Khanh Hoa (VNA) – A workshop was held in thesouth-central province of Khanh Hoa on October 10 to promote tuna supply chain, and tunaexports to the EU under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The event was co-held by the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development (MARD) and the provincial People’s Committee.

According to the MARD, two months after the EVFTA enteredinto force, Vietnam’s fishery exports to EU markets have seen positive signs. Tunaexport value rose by 8.6 percent month-on-month to 11.4 million USD in August and13.3 percent to 11.9 million USD in September, adding hope for a rebound inVietnamese exports to the EU in the remaining months of this year.

Addressing the workshop, Deputy Minister of Agriculture andRural Development Phung Duc Tien said to sustain fishery production, localitiesmust continue instructing fishermen to comply with international commitments on fishing and stepping up the fight against IUU fishing while encouraging seafood producers to apply advanced technologyand diversify their products to match the EU markets’ taste and demand. Theymust also strictly adhere to regulations related to food safety and intellectualproperty, he said.

Tuna is among three Vietnamese seafood products favoured bythe EU markets, said Nguyen Thi Thu Sac, Vice Chairwoman of the VietnamAssociation of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Under the EVFTA, tariffwill gradually reduce to 0 percent, providing a competitive edge for Vietnamesefishermen and businesses. However, they have to invest in improving technology, production lines and fishing practices inaccordance to current regulations in order to remove the EU Commission (EC)’s yellowcard warning and further develop the fishery sector, she noted.

Data from Khanh Hoa’s authority shows that as of the end ofSeptember, the province’s total sea catches were estimated at 69,760 tonnes,including over 20,380 tonnes of tuna. Its shipments of seafood exceeded 2,890tonnes, including more than 2,284 tonnes of tuna, a drop of about 20 percentfrom the same period last year.

The province has set up three local tuna supply chainsbetween seafood producers and fishing cooperatives, which own a total of morethan 150 fishing ships./.