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 the Northern fishing season of 2016, catching yield of Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam reached 48,448 MT, up 0.94% year on year.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of Feb, 2016, the total fishery production of Quang Ninh province reached 19,750 MT, completing 18.3% of the 2016 plan and reporting the decrease of 0.1% compared to the same period last year. In which, capture production was 10,550 MT, down 2,3% over the same period of 2015; aquaculture output reached 9,200 MT, up 2.6% year on year.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the beginning of March, 2016, farmers in Bac Lieu province stocked shrimp seed on an area of more than 12,970 ha, bringing the total aquaculture area to 102,960 ha. In which, the area for shrimp farming was 102,750 ha and the remaining was for finfish, and other species. At the same time, the locality harvested 1,359 MT of fish on the area of 55,930 ha.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Feb, 2016 fishery production of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam was estimated at 4,941 MT, up 0.2% year on year. In which, aquaculture production accounted for 64.8%, down 9.1%; capture production accounted for 35.2%, an increase of 23.6% compared to Feb, 2015.

Vegetables, fruits and seafood are expected to benefit much from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement despite concerns that agriculture will be one of the most vulnerable sectors.

(vasep.com.vn) Total aquaculture production of Ho Chi Minh City in November 2015 was estimated at 7603.8 MT, up 14.4% yoy. In particular, farmed seafood was 5165.8 MT, up 16% yoy and caught seafood was 2,438 MT, up 11% yoy.

(vasep.com.vn) In November 2015, Kien Giang province's seafood caught and farmed combined reached 57.18 thousand MT, up 1.6% from the previous month.

(vasep.com.vn) Data from Directorate of Fisheries showed that in September, Vietnam produced nearly 600,000 MT of seafood, up 1.1% year on year. Through September, over 4.8 million MT of seafood has been supplied so far this year, representing a 2.8% increase from last year's results.

(vasep.com.vn) Aquaculture farms covered an area of 1,599 hectares in August 2015, total farming area from the beginning of the year was 14,723 hectares, up 6% from last year. Freshwater farming area was 6119 hectares, up 4.2 % year on year while brackish water farms expanded by 7.4% to 8,604 hectares,

(vasep.com.vn) Binh Thuan province reported their seafood production results in July.

(vasep.com.vn) Reared seafood production and capture output rose.

The southernmost province of Ca Mau has set three priorities to develop its sea and islands economy through 2020.

Vietnam’s seafood farming and fishing industry is expecting to produce 6.4 million tonnes in 2015, according to the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

(vasep.com.vn) According to Directorate of Fisheries, seafood production in May rose 2.4% year-on-year. In particular, total capture reached 257 thousand MT, consisting of 242 thousand MT of marine fish and 15 thousand MT from inland.

The Ministry of Agriculture a nd Rural Development has recommended that the State's budget concentrate on developing infrastructure and logistic facilities for five regional fishery centres along the Vietnamese coastline.