The Summary Report on the Implementation Results of the 2025 Aquaculture Development Plan provides a comprehensive overview of the production situation, state management activities, key opportunities and constraints facing the sector, and clearly identifies orientations, tasks, and priority solutions for 2026 and the subsequent period. This report reflects both the resilience and adaptive capacity of Viet Nam’s aquaculture industry in the context of global uncertainty and domestic structural challenges.
Context and key characteristics of aquaculture development in 2025
Over the past year, aquaculture continued to reaffirm its role as a central pillar of Viet Nam’s fisheries sector, making an important contribution to agricultural economic growth, ensuring livelihoods for millions of rural and coastal workers, and serving as a major supply source for export markets. Sectoral operations in 2025 took place within a context that combined favorable policy orientations with numerous structural and long-term challenges.
On the positive side, the aquaculture sector continued to receive strong, timely, and decisive guidance from the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Major strategic orientations, such as the transition from a mindset of “aquatic production” to that of a “fisheries economy,” and from single-value growth to integrated multi-value growth, were increasingly translated into concrete programs, projects, and operational solutions.
At the same time, the proactive efforts of enterprises and farmers in technological innovation, the application of high-tech farming models, recirculating aquaculture systems, ecological aquaculture practices, and compliance with quality standards such as VietGAP and organic certification, contributed significantly to improving production efficiency and meeting the increasingly stringent requirements of domestic and international markets.
However, 2025 also witnessed substantial challenges. Climate change and extreme weather events-particularly storms, floods, and prolonged heavy rainfall-caused considerable damage in many key farming regions, especially in the Central region and the Mekong Delta. Disease outbreaks affecting major cultured species, particularly brackish-water shrimp, continued to evolve in a complex manner in several localities, while environmental monitoring and management capacity in many farming areas remained limited.
In addition, high input costs for feed, seed, and electricity exerted strong pressure on production costs and competitiveness. Simultaneously, increasingly strict trade barriers and quality control requirements imposed by major importing markets compelled the sector to strengthen food safety management and traceability from the earliest stages of aquaculture production.
Production results and key highlights of the aquaculture sector in 2025
Despite the aforementioned difficulties, the implementation results of the 2025 production targets demonstrate the considerable efforts and determination of the entire sector. By the end of December 2025, total national fisheries production was estimated at approximately 9.779 million tons, representing an increase of 1.1 percent compared to 2024 and achieving 100.3 percent of the annual plan.
Within this overall structure, aquaculture output exceeded 5.98 million tons, up 2.9 percent year-on-year and surpassing 100.5 percent of the planned target. This continued to confirm the strategic orientation of gradually reducing capture fisheries while increasing the share of aquaculture in line with the national fisheries development strategy.
Export turnover of aquatic products in 2025 was estimated at approximately USD 11.32 billion, an increase of 9.6 percent compared to 2024 and equivalent to 107.8 percent of the annual plan. Aquaculture products accounted for a large proportion of export value, with key commodities including brackish-water shrimp, pangasius, mollusks, and several high-value marine farmed species. These results reflect the sector’s relatively flexible adaptation to market fluctuations and trade barriers, as well as the effectiveness of management, market promotion, and production support measures implemented during the year.
By subsector, marine aquaculture continued to emerge as a bright spot, with total cage farming volume exceeding 11 million cubic meters and mollusk farming area reaching approximately 59.2 thousand hectares. Marine aquaculture production in 2025 was estimated at around 869 thousand tons, an increase of 5.8 percent compared to 2024. Notably, lobster production reached approximately 14.5 thousand tons, recording strong growth year-on-year and reflecting an expanding trend toward high-value species aligned with market demand. Mollusk farming remained stable, with output of around 470 thousand tons, making an important contribution to both domestic consumption and exports.
In the brackish-water aquaculture sector, total farming area reached approximately 936.7 thousand hectares, with production estimated at about 1.716 million tons. Brackish-water shrimp production alone reached approximately 1.29 million tons, up 1.8 percent compared to 2024. This growth was largely driven by the expansion and improved efficiency of intensive and super-intensive shrimp farming models that apply advanced technologies and better environmental and disease management practices in many key localities.
 |
Freshwater aquaculture continued to play a dominant role in terms of volume, with a total area of approximately 389 thousand hectares and output of about 3.3 million tons. Pangasius production reached around 1.74 million tons, showing a slight decrease compared to 2024 due to adjustments in stocking area and market impacts. In contrast, tilapia and other freshwater species recorded positive growth, reflecting a trend toward diversification of cultured species and more effective utilization of inland water resources.
