“What is it about catfish? Interestingly enough – nothing! Catfish is an extremely low risk food product,” stated Chairman Pitts. “Explicitly creating a program exclusively for catfish is unnecessary and directs resources away from high risk foods to focus on a food that is one of the safest.”
Kimberly Gorton, President and CEO of Slade Gorton & Co., Inc, stated, “As someone with decades of first-hand experience in the American seafood industry, I can honestly say that both the regulator and the regulated industry are doing a better job than ever before.” Gorton also shared the story of their third-generation family business, adding, “The USDA program is a complete waste of tax dollars. Our government is already squeezing job-creating small businesses, and this program is a needless, costly and duplicative regulation that burdens my company and all other seafood companies.”
Justin Conrad, President of Libby Hill Seafood Restaurants, Inc. testified saying, “The Government Accountability Office has 10 times called the USDA program a waste of tax dollars and at high risk for abuse. GAO even put out a report stating catfish regulation should not be assigned to USDA.”
Today’s hearing, the last for #SubHealth this Congress, was also the last for Chairman Pitts.
“Joe Pitts has been a leader for some of the committee’s greatest accomplishments: reforming how Medicare pays America’s physicians, improving the safety of our nation’s drug supply chain, advancing dozens of bills to improve our nation’s public health, and helping shepherd through the 21st Century Cures Act that will land shortly on President Obama’s desk,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “I wish nothing but the best to you and Ginny in this next chapter.”
For more information on today’s hearing including a background memo, witness testimony, and an archived webcast click here.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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