Tuna exports have rebounded from
stagnation due to the global financial crisis with rises of 150 percent
in quantity and 170 percent in export value year-on-year.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and
Processors (VASEP), the US took the lead among importers in the first
months of this year, buying over 3,000 tonnes of tuna with revenue
topping 15 million USD—both five-fold increases over the same period
last year.
Aside from the US, exports to Japan, Taiwan and Canada also got off to
a roaring start with triple digit growth rates in both quantity and
quality.
During the first two months of this year, local exporters are exploring
new markets like the Bahamas and Libya, yet the prices are said to
remain less attractive.
The VASEP said tuna prices are likely to be buoyed up in the coming
months due to uncontrolled fishing activities. Many fishermen are still
unaware of the need to keep a fishing diary as required by the European
Commission’s regulations on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)
fishing./.