More firms to deal in puffer fish

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plans to allow more foreign companies to participate in an ongoing programme to export puffer fish after the sole foreign partner stopped imports recently.

The ministry chose two provinces — Kien Giang in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta and Khanh Hoa on the central coast — to implement the pilot project in 2010-11.

It also chose South Korea’s Poseidon Seafood Co as the sole buyer of processed puffer fish from Viet Nam.

The Korean firm had provided the Vietnamese processors the technology to process the deadly fish.

The ministry chose just one buyer to ensure it can keep a close eye on the shipments of the toxic fish during the trial period, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Le Phuong said.

Speaking at a meeting held in Nha Trang on Monday to review the project’s progress, he said more foreign companies would be allowed to import the fish to avoid a monopoly situation.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, deputy director of the Kien Giang Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said licences had been granted for 77 fishing boats to catch puffer fish, four purchasing units, and Mai Sao Seafood Company to process and export it.

Mai Sao has bought more than 90 tonnes of the fish since August 2010 but the Korean firm, which bought only 22 tonnes, has recently stopped imports due to low demand.

Poseidon also informed Mai Sao last November and December that Vietnamese puffer fish could not compete with Indonesian puffer fish for size and freshness.

But Nguyen Vu Phuong, head of Mai Sao’s technology department, said though his company had strictly followed Poseidon’s instructions, the Korean company still refused to continue imports.

He wanted the ministry to persuade Poseidon to buy its entire stock or allow Mai Sao to look for other buyers.

The deputy minister said if Poseidon does not buy the fish, the ministry will allow Mai Sao to find other partners.

“There are two other South Korea companies seeking to buy puffer fish,” he said.

Young Shik Kim, director of Poseidon, said his company would work with Mai Sao to solve the problem.

Phuong said the ministry was seeking to expand the project to Phu Yen, Quang Ninh, and Nghe An provinces. — VNS

Tags: puffer fish