State management and production governance in 2025
Alongside production achievements, state management of aquaculture in 2025 was further strengthened and improved across multiple dimensions. The development, review, and refinement of the legal framework were actively pursued, including finalizing drafts of amendments to the Fisheries Law, submitting decrees and circulars for Government promulgation, and reviewing sectoral regulations to better align with practical requirements.
Management of aquatic seed and feed remained a major priority. In 2025, total production and nursing of aquatic seed was estimated at approximately 392.5 billion individuals, slightly higher than in 2024. Strengthened management of broodstock sources, import controls-particularly for whiteleg shrimp and lobster seed-contributed to improving seed quality and reducing disease risks.
At the same time, the database system for aquaculture feed and environmental treatment products continued to be expanded, with tens of thousands of product codes updated to support management activities and traceability.
In the area of aquatic animal disease prevention and control, 2025 recorded disease occurrences in 285 communes across 18 provinces, with a total affected farming area of approximately 6,750 hectares, accounting for about 1.49 percent of the total farming area. The operation of the Viet Nam Animal Health Information System (VAHIS) for the aquaculture sector significantly improved the effectiveness of disease surveillance, reporting, and early warning, gradually replacing traditional manual reporting methods. In parallel, the number of facilities certified as disease-free continued to increase, laying an important foundation for the establishment of biosecure farming zones that meet export market requirements.
Production guidance for key cultured species such as brackish-water shrimp, pangasius, and marine aquaculture was implemented in a coordinated manner through thematic conferences, seasonal farming guidelines, inspections of farming conditions, and support for localities in overcoming difficulties caused by natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and market volatility. In particular, engagement with inspection missions from the United States and China further promoted strengthened management of food safety and traceability, contributing to enhanced transparency and credibility of Vietnamese aquatic products in international markets.
Development orientation, targets, and solutions for aquaculture in 2026
Entering 2026, the first year of the 2026–2030 period, Viet Nam’s aquaculture sector faces the requirement to accelerate and achieve breakthroughs in order to fulfill the objectives of the Fisheries Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision toward 2045. The 2026 plan sets a target for total fisheries production of approximately 9.88 million tons, of which aquaculture output is expected to reach around 6.13 million tons, representing a 2.6 percent increase compared to the estimated performance in 2025. Export turnover of aquatic products is targeted at approximately USD 11.5 billion, reaffirming the central role of aquaculture in the value structure of the fisheries sector.
The overarching orientation for the coming period is to develop aquaculture in a sustainable manner, enhance climate change adaptation, increase value added, and strengthen product competitiveness. The sector will continue implementing the policy of reducing capture fisheries while expanding aquaculture, promoting industrial-scale and offshore marine aquaculture, developing high-value cultured species, and expanding the application of good aquaculture practices, organic standards, and internationally recognized certification systems.
Key solution groups for 2026 will focus on improving institutions and policies; strengthening management of aquatic seed and feed; enhancing the effectiveness of disease prevention and control; expanding environmental monitoring and early warning systems; reinforcing food safety control and traceability; and accelerating digital transformation and the application of science and technology in both management and production.
In addition, attracting private investment, developing aquaculture infrastructure, strengthening value chain linkages, and promoting public–private partnerships are identified as critical solutions to improve production organization efficiency and stabilize market outlets for aquaculture products.
The aquaculture results achieved in 2025 demonstrate that, despite numerous difficulties and challenges, Viet Nam’s aquaculture sector has been able to maintain growth momentum and achieve positive outcomes in terms of production volume, economic value, and governance. These achievements not only reflect the efforts of state management agencies, enterprises, and farmers, but also provide an important foundation for the implementation of sustainable development goals and solutions in the coming period. With clear orientations, synchronized solutions, and strong engagement across the entire sector, Viet Nam’s aquaculture industry is expected to continue developing in a modern, efficient, and deeply internationally integrated direction in the years ahead.
Hai Dang