Mobilising Resources for Development of Sea Economy

With a coastline of more than 200 kilometres, a fishing ground of 63,000 square kilometres and more than 100 islands, Kien Giang sea allows local people to exploit seafood and develop aquaculture as well as develop maritime industries. According to the research conducted by the Vietnam Sea Research Institute, Kien Giang has a reserve of 464,660 tonnes of seafood, in which 56 per cent inhabit at the depth of 20-50 metres and 51.5 per cent live in the surface layer. Up to 44 per cent of the reserve can be commercially exploited, or over 200,000 tonnes.

 

According to the statistics, from 2001 to 2005, the average annual growth of maritime economy of Kien Giang province was over 18 per cent. In 2006, the seaborne economy contributed 58 per cent to the province’s GDP in 2006 (if material production was included, the ratio was 70 per cent). At present, the province has 7,322 fishing boats of heavy capacity, 41 fishing logistics units, over 100 maritime mechanical units, and 92,230 hectares of aquaculture water surface with annual output of 66,768 tonnes. In aquaculture alone, the aquatic animal rearing area has enlarged 33 times and output increased 7.4 folds from 1998. According to statistics in 2006, frozen aquatic product units processed 45,000 tonnes for 23,300 tonnes of finished products. The export revenue reached US$81 million in 2006, a fourfold increase from 1998. Other maritime industries also developed.

 

The maritime resources not only improve the standard of living for the local people but also help develop the economy of Kien Giang province. For that reason, the Resolution of Kien Giang province was to increase the proportion of the maritime economy in the provincial GDP to 75 per cent in 2010, 78 per cent in 2015 and 80 per cent in 2020.

 

To achieve the objective, Kien Giang province has organised a conference to discuss orientations for the development of sea economy until 2020. The province has determined to develop the economy together with solving social issues, and improving the living standard of coastal and island residents. The per capita income of coastal and island dwellers will double the province’s average. In addition, the locality will mobilise resources to develop international seaports, airports, tourist resorts, power plants, shipyards to support the seaborne economy.

 

Together with developing aquaculture and aquatic processing, the province also develops the maritime tourism. Accordingly, Kien Giang province advocates developing Phu Quoc Island into a general maritime economic zone of the province, the country and the region.