Vietnam’s seafood catch reached 639,000 tonnes in the first quarter of this year or a 3 percent year-on-year increase thanks to favourable weather conditions.

According to Directorate of Fisheries (DoF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), some provinces recorded large offshore fishing outputs, including southern Kien Giang province with 96,000 tonnes; southernmost Ca Mau province, 42,500 tonnes; and central Binh Thuan province, 28,400 tonnes.

The catch of ocean tuna has developed in many provinces such as Nghe An, Thua Thien- Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Kien Giang and Ca Mau. However, big catches were seen in Binh Dinh province with over 2,000 tonnes and Phu Yen province with 2,850 tonnes in the three-month period.

To raise the efficiency of the fishery industry, the DoF will expand the model of production teams at sea, strengthen the management and modernisation of fishing boats while encouraging the private sector to invest in seafood preservation systems, said the agency’s Deputy Director General Pham Anh Tuan.

In addition to building policies to support fishermen at sea, the directorate is helping them to access capital resources and training them in new safety and exploitation techniques and maritime rules, he added.

Plus an aquatic farming output of 501,000 tonnes, Vietnam’s seafood production value reached over 31 trillion VND, a year-on-year rise of 2.5 percent and accounting for 33.4 percent of the country’s total agricultural production value.-VNA