product fisheries

vietnam / nhân dân / product / fisheries

Product

Fisheries

Vietnamese fisheries export earnings reached the landmark of US $1 billion in early October, following years of high growth.

Party leader Le Kha Phieu sent a letter to praise the efforts of the fisheries industry and farmers on the occasion, saying that he hoped the sector would try harder to achieve the goal of US $1.25 billion for the year 2000, US $2.5 billion for 2005 and US $3.5 billion for 2010. This would make Vietnam one of the top exporters of aquatic products in the world and make the fisheries sector one of the leading branches of the national economy.

The seafood processing industry saw a good growth in recent years with 1999’s total export value recorded at US $917.12 million.

As a country with tropical climate and long coastline with many islands, Vietnam has an excellent area for aquatic farming and fishery. Total fish catching in 1999 was put at 1.2 million tonnes while 614,510 tonnes came from breeding. During the first nine months this year, the fisheries industry caught 1.55 million tonnes of fish, an increase of 400 tonnes over the same period last year. More fishing ports were built in many areas along seashores and in islands including Phu Quoc, Phu Qui and Cat Lo.

Aquatic farming has also increased in area, with 1999 coverage reaching 630,000 hectares of water surface, mostly for fish and shrimp breeding.

Japan, the United States, the European Union (EU) and China are top importers of Vietnamese seafood and aquatic products. At least 40 Vietnamese seafood-processing companies received approval from the EU to export aquatic products into its market.

The Ministry of Fisheries requested seafood-processing enterprises to ensure quality, hygiene and safety of products by the middle of 2000 and the full-fledged implementation of a quality control system called HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) at all seafood-processing enterprises nationwide in early 2001.

There are about 200 seafood-processing businesses in Vietnam; of these 107 were members of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers