Requirements regarding aquatic animal welfare, including stunning shrimp and fish prior to slaughter, are becoming increasingly prevalent across importing markets, posing new mandates for Vietnamese seafood.

Vietnam's seafood industry is targeting an export goal of 12 billion USD in 2026. However, to retain markets and command higher prices, enterprises must not only satisfy requirements on quality and origin traceability, but also pay close attention to aquatic animal welfare, including humane slaughter standards.

According to the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, animal welfare is increasingly being codified into law in many nations. The European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and numerous other countries have instituted regulations protecting fish and certain crustaceans during farming, transport, and slaughter processes.

Stunning before slaughter

Against this backdrop, numerous technological solutions were introduced at the Vietnam International Fisheries Exhibition (Vietfish 2026) aimed at enhancing aquatic animal welfare and health while reducing environmental impacts, thereby promoting sustainable aquaculture and elevating value for Vietnam's seafood sector.

Sharing experience from Norway, Mr. Filip Fleischer, representative of Optimar AS (Norway), introduced pre-slaughter stunning solutions tailored specifically for each aquatic species, including shrimp and pangasius.

"Stunning properly prior to slaughter can also help improve product quality," he stated.

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) plans to implement new standards starting May 2028, placing greater emphasis on aquatic health and welfare, including mandatory stunning at slaughter for species within its scope of application.

Speaking with Tuoi Tre on this issue, Mr. Tran Dinh Luan, Director General of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), stated that markets today do not demand safe products alone, but also care about animal welfare, the environment, ecosystems, and natural resources.

This requires enterprises to control the entire production process—from farming and harvesting to processing—while ensuring origin traceability and social responsibility.

"We cannot afford to omit a single technical procedure or stage if we want our products to satisfy importing market requirements," Mr. Luan emphasized.

Participating in international seafood value chains

Organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Vietfish 2026 recorded the participation of numerous national pavilions, including Indonesia, Norway, and South Korea.

Representing the South Korean seafood pavilion at Vietfish 2026, Mr. Kim Won Seok stated that this year 10 South Korean enterprises were selected to participate in trade promotion and cooperation in Vietnam.

South Korean enterprises introduced numerous seafood products, prominently featuring seaweed. According to Mr. Kim, South Korean seaweed is highly favored in the Vietnamese market.

Conversely, South Korean businesses are also seeking supplies from Vietnam for commodities such as shrimp and octopus.

Speaking at Vietfish 2026, Ms. Melissa Brown, US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, highly praised the competitive capacity and ingenuity of Vietnam's aquaculture sector.

Vietnam and the United States also maintain significant bilateral trade in the seafood sector. The US supplies high-quality soybean meal alongside other aquaculture feed ingredients to Vietnamese fish and shrimp farmers.

The US is currently one of Vietnam's major seafood export markets. In the opposite direction, Vietnamese consumers also favor various seafood items from the US, such as lobster, salmon, cod, and crab. US seafood exports to Vietnam surged by 77% in 2025, reaching 114 million USD.

Vietfish 2026 features the participation of over 335 enterprises, 568 booths, and representatives from 18 countries and territories. Taking place from August 19 to 21 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), the exhibition is expected to welcome more than 13,000 domestic and international visitors.

Source: Bao dien tu Tuoi tre