Heroin traders sentenced to death

Le Van Kiem is the mastermind behind the large-scale heroin smuggling in Binh Duong Province. He and his brother have been sentenced to death.

The Binh Duong People's Court today sentenced Le Van Kiem, 33, and his brother Le Van Hanh, 41, to death for trading and storing 210 kilograms (kgs) of heroin.

Their accomplices: Ngo Thi My Van, 51, received a life sentence, while Dang Thi Thanh, 29, was sentenced to 23 years of imprisonment and Le Van Nhat, 20, got three and a half years in prison.

In 2012, Le Van Kiem had asked his brother Le Van Hanh, to trade heroin from the central province of Nghe An to the southern provinces. Hanh had searched for heroin sources in the Nghe An Province and had then been sent to the Binh Duong southern province. Kiem had sold the heroin in cities and provinces near the Binh Duong Province.

Kiem and Hanh sold every 350 grams of heroin for VND200 to 208 million (US$9,500 to 9,900).

From the end of 2012 to August 2013, Kiem and Hanh had sold as many as 210kgs of heroin.

The ring was busted in August 2013, while Ngo Thi My Van was caught transporting 700 grams of heroin in Binh Duong Province for sale.

Kiem admitted to the police that he had used the money earned from selling heroin for his personal use and for his family.

Newborn undergoes surgery for gangrene

Ten-day-old Pham Nguyen Thuy Quyen is in stable condition after being operated for gangrene of the bowel at the Paediatrics Hospital in the southern Dong Nai province.

The doctors had to cut off nearly 2m of the small intestine and retain only 10cm of it due to its severe condition of twistedness.

Quyen is stable now, but will need a bowel transplant to have a healthy life later.

Yet no hospital in Viet Nam can conduct a bowel transplant at present, Tam said.

Chinese nationals get 11 years in jail

Two Chinese nationals were sentenced to 11 years in jail by the Tay Ninh Province's People's Court on Thursday for illegally trafficking money.

The two were accused of illegally trafficking VND18.2 billion (roughly US$840,000) across the Vietnamese border into Cambodia.

The accused, Liu Wei and Tan Zhang had packed the money in brief cases and carton boxes to be transported to Cambodia.

They also confessed to having smuggled money out of Viet Nam many times before without declaring it at the border customs post.

Tay Ninh police seize smuggled cigarettes

Police in the southern province of Tay Ninh have confiscated 14,000 boxes of cigarettes of the Hero, Jet, Esse brands while they were being transported by a truck from Cambodia to HCM City.

Deputy Chief of the provincial police department, Ly Hong Sinh, said yesterday that the truck driver ignored a stop sign at a police checkpoint and speeded up in an effort to get away.

When the police gave pursuit, the driver stopped the truck and fled, Sinh said, adding that they have launched an investigation to identify the owner of the truck and the illegal goods.

Hail and whirlwind hit Da Lat

A hail storm and strong whirlwind hit Da Lat city of Lam Dong Province on Thursday afternoon, causing severe damage to property and crops.

The local people said thumb-sized hailstones fell and a whirlwind came at about 1.30pm.

The storm lasted one hour in District 7.

No damage to life was reported.

However, several hectares of vegetables, flowers and strawberries were totally destroyed by the hail storm. Many greenhouses also collapsed in the whirlwind.

The financial loss was estimated to be huge.

Meanwhile, large areas in the northern and central regions have been experiencing hot weather since Wednesday. In the central Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, several districts suffered high temperatures up to 39oC.

Weather experts forecast hot weather would continue in the northern and central provinces for the next few days, while the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) region was alerted about possible hail and whirlwind.

Workshop focusing on protecting female migrant workers held

The number of female labourers working abroad has risen but there is no specific policy to facilitate their stay and work abroad, a workshop held in Ha Noi yesterday indicated.

The one-day workshop on "Policy Dialogue on Protecting Rights of Women Migrant Workers" was co-organised by theMinistry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs' Department of Overseas Labour and the U.N. Women–U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Women's Rights.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Viet Nam is the only country to have witnessed a gradually increase in the number of migrant workers. Currently, more than 500,000 Vietnamese are working in over 40 countries and territories worldwide.

During the past five years, an average of 90,000 labourerstravelled abroad for work annually, among which female workers made up for 30 to 35 per cent. The number of women working abroad has jumped, and in 2014 women accountedfor 37.5 per cent of the 100,000 labourers going overseas towork.

