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) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
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