Can Tho (VNA) – A business forum was held by the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on November 27, seeking ways for sustainable aquaculture in the region.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien, the Mekong Delta is the country’s aquaculture powerhouse that generates 61.8% of Vietnam’s seafood production and 57.6% of its seafood export value. But the region is facing such major challenges as climate change, saline intrusion, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, and increasing international market pressure.

Vietnam and the Netherlands have worked closely in sustainable agriculture, food security, water resources management, and aquaculture for more than a decade, promoting innovation, scientific research, and practical measures for sustainable development.

The European country has been a global leader in sustainable practices and held strengths in nutrition research, cooperative management and advanced aquaculture technologies – the areas where Vietnamese research agencies and businesses could cooperate for development, he said.

Consul General of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City Daniel Stork said through cooperation mechanisms, both sides could equip local farmers with knowledge and technologies to develop sustainable livelihoods and protect the environment.

Nguyen Van Huu, a representative from the MARD's Directorate of Fisheries, said discussions centered on sustainable aquaculture, water resources management, a circular economy model, advanced technology transfer, breeding programme development, capacity building, and climate change mitigation.

Meanwhile, Michiel Smit from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency held that sustainable aquaculture produc🔴tion can only be achieved through a focused and robust approach that prioritises water resources management, food safety, farm management, and technology application./.