An official releases a fish at the Beihai sub-venue of the China-Vietnam fisheries resource enhancement and release event. [Photo by Wu Jie/China News Service]

In Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and Ha Long City, Vietnam, a joint China-Vietnam fisheries resource enhancement and release event was held, releasing 64 million fish and shrimp seeds, including black sea bream, into the Beibu Gulf.

During a video speech, Ma Youxiang, deputy minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that the enhancement and release of fishery resources in the Beibu Gulf are critical for safeguarding the marine environment, improving aquatic production, and increasing fishermen's incomes.

Since signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in fisheries resource enhancement, release, and conservation in the Beibu Gulf in 2017, China and Vietnam have held four such events. More than 150 million seeds of red porgies, black sea breams, and penaeus penicillatus have been distributed by China.

Ma said that China is eager to sign new fishery cooperation agreements with Vietnam in areas such as resource investigation, enhancement, and release, as well as fishery law enforcement and emergency depositing.

More aquaculture technical communication and talent training will be conducted to boost regional aquaculture sustainable development ability, and the sector's trade scale will be enlarged, forming seamless and reciprocal industrial and supply chains.

The practical collaboration in fisheries between China and Vietnam is expected to reach a new level under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation.