GENERAL INFORMATION

Vietnam, with a coastline of over 3,260 kilometers (km) and more than 3,000 islands and islets scattered offshore, plus up to 2,860 rivers and estuaries, has been geographically endowed with ideal conditions for the thriving fishery sector which currently exists.

Great potential of fishery sector in Vietnam is embedded in water bodies of 1.700.000 ha in which 811.700 ha freshwater, 635.400 ha brackish waters and 125.700 ha coves and 300.000 - 400.000 ha wetland areas might be employed for aquaculture development.

The Mekong River Delta in the south and the Red River Delta in the north have been used for wild catch fishing as well as extensive fish farming.

Shrimp and pangasius mostly farmed in the Mekong River Delta, in which, shrimp farmes located in coastal provinces such as Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Ben Tre..

Pangasius farming is developing in many provinces in Mekong River Delta such as Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tien Giang, An Giang, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh....

Production in the fishery sector grew at an average rate of 7.05% from 1991 to 2000, and 10% from 2001 to now. Vietnamese fisheries production increased steadily YoY. Aquaculture output tent to sharply rise while capture ouput tend to slow down. In 2023, aquaculture occupied 59%, fishing output occupied 41%. From 2018-2023, ratio of fishing output has decreased from 46% to 41% of total fishery production in Vietnam. In 2023, total aquaculture area was 5.408 million tons, up 3.5%; total fishing output was 3.861 million tons, equal to 2022.

Available fish sources

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the morning of March 11, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with the People's Committee of Soc Trang Province to organize an online conference called "Developing the Shrimp Industry in 2022 and signing regulation on cooperative management of brackish water shrimp breeds in 2022".

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Directorate of Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) informed that the aquaculture production of the whole country in 2021 is estimated at 4.75 million tons, an increase of about 4.17% compared to 2020. In which, the output of pangasius alone will reach about 4.75 million tons. 1.5 million tons, equal to 2020.

An Giang is one of the provinces with strengths in agricultural production, in which rice and fishery products are strategic commodities of the province, which is increasingly expanding in scale, improving quality, meeting the needs of consumption and export demand. In which, export pangasius fillet is one of the potentials for agricultural economic development of the province.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On November 22, the first container of canned clam meat from Vietnam was exported to Europe with the quantity of 200,000 boxes.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam's seafood production in November 2021 was estimated at 761.8 thousand tons, up 3.2% over the same period last year. In which, fish production reached 540.9 thousand tons, up 3%; shrimp production reached 109.2 thousand tons, up 5.1%; other aquatic products reached 111.7 thousand tons, up 2.7%.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Chanh - Director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Fisheries Sub-Department, the plan to implement the Vietnam Fisheries Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045 in the province, is oriented towards aquaculture development in the direction of commodity production, raising the value of key aquaculture species, associated with traceability to ensure raw materials for the processing and export industries.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee and Minh Phu Seafood Corporation have just held the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Minh Phu Seafood Processing Factory project chain at Khanh An Industrial Park, U Minh District, Ca Mau Province.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has recently signed Decision No.1664/QD-TTg approving a project on marine aquaculture development till 2030 with a vision to 2045.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to a report by the Can Tho Fisheries Sub-Department, the total output of farmed and caught seafood in the first nine months of 2021 reached 124,757 tons, equaling 82% over the same period, reaching 62% of the 2021 plan.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The rice-shrimp farming model is mainly concentrated in the coastal provinces such as Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ben Tre, Ca Mau, etc. is giving high economic efficiency. Every year, farmers earn two sources of rice and shrimp, about 4-4.5 tons of rice/ha/crop and 0.45-0.5 tons of shrimp/ha/crop.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanks to a lot of efforts, up to now, Soc Trang shrimp industry has basically overcome the challenges during the period of implementing social distancing to ensure the prevention and control of COVID-19 . The difficulties that are solved in time and the optimistic signals of consumer demand in both domestic and foreign markets are good opportunities for shrimp farmers and seafood processing companies in this locality to restore the production chain in the remaining months of the year.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the report of the Directorate of Fisheries, by the end of August 2021, the total fishery production of Vietnam is estimated at 5,692.5 thousand tons (up 1.4% over the same period in 2020), of which the output caught catching 2,704.8 thousand tons (up 0.8%), aquaculture production 2,987.7 thousand tons (up 1.8%).

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Along with pangasius and brackish water shrimp, which have been promoted for export, many aquatic species that are farmed in fresh water and in the sea in the Mekong Delta such as tilapia, red tilapia, giant freshwater prawn, eel , frogs, clams, crabs... are purchased, processed and exported by some enterprises. The potential and opportunity to promote the export of these aquatic products is still great if there is a good connection between farmers and businesses.

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang will develop sea aquaculture, focusing on breeding fish in floating cages and bivalve mollusc farming effectively and safely, thereby contributing to enhancing agricultural economic growth in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Vietnam is to have 280,000 ha of marine aquaculture area and 10.5 million cubic metres of farming cages by 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).