YANGON, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's marine export hit 283 million U.S. dollars in the first eight month of the fiscal year 2009-10 which began in April, accounting for 40.4 percent of the targeted export of 700 million dollars for the entire year, sources with the Fishery Department said on Tuesday.

    During the eight-month period, over 175 million dollars worth of marine products were exported through normal trade whereas the rest were exported through border trade system passing seven main border trade points of Muse, Myawaddy, Kawthaung, Sittwe, Myeik, Maungtaw and Tamu, the sources said.

    Among the marine export, that of fresh-water fish fetched the largest amount with 75.55 million dollars, while that of crabs and soft-shell crabs with 20.67 million dollars, it said.

    China topped Myanmar's marine export country line-up, followed by Thailand, Japan and Singapore.

    The other marine products exporting countries include Middle East countries, European Union countries, South Korea, Japan and Argentina.

    Myanmar's fishery sector remained as the fourth largest contributor to the gross domestic product and also the fourth largest source of foreign exchange earning during the past five years.

    With a long coastline of over 2,800 km and a total area of 500,000 hectares of swamps along the coast, the country has an estimated sustainable yield of marine products at over one million tons a year.

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