Soc Trang turns sea-borne economy into major pillar

The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang said that it would step up the implementation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s (MoNRE) strategy for the general management of Vietnam’s coastal areas through 2020 to shift the sea-borne economy into focus.

The strategy was launched by the MoNRE in early July in Soc Trang to properly exploit and use natural resources and protect the environment in Vietnam’s coastal areas.

As one of 28 provinces and cities with coastlines and with a fishing ground of 30,000 square kilometres and three coastal districts – Cu Lao Dung, Tran De and Vinh Chau town – Soc Trang has developed its coastal tourism, services, agriculture, forestry and seafood economy for years .

The province targets to make sea-borne and coastal economy account for 37-40 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2020.

Le Thanh Tri, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the province has always considered sustainable development as a high priority and taking climate change and rising sea level into account while developing infrastructures.

Soc Trang currently has 340 offshore and 800 near-shore fishing boats. The province has enacted measures to properly manage fishing activities.

With a 70-kilometre coastline, Soc Trang also has a large area of seaside buffer forest, ideal for reproducing natural seafood and creating oyster and arca fields.

Tran Hoang Dung, Deputy Head of Soc Trang’s Department of Seafood Resources Exploitation and Protection said the agency has implemented a number of measures to ensure sustainable fishing activities and seafood resources.