“We have a very simple purchase ask for companies that we work with,” says Bill Fox, Fisheries vice-president at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) US. “Basically our number one policy is buy MSC certified tuna, but with the logo on the can to ensure that the tuna they’re getting is in fact MSC certified tuna.”
He estimates that currently only about 15,000 tons whole round tuna catch is available with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blue and white eco-label, out of the global tuna catch of 4.4 million tons, most of this being US pole and line caught albacore. These certified products mostly go to niche markets in Europe where they attain high prices, so there hasn’t been much success in getting penetration in the U.S. market, he says.
There is huge potential, however, for a sustainable supply of the lower priced skipjack tuna from eight Pacific island countries. The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) free school skipjack purse seine fishery – which produces half of the global skipjack catch – gained MSC approval last year. So far, no MSC certified PNA tuna has been delivered because the fishery is still waiting to get its Chain of Custody certification. This certification depends on the fishermen to catch according to MSC approved procedures, without the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs), and by keeping the certified skipjack catch completely separate from the tuna caught with FADs throughout the entire supply chain.
Last week, the PNA largely blamed the region’s boat owners for the delay and suggested their immense profits – from today’s record high raw material price of USD 2,350 CFR Bangkok for skipjack – as a reason for the lack of motivation to fish sustainably.
Once the MSC certified PNA tuna – co-branded as “Pacifical” – is available, Fox says the U.S. market should pick up because there will be a lot more competition. “We do have market pressure to buy MSC certified tuna.”
Besides working with retailers, Fox says WWF US also partners with the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), a coalition of tuna industry leaders and scientists, to help MSC tuna reach the market.
“When we helped to establish ISSF, the main goal from our perspective was to get all tuna fisheries globally in a condition to get MSC certified and then WWF’s role would be, once that happens, to work with the fisheries to get them certified.”
ISSF’s conservation measures are meant to eliminate all the barriers to tuna fisheries becoming MSC certified, says Fox. He says the time-bound measures are designed to ensure ISSF companies are buying from boats that fish sustainably.
When asked about the unsustainable fishing currently occurring in the PNA, where ISSF companies source their tuna, Fox said ISSF members are not fishers.
“The ISSF participating companies have very few boats. They’re primarily processors, distributors and retailers – they’re not fishers. In fact, companies that are predominantly fishing companies are specifically excluded from ISSF membership because that’s the sector that has to really reform in order to provide sustainable tuna fisheries.”
Most of the ISSF companies are either directly or indirectly involved in fishing activities in the PNA, however. For instance, Dongwon Industries, one of the world’s largest tuna catching companies with a fleet of 36 boats, is the parent company to StarKist and Dongwon F&B, both members of ISSF.
Fox says the vessels in question are flagged to the PNA countries and therefore, the PNA countries should be asked “why they can’t get their flagged vessels to fish according to the measures that they all agreed to during the MSC certification.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
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