(seafood.com) Anyone concerned
“Now it will be easier for people outside of
But environmentalists say doubt remains about the validity of state testing.
“The bottom line is, should we really have oil and gas products in our seafood?” said Anne Rolfes, director of the
The website, Gulfsource.org, allows users to scroll through samples or search by area, data or sample type. It was created to show that state testing has found no levels of oil in water, sediment or seafood that are a danger to human health, officials said. Test results for dispersants are also available.
Tests are conducted in waters across the state, taking 143 crabs, fish, shrimp and oysters and 96 sediment and water samples each month for testing. The testing is done by the state departments of Wildlife and Fisheries, Health and Hospitals, Environmental Quality and Agriculture and Forestry.
“Though we've been testing seafood, water and sediment since April 30, 2010, in response to the BP oil spill, the information has been difficult to widely distribute to the public,” said Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham. “We hope the public will utilize GulfSource.org to find out what the safety test results in seafood from areas they fish or from waters they consume reveal. Rebuilding our seafood brand starts with rebuilding consumer confidence in our product.”
Through the website's front page, you can scroll through a timeline of samples taken between May 16, 2010, and Friday.
Samples laid out on the website show:
A Google map of where they were taken and a list of oil-related chemicals officials tested for.
What was found in each sample.
What the “level of concern,” the level considered harmful to human health, is for each chemical.
You can also search the data by the time samples were taken, where they were taken, and by species and sample type. Those search results return a less user-friendly data table listing the date of samples, whether oil chemicals were above detectable limits and the location's coordinates. The data are available for download with the “export” buttons at the bottom of the page.
Rolfes said issues have been raised with the sensitivity of oil tests. There are also questions about whether the standard the government is using for determining whether chemicals pose a harm to human health is set too high.
Recent studies by scientists at LSU have shown that even if low levels of oil don't pose a harm to human health, even the tiniest amounts of oil can have serious impacts on fish.
Studying killifish, an abundant marsh fish, scientists found damage to gills and genetic changes that indicate future reproductive and developmental problems related to oil.
“Why are we saying it's OK, it's an acceptable level of oil and gas?' ” Rolfes said.
(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.
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