A seminar on the certification and sustainable development of tra fish was held in Ho Chi Minh City on June 27 by the Vietnam General Department of Fisheries in cooperation with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
The event draw the participation of Vietnamese aquaculture agencies, tra fish importers from the United State (US), European Union (EU) and Vietnamese tra fish exporters and producers.
The seminar focused on the sustainable development of tra fish sector, trends and prospects for tra fish in the European white flesh fish and the US catfish markets. The Vietnamese government’s strategy and policy on the sustainable development of Tra fish was also discussed.
Over the past ten years, Vietnam’s tra fish sector has considerably developed, posting a five-fold increase in farming area, from 1,200 to 6,000 hectares and an output rising by 36 times from 37,500 to 1.35 million tonnes. The value of processed products for export has also increased by 35 times, from under US$40 million to US$1.430 billion.
Vietnamese tra fish is exported to 140 countries and territories all over the world. Tra fish is also considered a stable export item along with shrimp which has helped boost Vietnam’s seafood exports.
However, the tra fish industry is facing many difficulties and challenges which are greatly affecting production efficiency and the lives of aquaculture farmers, particularly small farming households.
In addition to elements like costs, poor quality and epidemics, importers and retailers have set quality standards and regulations which have caused many problems for Vietnamese fish farmers. These factors have led farmers to give up their work and made the material shortage situation in processing plants more seriously since late 2010.
Participants at the seminar also discussed the standards and certification of Vietnamese tra fish based on the Aquatic Stewardship Council (ASC), Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and Global GAP (Good Agricultural Practice). These certifications have become a pressing issue in tra fish production.
They underlined the need for all parts of the sector, from farmers to producers, processors and exporters, to combine efforts to ensure the sustainability of the tra fish industry. State management agencies need to propose appropriate policies to help the sector reach the targets set for sustainable development and iron out troublesome and snags in production costs for aquaculture farmers and businesses.
Pham Anh Tuan, the deputy director of the Directorate of Fisheries, VASEP said, farmers and processors should aware of their responsibility to develop Vietnamese seafood sector in accordance with the high requirement of markets
Meanwhile, the state will provide support policies especially the government policy on approving the aquaculture development program for the 2010-2020 period and several policies on infrastructure investment, scientific and technological application, training and GAP promotion. A pilot project on aquaculture and tra fish insurance is also being built. The state is trying to enhance cooperation among foreign producers to help farmers renovate technology and enhance knowledge on market./.
http://ven.vn/creating-a-sustainable-tra-fish-market_t77c198n22498tn.aspx
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