March 15, 2010

Seafood export companies in Vietnam complain that they are facing big obstacles with the EU's IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing), which took effect January 1, 2010.

Under the IUU, all seafood exports to the EU must clearly show their origin, including the sea area where fish are caught and the names of the fishing boats or they will be refused entry.

Seafood companies observe that they have to gear up to fulfill the export orders for the first quarter of 2010, while they still seriously lack materials, and the IUU has made everything more confused.

Nguyen Thanh Son, Deputy Director of APT Company, admitted that it is difficult to obtain a certificate of origin. His company has shifted to producing seafood products from caught instead of farmed materials to fulfill export orders to the EU, because many catfish households have given up farming.

Son said that many other companies are also facing the same difficulties and shortages will badly influence exports.

Director of a Binh Dinh seafood export company claimed it is quite complicated to obtain the certificate. The director said his company has to persuade every fishing boat and is scrambling for materials, but it still cannot obtain enough for processing.

Some fishing boats avoid docking at ports and meet buyers on the sea to sell their fish.

A big problem is that many seafood companies have to import materials to process domestically, so Vietnamese material suppliers are selling materials right on the sea to Chinese businessmen.