Circular No. 02/2005/TT-BTS guiding the implementation of certain contents of Decision No. 112/2004/QĐ-TTg dated June 23, 2004 of the Prime Minister approving the Program on the development of aquatic seed to 2010.

CIRCULAR

OF THE MINISTRY OF AQUATIC RESOURCES NUMBER 02/2005/TT-BTS DATED SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 GUIDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN CONTENTS IN THE DECISION
NUMBER 112/2004/QD-TTg DATED JUNE 23, 2004 OF THE PRIME MINISTER
APPROVING THE PROGRAM ON DEVELOPING AQUATIC SEEDS
UNTIL 2010

Pursuant to Decision No. 112/2004/QD-TTg dated June 23, 2004 of the Prime Minister approving the Program on Developing Aquatic Seeds until 2010, the Ministry of Aquatic Resources guides the implementation of the contents of the Program on Developing Aquatic Seeds as follows:

I. REGARDING THE IMPROVEMENT AND COMPLETION OF INFRASTRUCTURE AT AQUATIC SEED CENTERS

1. Regarding national aquatic seed centers

The objective of investing in the construction of national aquatic seed centers (referred to as National Seed Centers for Aquatic Species - NSCAS) under research institutes for aquaculture is to enhance the capacity of the research system to have the necessary conditions to conduct basic scientific research and high biotechnology research in the field of genetics and breeding in order to proactively create a diverse seed group serving aquaculture. NSCAS has the function of operating public services for developing aquatic seeds with tasks including: preserving purebred economic aquatic species seeds, rare and precious seeds, and researching and developing to continuously improve seed quality; researching procedures and regulations for participating in seed preservation to conserve the national gene pool; producing purebred seeds to generate generations of male and female parent stocks that provide to Level I aquatic seed centers, provincial aquatic seed centers, or commercial seed farms to produce quality genetic farmed animals; researching domestication of natural species, testing domestication of imported species to create new farmed species; researching seed production technology, importing new seed technologies and applying them to transfer to production; participating in seed testing services and seed quality certification; participating in training technical staff on aquatic seeds with schools that offer aquaculture and biotechnology training; participating in international cooperation activities, exchanging genetic materials, scientific information, and management related to aquatic seeds according to the division of the Institute; for marine seed centers, they also produce fertilized sea fish eggs, fry, and larvae of economically important species with complex techniques to supply to commercial nurseries to raise into farmed animals to meet demand.

To quickly respond to production requirements, research institutes for aquaculture (referred to as Research Institutes for Aquaculture - RIA) urgently complete and put into operation national seed centers for freshwater in the North, central Vietnam, southern Vietnam, and expanded marine seed centers in southern Vietnam that were constructed in previous years; reasonably allocate technical forces, assign tasks closely tied to current production issues and future development directions of the industry. With three newly approved projects (national marine seed center in northern Vietnam, national freshwater seed center in central Vietnam, expanded national marine seed center in southern Vietnam), the Institutes need to focus on directing their implementation to build according to schedule and manage strictly to ensure project quality.

Simultaneously with the construction of national seed centers for aquatic species, the RIA needs to proceed with establishing a project to upgrade and construct laboratories to strengthen research capabilities at the Institute. Requirements for laboratories include modern equipment, allocation of highly qualified technical staff to ensure the ability to conduct high-level biotechnology research in genetics and breeding, fundamental scientific research on seeds, and sufficient capability to transfer seed technology within the national seed system.

2. Regarding 16 Level I aquatic seed centers

Provincial People's Committees (PPCs) in the list of construction of Level I aquatic seed centers (referred to as Level I Aquatic Seed Centers - LASC) assign tasks to relevant departments to establish feasible investment projects for constructing LASCs in accordance with the industry standard "28 TCN 173: 2001 - Level I Aquatic Seed Center - General Requirements" and current regulations on investment construction management. After approval by the PPC, the project dossier must be submitted to the Ministry of Aquatic Resources for consolidation and reporting to relevant ministries and sectors to prepare budget plans to support localities, which will then be reviewed by the Prime Minister and submitted to the National Assembly for approval to complete the entire system of Level I Aquatic Seed Centers by 2008. During implementation, a project management board should be established to ensure compliance with procedures, schedules, and effective quality control of the project.

