In recent times, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has chaired and coordinated with the provinces of An Giang, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, and Can Tho city to organize four batches of stocking to regenerate aquatic resources on the Hau River and coastal areas of the Mekong Delta, with more than 16 tons of fish, 5 million shrimp, crab, and fish of all kinds released into the natural environment.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien assessed that for the fisheries industry, there are three important pillars: exploitation, aquaculture, and conservation. However, looking back over the past years, overexploitation has led to the depletion of aquatic resources. If conservation is not done well, there will not be enough resources for sustainable exploitation.

In addition, the conservation and regeneration of seafood at sea is one of the important tasks contributing to the restoration of aquatic resources, increasing the population density of depleted species, and especially recovering and regenerating rare, precious, and endangered aquatic species.

This activity also contributes to creating livelihoods for fishermen in Soc Trang province in particular and the Mekong Delta region in general, thereby raising awareness and a sense of responsibility for protecting aquatic resources.

On the occasion of stocking to regenerate aquatic resources, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien called on organizations, individuals, monks, and Buddhists to join hands to protect and regenerate aquatic resources. Do not use explosives, poisons, electric shocks, prohibited fishing tools, or fishing tools with a mesh size smaller than prescribed for seafood exploitation. Especially, do not catch juvenile fish or endangered and rare aquatic species.

The Deputy Minister also requested the People's Committees of provinces and cities to promote dissemination and training on legal regulations in the field of aquatic resource protection in many forms, in accordance with the customs and practices of local people. The local fisheries industry also needs to strengthen patrols, control, and mobilize people to exploit according to regulations on IUU fishing to develop sustainable fisheries.

As a locality with a long-standing fisheries tradition, Mr. Vuong Quoc Nam, Vice Chairman of the Soc Trang Provincial People's Committee, said that the locality pays special attention to the work of restoring, regenerating, and preserving biodiversity, ecosystems, and habitats of aquatic species.

In 2023 alone, Soc Trang province has organized five batches of releasing aquatic breeds into nature to regenerate resources, with over 6 million giant tiger prawn seeds and other aquatic species released into the natural environment.

In recent years, the fisheries industry of Soc Trang province has faced many challenges, such as a sharp decline in aquatic resources due to the impact of climate change and people’s irresponsible exploitation activities. In particular, the yellow card warning from the European Commission (EC) has greatly affected local seafood exploitation and export activities.

Therefore, stocking aquatic breeds to supplement and develop natural aquatic resources is an urgent issue, requiring all levels, branches, and people to join hands and contribute efforts to implementation.

On this occasion, leaders of Soc Trang province also proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development consider and take measures to manage long-term exploitation associated with preserving aquatic resources, reducing exploitation intensity at certain times.

In the first 10 months of 2023, the country's fisheries industry recorded many positive results, with a total output of 7.46 million tons. Of which, the exploitation output reached over 3.3 million tons, in accordance with the strategy of reducing exploitation output and increasing aquaculture output proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.