Fishery and Aquaculture: Thanks to favourable natural conditions in all three zones of environment (fresh water, salt- and brackish-water), fishing and aquaculture in Ben Tre have expanded significantly and accounts for 35.7% in Section I of the economy. The gross production value of fishery in 1999 accounted for 16.9% of the GDP. Its average growth rates were estimated at 5.5% annually between 1990 and 1995, and this shot up to more than double during 1996 and 2000, at 11.6% per year. In 2001, fishery produced a gross value of VND1,816 billion (US$120 million).