(vasep.com.vn) With a coastline of over 70 kilometers and an abundant marine fish stock, Soc Trang province (in Mekong Delta) has many strategic advantages in developing its marine economy and the output of marine fish species.
The province owns some key factors to boost economy such as high potentials in fish farming and catching activities, the existing processing chain and trading and logistic services. Soc Trang ranks the 15th among 28 coastal provinces in Vietnam and the 4th in Mekong Delta in terms of fishing activities. It sets a plan to further investments in the marine fish sector to tap its owns potentials in 2014 and the coming years.
To reach the target, a focus is put on off-shore fishing activities with an aim to exploit fish stock as well as ensure the marine conservation. Soc Trang is also launching policies to support fishermen in upgrading their off-shore fishing boats.
In 2013, Soc Trang's marine catches were more than 56,000 MT, bringing back high profits for local fishermen and enhancing the province's processing and trading activities and logistic services.
So far, Soc Trang has had 278 fishing boats with capacity of more than 90 CV. The number will increase to 320 off-shore fishing boats by 2015 and to 370 ones by 2020. In which, boats with capacity of equal or more than 250 CV take a major part.
Soc Trang has recently set a proposed plan to offer loans with preferential interest rate to fishermen to help them upgrade or build new off-shore fishing and transport boats. This measure is hoped to cut fishing trips' cost and improve the quality of raw material for processing. This is a good news for Soc Trang-resided fishermen, especially when they are facing many difficulties due to low output of nearshore fishing and declining wild fish stocks.