The two largest exhibitions on shrimp and seafood will be held simultaneously in Ho Chi Minh City.

For the first time, two large-scale events of the shrimp and seafood industry, Aquaculture Vietnam and VietShrimp 2026, are held together in the same space, opening up opportunities for cooperation, technology transfer and international market expansion.

Ms. Rose Chitanuwat speaks at the shrimp and seafood exhibition press conference on October 10.

The two exhibitions Aquaculture Vietnam and VietShrimp 2026 will take place at the same time at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, from March 11 to 13, 2026.

Here, industry leaders, policymakers, scientific experts and businesses from local to international exchange knowledge, explore new technologies, address challenges and promote sustainable growth for the aquaculture industry.

Orienting Vietnam's fisheries industry towards sustainable development

At the press conference announcing information about the Aquaculture Vietnam and Vietshrimp 2026 exhibitions on October 10, Ms. Rose Chitanuwat - Director of ASEAN Regional Project Chain, INFORMA MARKETS Group - said that combining the two exhibitions will help bring the most advanced technologies and knowledge closer to Vietnamese businesses, supporting the shrimp and seafood industry to develop in a green and responsible direction.

With the theme of digital transformation and technology application towards sustainable development, Ms. Rose said that this exhibition series will comprehensively introduce solutions for sustainable aquaculture, processing and exporting of seafood, including environmental monitoring technology, recirculating farming systems (RAS, biofloc), biological feed, wastewater treatment and traceability models that meet international standards.

"More than 200 businesses from 30 countries will attend, including corporations providing breeds, feed, processing equipment and advanced aquaculture technology solutions to help farmers proactively respond to climate change," she said.

Ms. Rose added that Vietnam has always been in the top of the world in exporting many seafood products, of which shrimp has remained the industry's main product in recent years.

Therefore, moving the location to Ho Chi Minh City - the largest economic center of the country - is a strategic step to attract international experts and corporations to invest and cooperate in developing the Vietnamese seafood industry.

The fisheries industry is on the path of positive recovery.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the total seafood output of the country in the first 8 months reached over 6.4 million tons, of which aquaculture accounted for 3.77 million tons, accounting for nearly 60%. At the same time, seafood exports continued to grow by double digits.

Cumulative 8-month seafood export turnover reached more than 7 billion USD, up 11.5% over the previous year, showing strong recovery and growth momentum of the whole industry.

In the overall vision, Vietnam's seafood export turnover in 2025 could exceed the mark of more than 10 billion USD. Of which, shrimp is still forecast to account for the largest proportion, followed by pangasius, tuna and other seafood groups.

Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Vu Tuan Cuong - Director of the Center for Testing, Inspection, Verification and Fisheries Extension (Center 3K), commented that Vietnam's seafood industry is entering a new development stage, shifting from increasing output to increasing value.

Therefore, with the current average export rate of nearly 1 billion USD per month, the target of 10.5 billion USD is completely feasible if businesses make good use of technology and international standards.

Mr. Vu Tuan Cuong speaks at the press conference - Photo: TRUONG LINH

However, Mr. Cuong also said that the biggest challenge is preparing to remove the European Commission's (EC) "yellow card" for IUU fishing, which requires the entire system to strictly control traceability and legal exploitation. "The current difficulty is controlling exploitation, but if overcome, this will be a leap forward in international prestige," Mr. Cuong affirmed.

Besides external barriers, the fisheries industry still faces many internal limitations: weak fisheries logistics infrastructure, small-scale production and lack of chain linkages.

In addition, increasingly stringent technical standards from the international market, especially regarding food safety and traceability, are putting pressure on key products such as shrimp and tra fish, reducing Vietnam's competitive advantage.

Truong Linh

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hai-trien-lam-lon-nhat-ve-tom-va-thuy-san-se-dong-thoi-to-chuc-tai-tp-hcm-20251010144525093.htm