“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) 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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