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Vietnam cracks down on low-quality seafood exports
Authorities will inspect seafood trading firms to ensure they do not export products contaminated with banned antibiotics or dump them, hurting the entire industry, a top official said Friday.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Le Phuong said some firms, who care only about winning orders and not quality, ship products containing banned residues.
His ministry would issue export licenses only to firms that meet the safety and quality standards set by Vietnam and importing countries, he said.
“The practice hopes to eliminate risks on the country’s seafood shipments as was the case recently,” he told Thanh Nien Daily on the sidelines of a meeting between exporters and processors and a national seafood management board set up by the government last month.
Recently, Egyptian and Russian authorities refused to allow import of Vietnamese pangasius, alleging the products contained banned residues.
But they later relented and allowed imports from Vietnam after the ministry furnished evidence proving their safety.
Vietnam’s seafood exports were worth US$580 million, an 8 percent decrease, in the first quarter, with pangasius shipments decreasing by 5 percent to $208 million.
Exports to the European market, which accounted for 26 percent of total exports, fell by 15 percent and to Japan, the second largest export market, by 8 percent.
Minh Quang
thanh nien
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