GENERAL INFORMATION

Vietnam, with a coastline of over 3,260 kilometers (km) and more than 3,000 islands and islets scattered offshore, plus up to 2,860 rivers and estuaries, has been geographically endowed with ideal conditions for the thriving fishery sector which currently exists.

Great potential of fishery sector in Vietnam is embedded in water bodies of 1.700.000 ha in which 811.700 ha freshwater, 635.400 ha brackish waters and 125.700 ha coves and 300.000 - 400.000 ha wetland areas might be employed for aquaculture development.

The Mekong River Delta in the south and the Red River Delta in the north have been used for wild catch fishing as well as extensive fish farming.

Shrimp and pangasius mostly farmed in the Mekong River Delta, in which, shrimp farmes located in coastal provinces such as Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Ben Tre..

Pangasius farming is developing in many provinces in Mekong River Delta such as Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tien Giang, An Giang, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh....

Production in the fishery sector grew at an average rate of 7.05% from 1991 to 2000, and 10% from 2001 to now. Vietnamese fisheries production increased steadily YoY. Aquaculture output tent to sharply rise while capture ouput tend to slow down. In 2023, aquaculture occupied 59%, fishing output occupied 41%. From 2018-2023, ratio of fishing output has decreased from 46% to 41% of total fishery production in Vietnam. In 2023, total aquaculture area was 5.408 million tons, up 3.5%; total fishing output was 3.861 million tons, equal to 2022.

Modern aquaculture developments will improve profits

A high demand, increased incomes and improved fish farming methods will increase the consumption of seafood in Vietnam and export abroad.

Vietnam's aquaculture market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.73 per cent during the period 2016-2020, according to latest forecast by Research and Markets.

The aquaculture market in Vietnam is one of the biggest aquaculture in the world, according to the Research and Markets' forecasts with annual domestic consumption of seafood per capita in the country is about 78 lbs. (35.4 kilos) per capita.

This consumption figure is expected to increase by 5.37 per cent on average per year for the period of 2015-2020. The total consumption of seafood in the domestic market in Vietnam was over 710 thousand metric tons in 2015 and is expected to reach 940 thousand metric tons by 2020.

Key vendors in the Vietnamese market include: Camau Seafood Processing and Service Joint Stock Corporation, Dongnam Seafood, Phuong Dong Seafood, Food Joint Stock Company Ca Mau Seafood Exports, Hung Vuong Mekong, Minh Phu, Ngoc Sinh Seafood, Oriental Seafood, to name just a few.

With the improvements in freshwater aquaculture technology, the steps in the production of seed production have changed from intensive water use land-based systems to water-saving and water productivity-enhancing interventions. Irrigation systems and irrigated agriculture are integrated with fish seed production.

Optimizing the use of irrigated agricultural land can be further explored for its expansion and commercialization potential. For fry to fingerling rearing, the use of cages and net enclosures is becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam. Such initiatives contribute to the enhancement of productivity of irrigated water bodies.

Vietnam is one of the most suitable places for seafood and fish farming because of its long and rich coast line. Infrastructure development, growing consumption of fish, high disposable income of consumers, and export of farmed fish and seafood are some of the key drivers, which enable Vietnam to contribute significant revenue to the aquaculture industry in Asia Pacific.

The need for aquaculture in Vietnam stems from the high demand from wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, and individual consumers.

(Source: vneconomictimes)


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