(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With the expectation that the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic will slow down and with the support of Free Trade Agreements, analysts in Vietnam said that the main consumption channels of seafood will gradually become active again, creastin the growth momentum for this sector in 2021. It is forecasted that Vietnam's seafood export in 2021 will reach $8.8 billion, with an increase of 5% compared to 2020.

In 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic has reduced the export of some Vietnamese marine products such as frozen tuna and other sea fish, frozen squid and octopus, but brought opportunities for dried and canned and processed seafood because they are suitable for home consumption, have a long shelf life, and can be processed quickly or ready to eat. Therefore, exports of many items such as canned tuna still increased by 19%, dried fish up 22%, dried marine shrimp grew 112%, dried squid added 29%, crabs extended 49%, fish sauce lifted by 24% ... Therefore, the total marine exports remained at 3.2 billion USD, equivalent to 2019.

The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has ordered its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to get tougher on illegal fishing in foreign waters by local fishing ships and their owners.

Farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang are raising the fry of high - value aquatic species on an area of more than 6,000ha this year, up marginally from last year, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Mr. Tran Dinh Luan - Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries in Vietnam said that: Preventing and eventually eliminating illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing is a mandatory task to remove the warning of yellow card by the EC, responsible fisheries development and international integration.

(seafood.vasep.com.vm) Japan is Vietnam's second largest market for cephalopod exports, accounting for 22%. After a decline in the first three quarters of the year, the export of cephalopod to this market recovered in the fourth quarter 2020, reaching nearly $33 million, up by 1.4% over the same period in 2019. Total cephalopod exports of Vietnam to Japan in 2020 reached 121 million USD, down 14% compared to 2019.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Vietnam (EVFTA) was a lever for tuna exports to the EU market in the fourth quarter of 2020. The value of Vietnam's tuna exports to this market increased continuously in the fourth quarter, reaching nearly 38 million USD, up 20% over the same period in 2019. As a result, the total value of exports to the EU in the whole year 2020 went up to 136 million USD, up by 2.4% compared to 2019.

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has planned to further promote sustainable marine aquaculture in line with the “Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Marine Economy by 2030 with a Vision to 2045”.

Dozens of households in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh have begun sea crab breeding this year, with 37 million baby crabs on a total area of 7,330 ha.

The Minh Phu Seafood Joint Stock Company announced on February 17 that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has cancelled a decision issued on October 13, 2020 on the imposition of anti-dumping tariffs on the company’s frozen shrimp products exported to the US.