Vietnamese seafood output up slightly in 2009

According to figures from the General Statistics Office (GSO), Vietnam harvested 4.847 million tonnes of aquatic products in 2009, up 5.3% from a year earlier.

The total figure included 3.65 million tonnes of fish, up 5.3% and 537,700 tonnes of shrimp, up 7.2% against previous year.

Last year, aquaculture farms released 94,400 cages of fish and harvested 2.57 million tonnes of products, up 14.75% and 4.2%, respectively.

The country's pangasius fish breeding area decreased 12.4% to 9,000 hectares, including 1,791 hectares in Dong Thap; 999 hectares in Can Tho; 123 hectares in Tien Giang; and 1,108 hectares in An Giang, with output hitting more than 1 million tonnes, down 6.9%.

Meanwhile, prawn shrimp rearing area also decreased 10.7% to 549,100 hectares. But white-legged shrimp rearing area increased 75.5% to 13,500 hectares, with output double last year to 63,000 tonnes.

Total aquatic output caught by fishing boats were 2.277 million tonnes, up 6.6%, the GSO said.