Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Can Tho (VNA) - TheMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Norwegian Embassy have organised a business seminar on sustainable aquaculture in southern Can Tho city.
Co-chaired by Tran Dinh Luan, deputy generaldirector of the Fisheries Department, and Ole Henaes, the commercial counsellorat the embassy in Hanoi, the event brought together executives from 16Norwegian aquaculture companies and local businesses and officials from thedirectorate and provincial departments of aquaculture.
The workshop sought to introduce Norwegiantechnologies in the aquaculture value chain and connect Vietnamese andNorwegian businesses.
It discussed new techniques and technologies infisheries and aquaculture processing from renowned Norwegian companies likeArtec Aqua, CFlow, Steinsvik, Normex and Pharmaq, including the use ofelectrolysis and ultrasound in the treatment of seawater, efficient systems forhandling and transport of fish, automatic feeding and monitoring systems forfish farms, corrosion-free surveillance cameras for ships, wastewater treatmentand organic matter removal systems, and vaccines for fish.
Assoc Prof Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung, Chairman of theVietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said witha coastline of over 3,260 kilometres, more than 3,000 islands and islets and2,860 rivers and estuaries, Vietnam was geographically endowed with idealconditions for fisheries.
The country is the third largest fisheriesproducer with an output of 6.33 million tons last year. It is the leadingproducer of pangasius and the third largest producer of shrimp.
Yet, Dung said, the Vietnamese aquaculturesector has also faced major challenges in recent years.
They include lack of planning leading tounsustainable development, poor breeding fish quality and aquacultureinfrastructure, inefficient extension services, high disease prevalence andlack of environmental monitoring and administrative and management capacity, hesaid.
The country is in urgent need of building apartnership with an aquaculture superpower like Norway to develop a moresustainable fisheries sector that can produce higher quality seafood productsfor local and global markets, he said.
Henaes said many Norwegain aquaculture companiesconsider Vietnam the most promising market in Southeast Asia, thanks to anumber of advantages such as competitive labour costs, skilled workers, openeconomic policy, favourable geographical conditions and a mutual interest inthe blue economy.
The main objective is for the Norwegianbusinesses to increase their knowledge of the Vietnamese seafood industry,market their technologies and update their Vietnamese partners on newtechnological innovations to improve their efficiency, he said.
Luan thanked the delegates for their input andassured that the ministry would help identify opportunities for Norwegianinvestors, create the best possible conditions for them and facilitatelong-term relationships.
The Department of Fisheries would supportNorwegian aquaculture businesses as an active dialogue partner and advise themon local political and economic conditions and issues like corporate socialresponsibility, barriers to business operations and others.
It would also help them contact the Government,he said.
It would co-operate closely with Norwegianinvestment funds like Holbergfondene and Nor-fishing Foundation Fund toallocate money needed for projects and ventures, he said.-VNA
Co-chaired by Tran Dinh Luan, deputy generaldirector of the Fisheries Department, and Ole Henaes, the commercial counsellorat the embassy in Hanoi, the event brought together executives from 16Norwegian aquaculture companies and local businesses and officials from thedirectorate and provincial departments of aquaculture.
The workshop sought to introduce Norwegiantechnologies in the aquaculture value chain and connect Vietnamese andNorwegian businesses.
It discussed new techniques and technologies infisheries and aquaculture processing from renowned Norwegian companies likeArtec Aqua, CFlow, Steinsvik, Normex and Pharmaq, including the use ofelectrolysis and ultrasound in the treatment of seawater, efficient systems forhandling and transport of fish, automatic feeding and monitoring systems forfish farms, corrosion-free surveillance cameras for ships, wastewater treatmentand organic matter removal systems, and vaccines for fish.
Assoc Prof Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung, Chairman of theVietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said witha coastline of over 3,260 kilometres, more than 3,000 islands and islets and2,860 rivers and estuaries, Vietnam was geographically endowed with idealconditions for fisheries.
The country is the third largest fisheriesproducer with an output of 6.33 million tons last year. It is the leadingproducer of pangasius and the third largest producer of shrimp.
Yet, Dung said, the Vietnamese aquaculturesector has also faced major challenges in recent years.
They include lack of planning leading tounsustainable development, poor breeding fish quality and aquacultureinfrastructure, inefficient extension services, high disease prevalence andlack of environmental monitoring and administrative and management capacity, hesaid.
The country is in urgent need of building apartnership with an aquaculture superpower like Norway to develop a moresustainable fisheries sector that can produce higher quality seafood productsfor local and global markets, he said.
Henaes said many Norwegain aquaculture companiesconsider Vietnam the most promising market in Southeast Asia, thanks to anumber of advantages such as competitive labour costs, skilled workers, openeconomic policy, favourable geographical conditions and a mutual interest inthe blue economy.
The main objective is for the Norwegianbusinesses to increase their knowledge of the Vietnamese seafood industry,market their technologies and update their Vietnamese partners on newtechnological innovations to improve their efficiency, he said.
Luan thanked the delegates for their input andassured that the ministry would help identify opportunities for Norwegianinvestors, create the best possible conditions for them and facilitatelong-term relationships.
The Department of Fisheries would supportNorwegian aquaculture businesses as an active dialogue partner and advise themon local political and economic conditions and issues like corporate socialresponsibility, barriers to business operations and others.
It would also help them contact the Government,he said.
It would co-operate closely with Norwegianinvestment funds like Holbergfondene and Nor-fishing Foundation Fund toallocate money needed for projects and ventures, he said.-VNA
VNA