Statistics showed that women were working abroad mostly asdomestic helpers, nurses, geriatric nurses; hospitality workers, tailors, weavers, and technicians among others in Taiwan, theRepublic of Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Arabia Saudi and Cyprus.

Like men, women were going abroad in a bid to improve their professional skills, accumulate experience and boost familyincome.

"The number of women travelling abroad for work has made aconsiderable difference to improving their family's living standards, as well as their locality's prosperity," the DeputyHead of the Department of Overseas Labour, Pham Viet Huong, told workshop participants.

"Apart from enhancing effective organisation and management, the department also focuses on measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese workers abroad. The Government will also actively foster co-operation with governments of receiving countries to protect the interests of labourers," Huong said.

A majority of participants are concerned that despite a remarkable increase in the number of female labourers working abroad, there was a lack of concrete policies assisting them. The current laws and policies focused on both male and female migrant workers.

Generally speaking, women faced much more difficulty and risks than men. Quite a few women had experienced labour exploitation, abuse, violence, or non-payment of dues. In addition, when they returned home, they had found it difficultto reintegrate into society, getting access to services, especially job-generating assistance, the event sponsors said.

According to the United Nations (U.N.) Women country representative, Shoko Ishikawa, the U.N. body had co-ordinated with the Department of Overseas Labour to implement a project, which would aim to empower female migrant workers, of which the workshop was a part.

The project would carry out a range of activities to enhance awareness about gender equality, and the capacity of officials, managers, and enterprises that sent labourers overseas, Ishikawa said.

She added that U.N. Women hoped the project would change policies and practical actions so that Viet Nam could guarantee the rights of its female migrant workers.

A great number of attendees also called for the supplementation and completion of policies targeting workersreturning home on the basis of ensuring gender principles.

It is necessary that relevant authorities co-ordinate to implement mechanisms, policies that facilitate enterprises sending labourers abroad and to assist labourers inreintegrating into the society. Notably, they should have proper intervention to mitigate risks that women mightencounter when they work overseas, as well as when they return home.

Job exhibition helps former soldiers to find employment

More than 1,000 former soldiers attended Ha Noi's first-ever job fair for veterans.

The fair, held by the Ha Noi Employment Centre on Tuesday, attracted 37 enterprises and vocational schools. It aimed to help veterans overcome the difficulties they faced finding jobs and vocational training.

Several young people who just completed their military service and returned to the locality attended the event.

A lack of information about jobs was the most difficult problem veterans faced, Ha Noi Employment Centre Director Nguyen Toan Phong said at the fair.

However, they had good health, strict discipline and, with some help, opportunities for stable jobs, Phong said.

Luong Van Thien, a soldier taking a course on household electrical repair work at the defence ministry's Vocational School No 10, said he came hoping to find a good job.

"I just want to find a job with a stable salary so I can support my family," Thien said. "I came here to find a job that will suit my abilities after I finish the school's vocational training course."

Sixty per cent of enterprises were looking to recruit workers with skills in welding, electro-refrigeration, industrial electronics, electrical repair work, information technology and labour export.

"You have to spend a lot of time and face some difficulties while looking for suitable jobs if you don't have the skills to find them on your own," said Le Thanh Bang, a veteran in Dong Anh District. "Many young soldiers choose jobs like bodyguard, which have things in common with military service."

Vocational training schools and job fairs played an important role, bridging the gap between soldiers and businesses, said Lieutenant Colonel Bui Vinh Nam, director of Vocational School No 10's consultant and recruitment centre.

Vocational School No 10 organised conferences to counsel soldiers and help them choose specific careers, said Col Dang Minh Quang, the school's principal.

Quang said that during training the school improved co-operation with companies and industries to help soldiers develop skills about job searching.

Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union held a job festival for soldiers in January in HCM City's Cu Chi District.

Nguyen Van Sang, deputy director of the HCM City Vocational Training and Employment Centre, said about 2,000 veterans would be offered jobs by the end of 2015.

In addition, centres in HCM City and other provinces often offered occupational counseling for soldiers.

The provinces that offer the services are: Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Thai Binh, Gia Lai, Kien Giang, Ben Tre, Thua Thien-Hue, Ha Tinh, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam and Quang Binh.

HCM City to generate power from waste

Deputy Chairman of the HCM City People's Committee Le Manh Ha has proposed that the city build a power plant from discharged waste.

He suggested the idea to the municipal Department of Science and Technologies, the HCM City Power Company and other agencies, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported.

