Khanh Hoa approves ambitious fishery development plan hinh anh 1Aquaculture in Nha Phu Lagoon in Khanh Hoa Province’s Ninh Hoa District. (Photo: VNA)

Khanh Hoa (VNS/VNA) - The People’s Committee of south central Khanh Hoa province has approved a fishery development plan for the period until 2025 focusing on modernising the sector.

The plan targets growing fisheries to 62-63 percent of the province’s agriculture by 2035, after rising to 10 trillion VND (440 million USD) by 2025 and 13 trillion VND (558 million USD) by 2035.

But the development will not be at the cost of the environment or depletion of fishery resources.

The plan envisages reducing fishing near shore and increase offshore fishing to improve quantity, quality and efficiency.

For this, the province will enlarge its off-shore fishing fleet from the current 1,365 boats to 1,780 by 2025 and 2,120 by 2035.

The plan targets to reduce the aquaculture area to around 3,575ha by 2020 through a 7.3 percent reduction every year but increase investment in infrastructure and advanced techniques for better yields.

The province will focus on fostering marine species by releasing fry of endangered species into Nha Trang, Van Phong and Cam Ranh bays and Nha Phu and Thuy Trieu lagoons.

It will also establish marine and island preserves in Cam Ranh city, Ninh Hoa town and Van Ninh and Cam Lam districts and restore and protect the habitats of freshwater species.

Khanh Hoa has 385km of coastline and more than 200 islands with a diverse range of aquatic species, including lobsters, sweet snails and snout otter clams.

Its Nha Trang Bay marine reserve has more than 350 coral species, 70 kinds of crustaceans, 120 species of molluscs and 70 varieties of seaweed.    

Under the country’s fishery development plan for this decade, Khanh Hoa is one of the country’s five largest fishery hubs. Its aquaculture exports are worth around 400 million USD a year.-VNS/VNA
VNA