"Our industry has to shoulder higher costs," said Theera at the 12th Infofish World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition.
Minister Theera Wongsamu at 12th Infofish World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition. (Photo: Infofish)
The cost and freight (CFR) price of skipjack raw material climbed from USD 918 in 2006 to USD 1,800 - USD 2,025 per ton in 2011, Infofish informed.
Last year, Thailand exported 594,751 tonnes of tuna, a drop of almost 2 per cent by volume, worth THB 60 billion (USD 1.9 billion). Import of frozen tuna fell by 5.3 per cent to 787,088 tonnes, mainly from Taiwan, the US, South Korea, Vanuatu, Japan, the Marshall Islands, Europe and the Maldives, Bangkok Post reports.
Wimol Jantrarotai, director-general of the Thai Fishery Department, said it is "unlikely" that tuna exports would continue to drop and that a rebound is largely contingent on how much raw tuna can be procured. Thailand imports as much as 85 per cent of 70,000-80,000 tonnes of the raw material required for production.
"Apart from the declining supply of tuna, limits on the number of tuna ships and pirate attacks have dampened the industry's prospects even as demand keeps rising in the global market," explained Wimol.
Catches of five major tuna species have idled at around 4.3-4.4 million tonnes in recent years due to declining stocks, noted Infofish.
Narin Niruttinanon, deputy general manager of Thai Union Manufacturing Co, thinks Thailand's tuna exports could continue to skid this year because the supply of raw material is limited.
Thai Union Frozen Products Plc (TUF) has noted that rising competition to secure imported raw materials has prompted the company to discount the possibility of major domestic expansion. The group requires 300,000 tonnes a year of tuna for local production, of which 80 per cent is sourced from the Pacific Ocean and the balance from the Indian Ocean.
"Countries with tuna in their territory encourage foreign companies to set up manufacturing facilities in their country to create employment, while access fees to catch tuna have risen from USD 200,000- USD 300,000 per ship per year to USD 1 million," said Narin.
Meanwhile, Greenpeace this week accused the tuna industry of continuing to push forward the decimation of fish stocks and called for an end to fishing methods that produce bycatch and urged “less boats, more fish” at the Infofish convention.
Five tuna species are already classed as "threatened" or "near threatened" with extinction due to overfishing, according to the Red List of Threatened Species.
“The tuna industry is on course to fishing itself out of existence. If we want healthy oceans and a viable tuna industry tomorrow, we simply need fewer boats on the water taking tuna,” said Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner.
(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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