January 26, 2011

Vietnam aims at US$300 million tuna exports for 2011

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) is targeting a 4.5% on-year growth in tuna exports this year worth up to US$300 million.

The association hopes the recently agreed cuts to international blue-fin tuna fishing will mean better earnings for the yellow-fin tuna industry here.

A 40% cut in the blue-fin tuna catch in the eastern Atlantic Ocean region has been agreed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna while the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Blue-fin Tuna will reduce catches by 20% this year.

Now is a good chance for local exporters as the nation primarily exports yellow-fin tuna, VASEP said.

Domestic enterprises would have trouble expanding their export markets due to a lack of input materials, an official from Dragon Waves Seafood Co. in Khanh Hoa Province said, however.

There are large tuna fishing fleets in Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen provinces.

Australian authorities have announced they will check all seafood imports from Vietnam after finding Vietnamese seafood consignments that violated their food hygiene and safety regulations, VASEP said.

The substandard seafood consignments were frozen crab meat, whole clams, frozen white clams, gutted red tilapia and cleaned yellow catfish. The inspections will last until all Vietnamese seafood products can meet Australian hygiene standards.