The project has also opened up new markets for Vietnamese pangasius products.
Before the programme began, pangasius exports had been rising sharply to account for 30 per cent of the country’s total aquaculture exports, but the sector’s development was not steady.
The rapid growth had caused concern among stakeholders and the Government, who were wondering how to ensure the sector’s long-term sustainability.
In 2013, the project, in co-operation with the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Việt Nam Cleaner Production Centre and the Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, started implementing strategic activities to support pangasius producers and processors in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta.
Funded by the EU through its EU SWITCH-Asia programme, the project was undertaken for four years until March 2017, seeking to enhance the global competitiveness of Việt Nam’s pangasius industry, minimise the environmental fallouts and boost responsible production.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the project, Trần Văn Tớp, vice principal of the Hà Nội University of Science and Technology and chairman of the SUPA Steering Committee, said the project supported over 50 enterprises, 120 farms, 130 households and 12 co-operatives, as well as trained nearly 3,000 participants.
It consulted and trained farmers in increasing the fish’s survival rate and reducing feed costs and environmental effects during the process of hatching and production.
It also technically supported 33 farms and co-operatives in obtaining international sustainable seafood certification, including from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.
“The project helped processing firms improve their capacity and advised more than 70 plants in resource efficiency and cleaner production, helping them cut electricity consumption by 18-20 per cent and water consumption by 26-30 per cent.”
In this manner, the programme helped 54 pangasius processing plants annually cut production costs by VNĐ2-5 billion (US$87,800- 219,300) per plant and CO2 emissions by 21,000 tonnes.
It also connected producers in Việt Nam with international buyers, especially in the EU, creating better export opportunities, Lê Xuân Thịnh, project manager, Việt Nam Cleaner Production Centre, said.
It collaborated with experts to organise co-creation sessions with consumers in Europe and Việt Nam to help the producers create new products with improved quality and meet consumers’ demands, he said.
Mag.Karim Ben Romdhane, seafood analyst at WWF Austria, said besides helping promote Vietnamese pangasius at the Seafood Expo Global, the world’s largest seafood expo, for the last three years, the WWF also invited European retailers to visit Việt Nam and take a look at certified pangasius farms as a way to attract buying.
There was still a negative image of pangasius in certain parts of Europe, and so WWF and the Vietnamese pangasius industry had to communicate the improvements achieved through the project to European consumers, he said.
“Improvements have been achieved but not communicated to consumers in Europe yet. So I would invest more energy, more money to communicate these improvements to European consumers so that the image of pangasius gradually changes in the next few years.”
Lê Xuân Thịnh suggested establishing an information centre for seafood, especially for pangasius, to promote Vietnamese seafood including pangasius and protest against the media smear campaign in Europe.
He also urged donors to continue assisting the pangasius industry with technical and quality standards.
Trần Đình Luân, deputy director of the General Directorate of Fisheries, hailed the programme’s achievements, saying that the programme had helped producers cut costs, develop new, popular products and, especially, create a closed supply chain.
The directorate was undertaking many activities to help the sector’s development, he said.
Source: VNS
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a fairly strong upward trend in 2025, Vietnam’s clam exports entered 2026 with a mixed picture: strong growth at the beginning of the year, followed by a slowdown from March onward. According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s clam export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached more than USD 38 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
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