Vietnam is expected to gain earning of US$4 billion from seafood exports each year by 2010 and US$4.5-5 billion by 2020, according to Deputy Minister of Fisheries Nguyen Thi Hong Minh.
To this end, the local fisheries sector must build distribution networks abroad to enhance the stability of export seafood supplies and actively coordinate exports to large foreign markets, she said.
Minh said the ministry would support enterprises and help improve production standards, with the greater aim of ensuring local seafood in order to meet international quality, hygiene and safety standards.
Vietnamese seafood now satisfies minimum standards in 105 countries and territories worldwide. Over 170 enterprises have been licensed to export their products to the European Union, 295 to South Korea, and 300 to the US.
Vietnam's seafood exports are estimated to fetch $2.6 billion this year, $250 million more than last year and triple the figure of 1998, the year of implementation of the eight-year seafood export development program.
The achievements in exports were attributed to market development. Enterprises actively sought new outlets and reduced intermediate markets, making important gains in large markets such as the US and the EU. The sector also expanded markets for its "tra" and "basa" catfish.
However, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) pointed out the sector still has several issues to tackles.
VASEP general secretary Nguyen Huu Dung said the lack of internationally-recognized trademarks remains a concern, and that Vietnamese products are typically distributed under the trademarks of foreign importers.
Although this practice has helped local enterprises increase sales, it would be detrimental to the sector in the long term, he said.
Dung added that seafood production has been unable to meet demand from export processing facilities, attributable to inadequate organization among producers, low volumes of products, poor product quality, and loose coordination between the two sectors.
He said the problem was compounded further by a lack of administration among seafood enterprises.
The VASEP has made enhancing cooperation between seafood enterprises and the fisheries sector a high priority for the next five years, hoping to help improve the sector’s competitiveness, he said.
The association will also focus on promoting Vietnam’s seafood exporters in the international markets.
Vietnam is among the top ten countries in the world for seafood exports. In 2004, Vietnam ranked seventh with export turnover of $2.35 billion.
VNS, Vnexpress
Vietnamese