The design and construction of Level I Aquatic Seed Centers require advanced infrastructure and equipment to ensure the effective performance of functions and tasks and the production of multi-species aquatic seeds using both new and traditional technologies.

Level I Aquatic Seed Centers have the function of operating public services for developing aquatic seeds for the region and province, with tasks including: implementing programs and projects for developing aquatic seeds in the locality; researching, experimenting, and applying new technologies for aquatic seeds and training for production transfer; receiving purebred seeds and parent stocks from national seed centers for breeding and supplying to commercial seed farms as parent stocks and to regional provincial seed centers with demand; collaborating with research institutes to implement projects on investigating aquatic ecosystems, discovering native and rare aquatic species, and contracts for preserving seeds under unsuitable conditions at national seed centers to conserve the national gene pool; producing and releasing aquatic seeds into natural water bodies to supplement and regenerate resources; collaborating with training schools, fisheries extension centers, and agricultural extension centers to train technical workers according to local needs; participating in seed testing, feed, and seed quality certification services when conditions permit; producing and providing services for economically important seed species currently in demand by the people.

The scale of the Level I Aquatic Seed Center (TTGTS) has an area of 5 hectares or more, with sufficient infrastructure to perform its tasks. The designed capacity for the Level I Freshwater TTGTS produces over 50 million fry of various types, over 5 million fingerlings, over 1 million seedlings annually, and can maintain a breeding stock of over 2 tons; for the Level I Marine Aquatic Seed Center, it includes a breeding area and a seed production area, producing over 50 million seedlings of shrimp, fish, mollusks, and other crustaceans annually.

For coastal provinces, determining whether to build a Level I TTGTS for freshwater or marine species is based on local and regional advantages as studied in planning. Therefore, implementation must comply with the planning.

Regarding human resources at the Level I TTGTS, management staff must have a bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field, technical staff must include at least two engineers, some intermediate-level technicians, and a regular workforce along with contractual laborers during peak seasons.

3. For provincial aquatic seed centers

For provinces not included in the list for building Level I TTGTS, the Provincial People's Committee assigns the relevant departments to develop investment projects for establishing provincial aquatic seed centers (referred to as provincial TTGTS) by upgrading existing seed farms or constructing new ones in suitable locations with convenient transportation, good water sources, and reliable power supply. Based on the local water potential, these centers may be built for freshwater or marine species, or both. The scale of the provincial TTGTS depends on actual conditions and can apply the "Industry Standard 28 TCN 173: 2001 - General Requirements for Level I Aquatic Seed Centers."

Each province should have an aquatic seed center to support the development of aquatic seed for aquaculture. However, if there is already a National or Regional Aquatic Seed Center within the province, this center will serve the entire region and province, thus making it unnecessary to establish a provincial TTGTS.

The provincial aquatic seed center has the following responsibilities: receiving new seeds, purebred seeds, and male and female breeding stocks from the National or Regional Aquatic Seed Center or Level I TTGTS to develop and select breeding stocks that meet standards for commercial seed production facilities in the province; adopting and transferring new technologies in seed production to large-scale application; preserving and breeding rare and valuable native aquatic species to protect national genetic resources; producing seeds for release into natural waters and reservoirs to supplement, conserve, and regenerate resources; participating in training and technical guidance on seed production; participating in industry-related projects and international projects concerning aquaculture in the locality; participating in economic seed production and services to meet the needs of aquaculture and economic restructuring (for provincial marine seed centers, they can also participate in producing marine fish eggs and larvae of other species requiring advanced technology, equipment, and large-scale production to supply hatcheries; for freshwater seed centers, they can participate in producing new seed varieties to serve production restructuring and rare and valuable native species; in mountainous areas, they produce fry to serve remote hatcheries to solve local seed requirements).

