“During Lent, we see 25 percent to 40 percent increases in our weekly unit volumes,” Charles St. Clair, chief marketing officer at Long John Silver’s (LJS), told SeafoodSource. Plus, the consumer awareness that LJS generates from its Lent promotions help boost the chain’s sales throughout the year, St. Clair said.
Many years during Lent, LJS simply highlights seafood products that it already carries. However, this year, the restaurant operator is looking to grow sales further with a limited-time offer of Norway Lobster Bites. Lobster Bites have not been featured on LJS’s menu since 2009, when the company featured Langostino Lobster Bites.
“We didn’t have enough supply to keep it on the menu. However, there is an adequate supply of Norway lobster, a wild product caught off the coast of Ireland. It is heavily used in restaurants in Europe, but not a lot in the U.S.,” St. Clair said.
Meanwhile, a non-seafood restaurant chain, Tropical Smoothie Café, began offering Fish Mojo Tacos with grilled tilapia on 24 February, accompanied by its first national TV ad. As a result, restaurant chain executives expect the limited-time offer to produce more sales than last year, when it launched Fish Tropical Tacos, also using grilled tilapia.
“We experienced a 16 percent increase in [overall] food sales versus the prior year,” Mike Rotondo, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Café, told SeafoodSource. “We saw tacos as an opportunity to satisfy consumer demand for great-tasting, better-for-you food choices during a time of year when people were thinking about eating better due to New Year’s resolutions.”
Taco John’s also brought back its Fish Tacos for a limited time, while Del Taco is featuring a Crispy Shrimp Taco and Crispy Shrimp Burrito for Lent. The sandwich chains are getting on board Lent promotions too: Subway is offering a Spicy Tuna sub in select markets and Quiznos is carrying a Lobster & Seafood Salad Sub and a Lobster & Seafood Salad.
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s brought back their Charbroiled Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich for a limited time, and Arby’s is featuring its Reel Big Fillet Sandwich during Lent. Smartly, Arby’s partnered with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) to promote its wild-caught Alaska Pollock sandwich. Arby’s is featuring the ASMI logo in TV advertising, print collateral/direct mail and in-store merchandising materials for Reel Big Fillet.
Meanwhile, King & Prince Seafood is offering a rebate for restaurant operators who buy the supplier’s foodservice products during Lent. “We see a unique chance for operators to turn occasional seafood diners into long-term seafood lovers,” said Mike Tigani, director of marketing at King & Prince Seafood.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a fairly strong upward trend in 2025, Vietnam’s clam exports entered 2026 with a mixed picture: strong growth at the beginning of the year, followed by a slowdown from March onward. According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s clam export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached more than USD 38 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
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