In particular, sales of two main seafood items (shrimp and pangasius) were up 8 per cent and 2.4 per cent, respectively. Sales of cephalopod and tuna downed 6.2 per cent and 5.5 per cent, while exports of marine finfish surged 19.5 per cent and other marine products also reported the year-on-year increase in export turnover.
Marine products (tuna, cephalopod, crab, other marine finfish..) accounted for more than 30 per cent of the total seafood exports by Vietnam, reports VASEP.
In 2016, exports of these items are forecast to see the year-on-year growth thanks to stable raw material supply and higher demand from main markets. In which, tuna exports expected to reach $507 million, up 12 per cent; cephalopod with $470 million, up 10 per cent; crab, surimi and marine finfish up 13 per cent to reach $1.3 billion.
Up to now, supply of raw marine products for processing and exporting rises thanks to surge in capture production. According to Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), April is the time for South fishing season, the weather condition is favourable, the price of marine products are stable, fuel price is lower which facilitates offshore fishing activities. Besides, competent agencies help fishermen in investing for machines, applying advanced technology in catching and preserving fish on board. Accordingly, the quality and value of marine products increase.
Capture production in Jan-Apr 2016 estimated to reach 1,050 thousand MT, up 3 per cent year on year. Marine catch estimated to touch 1,003 thousand MT, up 3.3 per cent from April 2015.
Tuna are mostly available in Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands with sharp rise in output because now is main fishing season.
Tuna ouptut of the threemain provinces in Jan-Apr 2016 guessed to reach 8,413 MT. In Binh Dinh province, tuna production was 4,400 MT, up 31 per cent year on year; Khanh Hoa with 1,500 MT, up 28 per cent year on year; Phu Yen with 2,513 MT, down 10 per cent year on year.
Main fishing grounds where marine products are caught mainly locate in the South Central provinces (Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Binh Thuan..) and the Southern provinces (Kien Giang, Ca Mau..).
A majority of marine products processors and exporters with main items of tuna, crab, surimi and other marine finfish concentrate in these provinces.
Therefore, mass fish deaths in three central provinces (Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri) are mainly affecting to domestic supply and the safety level in domestic market. Ha Tinh province is located by only one seafood exporter. The main products of the company are farmed shrimp, offshore fishing cephalopod and imported raw material source. Thus, exporting activities of the company are not affected.
