4:19:55 PM | 1/11/2006
The coastal province of Ben Tre has a 65-km coastline and 115,000 ha of coastal land. In addition, Ben Tre also has a very dense waterway system with over 382 km of rivers and streams, running to the EastSea through four estuaries of the MekongRiver. Endowed with ideal natural conditions, Ben Tre has great potentials to develop fisheries. Furthermore, the province also finds the effectiveness of the model of developing garden economy in combination with aquaculture.
By the end of 2005, the total aquarium area was 42,590 ha in Ben Tre Province, including 32,478 ha for sea shrimp rearing, 5,092 ha for freshwater creatures and 5,020 ha for molluscs. The total rearing output reached 65,000 tonnes in 2005, an increase of 48.6 per cent compared with that in 2000. Of the sum, tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) and freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) will account for half of the total farming output.
In recent years, the fisheries sector of Ben Tre Province has gradually perfected its techniques, improved the management processes, controlled the quality of breeding species, specified rearing seasons, supervised the environment and protected diseases. The establishment of local management units to maximise the self-management roles of the community has proven an effective method that has been learned and applied by other provinces. The granting of certificates of compliance for shrimp farms and the training of technical consultants are also emphasised by Ben Tre Province. To date, the trademarks of "Ben Tre Shrimp," "Ben Tre Oyster" and "Ben Tre Catfish" have become well known by domestic and international customers.
Ms Tran Thi Thu Nga, Deputy Director of Ben Tre Department of Fisheries, said: "In the 2006-2010 period, the Ben Tre fisheries sector has been intensively and stably developed with the application of GAP and BAP/CoC standards and the rearing of new species like keo fish, grouper, eel, sand goby and barnacle. The Department of Fisheries, fisheries associations, companies and farmers have closely cooperated for sustainable development and for the development of Ben Tre trademark aquatic products.
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