Officials from the Ministry of Fisheries have not been happy about the sharp increases of catfish exports in the last few years. Experts have warned about the side effects of the uncontrollable growth rate of catfish farming.
Vietnam targeted to export $1bil worth of tra and basa in 2007, and the targeted level, according to experts, is within reach. But what worries the Ministry of Fisheries’ officials is not the export plan, but how to protect the environment in catfish farming areas.
Kjersti Cravningen, Director in charge of Asia of Norway’s Pharmaq, said that the company found Vietnam’s catfish production capability very impressive. From 1997 to 2006, the catfish growing area increased by seven fold, from 1,200 ha to 9,000 ha, while the catfish productivity increased by 36.2 fold, from 22,500 ha to 825,000 tonnes.
Deputy Minister of Fisheries Luong Le Phuong said that catfish farming and processing of Vietnam was a legendary story. Vietnam’s tra and basa are now being exported to 80 countries and territories. The EU consumes 46% of Vietnam’s catfish exports, while Russia 11.3% and the US 9.9%.
However, experts have warned about the risks Vietnam may face while it is busy developing the farming areas at any cost.
Nguyen Huu Dung, Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said that it was necessary to apply specific measures to improve the environment, otherwise, troubles would occur by the end of this year
According to Mr Phuong, catfish materials for processing are provided by the catfish rafts on rivers’ areas, and the farming depends heavily on the water environment. “It is very difficult to control the environment and risks of epidemics.
“Environmental pollution may lead to the collapse of a lot of enterprises,” Mr Phuong warned.
He stressed that farmers should focus on improving the quality of catfish in order to get higher export value rather than trying to expand farming scale at any cost.
Source: VNE
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