(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the 2025 review and 2026 outlook conference held by the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance on the afternoon of January 7, Vietnam’s seafood sector has set a total production target of over 10 million tons in 2026, representing a 0.6% increase year-on-year. Of this total, capture fisheries are projected at around 3.75 million tons (down 2.1%), while aquaculture output is expected to reach 6.25 million tonnes (up 2.2%) compared with 2025.
Mr. Tran Dinh Luan noted that while the 2026 growth targets are set against a backdrop of significant headwinds, the sector’s overarching approach is to identify risks early in order to formulate appropriate and proactive implementation plans.
To ensure a steady supply of raw materials for export, the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance will collaborate with local authorities to organize solution-oriented conferences from the beginning of the farming season, focusing on key cultured species as well as new, high-potential species to maintain the industry’s growth momentum.
In parallel, the sector will strengthen environmental monitoring and early warning systems, tighten disease control, expand high-tech and recirculating aquaculture systems, reduce emissions and promote more efficient use of water resources. At the same time, food safety controls will be reinforced across the entire value chain, ensuring compliance with requirements for both domestic consumption and export markets.
The sector will continue to more concretely and forcefully shift from a production-oriented mindset to an economic approach to fisheries, moving away from single-value growth toward multi-value integrated growth. Particular emphasis will be placed on gradually embedding new market requirements, including circular economy, animal welfare, emissions reduction and socio-environmental responsibility - into aquaculture practices.
From an export perspective, Nguyen Hoai Nam, Secretary General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, noted that international markets increasingly require legal compliance for wild-caught products and mandatory farming area codes for aquaculture. However, the issuance of farm codes remains affected by regional planning complexities and administrative decentralization.
Accordingly, VASEP has recommended that the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance continue to accompany and support enterprises by removing bottlenecks, accelerating implementation and promoting digitalization of certification and verification processes for caught seafood to enhance traceability and simplify export procedures.
The Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance reported that total aquatic production in 2025 reached 9.95 million tons, up 3% year-on-year. Of this, capture fisheries amounted to 3.83 million tonnes, slightly receding to 99.8% of the previous year's level, while aquaculture reached 6.1 million tons, up 5.1%. Seafood export turnover is estimated at over $11 billion, representing a significant 12.7% jump from 2024.