Govt seeks sustainable growth in seafood sector

CAN THO – The Government will focus on restructuring the seafood industry based on the demands of local and global markets to obtain sustainable growth and raise the competitiveness of the sector, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said at a National Assembly question-and-answer session on November 6.

Farmers feed tra fish in Vinh Long Province. The Government will focus on restructuring the seafood industry based on the demands of local and global markets – PHOTO: TRUNG CHANH

Vietnam has good potential for the development of the seafood sector, he said. In 2018, the country’s seafood output totaled 7.7 million tons. Vietnam shipped US$9 billion worth of seafood to foreign countries last year.

Between January and October this year, Vietnam fetched US$7.1 billion from seafood exports.

“With these results, Vietnam has become one of the world’s leading seafood exporters,” he said, adding that the strong growth of the seafood industry has driven up the country’s socioeconomic development and created a number of jobs for locals.

The deputy prime minister, however, pointed out that the seafood industry is still facing multiple challenges and obstacles, including being relatively small, lacking efficiency in production and processing activities and offering low quality products.

Apart from weak investment in seafood infrastructure, policies for the development of the sector remain restricted, he stated, adding that the country has yet to do away with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing practices, leading to a negative impact on seafood exports.

To address these bottlenecks and challenges and improve the sector’s competitiveness in the global market, the Government asked the relevant agencies, local authorities and firms to step up restructuring efforts based on the demands of the market and the development requirements of each region, explained Deputy PM Dung.

Besides this, in the restructuring process, it is necessary to promote the value chain from production and input material supply to farming, processing and consumption to reduce costs and enhance the quality of seafood products, he said.

The Government also asked the relevant units and processors to switch from traditional farming methods to seafood industrialization, reorganize their production and farming processes and apply advanced technology to manufacturing and processing operations.

The prime minister will instruct the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and of Natural Resources and Environment and the relevant agencies to review and renew planning activities in line with the Law on Planning, Dung said, adding that the country will enhance its focus on creating a seafood growth strategy in the coming years.

The deputy prime minister also urged the relevant agencies and local authorities to map out plans for the growth of the seafood sector for each year of the 2021-2025 period, determine capital sources and prioritize investments in key infrastructure projects, mainly in the Mekong Delta region, such as fishing ports, waterways, harbors and seafood farming facilities.

In addition to tightening control over investment, farming, processing and preservation processes to increase the quality of products and improve efficiency in infrastructure projects, it is vital to enhance international cooperation to expand consumption markets for Vietnam’s seafood sector, according to Dung.