Vietnam Maps Out for Marine-Economy Development

Vietnamese experts and officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) have sought ways to develop marine economy by at recent workshop in Hanoi.

 

The workshop set target to increase marine economy’s contribution to Vietnam’s GDP to 20 per cent by 2020 by expanding its export revenues to between 55 per cent and 60 per cent of the country’s total export value, said Deputy Minister of MARD, Nguyen Viet Thang.

 

Vietnam now ranks in the top ten of the world’s seafood-development countries and 7th among seafood exporters proved the marine economy’s strong potential.

 

But participants at the workshop defined a vision for the marine economy and development of the seafood industry, cautioned of limitations to the potential.

 

These ranged from a lack of macro policies to practices that have significantly lowered the economy’s benefits.

 

Planning and Investment Ministry’s Development Studies Institute representative Bui Tat Thang said 2005 figures showed that Vietnam earned about VND400 trillion (US$25 million) from the coastal marine economy each year and this totaled about 48 per cent GDP.

 

The marine-economy embraced ports, ship building, oil and gas, seafood, tourism and the islands.

 

But the performance of all six was too modest when compared with their potential.

 

The focus had been placed on the north-south direction, but the east-west ignored, especially with infrastructure and transport and this was the major hindrance to the marine economy’s sustainable development.

 

Vietnam Social Science Institute president Do Hoai Nam emphasized the need for macro policies. "So far, Vietnam has not devised a comprehensive strategy for exploitation of the marine economy," he said. This is the major constraint for management by officials and local authorities.

 

"The exploitation of marine resources remains modest because of the limited scale, inappropriate structure and low standards of science and technology."

 

Vietnam Economics Institute deputy director Tran Dinh Thien said successful implementation of an industrialization -and- modernization strategy was needed.

 

The key task will be a detailed map for the effective exploitation of the marine economy’s potential. "The Government, ministries, industries and localities need to make a comprehensive assessment of their marine potential," he said.

 

The assessment could then be used to set long-term priorities together with political, cultural and economic tasks.

 

However, many of the participants worried about the lack of infrastructure.

 

Former President of the World Economic Institute Vo Dai Luoc said completion of HCM city – Vung Tau and Hanoi – Haiphong highway was essential for the development of the general economy and the marine economy in particular.

 

The infrastructure will meet the demand for the transport of goods from the major ports to key economic regions, he said.

 

The economist argued that the marine economy’s development will be enhanced with the building of new international-standard ports, instead of limiting the focus to seafood, oil and gas and tourism.

 

"The best way to develop the marine economy is to draw foreign participation," he said.

 

The effect development of the marine economy on the environment was also discussed.

 

The Agriculture and Rural Development is about to submit to the government a comprehensive program for the exploitation, protection and development of seafood to 2015 with a vision to 2020.

 

The program is designed to take advantage of Vietnam’s seafood potential based on the principle of efficiency, safety and protection of the environment.

 

The target is to have the fishing industry match regional development standards.

 

Specifically, it is planned to reduce the in-shore catch from 800,000 tons in 2010 to 600,000 tons in 2015. The offshore catch is to increase to one million tons by 2010 and 1.2 million tons in 2015. The number of low-capacity ships will be reduced from 80,400 to 64,000 by 2010 and 44,000 by 2015.

 

Labor intensive vessels will be reduced by 50 per cent by 2015 while high-capacity offshore ships will increase from 8,000 to 9,000.

 

The program’s measures to meet these targets include re-organization of fishing methods and re-assessment of coastal and offshore potential.

 

Deputy Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Viet Thang told the workshop that the government intended to approve 15 marine conservation zones.