The lobster sector is recording strong growth momentum, with export turnover in the first 6 months of 2026 increasing by 44.1% compared to the same period last year. However, limitations in seed supply, environmental conditions, farming methods, and origin traceability are creating an urgent requirement for restructuring toward modern, sustainable directions.

On the morning of August 8, in Nha Trang Ward, the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Khanh Hoa Province to organize the conference "Sustainable Lobster Farming and Consumption Development".

According to the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, lobster farming regions currently stretch from Quang Binh to Ho Chi Minh City, with Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa accounting for over 95% of the total number of farming cages and lobster output nationwide.

The commodity sector is recording positive recovery momentum. In 2025, lobster export turnover reached a record 858 million USD. In the first 6 months of 2026, exports reached 11,790 tons, valued at 584.6 million USD, up 44.1% compared to the same period last year. China continues as the primary consumption market, occupying 98.53% of export turnover.

However, rapid growth also places an urgent requirement on reorganizing production, controlling environmental impact, proactively sourcing seed supply, and elevating capacity to satisfy importing market standards.

Unknotting the seed supply bottleneck

One of the largest difficulties facing the lobster sector currently is seed supply. Nationwide demand stands at approximately 100–120 million individuals/year, whereas natural harvesting sources satisfy merely around 10%.

For ornate spiny lobster (Panulirus ornatus), artificial seed production technology has made strides at research scales but cannot yet be expanded commercially. Meanwhile, official seed imports in the first 6 months of 2026 experienced shortages, driving seed prices high—fluctuating between 45,000–70,000 VND/individual—and escalating risks of trading and transporting seeds of unverified origins.

In Khanh Hoa, natural seed supply satisfies merely about 5% of demand, against a need of 60–70 million individuals/year. During the first 6 months of 2026, the locality was unable to import lobster seed, pushing seed prices up to 45,000–50,000 VND/individual for scalloped spiny lobster (Panulirus homarus) and 60,000–65,000 VND/individual for ornate spiny lobster.

Presenting at the Conference, Mr. Nguyen Huu Dung, Secretary-General of the Vietnam Fisheries Society, evaluated that Indonesia currently serves as the main lobster seed supplier for Vietnam, yet that nation's export management policies fluctuate continuously.

According to Mr. Dung, Regulation KP 7/2024 of Indonesia permits solely the export of live lobsters above 50 g and requires foreign enterprises to invest in seed nursery facilities within the host country. Facing this reality, he proposed a two-stage joint-venture model: constructing facilities in Indonesia to nurse lobsters from 0.2 g up to 5 g, controlling quality prior to transferring them back to Vietnam for grow-out above 20 g before supplying farmers.

This solution is expected to contribute to establishing stable seed sources, controlling quality, and step-by-step reducing risks for growers facing seed export policy volatility from supplying nations.

Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak face restructuring mandates

Khanh Hoa currently stands as one of the nation's largest lobster farming areas. Mr. Nguyen Trong Chanh, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that lobster represents a signature aquatic product possessing high economic value and creating jobs for thousands of coastal households.

The number of farming cages in the locality rose rapidly from 74,443 cages in 2023 (output of 1,800 tons) to 126,552 cages in 2025 (output of 12,748.8 tons). In the first 6 months of 2026, the locality possessed 137,136 cages, with output reaching 10,270.5 tons.

Concentrated farming zones lie primarily across Cam Ranh, Van Phong, Phan Rang, and Nha Trang bays alongside the Ninh Hoa area. Separately, Cam Ranh Bay possesses 102,564 cage modules, and Van Phong Bay has 38,640 cages, in which ornate spiny lobsters account for approximately 70%.

Facing pressure from expanding scales, Khanh Hoa is reviewing and incorporating farming zones into master planning, executing sea area assignments and registering cages under the 2017 Law on Fisheries. The province concurrently directs the formation of collaborative groups and cooperatives to link with enterprises, elevating value chain efficiency.

In Dak Lak, the locality currently possesses approximately 160,000 lobster farming cages covering 2,500 hectares. According to Mr. Nguyen Thai Hoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, spontaneous development has led to high farming densities; over 80% of cages are concentrated in nearshore areas, escalating environmental pollution and disease risks.

Notably, over 90% of the province's lobster output is currently exported raw as fresh/live product to China. Farming operations still rely heavily on imported seed supplies, while specialized industrial feed has not yet been widely commercialized, and investment costs for HDPE cages remain high.

Dak Lak is constructing a restructuring plan to adjust scales down to 48,000 cages over an area of 1,000 hectares. The province concurrently directs occupational transition support for smallholders failing to meet conditions, encouraging the development of offshore high-tech farming and attracting systematic enterprise investment.

Transitioning from traditional farming to modern production

According to the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, alongside seed supply issues, traditional farming methods using net cages and fresh feed are placing heavy pressure on the marine environment, escalating disease risks and mortality rates. The mortality rate in lobster farming currently stands around 30–35%.

Meanwhile, import markets increasingly demand high standards regarding origin and legal status, including requirements to verify legal origins (F2) for ornate spiny lobsters.

Facing these mandates, the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance directs the lobster sector to shift strongly from extensive growth to intensive development; prioritizing official seed imports, accelerating sea area allocations, issuing farming area codes, encouraging conversion to HDPE cages, utilizing industrial feed, and perfecting origin traceability systems.

At the conference, Dr. Mai Duy Minh from the Vietnam Institute of Fisheries Science shared that the unit has researched and developed industrial feed for both scalloped spiny lobster and ornate spiny lobster. Results reveal both subjects accept 100% of this feed type, yielding stable meat quality.

Through tank testing, scalloped spiny lobsters utilizing industrial feed demonstrated growth rates nearly equivalent to using fresh feed, with lower disease incidence and uniform development. In open-cage trials, growth rates of scalloped spiny lobsters reached approximately 80% compared to utilizing bait fish, while survival rates reached 70% with fewer disease outbreaks relative to using fresh fish, mussels, or oysters.

One current limitation is that the new feed pellets retain water stability for approximately 45–50 minutes. The Institute is researching extending this duration to 3–4 hours, combined with utilizing automated feeding machines at a frequency of 1–2 hours/time. The objective is to step-by-step replace a portion and advance toward fully replacing fresh feed over the next 2–3 years for scalloped spiny lobster, while continuing to perfect farming techniques for ornate spiny lobster.

Taking science and technology as momentum

At the conference, representatives from Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment alongside central agencies to commission national-level scientific and technological tasks, concentrating on mastering artificial seed production technologies, researching specialized industrial feed, perfecting land-based farming processes via Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), and treating prevalent diseases such as milky disease, black gill, and white spot.

The two localities also petitioned for special mechanisms regarding finance, credit, and logistics infrastructure; unknotting obstacles in official seed imports; and boosting trade promotion to expand consumption markets.

Chairing the Conference, Mr. Tran Dinh Luan, Director General of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, stressed that lobster serves as a core cultured subject within the national marine aquaculture development strategy. The sector aims to maintain a production value growth rate of 8%/year and contribute approximately 15% of seafood export turnover by 2030.

To realize the above targets, the fisheries sector identifies science, technology, digital transformation, and innovation as drivers; while concurrently managing farming zones in strict alignment with environmental carrying capacities, scaling up value-chain linked cooperative models, and establishing quality, food safety, and origin traceability as foundational pillars.

Source: Tap chi Thuy san Viet Nam