“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) 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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the latest statistics for January 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to major market blocs recorded encouraging growth compared with the same period last year, indicating that consumption demand is gradually recovering.
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