(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Speaking at the Party Congress of the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance (June 27), Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized the central role of science and technology in the development of the fisheries sector and stressed the need for the entire industry to be “driven by real-world challenges” and to innovate across production, breeding, feed, mechanisms, and infrastructure.
According to the report, total aquatic production in 2024 reached 9.7 million tons, with export turnover exceeding USD 10 billion, placing Vietnam among the top three seafood exporters globally. Around 30% of the sector’s added value came from technological applications, with key breeding species developed such as white leg shrimp, disease-resistant pangasius, and golden pompano.
Additionally, new technologies—such as digital traceability, water treatment, disease warning systems, and digital ecosystems—have begun laying the groundwork for sustainable development.
In marine aquaculture—one of the three strategic pillars—production reached 832,000 tons in 2024, a nearly 39% increase compared to 2020. The significant expansion in farming area and volume has helped reduce pressure on wild capture and improve coastal livelihoods.
In terms of capture fisheries, efforts to combat IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) fishing have yielded encouraging results: the number of violating vessels dropped from 258 (in 2016) to just 14 in the first half of 2025; fines for violations in 2024 exceeded VND 10 billion. This is a positive sign as Vietnam continues working to remove the EC’s “yellow card” warning.
For the 2026–2030 period, the sector will focus on overcoming bottlenecks in breeding, feed, and infrastructure. For shrimp—the key export sector—the Deputy Minister pointed out the ongoing reliance on imported 260,000 broodstock pairs per year, while many farming localities still face shortages in electricity and drainage systems. Pangasius, tilapia, seaweed, and algae are to be promoted as independent economic sectors. In particular, ecological and organic farming models should be scaled up, while biotechnology, AI, and blockchain should be integrated across the production chain.
Deputy Minister Tien also urged the continued improvement of the legal framework, incorporation of green economy and emission reduction goals, and the building of traceable value chains to enhance competitiveness in the global market.