June 6, 2007

Vietnam fishery experts worry on fish farming's adverse effects

Delegates from the roundtable meeting in Can Tho province last week urged the Ministry of Fisheries as well as the environment agencies to take prompt action as fish farming begins to take its toll in the environment.

The roundtable talk, called "Fisheries and Environment", organised by Thoi Bao Kinh Te Saigon of Saigon Times Group and Can Tho Radio and Television concluded that Vietnam still lacked a clear vision on environment protection for fish farming.

Pham Dinh Don, deputy head of the Environment Protection Department of the Southwest Region, said zoning master plans prepared by the Fisheries Ministry so far had just laid out development targets and ignored environmental issues.

Don said master plans such as giving general figures of 650,000 hectares under salt water farming until 2010, and 350,000 hectares under brackish water fish farming are only being outlined without giving any specific farming methods. He added some current farming methods are already hazardous to the environment.