This was the second time that Asian Pacific Chapter of World Aquaculture Society (WAS-APC) held the Asia-Pacific Aquaculture Conference in the Southeastern Asia, and it was the first conference in Vietnam. This meaningful event offered opportunities for the international aquaculture community to see the rapidly expanding fishery industry of Vietnam (nearly 50 percent increase in the last five years in farming area and over 100 percent in production volume for the last 16 years). The conference this year aimed to deliver a strong message that the world aquaculture needed a strategic approach towards sustainable development in the future.
In his welcome speech, Cao Duc Phat, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development highlighted that, since 2010, among the world key fish producing countries, there have been 8 in the Asia-Pacific region. Vietnam ranked third in Asia-Pacific and was in the top ten seafood exporters of the world. These recent years, the fishery industry has been considered as the key business sector in Vietnam.
“This conference with key issues on diseases, environment protection, feed, farming technologies, industry restructuring is a place for Vietnam to share and learn experiences from other countries in the region and beyond,” Mr. Phat added.
There were 1,800 participants to the seminars of APA2013 and more than 170 Vietnamese and foreign companies displaying at the trade show. Attendees heard 50 reports and presentations by scientists and experts from governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations in research, training and trading fields from over 70 countries and territories in the world.
The conference was co-organized by MARD and WAS-APC in cooperation with Research Institute of Agriculture No.2 (RIAII), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Uni-President and Biomin were two major sponsors of the conference.
Vietnam – The world third fish producing country
The Asia-Pacific region is the largest fish and aquatic species aquaculture center in the world, according to reports presented in APA-2013.
In 2010, Asia-Pacific farmed fish and aquatic species reached 53.1 million MT, making up of 89 percent of global aquaculture in terms of volume and 80 percent in terms of value.
In Vietnam, aquatic farming was 3.27 million MT in 2012, representing 55.2 percent of annual fishery production, up 7.2 percent against that of 2011 and 287.4 percent against that of 10 years ago, when shrimp output was 488,000 MT and pangasius 1.2 million MT.
Vietnam has ranked the third among fishery producers and has been in the top ten seafood exporters in the world.
So far, per capita seafood consumption in Asia-Pacific is around 29 kilogram per year, equal to a total volume of 116 million MT per year. By 2020, demands from the region is expected to increase to 16 – 20 million MT annually. The figure will reach 25 million MT by 2030. The main trend is to boost farming activities, rather than wild-fish catches, to serve rising demand. Therefore, the aquaculture sector will be the priority of Asia-Pacific countries in the future.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
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