Overview of the Ceremony to Celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the Fisheries Industry (April 1, 1959 - April 1, 2024) and the 10th Anniversary of the Launch of the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Force (April 15, 2014 - April 15, 2024)
In late March and early April 1959, President Ho Chi Minh visited fishing villages and fishermen on Tuan Chau and Cat Ba islands. Here, he advised: "Our silver sea is owned by our people". His teachings expressed the great idea of the endless potential of the marine economy and aroused awareness of protecting the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. In accordance with the wishes of the fisheries sector and the majority of fishermen, April 1st of each year was officially decided by the Prime Minister to be the Traditional Day of the Vietnamese Fisheries Sector.
Speaking at the ceremony, Director of the Department of Fisheries Tran Dinh Luan emphasized: Over the past 65 years, the fisheries sector has overcome "many difficulties and challenges and has achieved many remarkable achievements and breakthroughs". The period from 1995 to present is a period of strong and comprehensive development. Fisheries production and business have transformed dramatically in the direction of improving capacity, expanding production and business scale, creating many jobs and increasing income for fishermen nationwide, creating a large source of revenue for the State budget.
Aquaculture output in 2023 will reach more than 9.3 million tons, 7.1 times higher than in 1995, and aquaculture output will reach 5.5 million tons, more than 5 times higher than in 1995. The structure of aquaculture output has shifted positively, with the proportion of aquaculture output increasing from 31% in 1995 to nearly 57% in 2023. Currently, Vietnamese seafood products have been exported to more than 170 markets, with export turnover exceeding 1 billion USD for the first time (in 1999) and nearly 11 billion USD (in 2022), placing Vietnam in the 3rd position among the world's largest seafood exporting countries (China, Norway, Vietnam).
According to Mr. Tran Dinh Luan, Director of the Department of Fisheries, the fisheries sector has grown from a small-scale production sector to become a key and important economic sector in the national economy, bringing in large foreign currency revenue for the country, significantly improving the economic, cultural and social life of fishermen, and making an important contribution to maintaining security and protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.
Director of the Department of Fisheries Tran Dinh Luan speaks at the Anniversary Ceremony
Along with the process of formation, growth, and great contributions to the country of the Fisheries industry, there has always been the companionship of the fisheries control force. Through the process of operation, the fisheries control force has affirmed its important role in enforcing the law on protecting aquatic resources.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung, Director of the Fisheries Surveillance Department, said: “After 10 years of launching and operating, although the time is not long, this is the first stage, marking many events with many advantages but also facing many difficulties, hardships, problems and challenges to overcome, both implementing the task of enforcing the law against IUU fishing, protecting aquatic resources; while consolidating and perfecting the organization, staffing and infrastructure investment, building new fishing control ships and boats; gradually improving capacity, operating effectively and efficiently”.
“The Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Force will always accompany fishermen to go offshore, develop the marine economy, enforce the law and protect aquatic resources, combat IUU fishing for a green, sustainable and internationally integrated fisheries industry, towards regularity, eliteness, modernity, maintaining security and order of fisheries at sea, contributing to protecting the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland,” Mr. Hung emphasized.
Director of the Fisheries Surveillance Department Nguyen Quang Hung speaks at the Commemoration Ceremony
Congratulating the 65th anniversary of the fisheries industry and the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Fisheries Surveillance Force, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said that fisheries is not only a traditional marine economic sector but also gradually developing into a large-scale commodity production and economic sector, leading in international economic integration, making an important contribution to ensuring national food security, contributing to the transformation of rural agricultural structure, participating in hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and improving the lives of the community.
According to Minister Le Minh Hoan, the regular presence of more than 1 million fishermen and more than 84,000 ships and boats directly exploiting seafood at sea are living milestones, contributing significantly to maintaining security, affirming and protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.
To develop a sustainable and integrated fisheries industry based on the protection and development of aquatic resources and ensuring enforcement of fisheries laws in coastal areas, the Vietnamese fisheries surveillance force actively supports fishermen at sea and participates in search and rescue.
Through the achievements, the fisheries sector and the fisheries control force are confident in continuing to aim for bigger, longer-term goals, contributing to making our country a "strong sea, rich from the sea" nation, Minister Le Minh Hoan shared.
Minister Le Minh Hoan sent his best wishes to the Vietnamese fisheries industry for sustainable development, modern production, acceleration in exports and elevation in integration.
Minister Le Minh Hoan also pointed out the "journey" towards the goal that the fisheries sector and the fisheries control force must carry out: "transparent, responsible, sustainable and integrated" fisheries for today's and future generations; the three pillars in the fisheries economic strategy of "reducing exploitation - increasing aquaculture - marine conservation"; the "Three Fish Strategy", restructuring the fisheries sector based on: fisheries - fishermen - fishing grounds; promoting the strength of the "Community of Fisheries Resources Management" institution; and working together to remove the "yellow card" against IUU fishing as soon as possible.
At the 65th Anniversary of the Fisheries Industry's Traditional Day, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development also expressed his gratitude to generations of leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and leaders of the Fisheries industry who have created, built and developed the Vietnamese Fisheries industry to be sustainable and reach the world; thanked friends, partners and international organizations over the past time who have always accompanied, connected resources, provided technical advice and supported the Vietnamese fisheries industry in the journey towards a green and sustainable ecosystem.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan presented souvenirs to the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Fisheries Surveillance.
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