Myanmar will explore new marine resources in cooperation with a regional fishery organization for sustainable development of the country's fishery sector, said Monday's Myanmar Times pre-published on Sunday.

The month-long survey on marine resources will be conducted by the Department of Fisheries of Myanmar and the Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) from Feb. 11 to March 11 involving scientists from both parties, the report said.

Using MV SEAFDEC-2 vessel of the regional organization donated by the Japanese government in 2004, the survey, which covers collecting data at depth of up to 200 meters, is to identify the status of marine resources such as fish and plankton and to compile oceanographic information.

The survey is to be carried out in three phases to cover delta region fishing grounds, those near the shore and deep-sea fishing areas, the report said, adding that researchers hope to collect data on species of sharks, sea turtles and whale sharks that are endangered in Myanmar waters as well as on 15 species of the fishery sector.

According to local experts, most fishing vessels in Myanmar have the capacity to fish at depths of 20 to 50 meters.

The MV SEAFDEC-2 visited Myanmar in May 2004 on demonstration of the ship's fishing and research equipment and capacity.

According to official statistics, Myanmar's fishery sector stood the fourth largest contributor to the gross domestic product and also the fourth largest source of foreign exchange earning in the past five years.

In 2005-06 fiscal year, Myanmar exported over 270,000 tons of fishery products valued at 359 million dollars and in the first half of 2006-07 which began in April, the country exported 154,800 tons of fishery products, up 1,000 tons in the same period of 2005- 06, earning 212 million U.S. dollars, 10 percent more than the corresponding period of 2005-06's 193 million dollars.

Myanmar has targeted to earn 400 million dollars through fishery export in the whole fiscal year of 2006-07 ending March.

To promote the development of the fishery sector, Myanmar encouraged the establishment of more fishery companies to produce and export fishery products especially through border trade with China and Thailand.

The country also urged exporting of quality products to the international fish and prawn market for market competition.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar Fisheries Federation has become a member of the ASEAN Fisheries Federation in September 2002.

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.

Source: Xinhua