NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service issued a final rule on 9 December that requires U.S. seafood importers to trace the origin of the fish they import to either the specific boat that caught the fish or to its collection point, as well as the location and date the fish was caught.
The regulation was designed to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing regulation, but it will cost the industry at least USD 100 million (EUR 95 million) per year, NFI said in a press release. The commercial fishing industry’s lobbying group, along with several major seafood processors and associations, filed suit against top-tier officials in the Obama Administration, including the heads of the Commerce Department and NOAA, on 6 January in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. to ask for a delay and review of the law.
“NFI supports the goal of eliminating pirate fishing, but strongly disagrees with the means the Obama Administration took to meet that goal,” NFI President John Connelly said in a statement.
In addition to NFI, plaintiffs include Trident Seafood Corp., Dulcich Inc. (Pacific Seafood Group), Handy Seafood, Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Libby Hill Seafood Restaurants, Alfa International Seafood, Pacific Seafood Processors Association and West Coast Processors Association.
The changes required for tracking and processing seafood exported into the U.S. “would reduce exports into the U.S. and would dramatically increase the cost of catching, processing and importing seafood,” according to the complaint.
“Fishermen, many of whom are subsistence workers operating in third-world nations, would have to keep track of each fish harvested, as would the brokers who purchase the seafood from the fisherman, and processors who handle catches from hundreds of fishermen would have to be able to trace each piece of fish to a specific vessel and specific fishing events or to a single collection point,” the complaint said.
The regulation would also affect the way most fish are processed in the U.S., because the requirements applies to all domestically caught or farmed seafood that are shipped outside the U.S. for processing, and then re-imported back into the U.S.
NOAA’s rule “grossly underestimates the cost and impact of the regulation on those companies doing the right thing,” duplicates existing federal authorities and responsibilities, and does little to solve the problem of IUU fishing, Connelly said.
“NOAA’s fundamental shift from targeted investigation of the suspected guilty to arbitrary and massive data collection from the innocent creates an enormous economic burden on American companies that import and process the seafoods that families enjoy nightly,” he said.
While the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) estimated the rule would cost the seafood industry around USD 6,475,000 (EUR 6,126,000), the estimate is based only on the additional data entry work required on each container, NFI said.
“The lawsuit’s more realistic estimates find it would likely cost USD 100 million per year for the additional data, with a total economic impact on the seafood sector of as much as USD 1 billion,” Gavin Gibbons, spokesperson for NFI, told SeafoodSource.
In a rush to publish the rule, the Obama Administration refused to disclose data used to craft it, a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, according to Connelly. In addition, miscalculating compliance costs violates the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
(Source: seafoodsource)
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, Da Nang City has no fishing vessels detained, sanctioned by foreign authorities, or criminally prosecuted for IUU fishing violations. Patrols, monitoring of marine fishing activities, and handling of violations have been prioritized by competent forces, significantly reducing nearshore fishing infringements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first 700 tons of Vietnamese tilapia ordered and imported by JBS Group will initially be distributed through supermarket chains, the Horeca network and JBS’s product showrooms in Brazil.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In October 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports hit $217 million, representing an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2024. For the first 10 months of the year, total export value has surpassed $1.8 billion, up 9% year-on-year. This growth demonstrates clear positive momentum for the pangasius industry, despite continued declines in certain markets.
In recent days, the Central provinces of Vietnam have been suffering from historic flooding, with prolonged heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and deep inundation causing extremely serious impacts on tens of thousands of households, as well as many VASEP member exporters located in the region. With the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, and in order to promptly assist residents and member exporters in the affected areas to stabilize their lives and restore production activities, VASEP calls on all seafood exporters, organizations, and individuals to extend supports to the people and member exporters in the flood-hit areas. We urge timely and practical material and spiritual contributions to help member exporters and local communities in the severely affected provinces overcome this difficult period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final days of October 2025, Vietnam’s domestic raw shrimp market remained generally stable, though slight adjustments were recorded in several sizes across key farming regions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 498 million in October 2025, up 26% from the same period last year. This is one of the highest monthly revenues since the beginning of the year, reflecting solid demand in major markets and faster shipment schedules by exporters. From January to October, shrimp export value reached USD 3.9 billion, up 22% compared to the same period in 2024.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 31, 2025, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) officially issued an order to suspend the case filed by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and several US seafood companies against the US Government concerning the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) An Giang’s fisheries sector has maintained stable growth momentum during the first nine months of 2025, making an important contribution to the province’s socio-economic development. Despite facing numerous challenges, the province is implementing various measures to enhance production efficiency, expand markets, and promote sustainable fisheries development toward deeper integration into the global economy.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius export value in September 2025 reached USD 181 million, up 5% compared to the same period in 2024. The overall trend for the pangasius industry remains positive, with total exports in the first nine months of 2025 reaching nearly USD 1.6 billion, an increase of 9% year-on-year.
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