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.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached US$1.14 billion in August 2026, up 6.4% year on year, bringing the total for the first eight months to more than US$8.0 billion, an increase of 11.9%. Monthly export value remained above US$1 billion, but August growth was only around half the rate recorded cumulatively through the first eight months. This indicates that the eight-month result was supported significantly by stronger performance in earlier months, while market conditions are entering a less predictable period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius is attracting growing interest from Japanese seafood companies as prices of many traditional whitefish species remain high and supply becomes increasingly volatile. Notably, seafood group Kyokuyo has recently continued to feature pangasius among its priority products, highlighting its competitive pricing and stable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As Vietnam’s tilapia industry searches for new growth opportunities, venturing into brackish-water aquaculture could unlock a formidable competitive moat. Bypassing the volume-and-price bloodbath against established global heavyweights, Vietnam could differentiate itself through high-quality tilapia products tailored to specific farming conditions and value-added market segments.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) 2026 is rapidly shaping up to be a formidable stress test for Vietnamese pangasius exports to the United States. While exports to alternative markets maintain a resilient growth trajectory, the U.S market has declined significantly. In the first eight months of the year, pangasius exports to the U.S fell by nearly 14% year-on-year, with August alone recording a decline of more than 50%. The trend shows that difficulties in the U.S. market are not driven solely by weak consumer demand, but also by multiple layers of trade barriers that are intensifying simultaneously, particularly additional import tariffs, anti-dumping duties and growing protectionism for the domestic catfish industry.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan are showing positive signals in 2026, indicating that the market is opening up greater opportunities for pangasius products, particularly processed and value-added products. In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Japan reached US$31 million, up 20% year-on-year. In July alone, export value reached approximately US$5 million, up 30%.
On July 22, 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 292/2026/ND-CP detailing certain articles and providing measures for the organization and implementation of the Law on Foreign Trade Management. The Decree takes effect on September 5, 2026, replacing Decree No. 69/2018/ND-CP.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese pangasius producer Vinh Hoan has won the top prize at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Asia Awards for its Cured Panga Croquette, highlighting the growing potential of value-added pangasius products in international markets.
(vasep.com.vn) The Global Shrimp Forum (GSF) 2026 is taking place from September 1–3 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, bringing together around 585 delegates from 40 countries, representing approximately 300 companies and organizations across the shrimp supply chain. Representatives from VASEP are attending the event as part of the Vietnamese delegation, strengthening connections with partners across the global shrimp industry.
(vasep.com.vn) At the international B2B seminar (Hosted Buyer Program) held as part of Vietfish 2026, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Pham, Sales Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, delivered a presentation entitled “Vietnam’s Shrimp Industry: Changing for Sustainability.” From the perspective of a seafood processor, the presentation highlighted that Vietnam’s shrimp industry continues to play a leading role in seafood exports, but is entering a new phase of competition in which change is no longer an option, but a prerequisite for growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) VIETFISH 2026 may have concluded after three dynamic days in Ho Chi Minh City, but conversations around the exhibition continue to resonate across international trade media, industry organizations, and the social media channels of participating companies.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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