In 2012, Russia increased frozen cod fillets exports to the EU by 25% to 55,890t in 2012; while Norwegian frozen fillets to the EU decreased by 8% to 28,896t in 2012.
“The most important factor behind this is the structural alteration to the fishing fleets of Norway and Russia,” states the report, entitled Finfish 2013, and published by AIPCE-CEP.
Iceland also decreased its sales of frozen fillets into Europe, with volumes dropping 12% to 59,320t for 2012. Icelandic companies are selling more frozen-at-sea (FAS) vessels, for financial reasons, with a Russian company buying one FAS trawler last week, from Fisk Seafood.
While Iceland is moving more toward fresh fish and land-frozen fillet production, Russia has turned its attention to expanding its processing vessel fleet, the Norwegian fleet has moved away from processing at sea to boost headed and gutted (H&G) and frozen whole production.
The increase in frozen whole has boosted exports from Norway to the EU, up by 36% in 2012 to 33,807t, the report shows.
As Norway has been increasing H&G volumes for exports, value-adding processing has taken place in other countries. The biggest importer of frozen groundfish –mainly cod — from Norway in 2013 was China, with imports valued at NOK 1.3 billion ($210 million). This is 23% more compared to the previous year, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council.
However, data for 2012 shows China decreased frozen cod fillets exports to the EU by 10%, from 137,293t in 2011 to 122,986t after several years of exports growth. This could be due to species substitution as cod was still relatively more expensive than Alaska pollock and haddock in 2012, according to the report.
“Another factor could be the effect of de-stocking to the mid-year announcement of a 33% quota increase in the Barents Sea (250,000t) that led the market to anticipate lower prices ahead,” shows the report, referring to the market shock from the million-metric-ton cod quota in 2013. The Barents Sea cod quota has been adjusted down by 7,000t for 2014.
Chinese re-processing, at risk of contracting
China preeminence in fish re-processing is backed by a strong infrastructure and investment, the report says, but the country is currently facing challenges in the sector that may begin to erode its overall processing capacity.
As previously reported by Undercurrent News, production costs for re-processing have increased. This means that attracting cheap labour to the fish processing sector is becoming harder, the report shows. Also, the advantage of processing by hand, is being affected by the development of improved technology and efficiency in EU factories for certain formats.
The importance of cod processing in Europe is still evident, the report shows: with imports of around 133,000t of H&G and 39,000t of fresh whole, in addition to EU catches of 144,000t, processing is one of the core sectors of the industry.
(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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