May 11, 2007

 

Northern Vietnam turns to shrimp and other fisheries to hurdle aquaculture obstacles

 

 

While plans to boost sustainable aquaculture in coastal and lowland provinces in northern Vietnam, it must first resolve problems such as limited investment in aquaculture infrastructure and poor planning in the sector, a fishery official said.

 

Fisheries Economic and Planning Institute director Nguyen Chu Hoi said that while provinces in the north have noted progress in their aquaculture business, development plans remain in the doldrums and were unable to meet demands of modern production. Investment in infrastructure was also limited, he said.

 

Choi said 13 northern coastal and lowland provinces are included to develop the aquaculture industry due to their favourable conditions for aquaculture development.

 

The development plans include mangrove forests and coastal areas suited to aquaculture. This geographic advantage has created bodies of salt, brackish and fresh water with a total aquaculture area of 280,505 hectares.

 

In addition, the Hong (Red) and Thai Binh rivers bring 120 million tonnes of fertile soil to the East Sea each year, creating alluvial grounds that expand between 30 to 70 metres each year that makes the area ideal for aquaculture farming.

 

Hoi said the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf was especially suited to developing fisheries, which will supply seafood for both domestic consumption and export.

 

In order to develop aquaculture in a stable way, Deputy Minister of Fisheries Luong Le Phuong said the ministry would focus on implementing solutions plan for expanded breeding of different species of fish and shrimp with new breeding technologies.

 

The ministry will also invest in completing intensive shrimp breeding projects and upgrading infrastructure for the aquaculture sector to boost intensive breeding methods.

 

In addition, studies on fisheries and baby shrimp breeding by importing valuable new species will also be carried out.

 

Several experts from different agencies have suggested different methods to help the provinces achieve a progressive aquaculture business.

 

Ta Huu Co, an expert from the Vinh Phuc Province's Aquaculture Centre, said upgrading of low-land areas to raise fish and shrimp in each province must follow the general development plans of each province as failure to do such could have a negative impact on flood prevention and construction work.

 

Nguyen Huy Dien, deputy director of the Fisheries Promotion Centre under the Ministry of Fisheries, said they would attempt popularise and expand programmes on breeding different types of fish and shrimp in a manner that suits local conditions.

 

Vu Dung, head of the Aquaculture Department under the Ministry of Fisheries, said the northern provinces had 15,112 hectares of farming land that has been converted to the aquaculture sector, accounting for 64 per cent of total converted aquaculture areas nationwide.

 

Dung said changing the economic focus from cultivation of rice and other crops that have low productivity to raising fish and shrimp, has helped local people raise their income.