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).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
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