“This year it’s more evenly spread out, whereas last year was more of a feast or famine,” Eastern Fisheries Executive Vice President Joe Furtado told IntraFish. Scallopers are coming out of a unique situation brought on by the Japan's nuclear fallout last year.
Even though seafood from Japan was safe to eat, negative consumer perception still lingered from the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, making seafood from Japan a risky commodity to try to sell, Furtado said.
That meant circulation of Japanese scallops, which have become a staple in the giant US and Chinese markets, went down dramatically, and prices responded accordingly by increasing dramatically. Figures from Seatrade International show prices at this time last year at $10.50 per pound for most sizes, whereas this year, with supply back up, prices are at $9.75 to $10.
The higher overall supply from Northern Japan, which is expected to hit the US market by early August, is having a big affect, Furtado said.
"The northern Japanese fishery has become a staple import for both the United States and China, and with the events surrounding last year’s tsunami, buyers were forced to shift their efforts more heavily into the US fishery," Furtado said. But both supply and prices could change as the year continues.
“Right now you're going to see the (US) landings slow down a little bit, and I think you're going to see boat prices arc upward," Ross Paasche, president of the American Scallop Association, told IntraFish.
At this time last year, prices started to arc upward, and by the end of the year, they had reached a 9 year high of $11 per pound for both 10-20 and 20-30 count per pound sizes.
Prices for scallops at the auction in New Bedford, Massachusetts:
8-10 per pound count: $10.54 on July 18
10-20 per pound count: $10.10 on July 17
Twelve and under per pound count: $9.90 on July 18
Demand up in China
Chinese scallop buyers are shifting their preferences towards higher end products in an effort to keep up with the country shifting landscape.
Over the past two years, Eastern Fisheries’ biggest area of growth has been in China, where demand for dry, chemical free, unadulterated, frozen scallops has increased dramatically, Furtado said.
Two years ago, just 10 percent of the scallops Eastern shipped to China were dry and chemical free. That number shifted to 50 percent last year, and 80 percent this year. However, this may not be a direct reflection of the final product form Chinese consumers are eating.
“I don’t know how many of those customers are taking those products and further processing themselves,” he said.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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