HCM CITY — Việt Nam's tuna industry has made a great contribution to seafood exports, but currently, it is facing many challenges in accessing raw materials and markets.

According to tuna processing and exporting enterprises, one issue affecting tuna export trends is the lack of raw materials, especially raw materials caught by domestic fishing fleets.

A new regulation on the minimum size of tuna has seriously affected the normal production and business activities of fishermen and enterprises, increasing the economic burden on the related production chain.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Sắc, chairwoman of the Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said that because of this new regulation, many batches of raw tuna exploited by fishermen in the provinces could not be exported due to lack of relevant documents. Many orders, especially canned tuna for export, had to be cancelled, causing the exporting enterprises to be fined.

To limit contract cancellations and maintain their reputation with customers, many businesses have had to import tuna from other countries to fulfil contracts.

However, this has caused heavy losses for businesses because tuna from other countries does not benefit from tariff incentives according to the agreement in the Free Trade Agreement between Việt Nam and Europe (EVFTA).

This is also reducing the competitiveness of Vietnamese canned tuna products in the European market.

Faced with difficulties in raw material sources, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Lê Minh Hoan affirmed that regulations on the minimum size of aquatic species, including tuna, that are allowed to be exploited are necessary to protect aquatic resources and meet the requirements and recommendations of the European Commission (EC).

At the same time, this regulation is also consistent with the trend of advanced fishery management of countries in the region and the world to maintain and protect aquatic resources, and prevent serious declines in both quantity and quality due to overexploitation, exploitation with prohibited fishing gear and mesh sizes smaller than prescribed.

Although the Vietnamese tuna processing and export industry has seen remarkable growth in recent years, the world market has forced the local fishing industry to adapt to each new situation.

According to the International Trade Center (ITC), Việt Nam is the second largest tuna supplier to the US market after Thailand. The US market is a large market for importing Vietnamese seafood, including tuna products. – VNS