Vietnam fourth globally in seafood exports

Country first in Southeast Asia and second in Asia.

At a press briefing in Hanoi on March 15, an official from the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced that Vietnam now ranks fourth globally, first in Southeast Asia, and second in Asia in seafood exports, with products now available in over 170 countries and territories worldwide.

Mr. Tran Dinh Luan, Deputy Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries, was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as saying that the sector is striving to raise export value to $10 billion this year, an increase of more than 11 per cent against last year.

To that end, it will continue restructuring production and effectively carry out the national action plan and comprehensive plan on the development of the shrimp industry to 2025.

Total seafood output topped 7.4 million tonnes last year, for a 5.6-fold increase since 1995. Farming surpassed 3.89 million tonnes, or a four-fold hike, while exports hit a record of more than $9 billion.

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the seafood sector’s traditional day (April 1), from March 30 to April 1 a fair and exhibition on the sector, a ceremony to release seafood varieties to restore resources in the Gulf of Tonkin, and a symposium reviewing the 15 years of implementation of the Vietnam - China fishery cooperation agreement in the Gulf are planned, according to the State-run news agency.