Dr Le Xuan Sinh from Hai Phong-based Institute of Marine Environment and Resources said that green economies helped improve living standards and social equality as well as reducing environmental risks and ecological deficiencies.
Sinh said that people living on islands often faced disadvantages in economic conditions, healthcare, education and other public services.
He said economic activities were usually spontaneous and did not follow any sustainable models. This resulted in poor quality of living standards or islanders were vulnerable to risks of natural disasters and diseases.
“The disadvantages are why there is migration to the mainland. Islands often cannot attract people to live there,” Sinh said.
“Once green economic models are implemented, islanders could better their livelihood and their resilience to climate-change impacts," Sinh said.
"Or at least, they could manage by themselves for a time if the islands are isolated because of natural disasters,” Sinh said.
He said that it was necessary to develop green economy models accompanied by green production and services. Environmental conservation and protection would also ensure bio-diversity in order to have sustainable development.
In addition, aquaculture production must use advanced environmentally friendly technologies while eco-tourism should be made a key industry.
For example, Viet Hai island commune on the east of Cat Hai island district, is the third largest island in Vietnam. There are 88 families or 270 people living on the island, but there is no market. Agricultural production is small and spontaneous, unable to provide enough food for islanders. Most of the food is from the mainland.
Sinh said that the island commune should concentrate on community tourism or home-stay accommodation to take advantage of its location in Cat Ba Nature Reserve. Organic agriculture was another option.
Meanwhile, he said Nhon Chau island commune in the central province of Binh Thuan should take advantages of its beautiful beaches. Eco tourism with sight seeing, diving and fishing would attract visitors. High-tech agriculture should be applied to provide enough food to islanders and visitors as 90 percent of soil on the island is unproductive.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam has more than 3,000 islands and islets with a total area of about 1,700 sq.km. Of those, three islands have more than 100 sq.km each, including Phu Quoc island in southern Kien Giang province, Cai Bau island in Quang Ninh province and
Cat Ba island in Hai Phong city. Twenty three islands have an area of 10 sq.km, 82 islands have 1 sq.km each. About 1,400 islets have not been named.
Groups of islands are said to have potential to become marine economic hubs and logistic centres for on-sea activities, including fishing or tourism. The islands together can create strategic areas to boost socio-economic development, ensure national defence and security.
Island economies could become “pillars for development” spreading development to surrounding areas. In addition to values of landscapes, the marine resources around the islands are crucial to fishing industry and sea tourism.
While more than 200 islands and islets in the country are said to be livable, just 66 have residential areas with populations in 2010 of about 240,000 people.
There are another 2,800 islands and islets unsuitable for human daily life or production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports to Japan posted strong growth in the first half of 2026, while a promising new trend has emerged in the value-added product segment. Notably, Vietnamese tilapia fillets have been exported to Japan for use in sushi and sashimi, creating new opportunities to enhance the value of the industry in one of the world's most demanding seafood markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a relatively sluggish first quarter, Vietnam's exports of fish cakes and surimi showed a clearer recovery in the second quarter, particularly in June. Export value in the first six months of 2026 reached USD 148 million, down 2% year on year. However, the newly imposed 12.5% additional U.S. tariff on Vietnamese goods, intensifying competition in Northeast Asia, and increasingly stringent traceability requirements in the EU are making the outlook for the second half of the year more uncertain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In June 2026, Vietnam's shrimp exports reached nearly USD 458 million, up 24% year-on-year. In the first six months of 2026, export value totaled USD 2.35 billion, an increase of 14.2% compared with the same period last year. Growth was driven mainly by the Chinese market and the strong performance of lobster exports, while shrimp exports continued to face pressure from U.S. tariffs and rising logistics costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program is designed as a specialized B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers, providing opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood exporters, gain the latest market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A project titled "Sustainable Shrimp Industry Governance" has been launched in Ca Mau Province with the aim of supporting the transition of the province's shrimp industry toward higher quality, lower emissions, stronger governance capacity, improved supply chain traceability, and the development of a sustainable shrimp brand that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Khanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Center for Marine Aquaculture Research and the Van Hung Public Service Center, recently organized a training course on disease-free golden pompano seed production. The program is part of a National Agricultural Extension Project aimed at developing industrial-scale seed production models to support sustainable marine aquaculture.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The application of high technology in shrimp farming is delivering positive results in the coastal areas of Vinh Long Province, contributing to improved production efficiency and creating significant potential for further industry expansion. However, to fully capitalize on this potential, the province is focusing on aquaculture zoning, infrastructure investment, and promoting modern, sustainable production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Đồng Tháp Province has intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by strengthening vessel monitoring, law enforcement and seafood traceability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood businesses need solutions to overcome bottlenecks such as labor shortages, difficulty accessing capital, high input costs, and administrative procedures in order to maintain production, adapt to market fluctuations, and effectively exploit export opportunities.
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