(vasep.com.vn) Locating in the south west region of Vietnam, Kien Giang owns 5 archipelagoes including over 140 islands. Thanks to favorable natural conditions, the province has high potentiality in developing fisheries sector.
The province has 12,500 fishing vessels with total capacity of 1.7 million CV including 3,500 offshore fishing vessels with average capacity of 340 CV per one. So far this year, capture production of the province reached over 288,500 MT, equal to 66.2 percent of the yearly plan.
Fishing activities in the province are operated under fishing unions which helps fishermen to save costs for fishing trips. Joining in the unions, fishermen will be supported in terms of fuel, material supply and they will receive assistance if they get risk at sea.
Many local enterprises, boat owners invested in equipments to reduce post harvest loss and raise their products’ quality and value.
Besides, the local authorities also attach importance to the registration of fishing vessels and closely control them at estuaries and seaports. Local captains and fishermen are trained to catch fish in the right season. They are instructed not to catch fish in fishing grounds of neighboring countries.
In order to protect fishery resources, the province stepped up propagandizing fishermen not to catch fish using dynamite, electric fish shocker and not to catch fish in fishing- banned grounds, especially during its spawning season. The province also applies strict punishment with violators.
The province invested in upgrading fishing ports, anchorage for boats to shelter from the storms and tropical low and vessels of fisheries logistics services.
However, local fishing activities still face difficulties. Some backwardness is that fishermen lack of capital to go offshore fishing, demand of fish products from importers is unstable, fish price is low amid high fuel price. Besides, big post harvest loss and dwindling fish stock, lack of high-capacity offshore fishing boats are also obstacles confronted by the locality.