Fisheries sector to focus on standardising production for higher value

Hanoi - The fisheries sector in 2020 will focus on granting certification to brackish shrimp farms (tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp), tra fish farms and aquaculture in cages, Director of the Directorate of Fisheries Tran Dinh Luan said.

In addition, the industry will develop key aquatic products, such as tiger shrimp, white-leg shrimp and tra fish, and other high-value aquatic products to increase trade value and sustainable development.

In 2020, the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, aims to reach a total fisheries output of about 8.2 million tonnes, an increase of 0.6 per cent year on year, including tra fish output at 1.42 million tonnes – the same volume in 2019 – and shrimp output at 850,000 tonnes, up 3.7 percent.

In 2020, the sector hopes to gross about 10 billion USD from exporting aquatic products, a year-on-year increase of 6.3 percent.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said the fisheries sector needs to address some shortcomings, such as fishing port infrastructure, processing facilities, and logistics services.

The total fisheries output in 2019 is projected to reach 8.15 million tonnes, a year-on-year rise of 4.9 percent. The export turnover is estimated at 8.6 billion USD.

This year, despite facing an array of difficulties in export markets and particularly challenges in removing the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the domestic fisheries sector has worked out measures to make use of export opportunities.

From early March to September, the prices of brackish shrimp declined due to competitive materials from India and Ecuador and the inventory output from 2018, as well as China’s stricter control of quality and traceability at border.

Given those issues, the directorate has promptly evaluated the market developments to orient production and promote supply chains to reduce risks for exported shrimp products.

As a result, the breeding area for brackish shrimp in 2019 was estimated at 720,000 hectares, and the output reached 750,000 tonnes.

For tra fish products, the directorate directed localities to carry out measures to maintain growth in 2019, and coordinated with relevant agencies to increase inspections on processing and export conditions.

The total tra fish farming area in 2019 is estimated to reach 6,600 hectares, up 22.2 per cent against the same period last year, and the output is expected to hit 1.42 million tonnes. The export turnover is hoped to stand at 1.9 billion USD.