VietNamNet Bridge – Experts have voiced their concern over the flooding of Chinese sturgeons in the Vietnamese market, which would kill the Vietnamese sturgeon farming industry.

The group of inspectors from the Fisheries General Directorate has been present in Tam Duong district in Lai Chau province, to clarify the information about the existence of the “transit stations” in the locality which “Vietnamizes” the Chinese sturgeon imports before they are carried to the markets in Vietnam.

The “sturgeon laundry”?

The accusation has been made by the Vietnam Cold Water Fish Farmers’ Association, which has provided the proofs of the violations.

The information was forwarded to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development -- Vu Van Tam, who then asked the inspectors to clarify the matter.

“If the sturgeon laundry cannot be stopped, Chinese illegal sturgeon imports would have the “Vietnamese passport” when entering the Vietnamese market, and they would kill the Vietnamese sturgeon farming,” said Tran Yen, a well- known sturgeon farmer in Tam Duong district.

The Vietnam Cold Water Fish Farmers’ Association said that Chinese businessmen, in an attempt to escape the anti-smuggling taskforce, have been cooperating with Vietnamese to set up fish farms in Vietnam. The farms act as the “transit stations” for Chinese sturgeon imports which would give the imports the “Vietnamese passports.”

The association has found out that a fish farm has just been established in Tam Duong, located just next to the Yen’s farms. The questionable fish farm has employed the engineers from China and use the fish breeders from China as well.

The association has voiced their concern that one day Chinese would export their low-cost sturgeon farming technology to Vietnam. If so, the Vietnamese sturgeons would disappear from the market, while Vietnamese consumers would have to use Chinese fish, because they have no other choice.

The appearance of Chinese sturgeons in Vietnam has made the dishes made of the expensive fish become more popular at the Vietnamese dinners. Meanwhile, in the past, the products made of the fish were considered luxurious which were served the rich as restaurants.

Chinese sturgeons are so cheap in Vietnam, priced at some VND120,000 per kilo, while Vietnamese sturgeon price is double. Vietnamese farmers all say they cannot understand what Chinese feed sturgeons so as to obtain such a low production cost.

The violation of CITES

Do Quang Tung, Director of CITES Vietnam, has affirmed that CITES Vietnam has granted the license to import sturgeon breeders and sturgeon spawns to Vietnam to one enterprise so far. Meanwhile, CITES has not granted any license for importing sturgeon merchandise.

Therefore, Tung affirmed that all the merchandise sturgeon imports to Vietnam so far have been imported illegally.

Viet Duc Company, the only company which has the license from CITES, has confirmed that the fish farm in Tam Duong has never bought sturgeon breeders from the company. However, there are still 20 tons of sturgeons at the farm.

The owner of the farm cited a Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s decision which says Chinese sturgeon is a kind of cold water fish allowed to be farmed by the ministry.

However, experts have pointed out that the argument is unreasonable. If referring to the decision, the farm’s owner must not ignore the procedures stipulated in CITES relating to the customs clearance and imports quarantine.

NLD