Fisheries in Kien Giang: Three Major Programmes

Fishery is a spearhead economic sector of Kien Giang Province after agriculture. With its numerous maritime advantages, Kien Giang will continue efforts to bring its fisheries to a new high based on three fishery restructure programmes: offshore fishing programme, aquaculture development programme and aquatic export development programme.

 

In 2006, the province caught 311,618 tonnes of seafood. The fishing boat fleet, mainly offshore fishing ships, has a large capacity. In the coming time, Kien Giang Province will actively speed up implementing projects expanding Tac Cau fishing port in the second phase, Hon Tre storm sheltering and mooring site (Kien Hai District), Vung Trau Nam fishing village, Bai Dong - Phu Quoc fishing port, Linh Huynh - Hon Dat fishing port, Ganh Dau - Phu Quoc fishing port, and Hon Ngang - Kien Hai fishing port.

 

Aquaculture can be a major factor in increasing output. In the coming time, the province will focus on surveying, outlining and rezoning water area to diversify freshwater, saltwater and brackish water aquaculture. In 2006, total fish-rearing area was 93,290 ha, with an output of 73,531 tonnes.

 

As for shrimp hatching, the province concentrates on intensive and semi-intensive breeding of tiger pawns to ensure input for local processing factories. As of late 2006, total fish-rearing area was 72,736 ha. In addition to tiger prawns, Kien Giang encourages the development of cash earning water specialties like groupers and boleopthalmus chinensis. In 2006, Kien Giang also developed its ocean crab breeding to more than 1,055 ha. The rearing of blood ark cockle was also expanded to an area of more than 1,322 ha and an output of 2,415 tonnes. The cash-earning macrobrachium rosenbergii (a kind of freshwater prawn) is hatched on the western bank of the Hau River. Sea mussel area is 6,500 ha, turning out 25,600 tonnes. Total freshwater aquaculture surface area was 10,617 ha, with an output of 11,616 tonnes. The common freshwater fish were tra catfish, snakehead fish, tilapia, hybrid sheatfish, hypophthalmichthys and carp.

 

In additional to commercial rearing, Kien Giang also has 31 tiger prawn hatcheries capable of supplying 15-20 per cent of the local culturing demand. The shrimp stocking was 500 million heads (type PL.15). In Phu Quoc, the grade-one aquatic breeding centre under the Ha Long Production Investment and Development Company can supply 1.5-2 billion tiger prawns (type PL.15) and 2-3 million head of specialty varieties (groupers, Boleopthalmus chinensis, sweet snails, abalone, etc.)

 

For years, Kien Giang has actively encouraged all economic sectors to intensify the capacity of aquatic processing factories. Many factories have renovated equipment and technology, as well as built new modern factories, applying ISO and HACCP quality management standards. The total frozen aquatic product output was 23,241 tonnes in 2006, with major products being shrimp, cuttle-fish and fish. The province also has fish powder processing, fish sauce, canned fish and dried shrimp factories. Earnings from aquatic product exports were US$81 million in 2006. Several major exporters were Chang Hua Company, Mai Sao Company and Huy Nam Company.