Myanmar to introduce GAP system in breeding fish for export

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Thursday, 26 February 2009
Myanmar will introduce the Good Aqua-culture Practice (GAP) system to replace the natural one for all fish breeding ponds to improve the quality products for export in the next fiscal year 2009-10 starting from April, sources with the Fishery Department said on Wednesday.
The project will be implemented together with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as agreed.
The fish breeding under the GAP system calls for using clean water and non-chemical feed in the undertaking for natural growth.
Fish for export will require GAP recommendation issued by the department, the sources said.
According to official statistics, in the fiscal year 2007-08, Myanmar exported 352,652 tons of marine products, gaining 560 million dollars.
However, Myanmar estimated a drop by 80 million U.S. dollars or 14.2 percent in its marine export earning in the current fiscal year of 2008-09 ending March.
The estimated fall of the export earning is attributed to the impact of last year's May storm, the global financial crisis and flash surge of hard currency exchange rate.
The commerce authorities revealed that purchase order from abroad was down by 50 percent compare with normalcy, while domestic purchase power fell by 40 percent.
Along with the reduction of foreign market demand, price of fish also dropped in the domestic market.
The country's fishery sector remained as the fourth largest contributor to the gross domestic product and also the fourth largest source of foreign exchange earning during the past five years.
With a long coastline of over 2,800 km and a total area of 500, 000 hectares of swamps along the coast, the country has an estimated sustainable yield of marine products at over one million tons a year.