DIRECTORATE OF FISHERIES

White leg shrimp has begin to be cultured in industrial scale in Viet Nam since 1998 while black tiger prawn was in the early 1980s. To date, brackish water shrimp are cultured in 30 provinces and become the largest fishery commodity product of the country, which is the key seafood export items of Viet Nam. After 10 years, from 2000 to 2010, shrimp farming area has increased from 228,610 ha to 639,115 ha (2.8 times) and production from 97,628 tonnes to 443,714 tonnes (4.5 times). Since 2010, shrimp export value has surpassed 2.1 billion USD and reached the record at 3.95 billion of USD in 2014. In 2016, even thought there were many difficulties that agriculture sector had to face such as drought and high salinity in Mekong River Delta, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development collaborate with Directorate of Fisheries and local authorities has been successful in leading the shrimp industry surpass the critical condition. End of 2016, the total shrimp farming areas was 694,645ha, with the production of 657,282 tons. The shrimp product was exported to 90 markets with a turnover of 3.15 billion of USD, up 6.7% compare to 2015.

The conference cited the advantages and potential of Vietnam in culturing brackish water shrimp as natural conditions, value export and producing technologies. However, the participants also agreed with the difficulties that shrimp industry facing as breeding, shrimp production cost, infrastructure and irrigation system of farming areas, commercial competition. From that, the participants have proposed to diversify the models of farming as eco-farming, shrimp-forest model for giant prawn, culturing shrimp in canvas-bottom pond for white leg shrimp.

With regards to the development strategy and vision of Vietnam’s shrimp industry, the Prime Minister hoped that the Mekong Delta would be developed into a high-quality shrimp farming and processing and that Viet Nam would strive to make the proper trademark for Vietnamese shrimp products. He insisted on the tightened control over water sources by applying scientific and technological advances to protect shrimp from diseases, while calling on Vietnamese businesses to get more involved in the procedures of providing feed and fingerlings to the shrimp industry to limit dependence on foreign partners.

The PM asked the collaboration among Ministries and local authorities to ensure the modern and sustainable development of shrimp industrial in the future. Especially, he tasked the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development to finish the National Plan of Action to develop Shrimp Industrial producing and submit it to the Government for consideration and approval in the first quarter of this year. The MARD is asked to review relevant mechanisms to better support the development of the shrimp industry, while working with localities to make shrimp cultivation planning on the basis of evaluating the global market, associated with planning for agricultural restructuring and response to climate change and rising sea levels.

The leader of Vietnamese Government also affirmed the Government will give severe punishments to violations damaging the prestige of Vietnamese shrimp images and position in the world market.

Hương Trà