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.

Viet Nam exports pangasius to 140 markets

13:29 12/30/2016

The Mekong Delta of Vietnam had 4,786 commercial pangasius farming ponds, of which 2,267 are privately owned (47.38 per cent), 2,486 owned by businesses (51.95 per cent) while only 32 belong to local co-operatives.

In 2016, the prices for pangasius hatchlings at fisheries fluctuated between VND18,000 and VND23,000 per kilo ($0.81 to $1.03), down $0.2 compared to 2015,. At the moment the selling price of pangasius is still largely dependent on export demand and payment methods, though farmers are still making profits.

According to a report by Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, at the end of November 2016, the total area for industrial pangasius fisheries reached 4,552 hectares, with an annual capacity of 1.047 million tonnes. Total export turnover could reach $1.67 billion, up 6.6 per cent from 2015.

The 2017 pangasius market is expected to reach $1.7 billion, up by 10 per cent compared to 2016.

Viet Nam is currently exporting to 140 global markets, four markets more than in 2015, with its main markets being the United States, the European Union, China, ASEAN, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Saudi Arabia.

Source: VNS