December 21, 2004

6% Increase in 2004 Fish Catch Seen in Vietnam's Binh Dinh Province

96,000 tons of sea products are expected to be netted for Vietnam's Southern Binh Dinh province in 2004, a 6 per cent over the previous year, according to the provincial Fisheries Department.

The province is likely to earn US$21 million from seafood exports this year, a 39.6 per cent year-on-year increase.

Of the total output, the volume of tuna accounts for 32,000 tons, including 2,200 tons for export, 37.5 per cent higher than last year.

Due to the large output of netted sea products, the processed seafood has registered considerable increase in volume. While fresh seafood rose 37.5 per cent; frozen seafood, 31.6 per cent; fish sauce, 8.9 per cent; and edible sea swift's nests, 4.8 per cent. However, exports of some products, including dried seafood, have decreased because they are mainly exported through intermediaries and in small quantities.

In addition, the processing of inland aquatic products has developed well with many private processing establishments having been built and upgraded. These establishments have focused on improving the quality of their products and packaging design.

Being aware of the importance of deep-sea fishing, the local fishermen have invested in building nearly 200 additional high-capacity vessels, bringing the province's total number of fishing boats to 6,150.

According to Dinh Van Tien, an official from the provincial Fisheries Department, the province would continue to promote the processing and export of key products, enhance trade promotion, and increase varieties of products relative to the demands of each market. Hence dried seafood will be mainly exported to South Korea, Taiwan and China, frozen seafood to Japan and fresh products to the US.