<div style="text-align: justify; line-height: 15pt; margin: 6pt 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-size: 10pt">In February, Safeway became the first major US supermarket to transition to 100% FAD-free tuna for its own skipjack tuna product line. Last year, major retailers and tuna brands in the UK also made headlines when they promised to buy tuna fished more sustainably. The two popular, alternative methods are free school purse seining and pole-and-line fishing which both do not use FADs. But, increasing demand for fish caught without the use of FADs will exceed the supply available, an Asia-based tuna trading executive told Intrafish.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: 15pt; margin: 6pt 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-size: 10pt">“Nobody should expect that existing catch levels can be maintained if everyone converted to school fishing. The price will rise – at any rate, in comparison with FAD fish,” he said. “I think that this would be a good thing. Tuna shouldn’t be cheaper than low grade luncheon meat.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: 15pt; margin: 6pt 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-size: 10pt">Higher prices for sustainable tuna is one likely impact, but the future of purse seiners geared especially for large catches caught with FADs could also be affected.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: 15pt; margin: 6pt 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-size: 10pt">Due to the fact that not all purse seiners around the world have observers on board, and often not report, it is hard to say what the total global catch of FAD free tuna is. Estimations vary from 350,000 to 550,000 M/T, but in most cases this tuna gets mixed with FAD caught tuna in the wells of the vessels or during transshipments in the carriers.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify; line-height: 15pt; margin: 6pt 0cm 0pt"><span style="font-size: 10pt">One of the major challenges for the development of the FAD free supply will not just be the higher fuel costs related to free school fishing, but also how to keep the fish separated throughout the entire supply chain.</span></div>
(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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