Viet Nam’s fisheries forecasting was both inadequate and inaccurate, heard a meeting organised by the General Fisheries Department earlier this week. Information provided quarterly by the Fisheries Research Institute to help fishermen know where, what and how much to fish is usually based on outdated statistics, according to former deputy director of the General Department of Fisheries Chu Tien Vinh. As a result, fishermen were often forced to head offshore relying on their own experience, which led to smaller catches and wasted fuel, he said. “Fisheries data are poor,” said chairman of the Viet Nam Fisheries Society Nguyen Viet Thang. “Before 1975, our fishing area was smaller, and China and Russia helped us compile information that was more accurate than today.” Read More