The launch ceremony was co-hosted by the Directorate of Fisheries, the Vietnam
Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors, the Vietnam Fisheries Society,
and the Netherlands’ Sustainable Trade Initiative.
Speaking at the event, deputy head of the Directorate of Fisheries Tran Dinh
Luan said the project aims to improve shrimp and tra fish farming management in
the region. He pledged to offer support for the project and spread the model in
localities nationwide.
Pham Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fisheries Society, said Vietnam is
one of the top five exporters of brackish water shrimp and the leading exporter
and manufacturer of tra fish globally. The Mekong Delta accounts for 80 percent
of shrimp output and 95 percent of tra fish production.
He said the project will strengthen the efficiency of epidemic management
through the refinement of environmental monitoring systems that give epidemic
alerts; improve shrimp and tra fish farming productivity via a supply chain; as
well as assist shrimp and tra fish farming businesses in building and improving
the system for tracing the origin of products.
It will be carried out from September 2018 to December 2020 at a total cost of
1.75 million USD. Of which, 300,000 USD will be sourced from the State sector,
830,000 USD from fishery firms, and the remaining from domestic and foreign
organisations.
The export value of aquatic products was estimated at 732 million USD in June,
bringing the figure for the first half of the year to 3.94 billion USD, up 10.5
percent annually, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development.
The figure is estimated at 10 billion USD this year, up 20 percent year-on-year.
Source: VNA