Livestock & Fishery Resources

        Myanmar has vast pasture land with suitable climate for animal husbandry and poultry. Myanmar with  a coastal line of 2832 km is also rich in marine resources. It has been estimated that one million metric tons of fishery resources could be exploited annually on a sustainable basis. The present exploitation is less than 60% of the sustainable yield. The continental shelf covers 228,781 sq. km and Myanmar's exclusive economic zone is 486,000 sq. km wide. The fishery together with the livestock breeding is the important sector of the economy and it contributes 9.3% to GDP in 2005-06. Spectral policies and principal objectives of the livestock and fishery sector are:- 

To promote all round development in the livestock and fishery sector;

To increase meat and fish production for domestic consumption and share the surplus with other countries;

To encourage the expansion of aquaculture; and

To upgrade the socio-economic status of livestock and fisheries communities. 

The fisheries sector is considerably important in Myanmar's economy, as fish constitutes a major source for animal protein in the diet of the people. The staple food in Myanmar is rice and pulses, beans, nuts and vegetables are also consumed in large quantities. Per capita consumption of fish was 18kg and per capita consumption of meat was 6.2kg last year. 

The country is endowed with rich and varied marine and inland fishery resources, with a production potential (sustainable yield) of 1.05 million metric tons per annum from marine source alone. Inland water bodies such as natural lakes, reservoirs, river systems, ponds, etc. cover an area of about 8.2 million hectares. There are 3474 flood fisheries (leas able  fisheries) producing about sixty eight thousand tons of fish and prawns annually. 

Production, processing and marketing of all fishery/ fishery related activities are carried out by the private sector. All state owned fishing vessels, carried vessels, ice plants, processing plants, cold stores, fishmeal plants, dehydration plants etc. are sold or leased to the private sector and the government and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries encourages and support the expansion, and the role of the private sector.