A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade is now making a working visit to Indonesia to bolster aquaculture trade links between the two countries.

The visit also aims to explore business and investment opportunities in other areas in the country.

Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry’s director general of fish production, marketing and processing Saut Hutagalung said his country highly values Vietnam’s market potential for aquatic products as well as its interest in Indonesia’s fishery sector.

Indonesia’s export turnover of shrimp, crab, seaweed and ornamental fish to Vietnam in January this year hit 27.36 million USD, a year-on-year increase of 32.24 percent.

The country’s aquatic product export turnover to Vietnam – its only strategic partnership nation in Southeast Asia- in 2014 is hoped to top 100 million USD.

In recent years, Indonesia’s fishery sector has reaped considerable achievements in both production and export.

Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sharif Cicip Sutardjo announced earlier this year that the sector has set to reach an output of 20.95 million tonnes and an export turnover of 5.56 billion USD this year, up 75 million USD against last year’s figure.

Indonesia holds a remarkable position in the global fishing industry as it uses up to 200 million labourers and generates 80 billion USD per year.-VNA