Eight tasks to protect the Binh Thuan shrimp seed brand

A five-year journey

The Binh Thuan Shrimp Association held its 3rd Congress for the 2023 - 2028 term on August 1 in Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan province.

At the congress, Mr. Pham Ngoc Dong, Director of Viet Duc Seafood Co., Ltd. and Vice Chairman of Binh Thuan Shrimp Association, summarized the association's activities during the second term from 2015 to 2020.

The Binh Thuan Shrimp Association currently has 35 members. The Association's shrimp seed annual output reaches approximately 20 billion tons, accounting for nearly 80% of the province's shrimp seed production and 20% of Vietnam's total shrimp seed production. Thanks to its repute and high quality, Binh Thuan shrimp seed is popular among farmers and it is consumed throughout the country.

According to Mr. Pham Ngoc Dong, in addition to the focus on individual member development during its second term, Binh Thuan Shrimp Association effectively implemented numerous professional activities.

Namely, the Association collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Binh Thuan Provincial People's Committee, and the Directorate of Fisheries to organize multiple conferences on "Brackish water shrimp seed quality management" in 2016 and 2017. With the help of these conferences, Binh Thuan Shrimp Association has established its reputation and provided state agencies with a clear insight into the limitations within the management of shrimp seed production and trading.

Additionally, the Binh Thuan Shrimp Association regularly updates on the challenges and limitations in the management of shrimp seed production and trading. Consequently, state agencies can make appropriate and timely adjustments.

Furthermore, the Association has sent raised the issue of environmental pollution to state management agencies in order to protect the interests of its members. The Association also provided practical comments on the Project "Management and Exploitation of the Chi Cong concentrated aquatic seed production zone (phase 1)" owned by Binh Thuan Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. These opinions have helped state management agencies to understand the state of business and ensure the stable development of Binh Thuan shrimp seed products.  

Most notably, the Association registered a protection certificate for the collective trademark "Binh Thuan Shrimp" in order to contribute to the development of the shrimp seed brand. Subsequently, the National Office of Intellectual Property issued a certificate of trademark registration under Decision No. 38615 on June 13, 2017.

Poor-quality shrimp seed is still present in the final product

In addition to its remarkable achievements, the Binh Thuan Shrimp Association addressed some of its shortcomings and limitations. Accordingly, the Association failed to fully utilize its potential and advantages to assist its members. Moreover, the Association does not have the capacity to help members improve their product quality and promote these products.

According to the Vice Chairman of Binh Thuan Shrimp Association, these limitations are brought on by both objective and subjective causes. Objectively speaking, Vietnam's shrimp industry has encountered numerous challenges in shrimp seed production, commercial shrimp farming, low shrimp price market, among many others. Additionally, the polluted water environment in Vinh Tan general port area as well as the pollution from Vinh Tan thermal power plant has caused significant damage to the Association members' production process.

Several establishments have failed to comply with the production of shrimp seed and mixed in poor-quality shrimp. As a result, unregulated shrimp are put into production and sold to the market.

Moreover, the Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei disease (EHP) has been sighted in shrimp seed production businesses and commercial shrimp farming establishments since the end of 2019. The disease has caused great economic losses to the shrimp industry.

The rampant Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 has had a prolonged effect on production and trading activities worldwide, with Vietnam's shrimp industry being the most heavily affected.

Eight tasks to protect the Binh Thuan shrimp seed brand

The Binh Thuan Shrimp Association has proposed eight tasks in response to the aforementioned shortcomings and limitations. Accordingly, the Association will continue to develop Binh Thuan shrimp with an emphasis on high technology, efficiency, and sustainability.

Accordingly, the Association will strengthen its organization and develop its members; provide warnings regarding environmental pollution and closely monitor the seasonal schedule to help members actively minimize risks; control the prices of feed, veterinary and aquatic drugs; hold regular meetings to promote farming techniques, and effective production, trading and management methods; assist members in their activities; expand the scope of activities within the association; proactively contact institutes, universities, etc. to exchange knowledge and transfer technology in shrimp seed production to members; regularly update its members on the province's shrimp seed planning policies.

The Binh Thuan Shrimp Association aims to protect the brand reputation of Binh Thuan shrimp seed. Outside of Binh Thuan province, the use of uncertified shrimp broodstock in Nauplius production and trading is a relatively common practice. Most notably, there have been reports of fake packaging, labels, or poor-quality shrimp seeds found in packages of named companies.

In addition, the domestication of broodstock has not been closely monitored and performed under the allowed biological conditions. Although the research of broodstock shrimp requires considerable effort and funding, several units have not responsibly practiced it. As a result, the market's supply of high-quality shrimp seed is affected, which also generates unfair competition between the association's members.

“All of these problems have been reported to occur outside of Binh Thuan province. However, they still have a significant impact on the reputation and brand of Binh Thuan shrimp seed. Therefore, the association considers it necessary to make recommendations to relevant governmental agencies to protect the shrimp industry's sustainable development as well as the interests of its members", emphasized Mr. Pham Ngoc Dong.