The meeting, with officials from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and seafood export firms, was held after the country was last month served with a yellow card warning by the EU for failing to progress in fighting IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing.
Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy secretary general of VASEP, said his association’s IUU working group did a study of fisheries management, the process of issuing fishing licences in three key central fishing areas, Da Nang city and the provinces of Khanh Hoa and Binh Thuan.
VASEP has recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should establish a national IUU working group and organise a national conference to discuss the yellow card and take action to avoid a red card, which is imminent in six months in the absence of improvement, he said.
VASEP said its review, which includes the EU’s recommendations, would be considered to draft amendments to the Fisheries Law.
These include making it mandatory for fishing vessels to use equipment like cameras to record data during their fishing trips, he said.
VASEP would issue a White Book on the IUU programme indicating Vietnam’s efforts to improve its fisheries management, he said.
It would also get foreign experts to make recommendations for improvement, he added.
Nguyen Thi Thu Sac, chairwoman of VASEP’s Marine Product Committee, said there is not much time left before the six months lapse, and hoped the country can avoid the red card, which would preclude fisheries exports to the EU.
Ferrer appreciated VASEP’s efforts and said the EU’s warning would help Vietnam improve its systems ahead of the proposed bilateral free trade agreement (EVFTA).
The country could learn good fisheries management from the Philippines and Thailand, she said.
Vietnam has favourable geographical conditions to develop its seafood industry with its long coastline of over 3,260 km and more than 3,000 islands and islets.
Fisheries is a key sector whose output has been consistently rising in recent years.
The country hopes to become a leading seafood exporter by 2020.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports reached USD 49 million, up 151% compared to the same period in 2025. This impressive growth reflects positive momentum in the tilapia sector, with Brazil emerging as a key driver of growth, while frozen tilapia fillets continued to be the industry's leading export product.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK have shown positive signs in the first months of 2026. While the UK’s overall tuna imports from the world declined, imports from Vietnam increased strongly, indicating that there is still room for Vietnam to expand its market share. However, behind this growth, competitive pressure remains intense, especially as the UK continues to be a major market for established suppliers such as Ecuador, Mauritius, and Ghana.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Biofloc technology is being piloted in several rice–shrimp farming models in Ca Mau Province, showing initial positive results in controlling pond environments, improving shrimp seed quality, and supporting sustainable aquaculture development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first four months of 2026, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia together contributed USD 108 million to Vietnam’s pangasius exports, accounting for around 15% of the industry’s total export turnover. Amid tightening global whitefish supply and slowing demand in several traditional markets, Latin America is increasingly becoming an important expansion destination for the sector.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Alongside the development of high-tech shrimp farming, Ha Tinh Province is accelerating the cultivation of high-value freshwater aquatic species, with red tilapia emerging as an effective and sustainable farming model.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports reached USD 81 million in April 2026, down 6% compared to the same period in 2025. In the first four months of the year, export turnover totaled USD 289 million, down 4.8%. Although the overall export picture has yet to brighten significantly, market trends are becoming increasingly diversified rather than moving in a single direction.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is undergoing strong restructuring starting from the broodstock and fingerling segment in order to improve productivity, quality, and export competitiveness. This is considered a critical foundation for the sustainable development of the industry amid rising production costs and increasingly stringent market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs data, pangasius exports in April 2026 reached USD 206 million, up 18% compared to the same period in 2025 — marking another consecutive month of double-digit growth since the beginning of the year. Cumulative pangasius export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 720 million, up 17% year-on-year, reflecting the positive growth momentum of this key export product.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports in the first four months of 2026 maintained positive growth momentum, reaching approximately USD 1.5 billion, up 15% compared to the same period last year. However, behind this result lies diverging trends across markets, as the global shrimp industry continues to face pressure from inflation, high inventories, price competition, and increasing trade risks.
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
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