“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) Vietnam's tilapia exports to Japan posted strong growth in the first half of 2026, while a promising new trend has emerged in the value-added product segment. Notably, Vietnamese tilapia fillets have been exported to Japan for use in sushi and sashimi, creating new opportunities to enhance the value of the industry in one of the world's most demanding seafood markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a relatively sluggish first quarter, Vietnam's exports of fish cakes and surimi showed a clearer recovery in the second quarter, particularly in June. Export value in the first six months of 2026 reached USD 148 million, down 2% year on year. However, the newly imposed 12.5% additional U.S. tariff on Vietnamese goods, intensifying competition in Northeast Asia, and increasingly stringent traceability requirements in the EU are making the outlook for the second half of the year more uncertain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In June 2026, Vietnam's shrimp exports reached nearly USD 458 million, up 24% year-on-year. In the first six months of 2026, export value totaled USD 2.35 billion, an increase of 14.2% compared with the same period last year. Growth was driven mainly by the Chinese market and the strong performance of lobster exports, while shrimp exports continued to face pressure from U.S. tariffs and rising logistics costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program is designed as a specialized B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers, providing opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood exporters, gain the latest market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A project titled "Sustainable Shrimp Industry Governance" has been launched in Ca Mau Province with the aim of supporting the transition of the province's shrimp industry toward higher quality, lower emissions, stronger governance capacity, improved supply chain traceability, and the development of a sustainable shrimp brand that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Khanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Center for Marine Aquaculture Research and the Van Hung Public Service Center, recently organized a training course on disease-free golden pompano seed production. The program is part of a National Agricultural Extension Project aimed at developing industrial-scale seed production models to support sustainable marine aquaculture.
(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) The application of high technology in shrimp farming is delivering positive results in the coastal areas of Vinh Long Province, contributing to improved production efficiency and creating significant potential for further industry expansion. However, to fully capitalize on this potential, the province is focusing on aquaculture zoning, infrastructure investment, and promoting modern, sustainable production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Đồng Tháp Province has intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by strengthening vessel monitoring, law enforcement and seafood traceability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood businesses need solutions to overcome bottlenecks such as labor shortages, difficulty accessing capital, high input costs, and administrative procedures in order to maintain production, adapt to market fluctuations, and effectively exploit export opportunities.
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
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn