Ex-vessel prices for H&G yellowfin tuna have risen steadily along with fuel costs, and the current selling price is up $1.50 (€1.13) to $2 (€1.51) per pound from two years ago,
Fortune Fish co-founder Mark Gorogianis told IntraFish. Gorogianis is also responsible for buying tuna, the company's second largest volume fresh fish product.
Gorogianis said he has been able to pass those costs on to the consumer without problem. Tuna loins are now fetching $2 (€1.51) to $5 (€3.78) per pound more than they did two years ago, depending upon the grade. His buyers include high-end retailers, such as Whole Foods, and restaurants.
At the wholesale level, he is charging $11 (€8.31) to $19 (€14.36) for fresh tuna loins, depending on the grade. No.2 grades are going for $11 (€8.31) to $12 (€9.07) and No.2+grades for $13 (€9.83) to $17 (€12.85). He charges $18 (€13.60) to $19 (€14.36) for No.1 grades. The retailers and restaurants he sells to, of course, add their own markup.
Despite these higher prices, demand for the species has increased in recent years at the retail level, with sales rising from 10 percent of his total sales ten years ago to 30 percent today, he said.
If ex-vessel prices continue to rise, he will raise prices further. “We’ll have to,” Gorogianis said. But Fortune is always engaged in efforts to keep their costs and selling prices down, he said. They have always bought in bulk from large suppliers and have found new ways to save costs.
“We’re trying to negotiate better freight rates with some of the key airline companies we use, like United and Southwest and Delta,” said Gorogianis, who is also Fortune’s main tuna buyer. “We also utilize our loyalty to certain air shippers to negotiate better freight rates.”
Tough times
High fuel prices, natural disasters and strong demand for tuna loins from China have all converged to bring supply down dramatically, sources told IntraFish.
In the Gulf of Mexico, where Gorogianis sources tuna, the fleet has dropped from 200 boats before Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to 80 boats today.
Demand from China has also contributed to a lack of supply, Phil Rush, Jensen Tuna vice president of sales and marketing, told IntraFish.
“China has really come on strong with their economy,” said Rush, who sells 90 percent of his fresh, H&G tuna to distributors such as Gorogianis. He sources from the Gulf of Mexico as well as China, and has stopped shipping tuna over from Vietnam 6 months ago "because the (delivery) price was so high."
Hurricane Katrina ransacked the Gulf’s tuna fishing fleet, and many fishermen never recovered the costs lost from the disaster. The cost of bate and steadily rising cost of fuel made it difficult for many to get back into the business, Gorogianis said.
Tuna operations are highly dependent on fuel in order to catch the highly migratory species, and the price of bate – squid, mackerel and sardines – has gone up 100 percent, Gorogianis said.
(seafoo.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau Province is stepping up efforts to protect aquatic resources and promote transparent and sustainable fisheries, joining the country’s efforts to have the European Commission (EC) remove its “yellow card” warning for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam has strengthened its position in China’s massive seafood market, becoming the largest lobster supplier while maintaining a dominant share of the country’s imported pangasius.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026 was more than just a larger exhibition space. Through B2B meetings, booth discussions, production-chain visits and post-show feedback, businesses and buyers found something more concrete: suitable suppliers, processing capabilities, technology solutions, new markets and a foundation for building long-term trust and partnerships.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States declined significantly in the first seven months of 2026. Cumulative export value reached US$18 million, down 42% from the same period in 2025. In July alone, exports amounted to just US$2 million, plunging 70%, indicating a clear slowdown in import demand from the US market.
(vasep.com.vn) At the seminar “Global Seafood Markets and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities and Directions for the Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Fisheries Sector,” held as part of VIETFISH 2026, Ms. Shirlene Maria Anthonysamy, Fisheries Officer (Markets) and GLOBEFISH Coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), presented initiatives aimed at promoting youth participation in fisheries and aquaculture.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the United States reached US$189 million, down 8% year-on-year. In July alone, export value reached US$22 million, down 28%. This trend indicates that U.S. demand for pangasius imports has remained relatively cautious this year, as importers tend to maintain moderate inventory levels and limit stockpiling.
(vasep.com.vn) After three days at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnam International Fisheries Exhibition – VIETFISH 2026 – has successfully concluded, leaving a strong impression in terms of scale, visitor numbers, the quality of business connections, and innovative activities. With more than 14,000 m² of exhibition space, 335 companies, 568 booths, participation from representatives of 17 countries and territories, and nearly 15,000 visitors, VIETFISH 2026 has once again affirmed its role as an important meeting point for Vietnam’s and the global seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Held as part of Vietfish 2026 from August 19–21 at SECC in Ho Chi Minh City, a series of five specialized seminars provided the seafood business community with updates on markets, technology, standards, human resources and cooperation opportunities. With the participation of experts, international organizations, government agencies and businesses from Vietnam and abroad, the seminars created an additional platform for professional exchange alongside the exhibition’s product showcases and business networking activities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the morning of August 19, 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – VIETFISH 2026 officially opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. With 568 booths representing 335 companies, alongside the presence of senior government officials, local authorities, diplomatic missions and international partners, VIETFISH 2026 kicks off three days of business networking, technology exchange and market engagement under the overarching theme “Innovation and Sustainability.”
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) officially announces that the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition (Vietfish 2026) will take place from August 19–21, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn