11:51:54 AM | 26/4/2006
With a coastline of 192 kilometres, Binh Thuan is one of the most important and biggest fishing areas in Vietnam with an output of between 250,000 and 350,000 tonnes per annum. Located within the meeting point of two currents, Binh Thuan’s seas are home to many fish and mollusc species of high economic value. The province has many floating fish, mainly anchovy, which provide material for fish sauce making. In particular, Binh Thuan is famous for shrimps, scallop and cuttlefish. Binh Thuan’s scallop has been trademarked worldwide. In 2005, the province’s fishing output reached 150,000 tonnes.
Binh Thuan considers fisheries development a major task. Accordingly, over the past few years, the province has concentrated on developing infrastructure facilities to meet the demand of industry with priorities given to the building of port facilities, concentrated processing complexes, infrastructure facilities for focal points of aquaculture areas and the fishing industry. Also, the province has issued proper policies to encourage investors to develop projects in offshore fishing and seafood processing for export. So far, the province’s fleet has over 7,000 ships and boats. The province has three major fishing ports in Phan Thiet, Ham Tan and Tuy Phong with fishing support services. Binh Thuan has Phu Quy Island located near the fishing area, which has become a place for 600 ships and boats to gather. The island has developed into a spearhead economic location with potential in fishing, processing seafood for export and maritime services.
To maintain the quality and increase the value of seafood, meeting the processing standard for export, Binh Thuan has encouraged local farmers to apply modern technology in fishing with fisheries extension programmes, providing support for increasing capacity of offshore fishing ships and upgrading material preservation techniques.
Binh Thuan’s seas have favourable conditions for aquaculture development with low rainfall, and a clean and dry environment. However, Binh Thuan considers the production of fries its top priority and the province has become a major centre for production of shrimp post larvae in the south of Central Vietnam. At the same time, water surface in Tuy Phong district and Phu Quy island has been exploited for farming fragrant snails, lobsters and sea cucumbers (holothurian). The province has set a target of having had 5,000 hectares for aquaculture by 2010, which is capable of producing 20,500 tonnes. Of the figure, 2,000 hectares of brackish water will produce 6,000 tonnes, 3,000 hectares of fresh water will produce 14,000 tonnes and seafood farming on the sea will produce 500 tonnes.
With abundant materials, Binh Thuan has favourable conditions to develop seafood processing plants. The processing industry has earned the province highest export turnover. In 2005 alone, the province earned US$55 million from seafood export. For fisheries to become a spearhead sector, Binh Thuan is encouraging and creating favourable conditions for enterprises to increase capability, renew technology and diversify products to increase export value. The province has planned and built a seafood processing complex in the south of the Phan Thiet fishing port in order to attract investment capital to seafood processing. The province will strive for a target of processing 33,000 tonnes of seafood in 2010, earning an export value of 90 million with frozen and dried products accounting for 50 per cent of the figure.
Thuy Hang
Vietnamese
