the proposal, calls for stricter regulation may start to be heard across the world if poor eel catches continue.
Low catches boost eel prices in Taiwan
The government is on the lookout for people trying to smuggle young eels out of the country as prices surge globally because of declining catches.
Eel stocks are being depleted around the world and catches of wild elvers, known as glass eels because of their transparent bodies, are rapidly declining in Asia, down from 41 tonnes to 25.2 tonnes in the last three years, according to data compiled by the Fisheries Agency.
In the same period, Taiwan’s catches have plunged to below 1 tonne per year, while prices surged to about NT$100 per eel last year, up from NT$10 per eel two decades ago.
The fishery officials also said they had approached Japanese and Chinese officials in September and this month to explore the possibility of cooperating in managing and recovering eel stocks under the APEC framework.
The officials said that Japan, which boasts a thriving eel-farming industry, is trying to raise glass eels in captivity to reduce their reliance on wild catches, and has succeeded in a few cases.
Taiwan does not have the technology required to cultivate the eels, the officials said.
(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
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