The plant will consume 1,000 tonnes of waste a day to produce 600,000kWh of electricity. It will use Stoker boiler technology from the Republic of Korea.

HCM City discharges 7,500 tonnes of waste a day and more than 80 percent is organic.

Can Tho: Free surgeries for children with foot defects

Forty-four children with foot deformities have successfully been treated as a result of a joint effort between the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho’s  

General Hospital and the International Extremity Project (IEP), a non-profit medical organisation.

IEP medical personnel from the US and Israel together with the General Hospital carried out 10 days of free examinations, surgeries and  

treatment for children under the age of six from all over the country.

The young patients are all in stable health condition.

In 2013, the foreign medical organisation offered checkups for 90 people and operations for 38 others.

The IEP provides support for humanitarian projects and supplies medical assistance to Vietnam through its missions in Can Tho. Their work  

aims to correct physical lower-extremity deformities and give disabled Vietnamese a new chance at life. IEP volunteer doctors perform surgeries,  

provide medical equipment and train Vietnamese doctors.-

Thanh Hoa province works to draw tourists

Tourism authorities in the central north coastal province of Thanh Hoa are taking practical measures to target five million tourists and 158.6 million USD in revenue during 2015.

The measures involve improving the quality of hospitality services, amplifying the tourism workforce and diversifying products.

It also includes plans to mitigate un-friendly behaviors, including scams, begging, aggressiveness or rudeness towards tourists.

The initiatives are set to be applied to all its tourist destinations in the province from the famous beach Sam Son to historical sites.

Thanh Hoa will also continue the restoration of national historic relics and develop seaside resort areas.

The central province now has 672 guesthouses and hotels with a capacity of 14,000 rooms, 75 hotels of which are from one to four stars with over 4,000 rooms.

There are 16,000 people working in the provincial hospitality industry, which grew 22.6 percent annually.

Assistance to foster phase II of agricultural development project

The Prime Minister has recently approved a project providing technical assistance to phase II of a project on agricultural development in the Phan Ri-Phan Thiet irrigation areas of the southern central province of Binh Thuan.

The second phase of the agricultural development project, which targets localities benefitting from the Phan Ri-Phan Thiet Irrigation Project, will design and expand advanced water management systems in crop cultivation areas.

It is scheduled to be carried out from May 2015 to May 2017 at a cost of 2 million USD in official development assistance (ODA) funded by the Japanese Government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The Vietnamese side will also finance phase II with 1.5 billion VND (70,000 USD).

The Phan Ri-Phan Thiet Irrigation Project is designed to help Binh Thuan use water effectively in the Japanese ODA-supported Dai Ninh hydropower plant, completed in 2008.

Binh Thuan is traditionally known for its low rainfall. In March, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development warned that worrying water levels in all 16 reservoirs of the province is likely to lead to a widespread drought.

Gia Lai: drought kills over 7,000ha of crops

More than 7,000 hectares of crops in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai have been damaged by prolonged drought.

The most affected areas are Chu Prong, Ia Grai and Chu Pah districts. Total economic losses are estimated at approximately 85 billion VND (3.91 million USD), mainly from withered coffee and rice areas.

The situation is forecast to worsen as the drought continues, especially in the province’s southeastern part.

According to the Central Highlands Hydro-Meteorological Station, in the region in general and Gia Lai in particular, this year’s rainy season will start later, at the beginning or middle of May, with the rainfall estimated to be lower than the previous years.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has requested the assignment of technical workers to work with local authorities and people to utilise water resources and irrigation works effectively so as to minimise water losses.

The province has urged relevant agencies to take measures to counteract the drought, focusing on digging ponds, dredging wells and using pumps to make full use of water resources.

Workshop to develop sustainable Central Highlands landscape

More than 50 State-run management agencies and agricultural businesses gathered at a workshop on April 2 in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong to dicuss sustainable management of the local landscape.

The worskop—the second of its kind—was held by the provincial People’s Committee, the Institute of Policy and Stratefy for Agriculrue and Rural Development and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) as part of the Initiative for Sustainable Landscapes (ISLA).

Stakeholders defined challenges in the protection and development of the natural landscape in the province and the Central Highlands at large, looking towards cooperation measures to support management in the region – one of the most important farm produce production areas in Vietnam.

Launched in 2014, the ISLA has gathered public-private partners to build programmes on the sustainable management of land and warter in six vulnerable landscapes around the world, including the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

In Vietnam, the programme focuses on three urgent issues: diminishing water supply, deforestation and land degradation.

