Mekong Delta provinces restructuring toward sustainable development

There will be 30.500 fishing boats with capacity of 2.5 million CV for 1.2 million MT of total catches. Seafood exports are expected to reach 1.3 million MT, worth nearly US$7 billion. Frozen shrimp, pangasius and cephalopods still remain the key items, accounting for 70 – 80 percent of total seafood exports. Processed products to serve the domestic market reach 650,000 MT, 60 percent of which is value-added products. All processing facilities meet food safety requirements.

Mekong Delta also plans to develop two regional fishing hubs in Kien Giang and Can Tho.

To achieve the mentioned goals, Mekong Delta provinces are restructuring the fishery industry through diversifying production chains and developing cooperation models among stakeholders like fish farmers, processors, traders, investors and credit institutions. Communities and associations in the fishery sector need to get involved in the value chains.

So far, Mekong Delta provinces have taken appropriate measures to reorganize marine fishing activities to tighten fish ground protection and development of fish stocks. Additionally, the region is strengthening cooperation models like groups of fishing boats, fisheries cooperatives, links between fishing boats and intermediaries with an aim at an efficient offshore fishing, reducing fishing costs and bringing more profits to fishermen.

In aquaculture, provinces in Mekong Delta have completed irrigation systems to ensure water sources for farming and mitigate fish farms’ environmental impacts in some localities. Farming households are now the main production model, but the delta also gives priority to industrial farming activities for some key export items such as pangasius, whiteleg shrimp and black tiger shrimp. Besides, production systems are reorganized to improve product value and create close links among raw material production, processing and trading.  

Some coastal provinces restructure production value based on value chain and enhancing link between processing and trading players and raw material suppliers. In which, the top priorities are given to the production of value-added products and the development of important seafood brands. Mekong Delta provinces are also expanding farming activities in compliance with GlobalGAP and ASC standards; tightening quality inspections, quarantines of shrimp seeds and feed and vet drugs used in shrimp cultivation; as well as enhancing control of water sources in farming areas to mitigate pollution.

For processing and export activities, companies are in trend of developing their own farms or their tight links with local farmers to make sure stable raw material supply for processing. In the production field, it is important to focus investments on key fisheries hubs in Kien Giang and Can Tho.

In export field, Delta-based provinces should remain shares in traditional and large markets like the EU, the U.S., Japan, Eastern Europe, China, Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, as well as strive to sell seafood products to retailers and supermarket chains in foreign countries directly. Local processing and export companies need to reach ASC certification for their products.

Coastal provinces are encouraging local fishers and processors to reach MSC certification to show that their fishes were caught from sustainable fish grounds in a responsible and well managed way and in compliance with traceability requirements from the EU, the US and Japan.