Vietnam ’s tra fish (pangasius) has still not been removed from the red list in the 2010-2011 guidance manual for seafood consumers issued by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Belgium and Norway .
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), right after the signing of a cooperation agreement on developing a sustainable Vietnamese tra fish industry between WWF International, WWF Vietnam, VASEP and the Vietnam Fisheries Association on December 17, 2010, Mark Powell, the head of the WWF’s global seafood arm, confirmed the removal of Vietnam’s tra fish from the red list to the Vietnamese and international press.
This is one of the WWF’s important responsibilities in the four-party cooperation agreement, said VASEP.
However, after over one month of signing, Vietnam ’s tra fish is still included in the red list on the websites of WWF Belgium and WWF Norway, the association noted.
VASEP said that tra fish farmers, processors and exporters in Vietnam oppose the presence of Vietnamese tra fish on the red list on the above-mentioned websites and have doubts about the WWF’s commitments to the agreements that were signed with Vietnam .
In the period 2011-2012 , Vietnam will strive to have 25 percent of all exported tra fish come up to international standards on sustainable tra fish development, of which, 10 percent will receive advanced specialty certification.
At present, Vietnam exports 650,000 tonnes of tra fish per year and this figure is expected to reach nearly 800,000 tonnes in the next five years./.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), right after the signing of a cooperation agreement on developing a sustainable Vietnamese tra fish industry between WWF International, WWF Vietnam, VASEP and the Vietnam Fisheries Association on December 17, 2010, Mark Powell, the head of the WWF’s global seafood arm, confirmed the removal of Vietnam’s tra fish from the red list to the Vietnamese and international press.
This is one of the WWF’s important responsibilities in the four-party cooperation agreement, said VASEP.
However, after over one month of signing, Vietnam ’s tra fish is still included in the red list on the websites of WWF Belgium and WWF Norway, the association noted.
VASEP said that tra fish farmers, processors and exporters in Vietnam oppose the presence of Vietnamese tra fish on the red list on the above-mentioned websites and have doubts about the WWF’s commitments to the agreements that were signed with Vietnam .
In the period 2011-2012 , Vietnam will strive to have 25 percent of all exported tra fish come up to international standards on sustainable tra fish development, of which, 10 percent will receive advanced specialty certification.
At present, Vietnam exports 650,000 tonnes of tra fish per year and this figure is expected to reach nearly 800,000 tonnes in the next five years./.
