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.

Available fish sources

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In May 2017, Vietnam’s capture volume totaled 311.9 thousand MT, the figure in Jan-May 2017 amounted to 1,327 thousand MT, increasing by 5.2% over the same period last year. Of that, marine catch reached 1,264 thousand MT, up 5.5%; and inland catch hit 63,000 MT, equal to last year.

The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau is implementing various measures to realise its goal of 2 billion USD worth of shrimp exports by 2020. The goal increases to 3 billion USD by in 2030.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, favorable weather facilitated fishing activities in the South fishing season, with main species such as silver croaker, tuna, scads, cuttlefish and mackerel.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In May 2017, the area for intensive, semi-intensive shrimp stocking reached 1,846 hectares (including 994 hectares for black tiger shrimp farming, 852 hectares for whiteleg shrimp farming), down 05 hectares compared to the previous month and up 515 hectares over the same period in 2016.

Vietnam’s aquaculture output reached 370,000 tonnes in May, a year-on-year increase of 3.3 percent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Vietnam’s aquatic product export turnover reached 618 million USD in May, pushing the total figure in the first five months of 2017 to 2.8 billion USD, a year-on-year rise of 10.4 percent, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fisheries output of Ho Chi Minh city (Vietnam) in April 2017 hit 4,421.9 MT, down 3.2% over the same period in 2016.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first four months of 2017, capture production of Binh Thuan province (Vietnam) reached 48,458.8 MT, an increase of 34% over the same period in 2016.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a decision on the establishment and operational regulations of a high technology agriculture area specialised in shrimp development in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province is actively implementing the project to improve productivity, quality, efficiency and sustainable development of shrimp farming.

The northern province of Quang Ninh has began building a high-quality shrimp breeding and aquatic processing complex in Dam Ha district.

The marine economy has potential for the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang financially and can contribute to protecting national sea and island sovereignty.

The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau aims to earn 2 billion USD from shrimp exports by 2020, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A conference was held in the central province of Ha Tinh on May 16 to seek ways to sustainably develop sand-based shrimp farming, for which the central coastal region holds huge potential.

Rising sea levels have exacerbated saline intrusion and coastal erosion in Vietnam, but farmers can make the best out of a bad situation by shifting from agriculture to aquaculture, raising brackish water shrimp.