Two members of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), in Sweden and Finland, have put Vietnamese tra fish on their “green” list.
Technical barriers delay tra fish from making "green list"
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) recently cited a source from the consular affairs agency of the Vietnamese Embassy in Sweden, and learned that both Sweden and Finland have put Vietnamese tra fish in the WWF’s guidance manual for global seafood consumers.
Inger Näslund, Fisheries Spokesperson for WWF-Sweden, said WWF-Sweden has adjusted its summary in the accordance with regulations on seafood, and that Vietnamese tra fish met the standards.
The list is one that recommends to consumers those foods which are the healthiest and meet up to sustainability standards.
Previously, WWF-Sweden received notice that Vietnam has completed its target set for this year that 10% of its tra fish products be granted an international sustainable aquaculture certificate by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
The Government committed to supporting tra fish producers to achieve 100% certification of farmed tra fish production for export by 2015, with 50% certified ASC by 2015.
Vietnamese tra fish has also been removed from the Norwegian “grey list”.
In late 2010, due to inadequate information, the North European World Wildlife Fund put Vietnamese tra fish on the “red list”.
The WWF used its “red list” to warn that certain foods can be unhealthy and environmentally destructive.
The incident seriously affected tra fish production in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region.
Vietnam has made efforts to protect the brand of tra fish from the country. The product was removed from the "red list" on December 17, 2010.
