Shrimp exports have fallen since the second quarter of the year. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The fishery sector needs to take actions toconvince the European Commission (EC) to remove a “yellow card” warning onVietnamese seafood so as to realise the set target of 9 billion USD in export turnoverthis year.
Although aquatic product shipments in the first eight months of 2018 rose 6.4percent year on year to 5.5 billion USD in revenue, the Vietnam Association ofSeafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said that tough seas are still aheadfor the sector to gain 9 to 10 billion USD from exports.
Shrimps, tra fish, and tuna are three key export staples of the sector,therefore, total export revenue will be impacted if there is a decline inshipments of one among those three products.
Shrimp exports have fallen since the second quarter of the year, with a 20percent drop in July and 17 percent fall in August. As of the end of August,Vietnam earned 2.3 billion USD from shrimp shipments, down 3 percent from thesame time last year.
According to Cao Thi Kim Lan, Director of the Binh Dinh Fishery Joint StockCompany, the “yellow card” warning has caused critical damage to her business.The company pockets some 60 million USD from exports every year, 70 percent ofwhich comes from the EU market.
“My company has said “no” with the purchase of illegal, unreported andunregulated (IUU) fishing products. However, it takes too much time to traceorigin of the materials”, she said.
At a teleconference held in Hanoi in August, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh DinhDung laid stress on the removal of the EC’s “yellow card” warning, saying thatit is a leading political task of the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, agencies, and all localities.
He said that this was also an opportunity for the fishery sector to rearrangefishing activities to meet international requirements.
Also, Dung ordered relevant ministries and agencies, and 28 coastal provincesand cities to strictly implement the Prime Minister’s Directive No.45-CT-TTg onurgent tasks and solutions following the EC’s warning.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong believed thatcarrying out the EC’s nine recommendations related to the fight against IUUfishing was not just meant to lift the “yellow card” but build a sustainablesea-based economy.
The nine recommendations included revision of the legal framework to ensurecompliance with international and regional rules applicable to the conservationand management of fishery resources, ensuring the effective implementation andenforcement of the country’s revised laws, and strengthening the effectiveimplementation of international rules and management measures.
“The nine recommendations are positive contents, which help Vietnam build a responsible,sustainable and effective fishing sector. After rapid development, it’s timefor Vietnam to shift to sustainable fishing, to improve fishermen’slivelihoods, and protect the environment”, he said.
On October 23, 2017,the EC issued a "yellow card" warning to Vietnam, after the countryfailed to demonstrate sufficient progress in the fight against fishingworldwide.
A working delegation of the European Commission (EC)’s Directorate-General forMaritime Affairs and Fisheries began a fact-finding trip to Vietnam on May 15to inspect the implementation of recommendations related to the fight againstIUU fishing.
The European Parliament will come to Vietnam to examine the country’s effortsin October, and the inspection team will return in January, 2019 to evaluateone more time before considering the removal of the “yellow card” on Vietnameseseafood.-VNA
VNA
