More than 6.85 million aquaculture floating cages made from foam in the northern province of Quang Ninh have been replaced by those made from high-density polyethylene plastic, benefiting both the environment and farmers.
As of November last year the province had more than 32,000ha of aquaculture farms, and they had replaced 98 per cent of foam cages with plastic.
HDPE plastic is environmentally friendly, durable, flexible, non-oxidising, resistant to big waves and strong winds and can withstand high loads.
Local authorities have destroyed the foam cages without causing pollution.
In Cam Pha City and Ha Long City, foam pieces have been sent to industrial zones and cement plants to be used as fuel to recover heat and save coal.
When burned at high temperatures, foam is converted completely to heat, and does not affect the environment.
It is then burned into clinker for cement production.
In Quang Yen Town, the foam cages that need to be destroyed have been transported by a HDPE cage supplier in Bac Ninh Province for recycling.
In Van Don District, over two million cages have been collected at Cai Rong Fishing Port, and will be processed by the VietCycle Joint Stock Company, which recycles domestic scrap for free.
The company uses a crushing, heating and pressurized gas compression line to create solid plastic, which is then converted into other products.
Pham Van Tung, a technical expert at the VietCycle Joint Stock Company, said on knowing that Van Don District wants to recycle more than two million pieces of foam, the company took the production line there since transporting millions of bulky foam floats would take a lot of effort and money.
In the one-odd month since it began, the company has recycled around 40 tonnes of foam and another 250 tonnes are awaiting processing, he said.
It is installing a new line with a higher capacity to increase efficiency, and expects to do so in the second quarter of 2024, he told Vietnam News Agency.
He said the line does not affect the environment or even cause noise pollution, and is easy to transport.
After being cleaned, the foam pieces are crushed, heated and compressed to form solid plastic pieces of more manageable size than the floats.
The pieces are transported to factories in Hai Phong and Ha Noi to clean them further before being used as inputs for waste plastic products, or so-called black plastic, he said.
He said Styrofoam is also a form of plastic, and so when processed by burning it normally gives off black smoke, polluting the environment.
Gathering more than two million foam cages at the Cai Rong fishing port not only occupies a lot of space but also affects the environment and poses fire and explosion hazards.
Dang Ngoc Thiet, head of the port and harbor section at the Van Don District Agricultural Technical Service Centre, said that a large fire broke out in the port’s temporary foam cage storage yard in May last year.
The centre has had to establish a 24-hour monitoring team with surveillance cameras to deal with fire risks.
Bui Van Huong, chairman of the Cai Rong Town People's Committee, hoped the company would speed up recycling of the foam stored at the port.
Local authorities hope the company will invest in more production lines with larger capacities to soon recycle the remaining foam floats.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in February 2026 reached approximately USD 707 million, up 8% compared to the same period last year. Cumulatively, exports in the first two months of 2026 totaled USD 1.7 billion, an increase of 20.2% year-on-year. The results show that the sector’s recovery momentum has remained relatively solid following strong growth in January, although the pace slowed noticeably in February for several key products and major markets. Within the overall picture, shrimp continues to be the largest pillar, pangasius rebounds strongly, while tuna exports and the U.S. and Korean markets are sending signals that warrant closer monitoring. In March, seafood exports are expected to gain additional momentum from markets other than the U.S., potentially supporting stronger growth.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, fishing activities in Quang Tri province recorded many positive signals, with output reaching over 15,941 tons. This result not only demonstrates fishermen’s efforts to stay offshore but also reflects the effectiveness of management and support measures implemented by local authorities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first months of 2026, IUU prevention models focused on communication and mobilizing fishermen to comply with fisheries laws and avoid encroaching on foreign waters—related to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—have been implemented in coastal localities of Lam Dong province and have delivered initial positive results.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The sharp rise in raw pangasius prices to record levels is sending positive signals for the industry, but experts warn of potential supply–demand imbalances if production is not tightly controlled.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, the country’s total canned tuna export value in 2025 reached over USD 275 million, down 8% compared to 2024. Vietnamese canned tuna products were present in approximately 80 markets worldwide. However, the 2025 picture shows clear divergence: the U.S. maintained stability, the EU declined sharply, while several Middle East–North Africa (MENA) markets accelerated.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s crab exports reached nearly USD 86 million, up almost 6% compared to 2024. A notable feature of 2025 was the strong market concentration in the United States, which accounted for more than 81% of Vietnam’s total crab export value, up 10% from the previous year. In contrast, exports to several Asian markets declined significantly, resulting in only modest overall growth for the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tilapia exports recorded impressive growth, with total export turnover reaching over USD 99 million, highlighting the increasingly important role of this product in the country’s seafood export structure. Of this total, tilapia fillets and other fish meat products accounted for USD 61 million, representing 61% of total export value and reaffirming their position as the key product category.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Shrimp seed quality is considered the “first link” and a decisive factor affecting the efficiency of the entire commercial shrimp production chain. High-quality seed directly influences survival rates, growth performance, and disease resistance, thereby determining production costs, productivity, and farmers’ profitability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of its agricultural restructuring strategy toward sustainability, Quang Tri Province is gradually promoting environmentally friendly aquaculture models. Among these, organic-oriented golden pompano farming is considered a promising direction, aligned with the goals of enhancing production value and building sustainable rural areas.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
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