SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
Myanmar is the largest country in Southeast Asia with a total land area of 676,580 km2 and is bordered by Bangladesh and India in the northwest, China in the northeast, Lao PDR in the east, and Thailand in the southeast. Its exclusive economic zone is about 486,000 km2 and the 2,138 km coastline is along the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Andaman Sea. The inland freshwater bodies cover 8.1 million ha of which 1.3 million ha are permanent and the remainder are seasonally inundated floodplains.
The richness of the country’s aquatic resources makes the fisheries sector vital to the national economy and food security. In 2021, the gross domestic product from fisheries was 8.6 % and the fish available for consumption was 67 kg/capita. The Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation is the responsible agency for ensuring food security, food safety, and sustainable development of the fisheries sector by conservation of fisheries resources in accordance with the fisheries laws.
The fisheries sector of Myanmar is divided into marine and freshwater fisheries sub-sectors. Marine fisheries include inshore and offshore, and freshwater fisheries include aquaculture, leasable, and open fisheries. In 2021, the contribution of capture fisheries was 81 % and aquaculture contributed 19 % to the total fishery production of the country.
Total fishery production of Myanmar by quantity (MT)
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
| Total | 6,074,820 | 6,013,781 | 5,931,815 | 5,877,460 | 5,675,462 | 5,598,003 | 5,316,950 |
| Capture Fisheries | 4,907,470 | 4,872,903 | 4,849,750 | 4,747,110 | 4,626,770 | 4,577,410 | 4,317,320 |
| Marine Capture | 3,295,070 | 3,264,837 | 3,249,700 | 3,152,140 | 3,036,410 | 2,996,740 | 2,854,200 |
| Inland Capture | 1,612,400 | 1,608,066 | 1,600,050 | 1,594,970 | 1,590,360 | 1,580,670 | 1,463,120 |
| Aquaculture | 1,167,350 | 1,140,878 | 1,082,065 | 1,130,350 | 1,048,692 | 1,020,593 | 999,630 |
Source: Fishery Statistical Bulletin of Southeast Asia 2021
Total fishery production of Myanmar by value (USD 1,000)
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
| Total | 9,836,093 | 9,759,669 | 9,683,528 | 7,122,904 | 9,376,809 | 9,534,622 | 8,763,047 |
| Capture Fisheries | 7,936,085 | 7,879,483 | 7,842,085 | 5,624,343 | 7,626,955 | 7,544,496 | 7,199,976 |
| Marine Capture | 5,436,865 | 5,386,981 | 5,362,005 | 3,152,140 | 5,161,897 | 5,094,458 | 4,852,140 |
| Inland Capture | 2,499,220 | 2,492,502 | 2,480,080 | 2,472,203 | 2,465,058 | 2,450,038 | 2,267,836 |
| Aquaculture | 1,900,008 | 1,880,186 | 1,841,443 | 1,498,561 | 1,749,854 | 1,990,126 | 1,643,071 |
Source: Fishery Statistical Bulletin of Southeast Asia 2021
Production of major species/groups of species from aquaculture of Myanmar by quantity (MT)
| Major species/group | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Roho labeo | 686,540 | 687,582 | 361,345 | 548,962 | 647,974 | 615,352 | 619,512 |
| Common carp | 119,047 | 123,047 | 303,731 | 120,982 | 19,289 | 18,934 | 18,441 |
| Silver barb | 171,281 | 175,281 | 259,542 | 231,607 | 11,091 | 10,887 | 10,604 |
| Tilapias | 39,050 | 33,050 | 69,472 | 44,511 | 33,755 | 33,134 | 32,273 |
| Shrimps/prawns | 70,183 | 59,650 | 51,796 | 22,571 | 59,944 | 67,724 | 52,220 |
| Carps | 53,689 | 46,612 | 19,913 | 97,519 | 178,420 | 175,138 | 170,583 |
| Catfishes | 21,859 | 103 | – | 55,184 | 57,866 | 56,801 | 55,324 |
Source: Fishery Statistical Bulletin of Southeast Asia 2021
Export and import of fishery products of Myanmar by quantity (MT) and value (USD 1,000)
| Year | Export | Import | ||
| Quantity (MT) | Value (USD 1,000) | Quantity (MT) | Value (USD 1,000) | |
| 2021 | 403,987 | 806,667 | 4,402 | 7,046 |
| 2020 | 473,563 | 887,776 | 7,892 | 13,843 |
| 2019 | 439,663 | 812,165 | 5,318 | 10,434 |
| 2018 | 568,224 | 711,717 | 7,907 | 11,704 |
| 2017 | 487,886 | 696,302 | 5,410 | 9,724 |
| 2016 | 394,397 | 561,826 | 6,542 | 9,147 |
| 2015 | 338,284 | 482,237 | 6,009 | 10,563 |
Source: FAO Fishery and Aquaculture Information and Statistics Service