Norway has signed a cooperative agreement with Norway that will see it conduct aquaculture training programs in the Southeast Asian nation.
On 21 May, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries signed the “Letter of Intent on Strengthening and Developing Cooperation in the Marine Aquaculture Industry,” according to Vietnam’s General Department of Fisheries.
The cooperation document was signed during a virtual seminar on Vietnam’s marine aquaculture held by Vietnam’s Agriculture Ministry, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Norwegian government partners.
The event, which was attended by 150 people from both sides, is part of the activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Norway diplomatic relations.
Norway has much to share with Vietnam based off its experience with its prominent salmon aquaculture, Grete Løchen, Norway’s ambassador to Vietnam, said during the seminar.
Experts from Norway presented their experience as well as success stories in planning and development, export credit stimulation, and human-resource training in their salmon industry. They also demonstrated the latest technology and equipment used in Norway’s farming and processing sectors.
Their latest seminar followed the similar event in October 2019, during which Norwegian experts shared their aquaculture know-how with counterparts in Vietnam.
Vietnam imported seafood worth USD 79.1 million (EUR 64.6 million) from Norway in the first four months of 2021, but exported just USD 3.2 million (EUR 2.6 million) in the period, latest Vietnamese customs data showed.
Vietnam, with a coastline of more than 3,260 kilometers (2,026 miles) and numerous islands and bays, has set an ambitious goal of becoming one of the world’s leaders in marine aquaculture production. The country considers Norway, along with Denmark, Japan, the United States, and Australia its major partners in developing its ocean aquaculture sector.
In a draft strategy for marine aquaculture through 2045, the country is targeting marine aquaculture production of 850,000 metric tons (MT) by 2025, with an export value of approximately USD 1 billion (EUR 817 million). According to the plan, Vietnam is planning to ramp up its marine aquaculture production to 1.45 million MT by 2030, with an export value of up to USD 2 billion (EUR 1.6 billion), according to Vietnam’s General Department of Fisheries.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Soybean Export Council
