ANN/Vietnam News – Vietnam’s tuna industry has played a significant role in seafood exports, but it is currently facing major challenges in securing raw materials and accessing markets.
According to tuna processing and exporting enterprises, a key issue affecting export trends is the shortage of raw materials, particularly those sourced from domestic fishing fleets.
A new regulation on the minimum size of tuna has severely impacted the production and business activities of fishermen and enterprises, adding economic pressure to the supply chain.
Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, Nguyen Thi Thu Sac said due to this regulation, many batches of tuna caught by provincial fishermen could not be exported due to missing documents.
As a result, several orders, particularly for canned tuna, had to be cancelled, leading to fines for exporting enterprises.
To limit contract cancellations and maintain their reputation with customers, many businesses have had to import tuna from other countries to fulfil contracts.
However, this has caused heavy losses for businesses because tuna from other countries does not benefit from tariff incentives according to the agreement in the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and Europe. This is also reducing the competitiveness of Vietnamese canned tuna products in the European market.
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan said minimum size regulations for tuna and other species are essential to protect aquatic resources and comply with European Commission requirements.
This regulation aligns with global trends in advanced fishery management, aimed at preserving aquatic resources and preventing significant declines in both quantity and quality caused by over exploitation, illegal fishing gear, and the use of undersized mesh nets.
