A seminar on the certification and sustainable development of tra fish was held in HCM City on June 27 by the Vietnam General Department of Fisheries in collaboration 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 US and EU, and Vietnamese tra fish exporters and producers.
The focus of the seminar was on the sustainability of tra fish sector’s development, 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 developed considerably, 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 1,350,000 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 a host of 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.
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).
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 adopt appropriate policies to help the sector reach the targets set for sustainable development and iron out snags in production costs for aquaculture farmers and businesses.
