Mr. Do Ngoc Tai, the newly appointed Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), noted that 2025 was a year full of challenges for the fisheries sector, as the global market showed signs of recovery but with uneven developments. Trade, tariff and technical barriers continued to increase, while rising production costs, stricter environmental standards, traceability requirements, disease risks and labor shortages placed significant pressure on businesses. Domestically, natural disasters, storms, floods and extreme weather conditions severely affected fishing, aquaculture, processing and logistics activities across the sector.
Resilience in adversity, toward sustainable development
Despite these difficulties, Mr. Do Ngoc Tai emphasized that Vietnam’s fisheries sector clearly demonstrated resilience in challenging circumstances. This resilience stemmed from the business community, raw material producers and all those devoted to the fisheries profession. The sector flexibly adapted, maintained production momentum, expanded and sustained export markets, while continuously improving quality, diversifying products and increasing added value.
In 2025, the most notable achievement was seafood export turnover reaching USD 11.3 billion, setting a new record for the industry. This result reflected the efforts, dedication and perseverance of thousands of enterprises, aquaculture farms, fishing operations and processing facilities, as well as hundreds of thousands of workers throughout the value chain. It was also the outcome of close guidance, support and coordination from state management agencies, local authorities and domestic and international partners.
According to Mr. Do Ngoc Tai, 2026 also marks the beginning of VASEP’s seventh term (2026–2030), amid a global economic and trade environment characterized by rapid, complex and unpredictable changes. In this context, VASEP has defined its overarching action motto as “Proactive adaptation – Innovation – Sustainable development.”
Beyond growth targets, Vietnam’s fisheries sector is increasingly required to pursue responsible development, encompassing responsibility toward aquatic resources, the environment and communities, international markets, and the long-term future of the industry. In this regard, combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been identified as a foundational task.
“Combating IUU fishing is not only about removing the European Commission’s ‘yellow card’, but more importantly about building a modern, transparent and sustainable fisheries sector,” Mr. Do Ngoc Tai affirmed.
The new VASEP Chairman also commended the strong sense of responsibility shown by VASEP member seafood enterprises in committing to and implementing policies of not purchasing, processing or exporting seafood with IUU origins to the EU market, thereby contributing to safeguarding industry credibility, national reputation and the long-term livelihoods of fishermen.
“Over the past three months, since October 2025, the Government, the National Steering Committee on IUU and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment have demonstrated strong determination through frequent meetings, decisive directives and a series of important policy decisions. VASEP, in its role as a representative of the seafood fishing business community, has been directly involved and closely accompanied this process,” Mr. Tai stated.
Entering 2026, VASEP commits to continuing its support for enterprises through three major priorities: assisting market expansion and enhancing competitiveness; promoting green, transparent and responsible industry development; and closely coordinating with the Government and local authorities in sustainable development, supporting fishermen’s livelihoods and reducing pressure on aquatic resources.
Expectations for breakthroughs in the 2026–2030 period
At the 2025 Seafood Export Review Conference organized by VASEP, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien highly evaluated the results achieved by the fisheries sector in 2025. Total fisheries output reached approximately 9.95 million tons, the highest level ever recorded. Seafood export turnover amounted to USD 11.32 billion, excluding about USD 250 million from fishmeal, demonstrating significant improvements in technological capacity, processing expertise and international competitiveness of Vietnam’s seafood industry.
One of the most notable highlights of the year was the rapid and flexible adaptability of the business community. In response to fluctuations in the U.S. market, seafood enterprises promptly shifted their focus to other potential markets such as China, Europe and Africa.
According to Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, in addition to key products such as shrimp and pangasius, the fisheries sector still holds substantial growth potential. Marine aquaculture has been identified as a strategic direction, with a target export value of USD 1.4 billion by 2030 under the Government’s Decision No. 1664/QD-TTg. Alongside this, potential products such as brackish-water tilapia, seaweed and algae, aquaculture in reservoirs, and especially deep processing are expected to make significant contributions to increasing value added across the entire sector.
Regarding the removal of the IUU “yellow card”, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien stated that never before has this effort received such strong, synchronized engagement from the entire political system. Under the direct direction of the Prime Minister, the fisheries sector is implementing peak measures, including strict management of the fishing fleet through vessel monitoring systems (VMS), full transparency and digitalization of traceability records, and strict handling of violations involving illegal fishing in foreign waters. The objective is to build a transparent, responsible and sustainably developed fisheries sector.
Entering 2026, the first year of the 2026–2030 five-year plan, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will continue to steer the fisheries sector with the guiding spirit of discipline and responsibility, proactive effectiveness, innovation, accelerated breakthroughs and sustainable growth.
Source: vneconomy.vn