Covering an area of 54,700 square metres, the Central Highlands of Vietnam comprises Lam Dong, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces.

Fifty-five percent of the area is covered in forest – the highest coverage rate across the nation. The region is also rich in minerals such as coal, bauxite, iron, zinc and rock crystal, while the highly fertile land, a quarter of which is basalt, is ideal for growing perennial crops.

The Central Highlands is vital for the production of some of the country’s key agricultural and forestry commodities including coffee, pepper, rubber, cashews, tea and cocoa.

Workshop evaluates role of farmers in modern rural area building

The role of farmers in building modern rural areas was discussed at a workshop organised by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences on April 2 in Hanoi.

Participants discussed the key role of farmers in the development of rural areas, legal documents on rural management, the relationship between law enforcement and village regulations.

Dr Le Cao Doan from the Vietnam Economics Academy highlighted the shift in the farmers’ role in the modernisation and industrialisation, saying agriculture has been becoming a goods production, business and investment sector rather than a self-sufficient sector.

He also stressed the need to enhance capability of farmers in the development of new style rural areas in terms of legal and social understanding to effectively implement the national programme on new style rural areas building.

Meanwhile, Dr Bui Quang Dung from the Academy of Social Sciences suggested local authorities develop a specific plan for building a modern rural area to assist farmers in adapting their cultivating habits.

He also pointed to a lack of finances, human resources, experience and knowledge as obstacles hinderring the development of farming households.

Social welfare policies should be designed to meet beneficiary demands

The implementation of social welfare policies in disadvantaged areas should be designed to respond to basic local demands for food, accommodation and education, stated Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.

Reviewing the two-year implementation of the Government’s 2012-2020 Action Programme for resolution 15/NQ-TW on several social policy affairs, Deputy PM Dam highlighted the positive results of the programme.

He continued by asking relevant ministries and sectors to make additional efforts to utilise State aid more effectively by encouraging beneficiaries to use the aid to develop production and business and avoid dependence on the assistance.

According to a report from the central Steering Committee for the action programme, the budgets for social welfare programmes reached 5.04 percent of GDP in 2014 two years post-programme implementation. Social policies have improved, especially those targeting ethnic minorities and communities in rural, border and island areas.

The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs’ statistics show that over 95 percent of those who have served the nation have access to social welfare benefits.

As of late 2014, the rate of impoverished households stood at 5.8-6 percent, down 4 percent from late 2012. Funds provided to people living in extreme poverty was raised from 180,000 VND (8.28 USD) to 270,000 VND (12.42 USD) per person per month.

The number of policy beneficiaries is currently around 2.7 million, up from 2.37 million people in 2012.

Ho Chi Minh City agricultural sector asks for help from Japan

The agricultural sector of HCM City, Vietnam’s southern economic hub, is calling for assistance from Japanese enterprises to revolutionise both its farming method and product quality.

At a cooperation forum on April 3 on the application of high technology in agriculture in HCM City, the Agricultural Hi-Tech Agriculture Park (AHTP) management introduced twelve Japanese enterprises to the city’s agricultural development strategy and cooperation opportunities in the sector.

They discussed technology transfer and the production of quality products for both domestic consumption and export to Japan.

Dinh Manh Hiep, director of the Agricultural Hi-Tech Park, said the park and three Japanese partners have been discussing cooperation on a hi-tech farming demonstration model’ project at the park.

When completed, the project will serve as a model for other provinces and cities to study Japan’s standards and requirements for farm produce, Hiep said.

Under its agricultural development orientation to 2020, HCM City is working on two key projects: “Linking the AHTP to the city’s agricultural areas,” and “Linking district-level AHTPs to create a supply chain of some main agro-products.”-

Thanh Hoa ceremony marks 50 years of Ham Rong victory

The central province of Thanh Hoa on April 3 held a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ham Rong victory.

The victory on April 3-4, 1965 was jointly made by local people and armed forces during a battle where 47 US aircraft were shot down.

During the Vietnam war, Ham Rong bridge, built in 1904 by the French and said to be the most modern in Indochina at the time, became a target for attack of the US air and naval forces, said Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Dinh Xung.

However, it stood firm, ensuring smooth supplies of goods and arms to the southern battlefield.

