December 18, 2007

 

Vietnam's Ca Mau Province maps out marine economy in 2020

 

 

Endowed with a 250-kilometre coastline, the southernmost province of Ca Mau has outlined a strategy to develop a robust marine economy through 2020.

 

The sea off the Ca Mau coast contains some 850,000 tonnes of marine products and nets about 250,000 tonnes of fish and shrimp a year.

 

The coastal province is also known for its large amount of deposits of oil and gas, and a new Ca Mau Gas-Electricity-Fertiliser Complex built by the government will open by 2010.

 

The complex is expected to open opportunities for the province to develop industrial production.

 

Director of Ca Mau Natural Resources and the Environment Department Tong Le Thang said the province would have an oil slick control centre in the next two years to effectively minimise oil related accidents.

 

The 3-hectare centre will be located in Tran Van Thoi district's Song Doc town.

 

Ca Mau also has a rich biodiversity with saline-submerged forests and special-use forests that create a favourable habitat for marine life and plants.

 

The province's fisheries sector has upgraded technology, expanded offshore fishing, and transformed processing plants to improve seafood quality and productivity.

 

Local authorities have invested in transport infrastructure such as roads, highways, and coastal dykes to lure both domestic and foreign investment in tourism, and the industrial and service sectors.

 

The coastal towns of Dat Mui, Nam Can, and Song Doc are slated to be developed into a new urban township with residential areas and commercial and entertainment facilities.

 

The provincial authorities plan to raise the proportion of the local marine economy to 60 per cent of the province's GDP by 2010, and to 70 percent by 2020.

 

To achieve this goal, Ca Mau Province plans to focus on education and vocational training, health care programmes and coastal environmental protection.