Aquatic sources have been rehabilitated and developed in a number of localities since the Fisheries Law took effect six years ago.

At a conference to review the enforcement of the law on Nov. 11, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam said that localities have controlled the exploitation of rare aquatic species, improved the living environment of aquatic animals and molluscs and released artificially-bred young aquatic species into the natural environment.

Hence, the output of the fishery sector has increased from 1.94 million tonnes in 2004 to almost 2.28 million tonnes in 2009 and its aquaculture acreage has reached over 1million ha.

Aquaculture export revenues rose from 2.65 billion USD in 2004 to 5.67 billion USD in 2009.

However, there remain shortcomings while the law is being carried out, said the minister, saying that the development of a number of aquatic species lacks planning and the regulation on sea surface for aquaculture remains general.

The law also lacks concrete regulations on aquatic produce imports and international cooperation in aquaculture.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is compiling amendments to the Fisheries Law 2003 to be submitted to the National Assembly.

Under the amendment, the State will encourage and facilitate Vietnam ’s organisations and individuals joining their foreign counterparts in fisheries activities in accordance with the law and the involvement of overseas Vietnamese and foreign organisations and individuals in Vietnam ’s fisheries activities.

The Fisheries Law was adopted by the NA in 2003 and became effective since 2004, to sustainably develop a fisheries economy.

The national fisheries development strategy for 2020 has set the targets that fisheries make up 30-35 percent of the agro-forestry and fisheries sector’s total production value, and its annual production growth rate at 8-10 percent. The sector is expected to generate more than 5 million jobs./.