VietNamNet Bridge - According to the Ministry of Public Security, this volume of sturgeon was smuggled from China to Hanoi and then legalized by certificates of origin from local farms.

Stricter sturgeon controls needed

The invasion of Chinese sturgeons into Vietnam warned

Smuggled sturgeon from China crushes Vietnam’s farming

The Environment Crime Prevention Police Agency or C49 has made a report on the smuggling of sturgeon at the request by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan.

According to C49, before April 2013, around 5-7 tons of smuggled sturgeon was transported into Hanoi each day. Currently, the number has decreased to about two tons per day after the authorities have tightened control. The smuggled sturgeons are mainly sold at the wholesale markets of Yen So and Thanh Tri and legalized by certificates of origin from local farms. In addition, a small amount of smuggled sturgeon without proof of origin comes from the border provinces of Quang Ninh and Lang Son.

The price for smuggled sturgeon at the Vietnam-China border area is about VND70,000 ($3.5) per kilo and it is from VND130,000 to VND150,000 ($6-7) per kilo in Hanoi. The price for domestic sturgeon is about VND200,000 ($10) per kilo.

A survey by C49 shows that most of sturgeon farms in Vietnam are small and sturgeon must be raised for at least over one year. However, in the first half of 2013, the authorities granted quarantine certificates for 70 tons of sturgeon.

According to C49, sturgeon are raised mainly in the northern provinces of Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Son La and Bac Giang,  near the border with China, so it is easy to legalize smuggled sturgeon into locally-bred fish.

C49 said that the key areas for smuggling of sturgeon are Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Lao Cai and Cao Bang provinces.

Sturgeon is often smuggled via international border gates, border markets and the border line in Bac Phong Sinh, Binh Lieu, Tra Co - Mong Cai (Quang Ninh); Coc Nam, Chi Ma (Lang Son), the Lao Cai international economic zone (Lao Cai); and Phuc Hoa, Ta Nung (Cao Bang).

The provinces for sturgeon transit and consumption are Hanoi, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Vinh Phuc, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Hung Yen and HCM City.

Mr. Tran Cao Muu, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fishery Association, said that the association’s viewpoint is not to boycott Chinese sturgeon.

"We just expect that the inspection and control is carried out closely to have a healthy competitive market in terms of quality and price," said Muu.

Son Nguyen