Vietnam attends ASEAN-SEAFDEC Conference

The ASEAN-SEAFDEC Conference under the theme “Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security Towards 2020 – Fish for the People 2020: Adapting to a Changing Environment” was held in Bangkok, Thailand on June 17.

Chi Tien Vinh, deputy head of the Directorate of Fisheries said that in the past decade, Vietnam’s seafood sector has made remarkable progress, especially in exporting tra and basa fish. The sector earned US$5 billion from exports and contributed to reducing poverty and protecting national sovereignty protection at sea. Vietnam is willing to cooperate with other countries in the regions to develop sustainable aquaculture in Vietnam’s East Sea to benefit future generations.

Vietnam also shared its experience in sustainable and profitable tra and basa fish aquaculture. At the conference’s closing ceremony, a joint statement was released by ASEAN Ministers and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre.

The statement focused on producing aquatic products for food security and poverty reduction, improving the effective management of aquaculture and strengthening adaptation to climate change, as well as increasing the competitive edge of seafood products in the world market, encouraging the efficient use of energy and promoting renewable energy.

In 2010, the Vietnamese seafood sector earned US$5 billion from exports with tra exports reaching more than US$1 billion. In the first six months of this year, Vietnam earned more than US$3 billion in export turnover. The sector has targeted a turnover of US$5.5 – 6 billion for the whole year. Currently, the US is Vietnam’s largest seafood export market, followed by Russia and Ukraine. Vietnam also plans to penetrate the Central Africa market in the future.

Vietnam aims to diversify its aquaculture and apply new technologies for breeding clean tra and basa fish, ensure food safety and hygiene and seek new aquatic products.

Vietnam has cooperated with many ASEAN nations in the field of aquaculture. It has signed agreements on exploiting seafood products with Indonesia and the Philippines and plans to enter similar deals with Myanmar and Malaysia in the future.

Vietnam also aims to cooperate and exchange information with Thailand in this field. – VOV

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