Vietnam’s fisheries sector is sustaining optimistic progress momentum however faces mounting challenges from intensifying international competitors and more and more stringent market necessities. In this context, science, know-how and innovation have been recognized as each the muse and a essential driving pressure for restructuring the sector, enhancing productiveness, high quality and added worth.
This evaluation was shared by specialists on the 2026 nationwide convention on fisheries science, know-how and surveillance, held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 28.
Sustained progress amid rising pressures
The fisheries sector stays a pillar of the agriculture and atmosphere sector, making vital contributions to export earnings and offering livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of individuals in coastal and rural areas, in line with Tran Dinh Luan, Director of the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance below the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
During the 2021–2025 interval, the sector’s manufacturing construction continued to shift towards lowered seize and elevated aquaculture. By the top of 2025, whole output reached almost 10 million tonnes, with aquaculture accounting for over 6.1 million tonnes and serving as the primary progress driver. Meanwhile, seize output stabilised at round 3.8–3.9 million tonnes, declining barely by a mean of 0.9% per 12 months, reflecting efforts to handle fishing depth and shield marine sources.
Aquatic product processing has additionally expanded, with main enterprises investing in trendy applied sciences to satisfy requirements in demanding markets such because the US, the European Union and Japan. Total export turnover exceeded 11.3 billion USD, putting Vietnam among the many world’s main aquatic product exporters.
Despite these encouraging figures, long-term challenges persist. Associate Professor Dr. Dang Thi Lua of the Research Institute for Aquaculture famous that local weather change impacts, together with sea-level rise, salinity intrusion and excessive climate occasions, are putting growing stress on the sector, requiring adaptive breeding applied sciences and resilient farming techniques.
At the identical time, stricter commerce obstacles, significantly on traceability and the struggle in opposition to unlawful, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, are compelling the sector to speed up digital transformation in administration and monitoring. Environmental safety necessities and emission discount targets are additionally pushing the trade towards inexperienced and round economic system fashions.
While science and know-how have considerably contributed to progress, their sensible software stays restricted. Dr. Nguyen Van Long, Director of the Department of Science and Technology below the ministry, pointed to bottlenecks in breeding analysis and seed provide, with the sector nonetheless depending on imports. The commercialisation of scientific merchandise additionally stays modest, whereas help companies reminiscent of know-how switch and innovation infrastructure are underdeveloped.
Toward complete transformation
Vietnam’s Fisheries Development Strategy to 2030, with a imaginative and prescient to 2045, units bold objectives of constructing a contemporary, sustainable and globally aggressive sector. Key options embrace shifting from manufacturing to an financial method, selling marine aquaculture, decreasing seize fisheries, enhancing traceability, and strengthening marine conservation.
Lua emphasised that biotechnology and next-generation genetics will play a central position, with the aim of progressively changing as much as 80% of imported broodstock with high-performance home varieties. The improvement of new-generation vaccines and organic merchandise is predicted to scale back reliance on antibiotics and transfer towards complete well being administration. Advances in feed know-how and sensible diet are additionally seen as essential, on condition that feed prices account for 60–70% of manufacturing bills. Innovations reminiscent of insect-based protein and synthetic intelligence in feeding administration might scale back prices by 15–20% whereas minimising environmental impacts.
Offshore aquaculture improvement would require vital infrastructure upgrades, together with changing conventional wood cages with sturdy trendy supplies. The software of robotics and unmanned underwater gear is predicted to reinforce effectivity and scale back dangers for staff.
Digital transformation is thought to be an irreversible development. Experts referred to as for the event of a sector-wide massive knowledge system and the applying of blockchain know-how for traceability to satisfy worldwide requirements.
In processing, the main focus will shift from uncooked exports to deep processing, maximising worth from by-products reminiscent of collagen, chitosan and omega-3 fatty acids, thereby selling a round economic system.
Green applied sciences and climate-adaptive farming fashions are additionally gaining prominence. Recirculating aquaculture techniques and biofloc know-how can considerably scale back water use and waste discharge, and renewable power is predicted to switch 20–30% of conventional power sources.
Long burdened that addressing current bottlenecks would require coordinated efforts among the many State, scientists and enterprises. With clear methods, market-driven demand and utilized analysis, Vietnam is well-positioned to grasp its aim of turning into a world hub for high-value aquatic product processing by 2045./. VNA