Vietnam's seafood export turnovers are estimated at nearly 3.4 billion U.S. dollars this year, up over 25.9 percent against last year, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers said Tuesday.

The country is set to earn 661 million dollars from exporting 250,000 tons of catfish to 65 countries and regions this year, up from 328 million dollars last year.

Vietnam has set targets of posting annual seafood export growth of over 9 percent in the 2006-2010 period, and seafood export turnovers of 4-4.5 billion dollars in 2010.

To this end, the country's Fisheries Ministry has put forth six measures relating to market, material, processing, foodstuff safety and hygiene, fishery promotion and training, and policy development.

Vietnam is boosting exports of different seafood items, including shrimps and prawns, to traditional markets including China, Japan, the United States, the European Union and Russia and some new ones such as the Middle East, East Europe, Africa and South America, the association said.

It is also focusing on increasing the quality of products, intensifying trade promotion and enhancing its capacity of forecasting seafood prices and export demand.

Source: Xinhua