China has amended its wildlife protection laws, banning the capture and consumption of wild ornate lobsters (Panulirus ornatus), and has stopped importing them from Vietnam.
They ban the capture and trade of ornate lobsters and other species on the endangered species list, but allow their import if the farmers who raise them meet certain conditions, according to the Fisheries Directorate of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and rural development.
If they are farmed, China requires clear proof of the breeding process, including using only second generation (F2) lobsters for breeding and not wild lobsters.
Importing companies must obtain wildlife protection permits from the Bureau of Fisheries.
Entities that farm and export lobsters to China must register information about their farming facilities.
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Decorated lobsters in a seafood store in HCMC. Photo courtesy of Ganhhaisan |
Vietnam exported various kinds of lobsters worth $76 million to China, its largest market, in the first eight months of this year, down 42 percent year-on-year.
Decorated lobsters are currently sold by farmers for between 1 and 1.3 million VND ($41.6 to $54.1) per kilogram, half the price two months ago and 45 percent lower than a year ago, due to a sharp decline in domestic and foreign demand.
The ministry has a plan to develop lobster farming and exports by 2025, and targets production of 3,000 tonnes per year and exports of $200 million.
The largest lobster farming provinces are Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Kien Giang.
