USAID DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY INFRASTRUCTURE IN MYANMAR AND ITS POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON THE COUNTRY’S ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL SECTORS

Sustainability is the intersection of the environmental, economic, and social sectors. A goal USAID project in Myanmar is to institutionalize sustainability in all three sectors of the seafood industry, especially the aquaculture. Myanmar is currently in a state of political, economic, and environmental turmoil, and a sustainable seafood industry and aquaculture would benefit the nation. The plan involves restoring invaluable aquatic natural resources, improving the supply chain and governance of the seafood industry, and creating stability through food security and social equity. The effects that each of these central goals of the project have on the country are guided through the principles that the GPO, a World Bank organization, uses in assessing programs with the goal of sustainability. The effects will also be confirmed through the comparison to Vietnam, a nation that has experienced a rapid growth in their aquaculture. However, because of the lack of sufficient resources placed in the environmental sector, aquaculture is experiencing problems that are affecting the economic and social sectors. This proves that not only will the desired results create sustainability in the seafood industry of Myanmar, but also demonstrates the importance of finding a balance between each of the three sectors.