Abstract
This paper presents the outputs of a Ministry of Science and Technology-funded national research project on fisheries value chain entitled “Developing Feasible and Comprehensive Policies for Sustainable Fisheries Development in Vietnam” completed in 2019. It was carried out to map the Vietnamese tuna value chain in terms of value chain description, including actors, material flows, volume, knowledge and information, relationships, linkages and trust, and values at different levels of the chain. The point of entry for undertaking this analysis was to identify specific income increasing interventions for fishers to achieve the project objective of better management of tuna fisheries and to improve socio-economic conditions of tuna fishing communities in Vietnam. Three South Central provinces of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa were chosen for the investigation of the tuna value chain. This study was completed in four main phases, which consist of interview surveys, focus group discussions, individual key informant interviews, and a validation workshop. Four hundreds fishers, nineteen middlemen and traders, five processors, three wholesalers, and eight retailers were interviewed in the three investigated provinces during 2018. Several policy recommendations to increase the income and improve the position of fishers in the tuna value chain were proposed, which include (i) the collaboration among fishers to take advantage of purchasing input materials; (ii) the improvements on the handling and maintenance of tuna quality to increase fishers’ income; (iii) the establishment of tuna auction center to decrease financial detriment to fishers, increase their access to public and transparent market information, and strengthen their position in the chain; (iv) the formulation of savings, credit, and microfinance schemes to diversify forms of capital access for fishers; (v) the suggestion on a fair share of profits among shipowners, captains and cruise workers to reduce the vulnerability of the poor and increase the incentive for properly managing the tuna fisheries in Vietnam.
Highlights
In most cases, international trade in fishery products has had a positive effect on local food security (FAO, 2004)
The secondary data was collected from various sources, including Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries (D-FISH), Provincial Departments of Fisheries (DoFIs) in Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, and Khanh Hoa provinces, the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietnam Tuna Association (VINATUNA), Research Institute for Marine Fisheries (RIMF), Vietnam Institute of Fisheries Economics and Planning (VIFEP), and Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS)
Many of upgrades or recommendations made in the tuna value chain analysis in the three South Central provinces of Vietnam are targeted to the improvements of Vietnamese tuna fisheries management, and are drawn from collected information about the tuna fisheries which has never been fully documented before, presented as follows:
Summary
International trade in fishery products has had a positive effect on local food security (FAO, 2004). It is known that fish exports are a significant source of income for developing countries. These exports can generate foreign exchange as well as create employment and income in the primary and secondary sectors. Appropriate policies and management strategies for the most vulnerable actors through effective fisheries management are necessary conditions to increase food security, improve the socio-economic position of fishing communities, and sustain international fish trade in the long term (FAO, 2004). The tuna industry is one of significant fishing industries in Vietnam. Most Vietnamese tuna products are used for ass.ccsenet.org
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