Under an overall planning on preserving, restoring and promoting the values of the Ham Rong historical and cultural relic site recently approved by the Prime Minister, Ham Rong area will be built into a centre of ecotourism, cultural - historical tourism and human cultural tourism, a camping site and an entertainment and sports centre.

Covering a total area of 568.7 ha in Ham Rong ward, Dong Cuong and Thieu Duong communes in Thanh Hoa city, the site will include world-renowned Dong Son archaeological sites; historical and revolutionary relics such as Ham Rong and Ngoc Mountains, C4 and Quyet Thang Hills; Dong Son, Hac Oa and Phuong Xa ancient villages; and religious works.

In addition to trade centres, hotels, restaurants, cultural and recreational areas and tourist attractions, there will also be a complex of luxury villas located on the right bank of Ma River, an ethnic minority cultural tourism area and a botanical garden.

The planning will be conducted in line with Thanh Hoa city’s socio-economic development and sustainable tourism.

Legal framework built for aquatic resources reproduction fund

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Danish International Development Agency held a workshop in Hanoi on April 3 to review the building of a legal framework for the operation of the Fund for Aquatic Resources Reproduction (VIFARR).

The fund was set up in 2007 under the Prime Minister’s Decision 29/2007/QD-TTg but has yet to begin operation pending a legal framework.

A project is now under way since August 2014 to build the legal framework with funding from the Danish Government.

The project, which is to end in June this year, is also expected to assist with the building of a decree on the utilisation and management of financial sources in the field.

Participants evaluated the surveys on fishery activities of organisations and individuals with a view to suggest the levels of financial contributions by stakeholders to the fund. Two surveys have been conducted in Kien Giang and Phu Yen provinces involving tuna fishing, lobster farming and sea fishing.

They also made suggestions on regulations for the fund’s operations.-

Lam Dong celebrates growth 40 years after liberation

Forty years after its liberation on April 3, 1975, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong has raised from ashes to become a national hi-tech agriculture and tourism hub, the province’s leader declared at a ceremony on April 3.

Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Tien said the liberation of Lam Dong in 1975 cleared the way for liberation troops to march on and free Sai Gon on April 30, marking a glorious finale to the fierce struggle for national independence.

On the occasion, Ngo Van Du, Politburo member and Head of the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission encouraged the locality to keep up the good work and make better use of its resources to boost economic development and increase competitiveness.

He urged more attention to hi-tech agriculture and ecotourism while preserving cultural values of local ethnic minority groups and the unique allure of Da Lat City.

Du also suggested the province to improve its performance in the field of education, healthcare and poverty reduction.

Vietnam will not consider abolishing capital punishment for corruption offenses, deputy chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu has said.

The abolition of the death penalty has been recommended for several crimes in Vietnam but that punishment will still be applied to those convicted of corruption as the highest sanction, Deputy Chairman Luu said.

The most prominent point of the proposed amendments to the Penal Code that the central government is about to submit to the National Assembly is narrowing the applicable scope of capital punishment, lowering jail-term sentences, and increasing pecuniary penalties, the official said in a recent meeting.

These new moves will help create conditions for offenders to remedy what they have brought about while committing crimes, he said.

Thus the abolition of the death penalty has been proposed for seven crimes, but they do not include corruption charges, he added.

Most participants in a recent seminar organized by the National Assembly Justice Committee agreed on that proposition, Luu said.

He stressed that corruption has caused great discontent and anxiety in society and the Party and State have shown strong determination to combat it, so the death penalty should be maintained as the highest punishment for those found guilty of corruption.

In a seminar on March 24, Dr. Nguyen Tat Vien, a standing member of the Central Steering Committee for Justice Reform, said, “There are many opinions saying that the death penalty should be abolished for corruption or embezzlement convictions, but I think that such abolition should not be approved given the current situation.”

“Bribery and embezzlement are causing anger and displeasure in our society, undermining the prestige and efficiency of the state apparatus and threatening the survival of our regime. If we do not severely crack down on such wrongdoings, people will lose their trust in the ongoing fight against corruption,” Dr. Vien said.

However, among the amendments to the Penal Code is a suggestion that capital punishment should be commuted to a life sentence if the convicted can submit to competent agencies at least half of the money or property they have gained from their crimes; actively work with investigators on detecting, investigating, and handling criminals; or achieve a great feat.

Vietnam is mulling over the abolition of the death penalty for seven crimes: plundering property; destroying important national security works and/or facilities; disobeying orders in the military; surrendering to the enemy, which is applicable in the army; undermining peace, provoking aggressive wars; crimes against mankind; and war crimes.

