Source: Saigon Times
The Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has decided to list tuna as a major seafood product for export.
If the tuna fishing receives more investments, the fishing volume and export value will not stay at dozens of thousands of tons and hundreds of millions of US Dollars like now but can be much higher, and can be compared to the freshwater Tra fish being raised widely in the Mekong Delta.
The tuna consumption demand of the global market is forecast to rise in the coming time. However, tuna fishing restrictions in some sea areas have resulted in the currently high demand compared to the supply, which is a chance for Vietnam’s tuna fishing.
Another advantage for the country’s tuna fishing is the low tuna volume of neighboring countries while Vietnam is enjoying a bumper crop.
Vietnam’s tuna export volume this year can double that of last year thanks to high fishing volumes, with big catches so far this year such as over 7,100 tons in Binh Dinh Province, 6,000 tons in Phu Yen Province and 1,000 tons in Khanh Hoa Province.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the tuna export value of Vietnam reached nearly USD 396 million in the January-August period, up 51.2% from the same period last year. Besides, Vietnam’s three main markets are the United States, European Union and Japan.
Although the tuna fishing is still full of potentials and development prospects, fishermen do not know how to make use of such advantages. There are nine tuna varieties in Vietnam’s sea with a total tap reserve of over 1.1 million tons per year, and the year-round fishing may help Vietnam boost tuna export.
VASEP said that enterprises needed to invest in cold storage and boats to purchase tuna and provide necessities for fishermen on the sea. Besides, they should boost cooperation with foreign partners, find new markets and promote products to expand markets.