Hanoi (VNA) – A draft strategy for sea farming development has set the targetof making Vietnam a leading country in mariculture in Asia, and one of the world’stop five farmed seafood producers and exporters by 2050.

The Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministryof Agriculture and Rural Development held a workshop on July 11 to collectopinions on the draft strategy.

Deputy General Director of the directorate TranDinh Luan said Vietnam boasts huge potential and advantages for sea farming,including a coastline over 3,260km in length and a great number of islands andbays, especially western sea areas that are less vulnerable to storms and theareas off the coast of the central region which have favourable depthconditions for sea farming.

However, sea farming in the country is stillscattered and operates on a small scale, yet to fully tap into its potentialand natural advantages, he noted, voicing his hope for better mechanisms andpolicies to attract investment in this field.

Echoing this, Patrick White from the US SoybeanExport Council, which also engages in offshore aquaculture and aquatictechnique-related activities, said Vietnam holds much potential and advantagesfor the development of sea farming. If there are specific mechanisms andpolicies, these resources will be optimised.

In the draft strategy for 2030 with a vision towards2050, sea farming will be developed into a concentrated, large-scale, andsustainable production sector, creating high-quality goods for the domesticmarket and exports.

By 2020, policies encouraging industrialoffshore aquaculture will be piloted, while the number of enterprises involvedin industrial mariculture will be increased in potential localities such as HaiPhong city and the provinces of Quang Ninh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, and Kien Giang.

The draft plans that by 2030, Vietnam will have successfullybuilt a concentrated, modern, and environmentally-friendly sea farming industrywith diverse products, high productivity, reasonable structure, and goodcompetitiveness and integration capacity. 

Mariculture is expected to cover 300,000ha ofthe water surface, producing 1.75 million tonnes of seafood and earning 5-8 billionUSD from exports each year by that year.

By 2050, the country hopes to have an advancedsea farming industry with sustainable development. The sector will become a keypart of sea-based economic activities and contribute 2-3 percent to total GDP.

Offshore aquaculture is targeted to produce 3million tonnes of seafood and gain more than 10 billion USD from exports everyyear by 2050, according to the draft strategy. -VNA