WWF not yet to remove Tra fish from Red List

Vietnam’s Tra fish has not yet been removed from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)’s Red List of the Guidance Manual for Seafood Consumers in 2010-2011, said The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Immediately after the signing of a cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) on sustainable development of Vietnam’s Tra fish between WWF International and WWF Vietnam along with the VASEP and the Vietnam Fishing Association (VFA),the WWF’s Global Seafood Programme Director Mark Powell confirmed his organisation’ removal of Vietnam’s Tra fish from the Red List.

This move was part of the WWF’s responsibility for the above mentioned quadripartite cooperation MoU but in reality, one month after Vietnamese Tra fish are still named in the Red list at the websites of WWF Belgium and WWF Norway.

Vietnamese tra fish breeders and the community of Vietnam Tra fish exporters and producers are very indignant and doubt authenticity of the WWF International as signed with Vietnam, as well as other organisations in the world.

In 2011-2012, Vietnam is striving to ensure 25 percent of its Tra fish for exports meet all international standards on sustainable development, including 10 percent earning the Aquatic Stewardship Council (ASC) certified credit label. By 2015, all Vietnamese Tra fish for export will meet international standards on sustainable development of Tra fish and half of that will get ASC certified credit label.

Vietnam exports around 650,000 tonnes of Tra fish per year and the figure is expected to hit 800,000 tonnes in the next five years. Accordingly, 400,000 will receive a ASC certification, thus helping to increase the selling prices. – VOV

Tags: tra fish