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. The country produces annually over 6 million MT of fish, in which its landings reached 2.7 million MT and aquaculture reached 3.3 million MT. In 2021, total fisheries production reached 8.7 million MT, including 3.9 million tons from catching and 4.85 million tons from aquaculture.

Available fish sources

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has expanded its most efficient rice and aquatic species farming models in the last two years.

The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre will invest more than 2.5 trillion VND (107.5 million USD) by 2030 to develop key aquatic species like black tiger shrimp, white-legged shrimp and tra fish, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has implemented several measures to develop the best breeding sources to produce seeds for the delta’s fishery, fruit and rice sectors by 2025.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the Sub-department of Fisheries of Binh Dinh province, so far this year, fishermen in the province have caught an estimated 83,125 tons of seafood, up 5% compared to the same period in 2018. In which ocean tuna production was estimated at 4,876 tons, up 6%.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, aquaculture area in Bac Lieu province is nearly 120,000 ha. In the first 5 months of the year, total production of aquaculture and capture reached 26,772 tons.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Binh Dinh Department of Fisheries (DARD), up to now, brackish shrimp farmers in some farming areas in the province have started to harvest farmed shrimp with a total harvested area of 30.3 hectares, volume production reached more than 870 tons, an increase of 47% over the same period in 2018.

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang earned over 107 million USD from exports in the first quarter of this year, or 15.8 percent of the yearly plan, down 20.1 percent year-on-year.

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang will promote the application of advanced technologies in shrimp farming on large scale under its master plan on shrimp development until 2025.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The agriculture industry posted a year-on-year growth of 2.68 percent in the first quarter of 2019, despite an array of difficulties caused by the African swine fever and unstable export markets, mainly driven by the seafood and forestry sector.

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang will expand various sustainable shrimp farming models to meet its target of producing 76,000 tonnes this year, slightly up from last year, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang strives to yield 21,500 tonnes of shrimp on a site of 3,100ha in Long Xuyen Quadrangle and U Minh Thuong in 2019.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has announced a list of 13 key agricultural products of Vietnam.

The management capacity of the aquaculture sector needs to be improved for efficient and sustainable development and production, heard a conference in Nha Trang, the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, on January 11.

The maritime sector should pay more attention to seaport planning, especially in the central and the Mekong Delta regions, said Transport Minister Nguyen Van The.

The Government should have policies to support research and processing that would use shrimp by-products as high-value products, experts have said.