Inaccurate information affects Tra fish exports

According to the VASEP, recently, many online Romanian newspapers such as realitate.net, ziuanews.ro, bzi.ro, adevarul.ro, puppe.ro, secretulsanatatii.net and etc., have posted a lot of inaccurate information about Vietnam’s Tra fish products (Pangasius products), which has caused disadvantages for the exports of Vietnamese Tra fish exporters to this market.

Processing Tra fish for exports.

Of concern, a newspaper also recommends that people should not eat and order food related to Vietnam’s Tra fish at restaurants, and it even says that Tra fish are called many different names in order to avoid detection by Romanian consumers.

Also, other websites recommend people in their country to boycott Tra fish and restaurants that have this food.

According the VASEP, many Romanian newspapers have updated inaccurate information that may greatly affect the exports of Vietnam’s strategic export product to the Romanian market.

In particular, among these well-known online newspapers such as Adevarul.ro, Realitatea.ro, with a large number of readers in Romania, they have made this inaccurate information spread very quickly.

Although, Romania is only a small export market for Vietnamese enterprises in southeastern Europe, with an export turnover in the recent 3 years of less than US $ 5 million per year. In the first 6 months of 2018, the export turnover of Tra Fish to the Romanian market reached US $ 1.75 million, mainly frozen fillets products (under HS 0304).

However, the Tra fish exporters are concerned that the inaccurate information may be disseminated and spread via internet, which will have a great impact on Vietnam’s Tra fish product.

In the beginning of 2017, Spanish Custro Television (Channel 4) also broadcasted a news report on farming and trading of Tra fish and cybercrime in the ¨En el punto de mira¨ program. The report broadcasted images with a prepared purpose and with scenarios about some of Vietnam’s Tra fish farming establishments to compare with a farming establishment in Spain to show that the Tra Fish’s quality in Spain was better.

In addition, they also investigated the control of distribution and consumption of Tra fish in Spain, including that Tra Fish was under the cloak of other fish names to sell at a higher price in some places.

Commenting on this issue, Mr. Simon Bush, Professor of Environmental Policy at Wageningen University in the Netherlands said that, “Pangasius (Tra fish) was a matter of concern for food safety and environmental security, but if it was thoroughly considered, these accusations are inaccurate.”

“According to our analysis, these outrageous accusations on Pangasius are inconsistent with the results of scientific research. The risk level of Pangasius on food safety and environment is limited. In fact, Pangasius is quite a new fish in the western market, but it occupies an important segment in the retail sector and food stores, so it perhaps has become a victim of its success," said Simon Bush.

VASEP continues to monitor and investigate information through the Vietnam Trade Counselor in Romania to take measures to prevent, handle in a timely fashion and avoid effects on the exports and image of Vietnam’s strategic product.