Provincial Trawl Fisheries Management Plan in Kien Giang

Trawling is one of the fishing methods having the highest production in the world. In Vietnam, trawls are also an important fishery that provides the highest production. Trawls have thrived in Kien Giang province, where its production accounts for about 80% of the province's total catch. Although the province’s TFC continues to increase, the productivity (catch per unit effort (CPUE)) declined. The average catch per unit capacity unit (HP) in 2015 was 0.24 tonnes/HP/year, lower than the one of 2005, which was 0.26 tonnes/HP/year. On the other hand, the increasing demand for production of fish meal and other products from the trawls in Vietnam in general and Kien Giang province in particular also causes the increased fishing capacity, fishing gear improvement, trawling speed, expanded fishing grounds to catch all types of species (species with short life cycles, fingerlings, trash fish, the species with fast growth rate), seriously threatening the stability of trawls and sustainability of aquatic resources. Besides, the regulations on the management on developing the trawls have been incomplete and not brought a high effectiveness: The fishery statistical data system so far has not been fully constructed from central to local. The vessel management is still inadequate, which basically collects only the vessel number whereas the information on fishing capacity is limitative; there is a lack of unity in studying and managing the trawls and there are no exclusive guidance, regulations for managing the trawls