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) In Hoa Vang district (Da Nang City), red tilapia farming is demonstrating clear economic efficiency, becoming a promising livelihood that helps many households increase their income. A notable example is the model of Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nam, who operates two red tilapia ponds covering more than 4 hectares, generating stable annual income.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
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