The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) released a communique on June 8 to protest against the false information on Vietnam's tra fish published on the website www.safecatfish.com.

According to VASEP, on May 24, 2010, the Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) carried distorted information about these products on its website. VASEP alleged it was unhealthy competition between US farmers and Vietnamese fish breeders.

VASEP asked the CFA to stop distorting information on Vietnam's tra fish on its website, which runs contrary to the spirit of the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement. It is necessary to provide objective and accurate information to protect the legal rights of US consumers and avoid making a negative impact on the trade ties between Vietnam and US, they said.

VASEP said Vietnamese farmers no longer breed tra fish on floating rafts in the Mekong Delta River. Currently, tra fish are raised in a pond system, which has met the SQF1000 requirements and international standards as well as the strict requirements of the US and consumers.

Many Vietnamese enterprises have established a closed production chain to ensure product quality. More and more breeding areas in Vietnam have been granted the Global GAP.

Vietnamese tra fish have been exported to more than 120 nations and territories in the world and met with the strict standards of the EU, Australia, the US and Japan, according to VASEP.

Also, according to the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQUAD), criteria of the water quality in breeding areas in the Mekong Delta River have met the strict requirements in breeding fish in fresh water since 2004.

Since 1999, NAFIQAD has implemented a programmme on controlling the residues of banned chemicals and antibiotics in breeding seafood products in general and tra and basa fish in particular. The programme has been strictly inspected by countries such as the EU, the US, and Canada.

VASEP also protested against the broad definition of "catfish" to impose import restrictions on Vietnamese fish products.

Source: VOVNews