Japan Eyes Vietnamese Pangasius as Surimi Alternative
A Japanese trading house is working with a Vietnamese seafood company to make farmed pangasius an ingredient for surimi as prices double.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Japanese Food
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Surimi prices have doubled over the past three to four years amid tight supplies, prompting a Japanese trading house to work with a Vietnamese seafood company on pangasius as a surimi ingredient. Japan consumes more than 200,000 tons of surimi annually, most of it made from Alaska pollock.
Why it matters
Alaska pollock caught in the Bering Sea have been getting smaller, and sluggish catches in Hokkaido have increased Japan's reliance on imports. Efforts to produce surimi from other fish species have not yet generated sufficient supplies.
Japan consumes more than 200,000 tons of surimi annually, and Vietnam produces more than 1.6 million tons of pangasius a year. The potential supply of several thousand tons of pangasius paste to Japan has not yet been confirmed as commercially viable.
The details
Pangasius has light-flavored white flesh and is exported to Europe and the United States. Processed fish product makers are reducing the size of their products as they absorb the higher costs of surimi.
Timeline
Over the past three to four years, surimi prices doubled amid reduced production.
Winter is peak surimi demand season for processed fish makers.
Market Landscape
Japan's reliance on imported Alaska pollock for surimi has grown as domestic catches have weakened. The pangasius initiative represents an attempt to diversify raw material sources beyond the pollock supply chain.
Shoppers buying kamaboko, fish cakes, and other surimi-based products may see changes in package sizes as makers reduce portions to offset higher ingredient costs. Consumers should watch for product labels that disclose pangasius as an ingredient if the alternative reaches commercial supply.
The takeaway
Rising surimi prices show how dependence on a single wild fish stock can translate into higher costs and smaller products for everyday seafood buyers. Tracking which alternatives gain commercial footing will indicate how durable the shift away from Alaska pollock becomes.
Further reading
Explore more on Japanese Food to see how surimi fits into the country's seafood traditions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Adnkronos.
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