This study investigated the perceptions of AAW among educators (n = 47), students (n = 359), and aquaculture sector stakeholders (n = 34) in key aquaculture regions of South and South-Central Vietnam. Using a mixed-methods survey, perception scores, understanding of core welfare concepts, curricular coverage, and willingness to pay (WTP) for higher-welfare products were assessed. Although perception scores were high across surveyed groups, only 5.57% of students identified most of the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, while 17.0% showed no understanding of welfare. This highlighted a gap between awareness and understanding, leading to the development of the Awareness Depth Gap Framework. A small but statistically significant negative correlation (Kendall–Theil –Sen slope = −0.28, p < 1.25 × 10⁻¹²) indicated that greater AAW curricular inclusion was associated with stronger welfare attitudes. Willingness to pay modest premiums (6–10%) for higher-welfare products increased non-linearly with higher perception scores among educators and students. In contrast, aquaculture sector stakeholders appeared to prioritise economic factors over welfare. These results highlight the need for structured AAW curricula and community collaborative education to close knowledge gaps. This study provides the first empirical insights into AAW perceptions across the education and aquaculture sectors in Vietnam.

This study was carried out to investigate the perceptions of aquatic animal welfare (AAW) among educators (n = 47), students (n = 359), and aquaculture sector stakeholders (n = 34) in key aquaculture regions of South and South-Central Vietnam. Using a mixed-methods survey, we assessed perception scores, understanding of core welfare concepts, curricular coverage, and willingness to pay for welfare-friendly products. Although perception scores were high across surveyed groups, only 5.57% of students could identify most of the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, and 17.0% showed no understanding of welfare, highlighting a gap between awareness and understanding. No significant differences were found by academic major or year, indicating systemic curricular gaps. A small but significant negative correlation (Kendall–Theil Sen slope = –0.28, p < 1.25 × 10⁻¹²) suggests that greater curricular integration of AAW is associated with stronger welfare attitudes. Willingness to pay modest premiums (6–10%) for welfare-friendly products increased non-linearly with higher perception scores among educators and students, while aquaculture sector stakeholders appeared to prioritise economic factors over welfare. Although 88.2% of aquaculture sector stakeholder’s respondents supported curriculum reform and practical training opportunities, few (41.2%) identified formal competency standards for graduates. These results highlight the need for structured AAW curricula, community collaborative education models, and targeted interventions to close awareness understanding gaps. This study provides the first empirical insights into AAW perceptions among key education and aquaculture industry groups in Vietnam, offering a foun-dation for policy-driven curriculum reform to support ethical and sustainable aquaculture.