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Vietnam’s fisheries exporters could hardly meet the EC new requirements. Photo V.H |
Under the IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing) law, which will take effect from January 1, 2010, all seafood export consignments to the EU must clearly show the origin of the products, including the sea area where the fish are caught and the names of the fishing boats, or they will be refused entry.
Vice Chairwoman of Binh Dinh Fisheries Association, Cao Thi Kim Lan, talks more about the issue.
Could you reveal the main contents of the IUU law?
The law was adopted on 29 September 2008, and will go into effect on 1 January 2010, aimed at combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Under the law, all seafood export consignments to the EU must clearly show the origin of the products, including the sea area where the fish are caught and the names of the fishing boats, or they will be refused entry.
The law contains some issues that must be paid attention to. According to the new regulations, for example, each package of fishery products exported to EU must be accompanied by a validated catch certificate.
The competent authorities of the flag State of the catching vessel will certify that the catches concerned have been made in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and international conservation and management measures.
This certificate shall be validated by the competent authority of the flag State, and if necessary, other documents envisaged by the certification scheme in the event of an indirect import after transhipment, transit or processing of the products in another third country.
How will the IUU law affect Vietnam’s fisheries export?
The law would be the biggest hindrance for Vietnamese seafood companies when they try to export products.
The new regulation will be valid as of January 1, 2010. Meanwhile, a lot of Vietnamese businesses are unprepared.
Most processing and export companies are collecting fish materials from small merchants at fishing ports. They do not purchase materials directly from fishermen; therefore, it is very difficult for them to declare the origin of the fish.
Small merchants, meanwhile, collect fish from tens or even hundreds fishing boats, making it impossible to remember all the names of the ships. Some offshore ships even sell fish right on the sea to service ships.
Vietnam’s fishing industry remains very small and the State has not set up any strict regulations. Therefore, it will not be easy to follow the EU’s IUU.
A lot of businesses noted that they first heard about the new regulation two years ago, but they still cannot implement its requirements. Export companies clearly record where they purchase materials, but the problem is that they must get certification from local authorities.
The businesses predicted that they will face many difficulties in IUU application, because up to 60-70 percent of exporters to the EU are using materials caught in the wild.
Could we do nothing?
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development built a proposal on granting catch certificate to seafood.
VASEP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will also design and hold training courses for local businesses and fishermen on the deployment of the EC regulations.
Also, VASEP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is planning to send a delegation to work directly with the EU and make a proposal to extend the deadline for IUU implementation to the end of June 2010.
How about the central province of Binh Dinh?
Binh Dinh is one of provinces having potential for fisheries export. Statistics showed there are about 6,200 fishing vessels in the province, including 1,500 members of Binh Dinh Fisheries Association.
About 50 vessels’ owners have been granted the food safety certificate. For the IUU law, the province’s Fisheries Association and functional bodies are still waiting for the instructions from the VASEP and Central bodies.
The association will immediately help its members implement the new regulations as soon as receiving the instructions.
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