Nearly 1 tonne of shrimp and fish fry were released into rivers and ponds in Mo Cay Bac district, the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on April 1 as part of activities to mark the Vietnam Fisheries Day (April 1, 1959-2015).

Held by the provincial Fishery Association, the annual event also aimed to raise public awareness of legal regulations on aquatic resources, and the role of resources preservation for sustainable fisheries.

The same day, the department of agriculture and rural development of southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province organised a fishery festival in honour of the Day, during which nearly 500,000 shrimps and 30,000 butterfishes were let out into the sea.

According to Cao Xuan Tieu, Deputy Director of the department, with a 160km coastline, the locality’s annual sea catch reaches nearly 300,000 tonnes, while aquaculture output is 15,000 tonnes, generating jobs and stable income for 99,000 labourers.

With the same purpose, the Fishery Department of the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long also set free 147,000 fish fry on the occasion.

Vinh Long has 2,600 ha of aquaculture farms.-VNA