Ca Mau approves USD 21m sustainable fisheries project
Ca Mau Province has approved a VND 536 billion (USD 21 million) Sustainable Fisheries Development Project aimed at upgrading infrastructure, modernizing production, and strengthening environmental protection in one of Vietnam’s key seafood hubs.
Under the decision signed by Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Su, the project will run from 2026 to 2029 with funding from a World Bank loan and matching capital from the provincial budget.
According to the Ca Mau People’s Committee, the initiative seeks to align the province’s fisheries sector with global integration goals, climate change adaptation, and sustainable growth. Key components include upgrading sea dikes that double as rural roads, supporting technical innovations in aquaculture, improving disease and environmental management, and building value chain linkages to enhance branding and productivity in major farming zones in Tan Thuan, Ta An Khuong, Cai Nuoc, Phu Tan, and Phu My.
The project will also invest in upgrading infrastructure at Rach Goc fishing port in Phan Ngoc Hien Commune to accommodate more vessels, while introducing measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Additional funding will support environmental protection, the purchase of enforcement equipment, and enhanced management of marine protected areas to safeguard aquatic resources.
Vice Director of the provincial Department of Finance Tran Cong Khanh noted that Ca Mau, Vietnam’s southernmost province with coastlines along both the East Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, benefits from vast fishing grounds and extensive aquaculture potential thanks to its dual tidal regimes. Fisheries have been designated a spearhead industry, but limited resources have so far constrained growth relative to potential.
Officials say the sustainable fisheries project will address longstanding bottlenecks in capture, farming, and processing, generating significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. It is expected to create jobs, raise incomes, and improve living conditions for thousands of fishermen and industry workers by increasing product value, fostering global market access, and boosting climate resilience.
The project aligns with Vietnam’s Fisheries Development Strategy to 2030, vision to 2045, and the World Bank’s Country Partnership Strategy. Ca Mau currently has more than 454,000 hectares of aquaculture, of which shrimp farms account for 415,000 hectares, and a fleet of over 5,200 registered fishing vessels.
VFM
