Vietnam’s seafood catch reached 639,000 tonnes in the first quarter ofthis year or a 3 percent year-on-year increase thanks to favourableweather conditions.

According to Directorate of Fisheries(DoF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD),some provinces recorded large offshore fishing outputs, includingsouthern Kien Giang province with 96,000 tonnes; southernmost Ca Mauprovince, 42,500 tonnes; and central Binh Thuan province, 28,400 tonnes.

The catch of ocean tuna has developed in many provinces suchas Nghe An, Thua Thien- Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Kien Giang andCa Mau. However, big catches were seen in Binh Dinh province with over2,000 tonnes and Phu Yen province with 2,850 tonnes in the three-monthperiod.

To raise the efficiency of the fishery industry, theDoF will expand the model of production teams at sea, strengthen themanagement and modernisation of fishing boats while encouraging theprivate sector to invest in seafood preservation systems, said theagency’s Deputy Director General Pham Anh Tuan.

In addition tobuilding policies to support fishermen at sea, the directorate ishelping them to access capital resources and training them in new safetyand exploitation techniques and maritime rules, he added.

Plusan aquatic farming output of 501,000 tonnes, Vietnam’s seafoodproduction value reached over 31 trillion VND, a year-on-year rise of2.5 percent and accounting for 33.4 percent of the country’s totalagricultural production value.-VNA