Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s seafood sector will continue to reduce capture fisheries while expanding aquaculture in a sustainable, climate-resilient manner to enhance competitiveness, with a strong focus on shifting from a production mindset to a fisheries economy and from single-value growth to integrated multi-value development, according to Tran Dinh Luan, Director General of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance.
Speaking at a conference reviewing 2025 performance and outlining tasks for 2026 on January 7, Luan said early and proactive preparations are underway to secure raw material supplies for exports in 2026. The department will coordinate with localities to organise solution-oriented meetings from the beginning of the production season, focusing on key farmed species and promising new ones to ensure sustained growth.
Deputy Director General Pham Quang Toan said that in 2026, the sector aims for total seafood output of more than 10 million tonnes, up 0.6% from 2025. Of the total, capture fisheries are expected to reach about 3.75 million tonnes, down 2.1%, while aquaculture output is projected at 6.25 million tonnes, up 2.2%. Seafood export turnover is targeted at around 11.5 billion USD.
Alongside production expansion, the sector will strengthen environmental monitoring and early warning systems, tighten disease control, expand high-tech and recirculating aquaculture, reduce emissions, and improve water-use efficiency. Food safety controls will also be tightened across the entire value chain to meet both domestic consumption and export requirements.
The sector will closely monitor weather conditions and market developments to provide timely guidance for aquaculture production. Priority will be given to key species such as black tiger shrimp, whiteleg shrimp and pangasius, developed in concentrated production zones linked to spatial planning and synchronised infrastructure. Efforts will also be stepped up to promote industrial-scale marine farming, offshore aquaculture, new-material cage farming, and the cultivation of seaweed and molluscs under a green economy model.
In capture fisheries, the sector will review and classify fishing ports and anchorage areas by scale and function, as well as their capacity to meet requirements for vessel management, traceability and the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The capacity of designated fishing ports to receive vessels, handle landings and monitor catches will be assessed, with pilot models of smart fishing ports linked to digital transformation in fisheries management to be introduced.
The department will also advise on better management of fishing quotas, gradually reduce the number of fishing vessels, and accelerate the transition of fishers away from practices that harm marine resources and the environment toward alternative livelihoods.
The sector will further intensify the shift from a production-oriented approach to a fisheries economy, and from single-value growth to integrated multi-value development. This will involve restructuring production, developing markets, building product brands, and creating distinctive products linked with other sectors to form value chains that elevate seafood products. Particular attention will be paid to gradually integrating emerging market requirements such as the circular economy, animal welfare, emissions reduction, and environmental and social responsibility in aquaculture.
From an export perspective, Nguyen Hoai Nam, Secretary General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), called on the department to continue supporting businesses by removing bottlenecks, accelerating implementation, and promoting the digitalisation of certification and verification for captured seafood to facilitate traceability.
According to the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, total seafood output in 2025 reached 9.95 million tonnes, up 3% from 2024. Capture fisheries accounted for 3.83 million tonnes, equivalent to 99.8% of the 2024 level, while aquaculture output reached 6.1 million tonnes, up 5.1%. Seafood export turnover was estimated at over USD 11 billion, an increase of 12.7% year on year./.
