February 21, 2011

Global demand for Vietnamese globefish climbs

The rising demand for Vietnam's globefish in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China is starting up a great potential for the Southeast Asian country's seafood sector, according to the government on Thursday (Feb 17).

Cao Huong Thien, director of the Mai Sao Seafood Company in southern province of Kien Giang, said that his company has reached a deal with the Korea Poseidon Seafood Co. to export more than 56 tonnes of puffer fish.

Fisheries experts said the shipment is expected to open up a new prospect for the country's seafood export.

Vietnam has around 40 species of globefish with estimated stocks of 37,287 tonnes and the annual output from Kien Giang alone is between 6,000 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes.

Khanh Hoa and Kien Giang provinces were allowed to pilot a program to catch, process and export globefish to South Korea. The country plans to expand the project to Phu Yen, Quang Ninh, and Nghe An provinces.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plans to allow more foreign companies to participate in an ongoing program to export globefish after the sole foreign partner stopped imports recently.

Currently South Korea's Poseidon Seafood Co is the sole buyer of processed globefish from Vietnam. It had provided the Vietnamese processors the technology to process the deadly fish.