GENERAL INFORMATION

Vietnam, with a coastline of over 3,260 kilometers (km) and more than 3,000 islands and islets scattered offshore, plus up to 2,860 rivers and estuaries, has been geographically endowed with ideal conditions for the thriving fishery sector which currently exists.

Great potential of fishery sector in Vietnam is embedded in water bodies of 1.700.000 ha in which 811.700 ha freshwater, 635.400 ha brackish waters and 125.700 ha coves and 300.000 - 400.000 ha wetland areas might be employed for aquaculture development.

The Mekong River Delta in the south and the Red River Delta in the north have been used for wild catch fishing as well as extensive fish farming.

Shrimp and pangasius mostly farmed in the Mekong River Delta, in which, shrimp farmes located in coastal provinces such as Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Ben Tre..

Pangasius farming is developing in many provinces in Mekong River Delta such as Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tien Giang, An Giang, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh....

Production in the fishery sector grew at an average rate of 7.05% from 1991 to 2000, and 10% from 2001 to now. Vietnamese fisheries production increased steadily YoY. Aquaculture output tent to sharply rise while capture ouput tend to slow down. In 2023, aquaculture occupied 59%, fishing output occupied 41%. From 2018-2023, ratio of fishing output has decreased from 46% to 41% of total fishery production in Vietnam. In 2023, total aquaculture area was 5.408 million tons, up 3.5%; total fishing output was 3.861 million tons, equal to 2022.

Shrimp farming to drive Bac Lieu’s agriculture

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has given a nod to the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu to set up a high-tech agriculture zone aiming to make shrimp breeding a locomotive of the local agriculture.

At a working session with the provincial leaders in Hanoi on September 20, the PM urged Bac Lieu to accelerate the disbursement of capital for infrastructure, encourage startups and heed human resources development.

Bac Lieu should roll out both short- and long-term solutions to cope with climate change, he said, requesting the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) to set forth comprehensive solutions to assist the Mekong Delta region and the province in particular in the combat.

To spur economic growth and generate jobs, it is necessary to speed up land clearance for processing and industrial projects, the leader noted, asking the ministry to reduce salt output, avoiding overcapacity of the sector.

The Ministry of Transport was required to coordinate with Bac Lieu in seeking capital for local road transport. Other ministries were also asked to help the province attract major projects promoting local economy.

Bac Lieu is one of the Mekong Delta localities most affected by climate change, which has prompted the province to make aquaculture an economic spearhead over years.

The province boasts the largest aquaculture area in the region with nearly 1,280 sq.km, equivalent to nearly half of its natural land. Its seafood export is expected to hit 3.2 billion USD this year.

Of note, the locality earns about 500 million USD each year from the shrimp farming. With an annual output of some 105,000 tonnes, Ca Mau has become the second largest shrimp producer nationwide with diverse breeding models. The province’s economy grew by 5.09 percent in the first half of this year.

Source: VNA


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