Currently, a draft of the Decree on pangasius production and export has been developed by authorized agencies in cooperation with stakeholders, including fish farmers and companies, in order to set up a legal framework for production and trading activities in the industry.
According to the draft, production of commercial pangasius has to satisfy these following requirements: fish farms have to be under the production planning approved by provincial People’s Committees; fish farms are required to be registered with local aquaculture agencies on farming area, time for farming and fish output. By December 31st 2014, all fish farmers are obligated to be certified to meet VietGAP standards or other international standards recognized by Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Fish exporters must own processing plants meeting requirements regulated in the Decree. Or they have processing or supply contracts with export companies having processing facilities which meet the mentioned requirements.
Developing a sustainable pangasius value chain
In addition to a new legal framework, a community project on sustainably developing Vietnam pangasius industry, titled “Establishing a Sustainable Pangasius supply chain in Vietnam” (SUPA) has been carried out by Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre (VNCPC) in cooperation with Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), WWF Vietnam and WWF Austria on August 2nd 2013. The project is realized in the 2013 - 2017 period with total investment of nearly EUR2.4 million.
SUPA focuses on strengthening the capacity of Vietnam pangasius industry towards a more responsible production in order to improve the quality of products, mitigate environmental impacts, as well as reduce production costs. The project also shares information and offer technical assistances to medium and small enterprises and household fish farmers to help them apply current sustainable standards like ASC and GlobalGAP, enhancing competitiveness of Vietnam pangasius products in the global market.
Truong Dinh Hoe, VASEP’s General Secretary, shared that SUPA planned to set up a model fish farm to bring modern technologies to local farmers, leading to cost-effective production. A training centre will also be established in Can Tho University to provide farmers with training courses on fish breeding, quality control and market information gathering. In particular, fish farmers are trained to undertake negotiations with foreign buyers to gain business profits.
By the completion of the project, at least 70 percent of the beneficiary companies will reach their target to develop medium and large pangasius production and processing chains; 30 percent of small feed processors and fish farms involve in Resources Efficiency and Cleaner Production (RE-CP) method. Furthermore, there will be at least 50 percent of project-participing companies will be able to provide the EU and other markets with sustainable pangasius products meeting standards like ASC.
“Currently, many foreign importers are interested in pangasius products certified by ASC and GlobalGAP. Since the end of December 2012, some retailers in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, the U.K. and Italy have stopped sourcing more pangasius fillets from importers to prepare for the introduction of ASC-labeled fish products into these markets. This is great opportunity for Vietnamese pangasius companies to develop their market shares in European countries, increasing the prices for exported fishes,” said Mr. Hoe.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn