The year 2025 came to a close with profound and lasting imprints on Vietnam’s fisheries sector, set against a backdrop of global economic volatility and the increasingly severe impacts of climate change. Overcoming a wide range of challenges - from rising input costs and tightening technical barriers to unstable international demand - the fisheries sector not only fulfilled its assigned production targets but also marked a significant turning point in its development trajectory. Most notably, the sector completed a strategic transition from a purely production-oriented mindset to a comprehensive and sustainable fisheries economic approach.
Looking at the overall picture of 2025, Vietnam’s fisheries sector achieved remarkably impressive results. Total aquatic production was estimated at approximately 9.95 million metric tons, representing a 3% increase compared to 2024. Particularly noteworthy was the strong breakthrough in export performance, with total export turnover surpassing USD 11.3 billion - an increase of 12.7% year - on - year and 7.8% higher than the planned target. These achievements vividly demonstrate the resilience and vitality of one of Vietnam’s key economic sectors, despite mounting pressures from global inflation and declining demand in several major markets.
At the same time, these results also reflect the effectiveness of the sector’s strategic focus on deep processing and the optimal utilization of free trade agreements (FTAs), such as the EVFTA and CPTPP. By leveraging these agreements, Vietnamese fisheries products have significantly enhanced their competitiveness in demanding markets such as the United States, China, and the European Union.
A decisive restructuring of production toward reducing capture fisheries and expanding aquaculture continued to be vigorously implemented. While capture fisheries output remained relatively stable at around 3.83 million metric tons, aquaculture production recorded robust growth, exceeding 6.1 million metric tons and accounting for approximately 61% of total sector output. This shift represents not merely a numerical change, but a well-calibrated strategic orientation aimed at protecting marine resources and developing a controlled, environmentally responsible production system that meets the most stringent international market standards.
Shrimp and pangasius remained the two flagship commodities of Vietnam’s fisheries sector. Brackish-water shrimp production reached approximately 1.29 million metric tons, of which whiteleg shrimp accounted for nearly 1 million metric tons. Pangasius production also posted impressive growth, reaching 1.98 million metric tons-an increase of 7.5% compared to 2024. These figures clearly reflect the growing mastery of broodstock technology, seed quality management, and farming processes by Vietnamese farmers and enterprises.
One of the most prominent highlights in governance and administration during 2025 was the practical realization of the policy to shift from a production-based fisheries mindset to a fisheries economic mindset. The sector no longer pursued growth solely in terms of volume, but instead focused on generating multi-layered, integrated value by embedding principles of circular economy, animal welfare, and environmental and social responsibility into production and management practices.
This transformation was concretized through a strong emphasis on deep processing. Enterprises increasingly invested in value-added products in order to maintain favorable export prices and avoid direct price competition with major competitors such as India and Ecuador, which dominate the raw product segment. Concurrently, quality management and food safety controls were tightened across the entire production chain-from seed and feed to farming environments-enabling Vietnamese fisheries products to successfully pass stringent inspections by authorities in the United States and China.
Administrative reform emerged as a powerful driver of renewed momentum for businesses. In 2025, the Department of Fisheries and Surveillance proposed the reduction of up to 37.5% of business conditions and cut compliance costs related to administrative procedures by 64% for citizens and organizations. Notably, 100% of administrative documents were processed in the digital environment, marking a significant milestone in the sector’s digital transformation roadmap.
The year 2025 also represented a critical phase in efforts to remove the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. With the coordinated engagement of the entire political system, the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing held 15 regular meetings under the direct leadership of the Government to address obstacles one by one. The sector vigorously deployed the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT) to enhance transparency in landing and port data.
Fishing vessel management was further strengthened, as 100% of active fishing vessels are now fully equipped with vessel monitoring system (VMS) devices, ensuring continuous monitoring and strict compliance with regulatory requirements. The Fisheries Surveillance Force conducted dozens of patrol missions, imposed administrative penalties totaling tens of billions of Vietnamese dong, and simultaneously organized extensive outreach and communication campaigns to educate thousands of fishermen on compliance with international regulations.
Alongside these achievements, Vietnam’s fisheries sector in 2025 also faced unprecedented challenges. Climate change and extreme weather events-particularly severe storms and floods-caused significant damage to aquaculture areas in the Central and Northern regions. Disease outbreaks in brackish-water shrimp farming remained complex and difficult to control, placing considerable pressure on farmers.
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From an economic perspective, input costs such as aquafeed and logistics remained high, eroding profit margins for both enterprises and farmers. Intense price competition from major producing countries, coupled with increasingly stringent technical barriers imposed by key importing markets such as the United States, Japan, China, and the European Union, created a highly selective and demanding environment for exported products. Meanwhile, fishing port infrastructure and storm shelters, although receiving increased attention, have yet to fully meet development needs. The issue of “three-no” fishing vessels (without registration, inspection, or licensing), despite concerted efforts to address it, continues to pose challenges to sustainable fisheries management.
Entering 2026 - the first year of the next five-year development phase - the fisheries sector has set higher targets, aiming for total production exceeding 10 million metric tons and export turnover reaching USD 11.5 billion. To achieve these goals, the sector has identified several key solutions, including the modernization of aquaculture through the expansion of industrial offshore mariculture, the application of new materials for offshore farming, and the attraction of major corporate investment under green economy models.
The sector will continue to focus on key species such as shrimp, pangasius, and regionally advantageous specialty species. In capture fisheries, the emphasis will be on sustainable exploitation, further reducing offshore fishing license quotas to protect aquatic resources, and supporting fishermen in transitioning from destructive fishing practices to more sustainable livelihoods. Comprehensive digital transformation will be accelerated through the development of integrated digital databases linking central and local levels, incorporating data on farming area codes, environmental monitoring, and food safety. Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) will be applied in disease forecasting and smart feed management.
In his concluding remarks at the Conference, Deputy Minister Phùng Đức Tiến emphasized that although 2025 unfolded amid profound global economic uncertainties and harsh natural challenges, Vietnam’s fisheries sector firmly demonstrated its role as a resilient pillar of the agricultural economy. Overcoming pressures from institutional restructuring, stringent technical barriers, and losses caused by natural disasters, the sector achieved record-breaking results, opening a new chapter for a multi-value fisheries economic mindset.
The Deputy Minister particularly underscored the importance of embracing new thinking in the application of science, technology, and digital transformation to ensure effective integration into real-world production. Scientific research projects should no longer remain “shelved,” but must evolve into large-scale, comprehensive initiatives that deliver breakthroughs in seed development, offshore mariculture technologies, and post-harvest preservation to enhance product value.
At the same time, he reminded the leadership of the Department to pay due attention to improving the material and spiritual well-being of its cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers. Furthermore, the Department of Fisheries and Surveillance must continue to build a strong, united, and cohesive Party organization capable of mobilizing collective strength to effectively implement assigned strategies and plans, thereby achieving the best possible outcomes.
Huong Tra (Hai Dang translated)