Sustainably developing the fisheries sector

ABO/NDO – The Prime Minister recently issued Decision No. 339/QD-TTg on approving the strategy of developing Vietnam's fisheries to 2030, with a vision to 2045.
According to the target set for 2030, the growth rate of aquatic production will reach 3.0 - 4.0% per year; total production of domestic aquatic products will reach 9.8 million tonnes; the value of seafood export revenue is expected to hit US$14-16 billion; all seafood production and trading establishments must ensure food safety and hygiene and environmental protection regulations, creating jobs for more than 3.5 million fisheries workers, with a per capita income equivalent to the average income of workers nationwide.
Decision No.339 further sets out the goal that by 2045, the fisheries sector will be developed into a modern and sustainable commercial industry, with advanced management, science and technology, as well as playing an important role in the structure of the agricultural and marine economy.
It can be said that Decision No. 339 has created new opportunities for the fisheries sector to develop in a sustainable manner, as the fisheries sector will focus on investing in increasing aquaculture production, reducing the catch in order to ensure appropriate exploitation of aquatic resources, minimising natural disaster risks and especially stopping illegal and undeclared fishing which has caused grave economic loss as well as harm to the reputation of the fisheries sector over the past three years.

Workers process tra fish for export (Photo: VNA).

In order to achieve or even exceed the targets set out in Decision No. 339, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development needs to coordinate with the fisheries sector and coastal provinces and cities to review and develop its plans; actively mobilising capital sources from both central and local budgets; prioritise funding for the development of aquatic production infrastructure to complete projects of fishing ports and ship anchoring areas and meeting the capacity of inspecting and controlling cargo through fishing ports as well as ship anchoring capacity.
In addition, protected marine areas should be established and expanded while their operational efficiency should be enhanced. It is also necessary to organise the management and protection of concentrated fisheries areas, immature aquatic species and the migration routes of aquatic species.
Localities should actively build fishing villages at estuaries, lakes, beaches and islands into residential communities with a reasonable fishing structure, with specialised and concurrent workers, in harmony with the natural conditions, aquatic resources and socio-economic characteristics of each region.
Attention should also be paid to developing marine conservation in association with ecotourism and other professions in order to ensure adequate livelihoods for the fishing community, minimising the destructive exploitation of aquatic resources.
Regarding export seafood production and processing enterprises, it is necessary to pay attention to investment in the application of advanced science and technology in order to serve both farming and processing, especially in the development of the aquatic breeding production system to a high level of quality and high value species.
Marine aquaculture should be developed into a commodity production field, on an industrial scale, creating a large volume of products for export processing and domestic consumption.
Besides these, national brands for key seafood products, such as shrimp, tuna, and tra fish, etc. should be built, while at the same timetaking advantages of new generation free trade agreements such as: CPTPP, EVFTA, UKVFTA, RCEP, as well as promoting trade promotion activities to popularise Vietnam's seafood on the international market.

(Source: NDO)