$421mil fishing port plan approved

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a VND8 trillion (US$421 million) plan to build a network of fishing ports for 28 of Viet Nam’s coastal cities and provinces.

A major purpose of the plan to 2020, with a vision to 2030, is to finish ports that are behind schedule, provide logistic services for fishing vessels and develop the national fishery industry for modernisation and industrialisation.

It includes more than 210 fishing ports, 178 mainland ports and 33 island ports with a yearly capacity of 2.36 million tonnes of sea produce by 2020.

Seventy-three central-coast fishing ports will be built or upgraded, 65 on the northern coast, 45 on the south-east coast and 28 on the south-west coast.

The plan will be implemented in three stages.

The first, 2009-12, provides for the spending of VND2.3 trillion ($121 million) for the construction of Level 1 fishing ports with storm shelters capable of servicing 800CV fishing vessels making 120 movements each day and some Level 2 ports.

These would service 400CV vessels making 50 daily movements.

The second stage, 2013-15, will focus on the key fishing ports at large estuaries which host fishing vessels from other provinces and play an important role in distributing and trading sea produce.

Investment for these will total VND3.9 trillion ( $205 million).

The rest of the money – VND1.7 trillion ( $89.4 million) will be used between 2016-20 for the remainder of the fishing ports.

Initially, capital for the plan will be drawn from the State budget and then mobilised through other sources, both domestic and foreign.

Fees collected at some of the major ports will be used for maintenance and upgrades.

Central Quang Ngai Province’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department deputy director Phan Huy Hoang said fishing-port infrastructure was inadequate and inefficient and failed to meet owner demands.

“The province has more than 5,500 fishing vessels, but there are only three fishing ports, Luy Son, Tinh Hoa and Sa Huynh, for the vessels to moor and trade sea produce,” he said.

“Vessel owners scramble for anchorages because the ports are overcrowded. The result is disorder and unregulated behaviour.

“Many fishermen have used timber to build temporary wharves and that is why the province can harvest 90,000 tonnes of sea produce each year.”

The ports were not dredged regularly and this made it difficult for many large vessels to moor. Link roads were limited and traffic jams common.

The deputy director said: “The potential of the province’s fishery is completely untapped.

“The investment plan will boost its development and turn temporary ports into fish-trade centres.”

Hai Phong has Viet Nam’s most fishing ports, 14, and an industry representative said more investment for logistic services and storm shelters for thousands of heavy vessels, especially during the stormy seasons, were needed.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

Tags: Vietnam fishing port