MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil suspends Vietnam pangasius import licenses because of sanitary reasons

Catfish farmed in Vietnam has often raised questions about conditions under which it is produced but has displaced other produce because of its lower price

The temporary ban imposed by the Brazilian government on Vietnamese pangasius (Pangasius spp.) imports because of sanitary reasons and lack of phyto-sanitary controls, represents a great opportunity to increase Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) shipments to the leading Mercosur partner.

 The news was confirmed by Argentina's Chamber of Fish Processing Plants Exporters (CAFREXPORT) which reported that Brazil will stop importing about 10,000 containers with Vietnamese native pangasius annually.

This situation creates expectations among entrepreneurs from Mar del Plata, province of Buenos Aires, who aim to take advantage of the unsatisfied Brazilian market demand with Argentine hake.

CAFEXPORT stressed that while catfish farmed in Vietnam has often raised questions about the conditions under which it is produced, it has displaced other wildlife because of its lower price and it has caused a drop in orders of Argentine hake by Brazilian importers.

“Now, the possibility of recovering good volume markets is close at hand,” stated the president of the organization, Ciro D'Antonio.

Therefore, “our priority is reach business deals with more added value and thus offer further work for people from Mar del Plata,” he added.

However, Brazilian aquaculture industry is also considering increasing the production of catfish domestically to fill the void.

“I think we can take fresh pangasius to the American market with very good price. Here we get frozen pangasius and we are eating more than 50,000 tons annually because we do not produce them here,” said marine biologist Jairo Amézquita under the World Tilapia Forum held last week in Colombia, reported AND Empresario.

“We know there is a regulatory process and we have to sit with the State and producers to decide what the introduction of the species in the country will be like and what the permits to produce it will be like,” Amezquita pointed out.

From Brazil, Pedro Henrique Silva de Oliveira, a veterinary doctor from the technical team in charge of the General Coordination of Fishing and Aquaculture Sanitary (CGSAP) of the Monitoring and Control Secretariat (SEMOC), confirmed that “the issuance of new licenses to import aquatic animals and their aquaculture and/or fishing products originating in Vietnam has been banned since 22 September, 2014.”

“The import licenses that have already been issued will not be encompassed in the restriction and can be used until their validity expires,” he added.

Silva de Oliveira recalled that in March 2013 a mission from Brazil's ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) requested Vietnam to offer detailed information on the official veterinary system (SVO) and health guarantees offered for the production of fish exported to Brazil.

Although Vietnam was repeatedly asked to submit information and an action plan, the parties failed to reach an agreement, so Brazil decided to temporarily suspend the issuance of new import licenses. (FIS)