The opening ceremony of VIETFISH 2018 with the largest scale in the last 20 years

Compared with 2008 - a decade ago, the number of exhibitors has increased by 30%, leading to an increase of 48 booths and participation of many international partners and collaborators. After 10 years, VIETFISH 2018 confirmed its stature and synergy through a surge in the number of booths, exhibitors and visitors.

With the special gold milestone of 20 years, VIETFISH 2018 gathered 374 booths (up 3.6% compared to 2017) of 233 exhibitors (up 6.8% from 2017) from 14 countries, said Mr. Ngo Van Ich, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). VIETFISH 2018 attracted 153 domestic exhibitors, of which the number of aquaculture and service exhibitors accounts for 55% while machinery, equipment and other exhibitors (chemicals, additives, cold storage, etc.) account for 45%.

According to Mr. Vu Van Tam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, VIETFISH is a playground for domestic and foreign seafood enterprises to exchange and learn, thereby together rowing up the Vietnamese seafood boat to reach out to the world. Currently, Vietnamese seafood products have been exported to 165 countries and territories with the export turnover of over US$8 billion, which put Vietnam into the list of 5 leading seafood suppliers in the world. The industry constantly demonstrates an increasingly sustainable development in accordance with the world’s strictest requirements of food hygiene.

In the framework of Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition 2018 (VIETFISH 2018) (from 22^nd to 24^th August 2018), there will be 09 major conferences related to “hot” topics of fisheries industry such as sustainable aquaculture, supply and demand trends, the impact of trade war on fisheries, sustainable labor employment, social security, IUU fishing, climate change, advanced technology implication and so on. This will be an opportunity for stakeholders to update latest information on the fisheries sector, the world's seafood consumption trends and look for partners, apply research in production and provide development strategies for businesses...

VIETFISH 2018 expected to attract over 10,000 domestic and international visitors, seafood exporters & importers, seafood services suppliers, international importers/retailers, NGOs and the media. Visitors not only enjoy seafood products "Made in Viet Nam" and take part in private programs from companies such as cooking demonstrations, trying attractive dishes made from fish, shrimp, tuna, squid, octopus ... but also directly participate in thematic workshops related to fisheries, which is an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to learn new trends, assess the challenges through presentations by international experts in each field.

According to the latest report of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, seafood export turnover in the first half of 2018 reached US$4 billion, up 10.5% over the same period last year. This is a very promising number that will empower Vietnam to export US$10 billion in the near future. This objective is the driving force for all components of the whole value chain of the seafood sector to strive for, including flagship enterprises and the quiet role of VASEP - VIETFISH, thereby contributing to the overall success of the industry while building joint strength that enables Vietnam's seafood industry to rise to a new height.

Some pictures at the opening ceremony of VIETFISH 2018: