Keeping the sea sustainable

Farmers harvest tra fish in southern Hau Giang Province's Nga Bay Town. Viet Nam's fisheries sector earned US$6.1 billion last year, employing 5 million people. — VNA/VNS Photo Duy Khuong

DA NANG — Viet Nam yesterday hosted an international workshop here to share experiences on the development of fishing in difficult times.

Participants at the workshop, run by the International Co-operative Fisheriies Organisation (ICFO) in co-ordination with Viet Nam Co-operative Alliance (VCA), focused on overcoming the growing pollution of the sea, the depletion of breeding stocks and the impacts of climate change.

Chairman of the organisation, Lee Jong-koo said this was why it was necessary to build a stronger foundation for the future development of fisheries.

Representatives attended from Japan, South Korea, China, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.

Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the second anniversary of World Fisheries Co-operative Day organised by ICFO and VCA in Da Nang city was an important event during the International Year of Co-operatives 2012.

"Viet Nam has a coastline of 3,260km and hundred of thousands of hectares of sea area, ponds and lakes, which are very rich in resources," said Phuc.

"Viet Nam has joined the top 20 countries in terms of fisheries sectors in recent years and become the sixth largest exporter of seafoods. The sector also has helped reduce poverty and created jobs for millions of people in the fishing industry."

Viet Nam's fisheries sector produced a total of 5.3 million tonnes of seafood and aquaculture last year, said VCA chairman of Dao Xuan Can.

He said the sector had earned US$6.1 billion last year, making fisheries one of the country's top three export industries. The sector also employed five million people last year.

Viet Nam now has more than 4,200 fishing groups and more than 25,000 fishing boats.

At the event, the VCA presented campaign medals to ICFO chairman Lee Jong-koo, ICA general director Charles Gould and president of the National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations of Japan, Ikuhiro Hattori, for their contributions to the establishment and development of VCA.

Nguyen Ngoc Hai from Thoi An Aquaculture Co-operative in Can Tho was awarded the World Co-Operator Prize worth US$5,000. — VNS