The agency hopes to gradually get rid of poaching sea products, the volumes of which have increased dramatically with the official figures of Russia and Japan on the volumes of Russian crab deliveries differing by more than 20 times.
In the first half of 2013, only 603 metric tons of Russian crab was officially exported, according to the Russian customs service. But the Japanese Ministry of Finance registered imports of 13,800 metric tons.
However, patterns are starting to change, following the signing of a Russia-Japan agreement to combat illegal, unregulated, unreported (IUU) fishing, a representative of the Eastern Association of Crab Catchers said.
For instance, in the first six months of this year volume red king crab exported to Japan was five times higher than last year. Registered shipments amounted to 8,600 metric tons compared, while snow crab showed minimum supplies of 5,200 metric tons in last ten years.
"No one wants to take the risk because of snow crab, the cost of which in recent years have rarely exceeded $4 (€3) to $5 (€3.8) per kilogram. Instead, king crab with a price of $12 (€9) to $16 (€12) per kilogram has become more tempting prey", a source at the association said.
The Russian Fishery Agency confirmed a sharp rise in illegal shipments of red king. "In the last 1.5 years, before the entry into force of Russian-Japanese and Russian-Chinese agreements on combating IUU fishing, a huge stream of poaching crab swamped the ports of the Japanese island of Hokkaido", Alexander Saveljev, the head of the public relations center at Rosrybolovstvo, said.
Russian experts expect the introduction of control certificates will both sharply decline volumes of IUU fishing and significantly raise the prices for crab of Russian origin.
"It is difficult to predict how these prices will rise," Saveljev said. "But it's highly likely the price hike will happen, as the growth of the supplies of poaching crab has led to a sharp decline in prices and to big losses of legitimate suppliers.
"The cost of legally caught crab dropped by three times in last 18 months from $25 (€18.8) to $28 (€21) per kilogram."
The Russian Far East region has the world's major stock of crab. According to official data about 50 to 60 percent of the Russian catch is exported, however, experts said this figure reaches 90 percent, taking into account illegal fishing and the "gray" crab supplies.
According to Rosrybolovstvo statistics, the 2012 crab catch of Russian origin amounted to 44.2 million metric tons, of which 26.7 million tons were exported.
In the first half of the 2013 some 22.9 million tons of crab were harvested with about 14 million tons delivered to the external market.
The Russian legal crab catching is estimated at $1 billion (€749.9 million) to $1.2 billion (€899.9 million) with the export share reaching $500 (€375) to $600 million (€449.9 million).
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
(vasep.com.vn) Changing markets, shifting buyer demand, and increasingly complex trade barriers are raising a key question for Vietnam’s seafood industry: Where will the new growth opportunities lie in 2027–2029?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of August 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States reached $21 million, representing a steep 48% year-over-year decline and accounting for 23% of the country's total tilapia export turnover. Frozen fillets accounted for 78% with the remainder consisting of whole frozen tilapia and frozen cuts.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a volatile first half of the year, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil registered robust growth in July and August 2026. In August alone, export turnover reached $19 million, surging 73% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulatively for the first eight months, total export value reached $124 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Besides modifying their boats, many fishermen in Dak Lak province are making efforts to venture out to sea to harvest seafood during the rough sea season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the Responsible Seafood Summit and TCRS Shrimp Summit 2026, organized by the GSA (Global Seafood Alliance) in Bangkok, Thailand, the conversation about the future of the shrimp industry began with one of its most important foundations: seedstock quality.
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