There will be 30.500 fishing boats with capacity of 2.5 million CV for 1.2 million MT of total catches. Seafood exports are expected to reach 1.3 million MT, worth nearly US$7 billion. Frozen shrimp, pangasius and cephalopods still remain the key items, accounting for 70 – 80 percent of total seafood exports. Processed products to serve the domestic market reach 650,000 MT, 60 percent of which is value-added products. All processing facilities meet food safety requirements.
Mekong Delta also plans to develop two regional fishing hubs in Kien Giang and Can Tho.
To achieve the mentioned goals, Mekong Delta provinces are restructuring the fishery industry through diversifying production chains and developing cooperation models among stakeholders like fish farmers, processors, traders, investors and credit institutions. Communities and associations in the fishery sector need to get involved in the value chains.
So far, Mekong Delta provinces have taken appropriate measures to reorganize marine fishing activities to tighten fish ground protection and development of fish stocks. Additionally, the region is strengthening cooperation models like groups of fishing boats, fisheries cooperatives, links between fishing boats and intermediaries with an aim at an efficient offshore fishing, reducing fishing costs and bringing more profits to fishermen.
In aquaculture, provinces in Mekong Delta have completed irrigation systems to ensure water sources for farming and mitigate fish farms’ environmental impacts in some localities. Farming households are now the main production model, but the delta also gives priority to industrial farming activities for some key export items such as pangasius, whiteleg shrimp and black tiger shrimp. Besides, production systems are reorganized to improve product value and create close links among raw material production, processing and trading.
Some coastal provinces restructure production value based on value chain and enhancing link between processing and trading players and raw material suppliers. In which, the top priorities are given to the production of value-added products and the development of important seafood brands. Mekong Delta provinces are also expanding farming activities in compliance with GlobalGAP and ASC standards; tightening quality inspections, quarantines of shrimp seeds and feed and vet drugs used in shrimp cultivation; as well as enhancing control of water sources in farming areas to mitigate pollution.
For processing and export activities, companies are in trend of developing their own farms or their tight links with local farmers to make sure stable raw material supply for processing. In the production field, it is important to focus investments on key fisheries hubs in Kien Giang and Can Tho.
In export field, Delta-based provinces should remain shares in traditional and large markets like the EU, the U.S., Japan, Eastern Europe, China, Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, as well as strive to sell seafood products to retailers and supermarket chains in foreign countries directly. Local processing and export companies need to reach ASC certification for their products.
Coastal provinces are encouraging local fishers and processors to reach MSC certification to show that their fishes were caught from sustainable fish grounds in a responsible and well managed way and in compliance with traceability requirements from the EU, the US and Japan.
(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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