In 2013, Vietnam totaled 3,500 off-shore fishing boats for ocean tuna (accounting for 14 percent of nationwide distant fishing boats) with over 35,000 fishermen. Apart from traditional longline fishing, line fishing with lights is also popular and provides huge supply of raw fish. In 2013, catches of yellowfin and bigeye tuna reached 16,000 MT. Exports valued at US$526 million. The U.S., the EU and Japan are the main markets for Vietnam ocean tuna products.
Tuna is the third export item of Vietnam after shrimp and pangasius. However, this fish industry is facing some problems: individual fishing activities among local fishermen, backward logistic services, limited bank credits for this sector, lack of close links among stakeholders in the production chain, especially the post harvest steps.
These weaknesses cause low quality of tuna products. Due to post harvest losses, there are only 5 – 6 percent of line-caught tuna and 30 – 40 percent of longline-caught tuna meeting quality requirements to be processed as sashimi products to export by airway.
Moreover, tuna producers just focus on fish yield and profits they earn rather than pay attention to markets' demand to provide more value-added products.
Improving quality
To keep stable developing of the sector, fish quality is required to improve. Fishermen need to create more fishing groups and efficient methods of purchasing, transportation and logistic services at sea in order to reduce time waste in the post harvest step.
According to a representative from the Japanese company Yanmar, raw fish quality is the fundamental factor to raise the price of product. Fish with good quality will have higher price and meet requirements of Japanese importers and others. Therefore, tuna producers should pay attention to immediate freezing step on board and at landing ports and better preservation storage using hygienic ice to ensure the fish quality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang City has fully implemented all recommendations from the European Commission (EC) regarding the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, creating an important foundation for the removal of the “yellow card” in the near future.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Hoa Vang district (Da Nang City), red tilapia farming is demonstrating clear economic efficiency, becoming a promising livelihood that helps many households increase their income. A notable example is the model of Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nam, who operates two red tilapia ponds covering more than 4 hectares, generating stable annual income.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
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