In the first 6 months of 2026, the seafood sector continues to maintain a positive growth momentum with an added value of GDP reaching 4.88%, contributing 1.56% to the country's GDP. Aquaculture continues to serve as the primary driver thanks to high-tech applications, stable consumption markets, and brightened exports, while wild-catch fisheries still maintain growth against a backdrop heading toward sustainable development…

According to the Statistics Office (Ministry of Finance), seafood production in the first 6 months of 2026 recorded multiple positive signals, particularly within the aquaculture field. In Q2/2026, seafood output volume was estimated to reach nearly 2.74 million tons, up 3.9% compared to the previous year's same period. Within this, fish output reached 1.86 million tons, up 2.4%; shrimp reached 530.5 thousand tons, up 7.6%; and other seafood types reached 350 thousand tons, up 6.4%.

AQUACULTURE SERVES AS THE GROWTH DRIVER OF THE SEAFOOD SECTOR

The aquaculture field continues to play the leading role in driving the growth of the entire sector. Aquaculture output in Q2/2026 was estimated to reach 1.68 million tons, up 5.8% compared to the previous year's same period.

Accumulatively for the first 6 months of the year, aquaculture output reached nearly 3 million tons, an increase of 5.7%. Within this, farmed fish output reached 1.98 million tons, up 4.4%; shrimp reached 702.5 thousand tons, up 8.1%; and other seafood types reached 306.6 thousand tons, up 9.1%.

Counting generally for the first 6 months of 2026, total seafood output was estimated to reach 4.95 million tons, up 3.6% compared to the same period of 2025. Within this, fish output reached nearly 3.5 million tons, up 2.7%; shrimp reached 774.1 thousand tons, up 7.4%; and other seafood types reached 682.2 thousand tons, up 4.7%.

Notably, marine aquaculture continues to develop powerfully with an output volume increasing by 11.7% compared to the previous year's same period. The other seafood group rose by 12.1%, within which oyster output increased by up to 52.7%.

Pangasius output continues to maintain its upward momentum thanks to stable commercial prices along with favorable consumption demand in the Chinese market and CPTPP member countries. In June, pangasius output was estimated to reach 177.3 thousand tons, up 4.5% compared to the previous year's same period. Counting generally for the first 6 months of 2026, output reached approximately 935.4 thousand tons, an increase of 5%.

For whiteleg shrimp, the expansion of intensive farming models applying high technology along with recovering demand in multiple Asian markets, particularly China, driven a strong output increase. In June 2026, whiteleg shrimp output reached 178.8 thousand tons, up 10%; accumulatively for 6 months, it reached 494.3 thousand tons, an increase of 9.5%.

Meanwhile, black tiger shrimp output also maintained stable growth, reaching 167.6 thousand tons in the first 6 months of 2026, up 4.3% compared to the same period.

Another bright spot is that tilapia is increasingly affirming its position in the structure of exported seafood products, helping tilapia output in the first 6 months of 2026 increase by 10.4%.

Alongside aquaculture, wild-catch fishery activities still maintain growth, though at a lower speed. In Q2/2026, wild-catch output was estimated to reach 1.06 million tons, up 1% compared to the previous year's same period. Accumulatively for the first 6 months of 2026, wild-catch output reached 1.96 million tons, up 0.6%, within which marine catch output reached approximately 1.87 million tons, also up 0.6%.

According to evaluations from the Statistics Office, this result reflects the sustainable development trend of the seafood sector, which both maintains a reasonable wild-catch output volume and concentrates on elevating added value through expanding aquaculture, applying science and technology, and satisfying well the demands of the domestic as well as export markets. With the current growth momentum, the seafood sector is expected to continue serving as one of the crucial drivers contributing to the growth of the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries region in 2026.

HEADING TOWARD GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) has just summarized the deployment of the Strategy for Vietnam's Seafood Development to 2030, with a vision to 2045 during the 2021-2025 period. Results demonstrate that the seafood sector completed and exceeded multiple crucial targets, while concurrently shifting powerfully under the orientation of "reducing wild-catching, increasing aquaculture", creating a foundation for a new development phase.

According to evaluations, the total seafood output in the 2021-2025 period maintained an average growth of approximately 2.6%/year and exceeded the target of 9.8 million tons set out in the Strategy to 2030.

The production structure continues to shift in a sustainable direction as wild-catch output decreased by an average of 0.9%/year, being maintained at the level of 3.8-3.9 million tons aiming to protect seafood resources, while aquaculture grew by an average of 5.2%/year, from 4.89 million tons in 2021 to 6.11 million tons in 2025.

In 2025, aquaculture occupied 61.1% of the country's total seafood output, affirming its role as the sector's growth driver. The Mekong Delta continues to serve as the largest aquaculture center, occupying more than 71% of the output volume and over 72% of the aquaculture area of the entire country.

Multiple key farming subjects recorded impressive growth. Brackish water shrimp output in 2025 reached over 1.4 million tons, up more than 51% compared to 2020, primarily thanks to science and technology applications helping to elevate productivity. Within this, whiteleg shrimp increased by an average of 9.6%/year and occupied nearly 72% of the total brackish water shrimp output. Pangasius also maintained a growth speed of around 7.1%/year, with 2025 output reaching nearly 2 million tons. Marine aquaculture continues to expand with approximately 9.8 million m³ of farming cages and 59 thousand hectares of mollusk farming, bringing the total output to reach more than 859 thousand tons, up over 43% compared to 2020.

Another bright spot is seafood exports, reaching 10.04 billion USD in 2024 and nearly 11.3 billion USD in 2025. This growth reflects the efficiency of the strategy stepping up deep processing, elevating added value, and the adaptability of enterprises before market fluctuations. Seafood manufacturing value also maintained an upward speed from 3-4.3%/year in the 2020-2025 period, exceeding the Strategy target and contributing positively to the growth of the entire agricultural sector.

Alongside production results, the seafood sector has experienced a powerful shift in development mindsets. For aquaculture, multiple national programs were deployed aiming to develop in a high-tech, climate-change-adaptive direction, stepping up traceability, granting farming zone codes, applying VietGAP, and digital transformation.

During the 2026-2030 period, the seafood sector determines to continue accelerating the transition, heading toward constructing a "green - clean - responsible" seafood sector, developing sustainably with high added value and deep, wide integration, striving by 2045 to bring Vietnam to become one of the three leading seafood manufacturing and exporting nations in the world.

Source: VnEconomy