January 18, 2007

Vietnam's Fisheries Ministry to scrutinize exports bound to Japan 

Vietnam Minister of Fisheries Ta Quang Ngoc has vowed to take any necessary steps beginning January 15 to ensure that no shipments bound for Japan will no more receive warnings or cautionary notices from their second largest seafood market. 

The Minister has made the pledges as dozens of aquatic exports have been warned by Japanese authorities of violating rules on quality standards.

Japan has alerted Vietnamese authorities last week as two containers of aquaculture exports have again been found to contain chlorampenicol. 

The Fisheries Ministry said it has repeatedly sent written instructions to local fisheries authorities and export businesses, asking them to have all production steps, especially material supply, to come under close scrutiny.

The same instruction has been ordered by the Prime Minister in its bid to save Vietnamese seafood sector from a possible economic damage.

The Ministry has also sent a delegation to Japan to work with partners for solutions. Inspection missions have frequented fishing villages to check the quality of raw materials.

The ministry said from now to 2009 only those processors which meet quality requirements are allowed to export.