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WWF again asked to remove tra red listing
The Viet Nam Fishing Association has again asked the World Wild Fund for Nature to quickly remove all printed and on-line information showing the red-listing of tra fish.
The association has also written to the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry suggesting the Viet Nam Government and the ministry lobby WWF members in six European countries to correct misinformation about the fish.
Videotapes should be used to show the sustainable production of tra fish, shrimp and tilapia in Viet Nam, it says.
The association believes its proposed action would minimise the damage the WWF has caused the industry and prevent it happening again.
Association chairman Nguyen Viet Thang said the 19 questions the WWF had used to assess Viet Nam's tra industry were inappropriate.
Not enough
Its comparison with the code of conduct, CoC, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's 1995 quality standards had focused only on limited aspects of those standards.
"Considerations of these aspects to decide if Viet Nam's tra fishing industry is environmentally friendly is not enough," he said.
The fund could not set the criteria itself and in opposition to FAO's CoC quality standards.
The fund was also not allowed to impose and then proclaim its criteria on other countries regardless of national and international regulations and the consequences.
Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers Chairman Nguyen Huu Dung said: "Viet Nam's Tra fish is increasingly cleaner and has met international standards."
The WWF's assessment was outdated and Viet Nam had the scientific evidence to prove it.
Viet Nam had 20 companies working 40 tra fish breeding farms certified as Global GAP - highest standard for sustainable aqua culture.
Meeting
The WWF is expected to explain the technical measures and process that led to its placing of Viet Nam's tra fish on the Red List at a meeting with Fisheries Directorate officials today.
The directorate will provide scientific evidence about the raising of tra fish.
Directorate Deputy Director Pham Anh Tuan has told Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper that Viet Nam could sue the WWF if it refused to correct its decision.
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