All goes swimmingly for nations fisheries

With the support of the European Union and a solid sense of determination, Vietnamese fisheries have lifted themselves out of a dilapidated industry and have gone on to become an important part of the country’s economy, Phuong said at the EU fishery and aquaculture standards workshop.

The government’s aim to establish the fishery sector as an equal player in the international seafood market came in 1994 when it set up the National Fisheries Inspection and Quality Assurance Centre (NAFIQACEN), now the National Fishery Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (NAFIQAVED).

With the centre’s advocacy in forming a legislation system to control fishery quality, safety and assistance in December 1999, the European Commission listed Viet Nam among those countries eligible to export fish in this challenging market.