>> WWF not yet to remove Tra fish from Red List
Vietnam’s Tra fish on January 28 was completely drawn out of the Red List of the World Wild Fund in six European countries, according to Vietnam Fishing Association.
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The removal of Vietnam’s Tra fish from the Red List, warned people not to use the kind of food listed, should have been taken much earlier, according to Mr. Nguyen Tu Cuong, representative from the Vietnam Fishing Association.
The Vietnamese fish was once included in the Red List of the WWF’s 2010-2011 seafood consumption Guild Handbook in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway and Denmark. Vietnam had strongly protested that action.
To solve the issue, Head of the WWF’s global seafood program Mark Powell held a working session with the Fisheries General Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on December 15, 2010 in Hanoi. Afterwards, the WWF leader announced at a press briefing that WWF decided to remove Vietnam’s Tra fish from the Red List since December 16 and pledged to encourage consumers to use the fish.
However, only Norway has fully complied with the rule. Moreover, WWF office in the Netherlands has recently put Vietnam’s tra fish into its Red List, the Vietnam Fishing Association noted.
The Association on January 27 sent official letters to WWF Global and WWF offices in relating countries and received their replies on January 28, in which all six European countries said they have officially lifted the Vietnam’s Tra fish from the Red List.
