Danish government officials recently wrapped up the second phase of a major financial support program in Vietnam, a joint cooperation between the two countries worth million of U.S. dollars, most of it supporting the local fisheries.
The program, which began in 1993, started as an effort by the Vietnamese government to seek foreign investment in the local economy. In particular, the program is geared toward the fisheries, to develop and encourage sustainable fishing, and to help support jobs in the sector.
To date, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the Danish government has offered nearly USD 800 million, most of that to the fisheries, and has helped more than 40,000 fish farmers to find work. Aquaculture production in the country doubled from 1.69 million metric tons (MT) in 2006 to 3.2 million MT in 2012. Earnings from seafood exports also doubled, reaching USD 6.3 billion in 2012.
In a statement, VASEP credited the Danish government with helping the Vietnamese fisheries to become the third largest seafood exporting country in the world.
“On behalf of Vietnamese fisheries communities, VASEP would like to express the most sincere thanks to Danish government and people for their assistance over the past 20 years,” VASEP officials said.
