Aquatic products are transported to Duong Dong market in Kien Giang province’s Phu Quoc island. (Photo: VNA) Kien Giang (VNA) – The production value ofaquatic products in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang increased by 4 percent to top 32.6 trillion VND (1.4 million USD) this year, despite the serious impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the provincial Department of Agriculture andRural Development (DARD), total catches and aquaculture output came to 854,330 tonnes ofaquatic species this year, up 2.2 percent compared to last year's figure. Of thefigure, the output of aquatic cultivation was 285,470 tonnes, including 104,694tonnes of brackish shrimp.
While sea fishing faced difficulties like rising petroleum prices and declining fisheriesresources, aquaculture had a good year, with output exceeding the year's target.
Quang Trong Thao, deputy director of the department said the total area under industrial shrimpfarming amounted to more than 5,000 ha with an annual output of 31,300tonnes. The province has turned ineffective rice fields in coastalareas into shrimp-and-rice rotation cultivation in the same field, which generated profits from 100-130 million VND (4,300-5,680 USD) per hectare a year.
Given the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic, nextyear, the province strives to meet at least 94 percent of the total output of fishing and aquaculture of 2021, according to the DARD.
The province will support sustainable marine aquaculturedevelopment in coastal and off-shore waters. Attention will be paid to industrial shrimp farming and fish caged farming as well as some other species with higheconomic value.
At the same time, Kien Giang will continue with drastic measures to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices./.