II. IMPROVING THE CAPACITY OF THE RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION TEAM

Research Institutes and specialized vocational training schools under the Ministry of Fisheries proactively arrange and strengthen their technical teams to ensure adequate numbers of specialized scientific staff in departments, laboratories, and National Aquatic Seed Centers. Through professional activities, they enhance the level of expertise and propose plans for human resource training to the Ministry of Fisheries to gradually form a high-quality team of scientific and technological personnel capable of meeting research and teaching needs at Institutes and Schools.

Departments of Fisheries, Agriculture, and Rural Development, which manage fisheries annually, combine with fishing promotion programs, support projects for the fisheries sector, other programs, research projects, and technology demonstration projects implemented by research institutes in the locality to organize short-term training, technology updates, and new scientific and technological advancements for management staff and technical teams of the Departments, Seed Centers, and commercial seed production farms.

III. FORMING AND GRADUALLY MODERNIZING THE SEED PRODUCTION FACILITY SYSTEM

Based on natural conditions and aquaculture potential, localities need to develop seed production plans that align with overall industry planning and leverage unique advantages to independently produce sufficient quality seeds to meet the needs of aquaculture.

1. Facilities for producing seeds for brackish and saltwater aquaculture

In the northern coastal region, the focus is on producing marine fish, native shrimp, crabs, and breeding whiteleg shrimp. In the central coastal region, the focus is on producing whiteleg shrimp, crabs, lobsters, mollusks, and certain marine fish such as red snapper, sea bass, and grouper. In the southern coastal region, the focus is on producing whiteleg shrimp, prawns, and brackish water fish.

The development of the seed production network must be managed according to planning, adhering to environmental and aquatic animal health regulations to ensure sustainable development. Commercial seed production is promoted through specific mechanisms and policies encouraging local participation to attract various economic sectors into seed production (such as long-term land leasing, technology transfer, and enabling each farm to produce multiple species), thereby diversifying investment capital, fostering competition, and driving modernization of production facilities and technology to meet the demand for high-quality seeds in appropriate quantities, prices, and timing for aquaculture.

2. Facilities for producing seeds for freshwater aquaculture

Most of the current fish breeding farms have outdated infrastructure and technical equipment, which cannot implement new technologies, thus mainly producing traditional farmed fish breeds using old technology. The production capacity for traditional fish breeds basically meets the quantity demand, but the quality is not guaranteed. Therefore, it is necessary to manage breeding production towards improving quality and diversifying species. Based on existing breeding farms, create conditions for transferring new advanced techniques and breeds, with incentive mechanisms to upgrade infrastructure and modern equipment, and to purify parent stock. For mountainous provinces that still lack certain breeds, it is necessary to strengthen fisheries promotion activities to build models for traditional breeding, local breeds, new breeds, and support the construction of small-scale farm breeding facilities to meet local seed needs for ethnic groups.

3. Establishing Concentrated Aquatic Seed Production Areas

Brackish water and marine aquaculture is developing, but seed production has yet to meet demands in terms of structure, quantity, and quality. Therefore, initially, six concentrated seed production areas will be established in advantageous regions following an industrial approach to quickly produce large quantities of commercial seeds and ensure quality management. Each area will establish 200-300 breeding farms, with a total capacity of 2-8 billion seeds per year. With the orientation towards organizations and individuals capable of large investments, meeting new technical and environmental requirements, each farm's capacity will range from 10 million to hundreds of millions of seeds per year. Current seed types mainly include black tiger shrimp, and during off-seasons, other crustaceans, mollusks, marine fish, and other sea delicacies can be produced. Technical requirements must include separate water supply and drainage systems, wastewater treatment to ensure veterinary hygiene and environmental standards, and a testing room equipped with modern devices to check diseases in aquatic products.

To ensure progress, provinces currently listed but not yet implemented need to assign tasks to relevant departments to urgently develop feasibility studies according to current regulations for review and consolidation, and report to related ministries and sectors to arrange funding support for implementation as soon as possible.

