K-aquaculture reshapes Vietnam's fish farming industry

The National Institute of Fisheries Science said Wednesday that its technical cooperation project to improve productivity in northern Vietnam's fisheries aquaculture sector, carried out from 2022 through this year, marked a turning point for the local aquaculture industry.

The project, funded through Official Development Assistance for Vietnam's fisheries sector, aimed to boost productivity in shellfish farming in northern Vietnam by modernizing research facilities, strengthening technical cooperation and training specialized personnel.

By building advanced infrastructure, including a Biosafety Level 2 laboratory and gene amplification equipment, the project cut disease research and analysis time by more than fivefold compared with previous methods. It also laid the groundwork for addressing declining productivity in northern Vietnam's shellfish farming industry. This was achieved through the modernization of shellfish seed production facilities, on-site technology transfer and the operation of demonstration farms.

The project provided customized technical training to local researchers and university professors, establishing a virtuous cycle in which they return to the field to train additional specialized personnel.

The Vietnam Academy of Fisheries Science (VAFIS) recognized the achievements of the National Institute of Fisheries Science in transferring aquaculture technology and training specialized personnel, presenting it with a plaque of appreciation at the Korea-Vietnam joint workshop held Tuesday in Hanoi.

"This project is a prime example of Korea's outstanding fisheries technology bearing fruit overseas," said Jeong Bok-cheol, director of the West Sea Fisheries Research Institute. "We will continue to serve as a solid bridge for spreading K-aquaculture technology abroad and helping domestic fisheries companies and technologies enter the Vietnamese market."