In his remarks, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan stressed the importance of developing the sector towards transparency, responsibility, sustainability, and integration, with a focus on the three strategic fishery economic pillars of exploitation reduction, increased aquaculture, and marine conservation.
It is also necessary to restructure the sector based on the fishing industry, fishermen, and fishing grounds and work together in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and having the European Commission's “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood lifted as soon as possible, the minister stressed.
Looking back on the past 65 years, Tran Dinh Luan, Director of the ministry’s Directorate of Fisheries, stated that the sector has made progress in development and integration.
The fisheries production structure has undergone positive changes, with the proportion of aquaculture productivity increasing to nearly 57% in 2023 from 31% in 1995. With its products exported to over 170 markets, Vietnam has been placed third among the world's biggest seafood exporting countries.
According to Nguyen Quang Hung, Director of the ministry’s Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department, the surveillance force has always supported and accompanied fishermen in offshore fishing, promoted maritime economic development, enforced laws, protected fisheries resources, and combated IUU fishing for a sustainable, green sector that progresses toward global integration.
