Kien Giang (VNS/VNA) - The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has been developinga sustainable marine economy in recent years by taking steps to increase theoutput and value of its marine-based products.

Do Thanh Binh, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, saidthe province has been focusing on building industrial parks as well as urbanareas in coastal areas, and promoting renewable energy and other new marineeconomy sectors.

The marine economy now accounts for nearly 74 percent of the province’s GrossRegional Domestic Product (GRDP).

The province has invested in infrastructure such as Phu Quoc international airport, coastal roads in rural areas, coastalerosion-prevention projects, and power-supply projects for islands.

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

Binh said: “The building of infrastructure projects in coastal areas andislands has contributed positively to the province’s socio-economicdevelopment, especially the marine economy. The spiritual and material lives ofresidents have improved and the rate of poor households has fallenrapidly."

In recent years, the province has developed offshore fishing and aquaculture incoastal areas, with a catch of 500,000-600,000 tonnes of seafood and anaquaculture output of more than 217,000 tonnes each year.

The province’s seafood catch accounts for 40 percent of the delta’s totalseafood catch and 16 percent of the national seafood catch.

Nguyen Van Tam, Director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said the province has promoted off-shore fishing but has notincreased the number of fishing ships.

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

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

It is completing the installation of black box devices that help monitor tripson nearly 4,000 off-shore fishing ships. The device provides information onpermitted fishing areas, supports search and rescue efforts, and traces the originof caught fish.

Aquaculture zones

The province has zoned aquaculture development by setting up breeding areas incoastal areas and islands, and applying advanced techniques to the farming ofaquatic species. 

The province breeds mostly marine fish in about 4,500 floating cages at sea,with an output of 3,550 tonnes last year.

Caged aquaculture is located mostly in the island communes of Kien Hai, Phu Quoc and Kien Luongdistricts and Ha Tien city.

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

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

Quang Trong Thao, deputy director ofthe department, said the province has made investments to ensure the qualityand 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 fishbreeding.

Calls for investment

Kien Giang has urged domestic and foreign companies to invest in breedingmarine fish with advanced breeding techniques. Investment in breedinghigh-value aquatic species like lobster, pearl oysters and babylon snails hasalso been encouraged.

The province has called for investment in renewable energy and other new marineeconomy sectors like resource exploitation, marine biotechnology, maritimesafety and inspection, and high-tech marine products and services.  

Renewable energy investment includes wind, gas, wave and solar power.Investment priority is given to renewable energy on islands to serve productionand household use.

The province is also developing marine medicinal materials and the cultivationand processing of seaweed, algae and seagrass.

It has plans to develop industrial parks and clusters to attract investment andto develop coastal urban areas.

Binh said that new technical and social infrastructure would be built in thecoastal areas.

Phu Quoc Island will be developed into a seatourism city that meets national and international standards, he said.

The province will establish urban areas in the island district of Kien Hai to promote the developmentof islands, he said.

Rach Gia city, which will be developedinto one of four urban areas in the delta’s key economic zone, is expected tobecome the delta’s trade and marine economy hub.

With a coastline of more than 200 kilometres and 143 islands, Kien Giang hasgreat potential for marine economy development.

Under the province's plan, the marine economy will account for 80 percent ofits GRDP by 2030. It also targets having an average income per capita incoastal districts and cities that is 1.5 times higher than the average percapita income of the province.

The province targets an increase of 30-50 percent of tourists in 2030 comparedto 2020, and expects seafood exports to increase by an average of 10 percent ayear in the 2021-30 period. All of its islands with human settlement will haveadequate power supply, fresh water, telecommunications, healthcare and educationservices by 2030./.