January 2, 2008

 

Vietnam marks a good 2007 for the fisheries sector

 

 

Vietnam made great strides on its fisheries sector in 2007 with total output estimated at 3.95 million tonnes valued at US$3.8 billion.

 

The country is now one of the world's top ten fishery exporters with products reaching to 128 countries. This achievement was made possible due to the sector's efforts to increase their fish catching productivity and efficiency, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

 

Six projects have also been carried out by the fisheries sector to ensure sustainable development such as applying sustainable raising techniques, stocking shrimp fries and fish to natural water areas for developing aquatic resources.

 

Aquaculture is also making waves as farm areas have increased by 15,600 hectares compared to the previous year, totalling the country's aquaculture farms to 1 million hectares. Farmers in the Red River Delta and even Hanoi's suburban districts have partly converted their rice farms to aquaculture due to the latter's profitability.

 

Firms such as CP, Grobest and Minh Phu have also provided considerable investments to the country's aquaculture and fishery sectors.

 

Environmental centres have also worked hand-in-hand in key aquaculture regions to facilitate eco-friendly farming systems. Many clean aquaculture models have been established including a tra and basa catfish clean raising model in An Giang and a clean shrimp raising model in Ben Tre.

 

Shrimp -- being the country's top export for ears -- have declined but still accounted for over 39 percent while exports of frozen fillet of tra and basa catfish account for over 26 percent.

 

The EU remains the major export market, importing 49.1 percent of Vietnamese seafood exports, followed by ASEAN countries, 8.3 percent, and USA 7.3 percent.

 

So far, the country has a total of around 500 seafood processing establishments and 275 have reached the standards to be allowed to export to EU. 

 

MARD targets an output target of 4.1 million tonnes of seafood and a total export turnover of US $4 billion, up 5.26 percent for 2007.

 

The ministry aims to include good management of production on the sea for both catching and aquaculture works, applying technological advances in production, especially in the post-harvest period, good planning for aquaculture in the Mekong river delta, building trademarks for key products such as tra and basa catfish and shrimps and tuna, amongst others.

 

The fisheries sector has made great contributions to national development, helping shift the production structure, creating more jobs, and increasing incomes for workers, said MARD. New aquaculture farming models have contributed to reducing hunger and poverty, improving the living conditions of the people while ensuring social stability.