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) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) While Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the EU maintained positive growth momentum in 2025, several new regulations related to animal welfare are transitioning from “ethical recommendations” to mandatory requirements, likely reshaping the shrimp supply chain for this market from 2026 onwards.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached $989.5 million in November 2025, up 64.6% year-on-year. The robust monthly performance played a pivotal role in driving the total export turnover for the first 11 months of 2025 to $10.5 billion, representing a 19% increase compared with the same period in 2024.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s crab exports reached USD 81 million in the first 11 months of 2025, with the United States accounting for more than 82% of total value. While newly imposed reciprocal tariffs and the enforcement of provisions under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) pose significant challenges for Vietnam, the European Union is emerging as a promising growth market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Environment has recently issued a plan to develop specialized crab raw material zones serving official export channels, covering a scale of around 50,000 hectares. This marks a significant shift in the sea crab industry towards professional production aligned with market requirements.
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