While the new EU rules do not take effect until December 2014, the “industry is supposed to be getting its house in order and coming into compliance,” Paul Williams, chief executive of U.K. seafood association Seafish, told SeafoodSource.
“The horse meat scandal has accelerated the emphasis on [labeling rules] and brings up the issue of trusting suppliers of seafood as well,” Williams said.
Consumers surveyed about the horse meat issue said they were less bothered by the fact that they were eating horse meat, but by the fact that they perceived suppliers were cheating and lying to them, according to Williams. “We have to show that we are an industry that the consumer can trust. When something is labeled as cod, haddock, or whatever, we have to make sure it is what it is,” Williams said.
To that end, new E.U. food labeling regulations would require country-of-origin labeling on meat and seafood. The public comment period for seafood labeling regulations drafted by the U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) closed at the end of January. While Seafish supports the guidelines, the industry does not see the need for seafood to be designated by the vessel on which it is caught, as proposed.
“Labeling by the vessel that caught the fish isn’t very useful information: you could have a flagged vessel anywhere in the world,” Williams said. “The most useful thing for the consumer is knowing where the fish is caught, such as the U.K.,” he added.
The U.K. government proposed country-of-origin labeling rules for seafood in 2011, shortly after a university investigation found mislabeled seafood in the country’s supermarkets and restaurants. “When you go into fish and chip shops, you can pick up the wrong piece of fish accidentally, but there have been documented cases of deliberate substitution,” Williams said.
The U.K. mislabeling incidents remind Williams of the recent Oceana investigation in the U.S., which found that nearly a third of seafood in grocery stores and restaurants were mislabeled. “I think we are pretty tight in the U.K., particular for retailers, and better than the Oceana report showed in the U.S.,” Williams said. Still, Williams says the U.K. seafood industry must do everything in its power to maintain and improve consumer trust in the supply chain.
(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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