Despite adverse weather and high input materials prices, Vietnam earned 2.58 billion USD from seafood exports in the first half of the year, a year-on-year surge of 28 percent, said fisheries experts.

Double digit growths in both volume and value were recorded in seafood exports to the European Union (EU), the US, the Republic of Korea, ASEAN, Mexico and Canada.

Shrimp was the leading product with year-on-year rises of 36 percent in value and 17.5 percent in volume, followed by tuna with year-on-year increases of 34.3 percent in value and 11.1 percent in volume and tra fish, up 24.7 percent in value and 4.7 percent in volume.

Vietnam’s seafood exports value is expected to maintain its record of 5 billion USD this year due to the increasing world seafood demand and the reduction in seafood supply in a number of countries.

To achieve the target, the fisheries sector will continue its investment in material production with priorities to shrimp, tra fish, tuna and mollusc. The sector will also promote trade promotion activities abroad, fasten the link in aquaculture, renew technology and enhance the inspection of seafood safety quality.

The Fisheries General Department will ask the Ministry and Government to add more capital, coordinate with relevant agencies in attracting investment into fisheries programmes and put forward mechanisms to finance aquaculture development programmes to ensure enough supply for factories./.