Seven of the world’s top ten seafood producers and exporters are from Asia, including China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh and Indonesia, said the World Aquaculture Conference of the Asia-Pacific Sub-committee, World Aquaculture Society (WAS) in Hanoi on August 6.

The Asian-Pacific Aquaculture 2007 conference, themed “success comes from dynamic development”, is a good opportunity for the international aquaculture community to visit Vietnam and witness the rapid development of its fisheries sector. It is also a venue for participants to learn about the achievements and potential for development of the aquaculture industry in Vietnam and other countries in the region.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Viet Thang stressed that the Asia-Pacific region has contributed a great amount of seafood products to the global market. In 2004, the region’s seafood output reached 40.4 million tonnes, accounting for 89 percent of the global output and 78 percent of the world’s seafood value.

Vietnam has a large acreage for aquaculture cultivation with about 17 million ha of fresh and brackish water and around 3,260 km of coastal areas, creating a 1-million sq.km exclusive economic zone. Seafood is one of Vietnam’s key export items, generating a large revenue for local socio-economic development, Mr Thang noted.

Delegates at the conference focussed their discussion on developing aquaculture simultaneously with a sustainable environment, fulfilling socio-economic targets and ensuring equal benefits for all fishermen.

They said that Vietnam should focus on meeting the world requirements for food hygiene and safety, achieving sustainable development, reducing poverty and protecting the aquatic environment.

The conference was attended by 500 leading fisheries experts in the world with the aim of providing a good chance for the local fisheries sector to get access to information, experiences and advanced technology in aquaculture.

Source: VOV