One of the challenges faced by Vietnam’s marine culture sector is market access.
Sharing about the potential of aquaculture in Vietnam, Dr. Phạm Anh Tuấn, former Deputy Director General of the Department of Fisheries, assessed that Vietnam has great potential for aquaculture development. Additionally, the range of aquaculture species is diverse, including fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and seaweed. Furthermore, he stated that the demand for marine aquaculture products is increasing, especially in the domestic market.
He pointed out several obstacles hindering aquaculture development. Firstly, for nearshore aquaculture, almost all available water surface has been utilized, leading to issues related to disease outbreaks and environmental impacts.
Secondly, some aquaculture species rely too much on natural food sources, particularly low valuable fish.
Thirdly, some aquaculture species face challenges in market access, such as grouper. Conversely, for species with potential market access, proactive adoption of farming technologies has been lacking.
Fourthly, nearshore aquaculture is overloaded, while offshore aquaculture lacks space for expansion. However, not everyone can afford the investment as it requires substantial capital, advanced technology, and involves risks and challenges.
“All of these factors have prevented Vietnamese aquaculture from meeting expectations to date,” Dr. Phạm Anh Tuấn affirmed.
In the face of such challenges, he has proposed several solutions to accelerate aquaculture development, including investing in scientific and technological research for breeding stocks, creating favorable policies to attract offshore aquaculture enterprises, and particularly selecting suitable aquaculture species.
“The government must plan and select potential aquaculture species that match market demand; besides scientific and technological research should be paid special attention to develop breeding stock, feed, and technical processes and farming technologies should be adopted,” Dr. Phạm Anh Tuấn emphasized.
VFM
