Deep-sea fisherman Le Men has launched his own 100-tonne mother ship equipped with the latest technology to look after 10 or more fishing boats on prolonged fishing trips.

Although the State Bank has instructed five commercial banks to provide loans to pig and seafood breeders at a low interest rate of 11 percent a year, several breeders are still borrowing at 15 percent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A seminar to increase the managerial capacity of ocean tuna fishing was held in the central city of Da Nang on November 13.

The Tien Giang Province-based Hung Vuong Seafood Co has launched a support scheme for farmers to rescue the local pangasius industry that reached deadlock for the past several months.

The seafood export turnover of the province in October hit US$23 million, raising the 10-month value to US$250 million.

Farmers and seafood processors urgently need easy access to soft loans to tide over the difficulties facing them now, officials of the South West Steering Committee were told last Friday.

(vasep.com.vn) In 2012, land used in pangasius aquaculture totaled 1,679.03 hectares in Dong Thap province, said Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. To 5thNovember 2012, pangasius producers in the province have produced 331,791 MT of fish on an area of 902.04 hectares. Production of fingerlings reached 580.57 million of pieces. The province has currently 776.99 hectares in production and other 70.9 hectares taken out of operation.

High-value open-ocean, or pelagic, species like mackerel, scad, pomfret and tuna, have appeared in large numbers this year.

(vasep.com.vn) In October 24th 2012, in Can Tho city, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in coordination with Vietnam Economic Times held a conference on solutions for sustainable development of seafood production and export.

(vasep.com.vn) European buyers have been more interested in buying Vietnam pangasius products for domestic consumption as the region is under pressures of financial stress due to public debts, which made local consumers turn to seafood products with good quality and reasonable price.

The Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta will need around USD 2.88 billion to sustainably grow the local fisheries sector, according to officials who spoke at a conference held in Can Tho City last week.

(vasep.com.vn) Between January and August 2012, An Giang, a Mekong Delta province, reached pangasius seed breeding area of 373 hectares, equal to 89 percent of that reported in the same time last year. The seed output reached only 383 million seeds, equal to 87 percent.

While tough global conditions mean many sections of the economy are currently swimming upstream, Tra fish farmers have been given the chance to make a splash after the Government agreed to offer them preferential loan interest rates.

(VNS) Viet Nam's largest shrimp producing province of Ca Mau has set a target to produce 270,000 tonnes of shrimp in 2012.