In the first 9 months of 2016, fisheries sector faced difficulties and challenges due to extremely cold weather, water pollution, drought and salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta provinces, etc. However, seafood production remained a slight increase. Seafood production in the first 9 months of this year was estimated at 4,949.6 thousand tons, up 2.2% compared to the same period last year. Of this figure, aquaculture production was estimated at 2,621 thousand tons, up 1.8% y-o-y and fishing output estimated at 2,328.6 thousand tons, increasing by 2.7% compared to the same period last year.
In September tra fish export saw a decline and raw fish prices also fell were the challenges that farmers faced. Tra fish farming areas in the first 9 months in the Mekong Delta province was estimated at 5,146 hectares, down 2.3% over the same period. However, tra fish output was estimated at 860,911 tons, up 2.5% year-on-year thanks to increasing in the output of provinces like Dong Thap (+6.8%), Can Tho (+27.2%).
Meanwhile, shrimp farming saw positive signs thanks to the favorable the weather in recent months and relatively stable shrimp price. Many brackish water shrimp farming areas quickly recovered after the drought and salt intrusion since farmers continued to drop shrimp stocks and the applied high technology in shrimp farming.
As reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as of 20th September, the country’s black tiger shrimp farming area was estimated at 582.7 thousand hectares, an increase of 0.6% over the same period and shrimp production was estimated at 174.4 thousand tons, down 2.5%. In particular, shrimp farming area in the Mekong Delta provinces was estimated at 562 501 ha, up 1.3% while production was estimated at 169,012 tons, down 4.7%. Ca Mau is the country’s largest shrimp farming area province. To date, the province has stocked on the area of 268.458 ha.
The country’s white-legged shrimp farming area was estimated at 80 thousand hectares, an increase of 6.3% over the same period last year, bringing about output of 200 thousand tons, up 4.2%.
Fishing production in the first 9 months of 2016 was estimated at 2,328.6 thousand tons, up 2.7% compared to the same period last year. Of this figure, marine fishing reached 2,191.6 thousand tons, up 2.8% compared to the same period last year.
This result was attributable to the favorable weather on the fishing grounds, encouraging the local fishermen to go fishing. Particularly, in the South Central provinces and Mekong Delta, fishing yield recorded a relative high, including scad, herring, anchovies and tuna.
Giáng Hương