Upon completion of the project, the Fisheries Department will manage operations and advise on issuing mechanisms and policies to encourage and facilitate the establishment of shrimp breeding farms within the concentrated area (including in other locations with unfavorable conditions that can lease land and organize seed production to serve their localities). Management of the concentrated seed production area must have strict regulations. Among these, issues such as drug and chemical usage, species and seasonality of production, water usage and wastewater treatment, community supervision, mandatory quarantine, labeling and quality declaration of commercial seeds must be closely monitored.

IV. STRENGTHENING MANAGEMENT OF AQUATIC SEEDS

Aquatic seed breeding must originate from purebred parent stocks free from disease, meeting national, sectoral, and facility standards as prescribed by law, and must undergo quality declaration (for those listed as mandatory). National Aquatic Seed Centers, Level I Aquatic Seed Centers, and Provincial Aquatic Seed Centers provide breeding stocks, male and female parent stocks, parent stocks, and replacement stocks for breeding farms. These stocks must be declared for quality according to legal provisions to serve as a basis for breeding farms to declare the quality of commercial seeds and affix labels when selling them. Currently, for brackish water shrimp, the technology for creating parent stocks is not proactive, still dependent on natural harvesting and imported sources from other countries, so they must be strictly quarantined and the number of times mother shrimp reproduce in one breeding cycle must be managed according to industry regulations to ensure good quality shrimp seeds.

To effectively manage aquatic seeds in accordance with legal regulatory documents, localities need to complete the organizational structures of specialized agencies responsible for advising on the development of programs, planning, plans, proposals, projects, incentive mechanisms for development; promoting state policies and guidelines for implementing legal regulatory documents on aquaculture such as production and business conditions for seeds, sectoral standards on seed quality, environmental protection, and aquatic animal health safety; guiding seed production according to planning, while strictly managing seed quality, warning about environmental conditions, diseases, market information, and seed demand to guide production.

V. IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS FOR DEVELOPING AQUATIC SEEDS

Initially, focus on researching technologies essential for production such as: creating black tiger shrimp parent stocks, producing monosex tilapia seeds, catfish seeds, seeds of valuable marine fish like grouper, snapper, red snapper, pomfret, yellowtail, green-spotted grouper, bluefin trevally, and mud crab, all-male green-spider crab, developing seeds of some brackish water shrimp and fish, saltwater shrimp, crabs, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, conches, and pearl oysters, conserving and developing seeds of some economically valuable indigenous aquatic species, and eventually implementing projects for developing ornamental fish to meet entertainment, tourism, and export needs.

Research Institutes for Aquaculture will lead in developing projects for developing seed species based on regional divisions. Organizations and individuals, both domestic and foreign, with the conditions to participate in research and development of aquatic seeds are encouraged and facilitated by competent state authorities and localities to implement.

Departments of Fisheries and Agriculture and Rural Development in provinces and cities with midland and mountainous terrain and distinctive microclimates need to pay attention to identifying high-value aquatic specialties with low yields, propose solutions for their development as a basis for the Ministry of Fisheries to assign scientific tasks to Research Institutes for Aquaculture in collaboration with localities to implement conservation and technological development projects for rare species.

VI. IMPLEMENTATION

The Steering Committee for the Aquaculture Development Program shall also be the permanent agency implementing the Aquatic Seed Development Program until 2010.

Units under the Ministry of Fisheries, based on their functions and responsibilities, shall be responsible for organizing and implementing Decision No. 112/2004/QĐ-TTg in accordance with the guidelines set forth in this Circular.

Departments, sectors, agencies at all levels of local government shall, based on their functions, responsibilities, and authorities, be responsible for implementing the contents of the above Decision in accordance with the directives of the Provincial People's Committees.

This Circular takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

In the course of implementation, if there are any difficulties, localities and units shall promptly report to the Ministry of Fisheries for review, adjustment, and supplementation as appropriate./.