YANGON - Myanmar has planned to open a fishery university in 2018, aimed at developing the country's fishery sector, official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Thursday.

Cooperating with related ministries, the university will be established as an academic institution of a high standard rather than a degree mill, according to Dr. Toe Nandar Tin, vice-chairman of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation.

At present, the authorities are striving to develop its fishery industry by turning its traditional fish breeding method into a modern one with foreign technical assistance.

To develop its fishery sector, Myanmar also conducted fishery research in the country's territorial waters with the assistance of a foreign research vessel to compile statistics of endangered fish species and to help reverse decreasing fish resources.

There are currently three fishery vocational institutes in Yangon, Ayeyawaddy and Sagaing regions respectively.

Also, a non-governmental organization, Flora and Fauna International (FFI), in cooperation with the Fishery Department, is developing a marine conservation area in southern region of Taninthayi.

The country exported over 600 million U.S. dollars worth of marine products in last fiscal year 2016-2017.