(Seafood.com) As the House and Senate prepare to meet next week to work out differences in their farm bills, lobbying efforts are intensifying to get last-minute changes to the 1,000-page legislation that sets the nation’s farm and nutrition policies.

Accumulated fish landings to May 2014 totalled 1.6 million tonnes, that is to say, 24 per cent more than in the first five months of 2013, when 1.3 million tonnes were landed.

The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has approved a pilot programme to develop linkages between buyers and producers of pink tilapia fish.

(vasep.com.vn) On November 4th 2013, the forum for economic co-operation between Vietnam, Middle Eastern and North African partners was held for the first time in Hanoi. The forum was attended by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

(vasep.com.vn) The National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department of Vietnam (NAFIQAD) and the National Food Safety and Quality Service of Argentina (Senasa) has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on agro-fisheries exports, opening opportunities for Vietnamese seafood processors.

The global market for aquaculture is expected to reach USD 202.96 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Aquaculture includes farming of aquatic organisms such as mollusks, fish, crustaceans and other aquatic flora and fauna.

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese farmers and processing companies are dealing with many international standards for the quality of exported fish and shrimp required by foreign markets while they are confused about which advantages these certification program can bring back.

Deputy Minister of Fisheries Nguyen Thi Hong Minh spoke to Tin Tuc (News) newspaper about how rapid growth and increasing competition may make it harder for the seafood sector to meet international quality standards.

(vasep.com.vn) Through June 2014, trade between Vietnam and Israel increased significantly, reaching US$426 million, up 53 percent year-on-year. In which, Vietnam exported US$261 million worth of goods to Israel and imported US$165 million worth of goods from the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has affirmed Vietnam’s recognition of high importance to promoting the traditional friendship and all-around cooperation with the Czech Republic and wished for betterment of bilateral cooperation in all fields.

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam has about 130 fish feed producing plants producing 4,500 feed products and 110 supplementary feed plants supplying 311 products.

(vasep.com.vn) Australia annually imports more than 200,000 MT of seafood products, worth by over US$1 billion from foreign countries in which Vietnam is the third largest seafood supplier to the market behind New Zealand and China with the market share of 20 percent, according to Vietnam Trade Office in Australia.

Similar to U.S. restaurants, U.K. restaurants are adding more seafood snacks and starters to their menus, particularly oysters and ceviches.

The value of Norwegian seafood exports in October totalled NOK 7.3 billion (USD 1.2 billion), according to the latest figures from the Norwegian Seafood Council. Never before has the value of Norwegian seafood exports been so high for a single month.