China bans fishing of wild-caught spiny lobsters, exports face difficulties

Accordingly, exporting lobsters from our country to the Chinese market is facing difficulties.

The National Agency for Quality, Processing and Market Development (NAFIQPM) has just sent a report to the leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the results of online work with the Animal and Plant Quarantine Supervision Department of the General Administration of Customs of China regarding the export of spiny lobster.

At the meeting, NAFIQPM raised the issue of the unexplained blockage of lobster exports to China since August 2023, and sent documents to the Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine Supervision requesting information exchange and new policies (if any) from China, but has not received a response.

The representative of the Department of Fisheries also provided information related to lobster farming in Vietnam, including farming species, farming methods, farming output, origin of breeds... as requested by your side.

Recently, lobster exports to China have encountered difficulties, prices have dropped sharply (Photo: TL).

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Supervision Department of the General Administration of Customs of China has informed about China's regulations on spiny lobsters.

Accordingly, in May 2023, China amended the Law on Wildlife Protection, which prohibits the capture, use, trading, and commerce of spiny lobsters and species on the List of Endangered Wildlife Species in Need of Protection.

The General Administration of Customs of China has internally notified local customs authorities about this regulation for implementation.

The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture is the agency that formulates regulations and manages wild-caught spiny lobsters, so the Vietnamese side is requested to contact this agency to obtain specific related information if needed.

For farmed lobsters, you require that they are not caught directly from the sea and must have clear evidence of the farming process; do not use naturally exploited seed sources (seeds must be F2 generation).

Regarding the procedures for importing farmed spiny lobsters into China, your importer must apply for a Wildlife Protection license from the Fisheries Bureau (Ministry of Agriculture of China). The procedures for customs clearance of shipments and food safety inspections remain unchanged from before.

Requirements for packaging facilities and lobster farming facilities for export must register a list with specific information about the lobster farming facility.

The Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine Supervision announced that it will send a new registration form to the Vietnamese side (through the Vietnam Trade Office in China) to review and register packaging facilities and lobster farming facilities exporting to China.

After receiving the registration list from the Vietnamese side, the Chinese side will organize online or direct inspection of the breeding facilities and publish on the website of the General Administration of Customs of China the List of export packaging facilities and breeding facilities of Vietnam permitted to export to China.

Thus, it can be seen that the problem in exporting spiny lobsters to China is the issue of protecting rare and endangered animals and the procedures (of both importers and exporters) to prove that the farming process (from breeding stock) meets this requirement, NAFIQPM emphasized.

Previously, since August, the export of live lobsters to China has been blocked for unknown reasons. There are still large quantities of lobsters waiting to be sold at farming facilities, and prices have dropped sharply, causing difficulties for businesses and farmers.

(Source: Vietnamnet)

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