Vietnam tops SEA regarding beer, wine consumption growth

Vietnam ranks first in Southeast Asia in terms of beer and wine consumption growth though its GDP just stands at number eight in the region, according to statistics by the Hanoi-based Health Strategy and Policy Institute.  

Vietnamese spend around US$3 billion a year on beer and VND16 trillion (US$744.2 million) on wine produced in plants, Vu Thi Minh Hanh, deputy head of the institute, said at a conference on the prevention of the bad effects of beer and wine on April 2.

The spending on wine was counted on the basis of the lowest price, Hanh noted, meaning that the real number may be higher.

The amount of wine distilled at home in Vietnam is estimated to reach tens of millions of liters a year, and was excluded from the above-mentioned number.

The average consumption of beer and wine in the world has not increased in the last ten years, at around 6.2 liters (using wine as the unit) per capita per annum.

Meanwhile, each Vietnamese person drank an average of 3.8 liters of wine a year in the 2003-05 period, and 6.6 liters in 2010, according to Hanh.

It is forecast that each Vietnamese will drink an average of seven liters of wine in 2025.

Tran Thi Trang, deputy head of the legal department under the Ministry of Health, said at the meeting that alcoholic beverages are directly involved in three kinds of cancer and are indirectly associated with seven other cancers.

Trang added that Vietnam is preparing a law to prevent the ill effects of wine and beer.

Vietnam Airlines plane makes emergency return

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft bound for Taipei on April 1 had to return to Hanoi an hour into the flight due to a technical problem, but all 141 passengers were safe.

A statement from the carrier quoted by the media said the Airbus A321 departed from Noi Bai Airport at 6:15 p.m but had to return after a warning of low pressure in the hydraulic system, which uses a fluid under pressure to drive machinery and mechanical components.

The aircraft’s Nepalese pilot and Vietnamese co-pilot brought the passengers back safely, it said.

They were then sent on other flights.

Technicians have fixed the system and the plane is now ready to fly again.

Vietnam Airlines said it started using the aircraft in October 2012 and checked it regularly including on March 26.

Ha Noi eyes great fisheries potential

With vast water surface areas and a large market for fish, Ha Noi has high potential for sustainable aquaculture development.

The Fisheries Department is looking for more organisations to invest in aquaculture infrastructure. More than 30,800ha of surface water across the greater city area could be used for aquaculture, including 6,700ha of ponds and 19,800ha of low-lying fields.

High technology production methods have made fish and seafood farming more productive over the years.

In 2009, 19.519ha of the city were covered by aquaculture. This increased to 20.838ha in 2014. Total aquatic product output reached 90,000 tonnes in 2014 and accounted for 37 per cent of capital residents' demand.

To pave the way for developing Ha Noi's aquatic products industry in a sustainable manner, the municipal People's Committee approved the Programme on Aquaculture Development for the 2009-2015 period.

The committee hopes to bring Ha Noi's total aquaculture areas to 24,000ha by 2020, with a total aquatic product output of 132,000 tonnes. The capital's aquaculture sector has formed several concentrated areas producing aquatic products. These areas located in the districts to the south of Ha Noi include Phu Xuyen, Thuong Tin, Ung Hoa, My Duc and Chuong My.

Dong My Commune is a large aquaculture area. It has 111ha of surface water area and provides Ha Noi with 700 tonnes of assorted fish and shrimps every year. The commune continues to work to develop a high-quality aquaculture area, coupled with ecotourism and general farms. It also aims to build its brand name, Dong My Aquatic Products.

On average, each hectare of aquaculture in the commune brings in VND102 million (US$ 4,720) in revenue.

Vu Van Tuan, the deputy head of Thuong Tin District's Economic Department, said the concentrated aquaculture model made the process more efficient and raised residents' incomes.

Authorities warned farmers about environmental impacts and diseases that could affect their yields.

Good environment and available clean water sources are the ideal conditions for the aquaculture development of Ha Noi, according to Tuan.

The city has invested in upgrading aquaculture infrastructure with the aim to supply high-quality, disease-free aquatic varieties, as well as provide technical training and build intensive aquaculture models.

However, some fish species are in danger of extinction. Using poison, explosives and electrical impulses in fishing also contributed to their decline. To solve the problem, Ta Van Son, the deputy director of Ha Noi Fisheries Department, said the department had taught farmers about protecting fish and increasing fisheries' output.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/TT/TN/Dantri