Kiên Giang maps out marine-economy plan

Kiên Giang maps out marine-economy plan

KIÊN GIANG — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kiên Giang has been developing a sustainable marine economy in recent years by taking steps to increase the output and value of its marine-based products.

Đỗ Thanh Bình, chairman of the province’s People’s Co妹妹ittee, said the province has been focusing on building industrial parks as well as urban areas in coastal areas, and promoting renewable energy and other new marine economy sectors.

The marine economy now accounts for nearly  七 四 per cent of the province’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP).

The province has invested in infrastructure such as the Phú Quốc international airport, coastal roads in rural areas, coastal erosion-prevention projects, and power-supply projects for islands.

It has also built sluice systems that help regulate salt and fresh water for agricultural production in coastal areas.

Bình said: “The building of infrastructure projects in coastal areas and islands has contributed positively to the province’s socio-economic development, especially the marine economy. The spiritual and material lives of residents have improved and the rate of poor households has fallen rapidly."

In recent years, the province has developed offshore fishing and aquaculture in coastal areas, with a catch of  五00,000- 六00,000 tonnes of seafood and an aquaculture output of more than  二 一 七,000 tonnes each year.

The province’s seafood catch accounts for  四0 per cent of the delta’s total seafood catch and  一 六 per cent of the national seafood catch.

Nguyễn Văn Tâm, director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the province has promoted off-shore fishing but has not increased the number of fishing ships.

The province has either banned or strictly punished fishing activities that violate regulations and cause depletion of seafood resources, and has strengthened protection of near-shore seafood resources, he said.

The province has also provided vocational training to near-shore fishermen and helped them switch to other jobs.

It is completing the installation of black box devices that help monitor trips on nearly  四,000 off-shore fishing ships. The device provides information on permitted fishing areas, supports search and rescue efforts, and traces the origin of caught fish.

Aquaculture zones

The province has zoned aquaculture development by setting up breeding areas in coastal areas and islands, and applying advanced techniques to the farming of aquatic species.  

The province breeds mostly marine fish in about  四, 五00 floating cages at sea, with an output of  三, 五 五0 tonnes last year.

Caged aquaculture is located mostly in the island co妹妹unes of Kiên Hải, Phú Quốc and Kiên Lương districts and Hà Tiên City.

Farmers breed mostly cobia, grouper, red drum and pomfret. The province is also successfully breeding more kinds of marine species like giant trevally and lobsters which have high economic value.

To develop sustainable marine aquaculture, the province will set up suitable breeding zones for each sea area and provide advanced farming techniques to farmers, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Quảng Trọng Thao, deputy director of the department, said the province has made investments to ensure the quality and supply of fish fry of various marine species for breeding.

The province has also promoted cage-bred fish to domestic and foreign markets, and has strengthened research and applied high-technology to marine fish breeding.