(vasep.com.vn) The local seafood
Malaysia Shrimp Industry Association president Syed Omar Syed Jaafar said domestic fishing vessels and aquaculture farms would need to invest to upgrade their facilities to enable them to comply with EU standards and obtain EU approval.
Following the lifting of almost one-year-old ban on Malaysian seafood to the EU in 2009, seafood that were caught only by EU-approved fishing vessels and raw materials supplied by EU-approved aquaculture farms were allowed to be exported to Europe.
Syed Omar said this involved high cost and those who were reluctant to upgrade would prefer to supply to seafood processing companies that exported to non-EU countries.
“For example, an average size aquaculture farm with about 20 prawn-breeding ponds requires at least RM1mil to RM2mil to upgrade to be compliant with EU standards, depending on the condition of the farms.
“A large fishing vessel requires about RM100,000 to upgrade, depending on the condition of the vessel. Banks are reluctant to lend money to aquaculture farm and fishing vessel owners without strong collateral, as banks regard such business to be of high risk,” he added.
The authorities are in the process of approving 14 more aquaculture farms in the country to supply to the EU market.
“Since there is limited supply of EU seafood raw materials, seafood processing companies are now adjusting their business to focus on exporting to Asian countries, particularly Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan,” he said.
Malaysian Frozen Food Processors' Association secretary Saw Hai Earn said the shortage of raw materials was still a major problem for seafood companies exporting to Europe.
At present, of the 1,000 aquaculture farms in Malaysia, only 16 are certified to supply to local seafood companies exporting to Europe.
“The alternative is to source the EU-approved raw materials from Indonesia, Thailand or Vietnam. But this is a costly solution as there are logistics and packaging costs which erode margins,” Saw said.
Texchem Resources Bhd chairman Tan Sri Fumihiko Konishi told StarBiz that Europe was a key market for the group previously but now it had to focus on Japan, China and the United States as there was a shortage of EU-approved fishing vessels in the country.
“This results in scarcity of seafood raw materials supply caught by EU-approved fishing vessels, making it difficult for us to source such supplies locally for export to Europe,” Konishi said.
Japan is expected to contribute to 50% of the seafood business of Texchem while China and the United States will generate 15% and 20% respectively. “The growth of China's seafood demand is faster,” he said.
Konishi said the group would not be able to achieve its targeted RM30mil worth of seafood export to China this year, as the catch in Malaysia and Myanmar had been bad. “The bulk of our seafood products to China comprise fishmeal, which had been affected by the poor catch,” he said.
“Over the next three months, the group will increase the export of processed hilsa fish from Myanmar and processed soft shell crabs to China to achieve the targeted export value of RM30mil to the China market in 2012.”
Golden Fresh senior commercial manager Rosy Ng said the company would focus on exporting to Australia, the United States and the Middle East.
“Australia is expected to generate some 50% of the company's revenue compared with about 40% prior to the EU ban on Malaysian seafood in 2008.
“We are still trying to get back our market share in Europe, which is expected to contribute about 20% to the company's revenue this year compared with about 30% before the EU ban in 2008,” she added.
Since July 2010, Golden Fresh had established sales offices in Britain and France, which had boost the contribution of European sales significantly from about 8% in 2009.
Ng said the company was also increasing its range of seafood products with the Marine Stewardship Council eco-friendly certification that rewarded sustainable fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn