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With a total investment of 500 billion VND from the World Bank, the Sustainable Fisheries Development project in Nghệ An will upgrade fishing infrastructure and create new growth opportunities for offshore fishing, high-tech aquaculture, and efforts to regulate legal fishing to meet international integration requirements.
The project is categorized as Group B and uses World Bank financing with a total investment of 500 billion VND (approximately 20 million USD). It is designed as a key initiative to restructure the fisheries sector toward modernization and sustainability, increasing value addition and aligning with international integration requirements.
Under the plan, the project will invest in a synchronized system of fishing ports, mooring areas, and storm shelters to support fishing operations. Once completed, the system is expected to accommodate about 2,000 fishing vessels, with average annual catch projected at around 70,000 tons.
The project also targets reduced post-harvest losses, improved preservation quality, and completion of the seafood value chain.
The aquaculture component focuses on brackish-water shrimp farming. The project will build and upgrade technical infrastructure for centralized shrimp farming in key areas, with requirements for biosafety, disease control, and environmental protection.
The water supply and drainage system will serve about 734.4 hectares of water surface. The total annual farming area is planned at around 1,200 hectares, with average production of about 4,500 tons.
Infrastructure works will be implemented in coastal areas including Tan Mai, Quỳnh Mai, Quỳnh Anh, Quỳnh Phú, and Dien Chau district. Non-construction activities will be carried out at specialized units and farming areas within the project scope.
The project is divided into three phases: investment preparation (2021–2026), implementation (2027–2029), and completion in June 2030.
Key milestones include completing the investment policy in May 2026, approving the feasibility study by December 31, 2026, finalizing the loan repayment plan by March 30, 2027, and signing the loan agreement by June 30, 2027.
Mr. Christophe Crepin, Head of Mission and Director of the East Asia and Pacific Environment Division, said the project will bring economic benefits while also improving infrastructure to support oversight of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. He added that it will lay the foundation for intensified shrimp farming in Nghệ An’s largest aquaculture area, and that collaboration with domestic investment projects will help complete the seafood sector’s ecosystem toward sustainability.
At the meeting, Mr. Crepin urged the parties involved to coordinate closely to finalize documentation, ensure progress, and maximize the project’s effectiveness.
For Nghệ An province, Mr. Nguyễn Văn Đệ, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, affirmed the region’s strong potential for fisheries development and said implementation will provide an important boost to the marine economy. The province will direct relevant agencies to work with the World Bank to bring the project into practice, contributing to sustainable economic growth in the time ahead.
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