The production of PBO fillets though Feb. 8 is 8,600 metric tons, down 21.81% year-on-year. The loss of the price premium from being the only Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fishery after the Russian Sea of Okhotsk fishery was certified last year is impacting US production.
Prices for PBO fillets, the main market for which is the European fish finger processors in Germany, France and the UK, are down at around $2,950 per metric ton, depending on delivery terms and quantity. B season prices in 2013 were around $3,050/mt, with the A season last year at around $3,200/mt.
The last time the prices were at this level was the B season of 2007, before they went on a rapid climb, hitting $4,500/mt in the A season of 2009.
US catchers are producing more deepskin blocks, with production at 8,900t already, up 64.81% y-o-y. Surimi production so far is 16,900t, up 3% y-o-y. Surimi prices to Japan are trending up.
The price of Alaskan pollock surimi bound for the Japanese market for the current 2014 A season has roughly settled at JPY 30-40 higher than that for the 2013 B season, buoyed by the uncertain outlook for surimi supplies from other producers, mainly Southeast Asia and China, according to a report fromMinato Tsukiji.
For roe, mainly sold to Japan and formerly the cash cow of the industry, the outlook is also looking more positive, with recovery rates up on the A season of 2013.
Production of headed and gutted (H&G) pollock is 3,900t so far, down 23.52% y-o-y.
H&G prices are also under pressure, because of the Russian Sea of Okhotsk fishery now having the MSC approval, also. The Sea of Okhotsk fishery takes place largely in A season, meaning Chinese processors can produce double frozen blocks for customers wanting MSC products from Russian fish, as well as American.
The Russian H&G price is currently around $1,400/mt, with American fish still selling at a premium, but largely because there is more bigger fish available, rather than the large premium US H&G used to command from being the only MSC pollock available.
According to producers in the US, the strategy is to cut PBO production and dry up the market in Europe, resulting in higher prices in B season. “Demand is still strong — in Europe and the US — and we don’t think there is much stock around,” one said.
At the same time, the low prices are causing more US buyers to switch to once frozen — PBO, deepskin or individual quick frozen (IQF) fillets – over twice frozen pollock, processed in China from US or Russian H&G.
(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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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