DaNang (VNA)  – The central coastalcity of Da Nang has issued a planning for the economic development of sea andisland areas to 2020 with the aim to optimise the locality’s strength and potentialto create socio-economic development breakthroughs.

Theplanning, seen as part of the city’s efforts to realise Vietnam’s sea andisland strategy to 2020, also clarifies prioritised areas and projects for bothlocal and foreign investments in sea and island areas.

DaNang is among the 28 coastal localities of Vietnam and one of the 14 centralcities and provinces having the coastline. Six out of its eight districtsborder the sea. The city has 90km of the coastline and 80 percent of populationliving in coastal districts and wards.

Thanksto its wide sea area, Da Nang city has high potential in fishery, tourism andsea transportation.

Thecity’s sea has a fishery reserve of about 1.14 million tonnes, accounting for43 percent of the country’s total, with more than 670 species, including 110species with high economic values.

Thesouth Hai Van-Son Tra peninsular area is home to a diverse ecosystem, includingcoral reefs, sea grass, seaweeds and rare creatures and plants.

Witha goal to become a fishery centre of the central region posting a 14-15 percentgrowth in seafood exports per year, Da Nang has set to focus on offshorefishing and minimize near-shore fishing activities in a bid to restore andpreserve fishery resources. The city aims to rapidly expand the fleet of offshorefishing vessels with high capacity and upgrade those with small capacity.

Thecity has paid much attention to vocational training to provide high qualityworkforce with skills and knowledge needed to operate modern fishing equipmentto serve the fishery sector.

Atthe same time, Da Nang has invested in a fleet of 10 fishery logistic vessels witha capacity of 800-1,000CV each, thus supplying fuel and at the same time buyingfresh seafood at sea. It fishermen are being supported by modern communicationinformation system when operating at sea.

Toimprove catch output and minimize human and property losses during operationsat sea, the city has issued a regulation on fishermen’s teams that laid the foundationfor the activity of gathering individuals to an organization in which members helpeach other in production as well as in search and rescue activities, safeguard thetraditional fishing grounds, assist each other in the procurement of fishingtools and equipment, connect vessels, maintain contacts between fishermen atsea and the mainland, and receive weather forecast and guidelines on disasterresponse and search and rescue from the mainland.

Themodel has been lauded by local fishermen who found that the groups meet theirdemands during their production at sea.

VuDieu Ngan from the Da Nang Institute for Socio-economic Development Researchsaid that to make the maritime economy play the core role in the city’seconomy, Da Nang should focus on strengthening fishing activities, especiallyoffshore fishing, while continuing improving the capacity and effectiveness ofthe sector.

Shealso stressed the importance of increasing the application of science andtechnology as well as quipping modern equipment for fishing vessels.

Thecity should expand the seafood processing system for exports, while upgrading DaNang port to ensure its performance as the gateway to the sea for the CentralHighlands as well as Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and other northeasternAsian countries, said Ngan.

Meanwhile,Dan Hung from the municipal People’s Committee said that the city has exertedefforts to implement commitments to the development of the maritime economy,while resolutely safeguarding the country’s sovereignty over sea and islands.

The city has built its own strategy to realize the country’s sea and islandstrategy, with solutions and steps suitable to the country’s conditions while  making the best use of foreign investment andtechnology to conquer the sea, serving the country’s economic development in arapid and sustainable manner, said Hung.-VNA