Shrimp farmers depend on Chinese market

Mr. Nguyen Duc Quan (Dam Mon village, Van Thanh commune, Van Ninh district) has 140 lobster cages in harvest season. For Mr. Quan, lobsters have brought local people a significant source of income for many years.

However, shrimp farming is not always favorable. There were times when traders did not come to buy lobsters, causing Mr. Quan to face difficulties and pressure due to high feed costs combined with heavy bank interest.

According to Mr. Quan, for many years, the main market for lobster consumption has been China. This year, China suddenly stopped importing lobsters because of amendments to the wildlife protection law, which includes banning the trade of wild lobsters.

The billion-people country's unexpected policy has left lobster farmers in Khanh Hoa passive. Immediately, lobster prices on the market plummeted and no traders came to buy.

Besides the change in China's lobster purchasing policy, lobster farming has recently been spontaneous, unconnected, and fragmented.

Adapting to the changing market of a billion people

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, China accounts for 98-99% of Vietnam's lobster export market. In May 2023, China amended its law on wildlife protection, prohibiting the capture of animals on the endangered list issued in 2021.

Accordingly, farmed spiny lobsters exported to China must meet the following conditions: farmed spiny lobsters must not be caught directly from the sea, have clear evidence of the farming process, and the offspring must be of the F2 generation.

In addition, importers must apply for a "Wildlife Protection" license from the Fisheries Bureau (Ministry of Agriculture of China)...

Immediately after your side changed its lobster purchasing policy, Vietnam is currently reviewing legal procedures and mechanisms to provide guidance for people and businesses to implement.

Among many ways to adapt to changes in lobster purchases from China, Vietnam has been researching ways to officially import lobster seeds from Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia.

Recently, a working delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and a number of domestic seafood enterprises, including those headquartered in Khanh Hoa province, had a working trip to Bali, Indonesia.

Leaders of the two ministries agreed to soon implement aquaculture cooperation activities. Minister Sakti Trenggono called on Vietnamese investors to invest in aquaculture in Indonesia, especially in the farming of tuna, seaweed and lobster seeds.

For lobster seeds, the professional agencies of the two ministries will soon unify the Quarantine Certificate, information, update on the disease situation, and control the disease; Indonesia will soon open the export of lobster seeds to Vietnam.

One of the businesses present at the meeting was a representative of Pacific Lobster Seed Import-Export Company Limited (headquartered at No. 1210, Xuan Ninh TDP, Cam Phuc Nam Ward, Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam) - a pioneering business with a thorough investment to bring lobster seeds from Indonesia to Vietnam.

According to this enterprise, in order to ensure the quality of lobster seeds for farmers, it is necessary to organize official import licensing, strictly control the seed source as well as bring them to storage facilities for quarantine.

"Choosing to buy good quality, healthy lobster seeds with quarantine certificates and disease testing according to regulations is a long-term solution to help lobster farming develop sustainably" - a representative of Thai Binh Duong Lobster Seed Import-Export Company Limited shared.