New Development: Viet Nam Looks Out to Sea

Plans for the maritime sector, which includes fisheries, aquaculture and coastal and island tourism, aim to have the sector accounting for more than half of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2020.

This month’s issue of our monthly news magazine Outlook goes out to sea to examine the nation’s marine economy, which currently contributes only 12 per cent of GDP. The magazine, which goes on sale in Ha Noi, HCM City and other major centres this morning, finds that to achieve the nation’s goal of boosting the marine economy, we must update technology in the sector, raise the skills of workers, fine-tune the long-term vision for the... marine economy and resolve territorial water disputes that are limiting Viet Nam’s exploitation of its seas.

Our cover stories find that fisheries are becoming more efficient, but out-dated technology and other inefficiencies are still holding back some fishermen. We take a look at a new aquaculture project that aims to help farmers raise prawns in a more sustainable way, and hit the beach at scenic Lang Co Bay, where authorities hope recent international recognition of the area’s beauty will spur tourism and development.

Our seas and islands special also takes readers to some of Viet Nam’s most far-flung islands: the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago, where Vietnamese people have turned barren islands into vibrant communities. We also provide an insight into the history of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) islands and hear about new evidence supporting Viet Nam’s sovereignty over the archipelago.

Elsewhere in this issue we meet one of the country’s top violin players, take a ride with the motorbike cavalry in HCM City and tell the story of the man who developed a Vietnamese version of the bazooka to fight the French invaders.

Outlook’s regular news round-up summarises the major news developments locally and around the world. Readers can also catch up on what’s hot and not in the country’s culinary, sports and arts scenes, and check out our listings for everything from bars to embassies.