HCM City (VNA) – The Vietnamese fishery sector needs asustainable development strategy to stand firm in the world market for thelong-run, experts have said.

As of the beginning of September, Vietnam’s aquatic productswere available in 177 foreign markets over the world.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exportersand Producers (VASEP), the output of aquatic products – from both farming andfishing – has increased continuously over the past 17 years, with an annual averagerate of 9 percent. Of this figure, the output of aquatic farming has risen by12 percent per year and the output of fishing, by 6 percent.

VASEP said that the output of aquatic products increased bynearly 60 percent, from 4.6 million tonnes in 2008 to 7.3 million tonnes in2017 – of which the farming yield accounts for 53 percent. The export turnoverreached 4.5 billion USD in 2008 and is expected to double this year.

Quach Thi Khanh Ngoc, a lecturer at Nha Trang University’s economicfaculty, said that Vietnam is one of the countries with the lowest adaptationto climate change. The Mekong Delta region is said to be the worst affected inthe country and, as a result, the fishery sector is also harmed.

To better adapt to climate change, the sector needs specificactions by producers and farmers, with the involvement of scientists inproducing resilient breeds and new technologies for the sector.

VASEP Vice General Secretary Nguyen Hoai Nam said thatVietnamese seafood processors and exporters have diversified their products;paid attention to food safety, hygiene, and quality; and strictly followedrequirements of importers, which have helped Vietnamese aquatic products becomeavailable in many countries around the world.

Seafood exports now account for 4-5 percent of the country’stotal export turnover, following mobile phones, garments and textiles,electronic products, and footwear.

VASEP General Secretary Truong Dinh Hoe noted that more thanhalf of its seafood output is being exported. Meanwhile, 80 percent of the nearly100 million Vietnamese people use aquatic products.

Therefore, the domestic market, when being missed by localexporters, will create a big opportunity for other countries which want toexport their products to Vietnam. At this point, Vietnamese enterprises willface difficulties in competing in the domestic market, Hoe added.

Nguyen Ngo Vi Tam, General Director of Vinh Hoan Company inthe Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, shared that although the domesticmarket brings about lower profits than export, it can consume 13-14 percent ofthe company’s processed products.

To facilitate product circulation on the local market, Tamsuggested improving the logistics system and bettering the distribution channelto ensure products maintain its high quality when reaching the hands ofcustomers.–VNA