Myanmar catches over half million tons of marine products
U Tun Lin
Xinhuanet 2002-07-18 12:35:18
YANGON, July 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Myanmar has caught only 590,000 tons of
fish and prawn so far annually out of sustained yield along its over
2,800-kilometer-long coastline, the local Business Magazine reported
in its latest issue.
The maximum sustainable yield of marine products of the countryalong
the coastline is 1.05 million tons per year, it said.
Vast potential exists for shrimp and prawn culture in half a million
hectares of swamps along its coastline, the magazine added.
Myanmar is endowed with rich fishery resources and the fishery sector
is the third productive mainstay of the country's economy after
agriculture and forestry, contributing 7.3 percent to its gross
domestic product and standing as the third largest dollar earner.
Meanwhile, a three-year fishery development plan has been implemented
by the government since 2000, aimed at encouraging thelocal private
enterprises to engage in the sector by setting up fishery joint
ventures with the government and foreign companies.
Official statistics show that since Myanmar opened to foreign
investment in late 1988, foreign companies have so far injected 197
million US dollars into the country's fishery sector.
The statistics also reveal that in 2001, Myanmar exported 61,000 tons
of fish and prawn, fetching 119.37 million dollars.
The country's fishery export covers 49 countries and regions.
The annual per capital consumption of fish and prawn of Myanmarpeople
is about 20 kilograms. Enditem
Okkar66126
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