Vietnam welcomes U.S. decision to lower catfish tariffs

SJ Mercury News ^ | 3/1/03 | AP - Hanoi

[NormsRevenge]

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Vietnamese catfish exporters on Saturday hailed a decision by the U.S. Commerce Department to lower import tariffs on some Vietnamese frozen fillets, calling it a positive step in resolving a trade dispute between the two nations.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

my wife and I were just talking last night about those awfull catfish tariffs. thank goodness now we can all relax

[TADSLOS]

First it's catfish, next they'll want nuclear power plants...

[billorites]

"Nguyen Huu Dung, general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers."

How's the old Monty Python joke go?

What's brown and sounds like a bell?
Dung.

Unfortunate name if your trying to market food.

[stands2reason]

Cool!! Vietnamese catfish is gooood....

[toddst]

Having visited and toured the catfish producing operations in Mississippi, I know what their fist are fed. If the Vietnamese producers expect their catfish products to sell well here they better address the issue of what their fish eat.

Regardless, we'll stick with the Mississippi products. I don't want to have to think about what my fish ate before reaching my table.

[Willie Green]

I wonder when Robert Zoellick is going to start importing portions of our food supply from Saddam Hussein and Kim Chong-il as well.

[varina davis]

Regardless, we'll stick with the Mississippi products. I don't want to have to think about what my fish ate before reaching my table.

When imported catfish supplies are hurting American catfish farmers (which they are), it's time to start thinking America First.

I never buy farm catfish at the supermarket unless I know for sure it's American raised -- and I always ask.

Always stick to American harvested produce, as well, since this is just about the only country that does not use human fertilizer on its crops.

[sandmanbr]

The catfish controversy was sparked by a suit brought by Mississippi Delta farmers, who complained that Vietnam had unfairly captured 20 percent of the lucrative US$590 million U.S. frozen fillet market by selling at below-market prices.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

This is a head shot to the catfish farmers here in the Ms delta.

Ponds that rented for $250/acre just 5 years ago are unrentable today.Catfish prices today are at 1975 levels while energy and production cost have skyrocked.

Now here is the untold story

The Difference

Catfish produced here in the Ms delta are raised from fry to adult in special built ponds where the water quality is monitored and controlled throughout the lifecycle of the fish. Their food is a medicated mixture of grain and protein that insures healthy quality meat. Catfish favor is dictated by water conditions at the time of harvest so only the ponds "on flavor" are harvested insuring that only quality flavored fillets make it too the customer.

The catfish produced in Vietnam are caught from the rivers and natural lakes of Vietnam. As catfish are bottom feeders they ingest all the pollutants that wash into those rivers (ie agent orange, Methy Parathion et al).Sick and dying fish are processed right along with the rest.Since water quality in these rivers vary, flavor and quality of these fish may vary from fillet to fillet.

The lawsuit was over the marketing of these inferior quality fish as if they came from the Ms delta rather than the Mekong delta. No where is it stated on the package that these are wild catfish not farm raised. The names of these companys suggest they are farm raised with names that could be Crystal Creek Farms or something of that nature. Thus someone eating catfish for the first time that gets an "off flavor" fish assumes that all catfish taste that way never to order it again.

The bottom line: There is no way to compete in the market when your competitors don't have to contend with minimum wage, FICA, Workman's Comp, Endangered Species Act, Environmwntal Protection Agency and God only knows what else.

[nomorecameljocks]

Yep, I love catfish, both US farm grown and wild natural caught but I would not consider eating catfish from Vietnam. I have a real good idea what they eat.

[Calvin Locke]

Geez, and I thought I was well-informed on hot issues on the international scene!

Quite frankly, this one was not on my radar screen. It wasn't even in the database.

[NormsRevenge]

It's a topic that runs below the surface of normal goings on... It smelt to me so I posted it.

[NormsRevenge]

From seafood.com

US Senators Push for Clemency on Vietnam's Catfish

From NYT (Nov 3,2002) via GlobalPolicy.org

Americans and Vietnamese Fighting Over Catfish

and a google search results page re: Vietnamese catfish

[philetus]

Another shot in the plan to banrupt all American business's, put all American workers in a position where they have to bow to the gov. to keep their families from starving and remove all opposition giving up our soverienty.

Excellent job, comrade polititians.

[NormsRevenge]

comrade politicians ..

They do their dirty work, one (fish and) chip at a time.

[Calvin Locke]

Very punny.

[razorback-bert]

I have friends in the Delta in the business.

So where was Trent?

[Chapita]

I don't/won't knowingly eat any pond fish. As long as I can get river [flowing water] catfish, I'll never eat a pond fish. And the old squaw and I, both, have family in the catfish farming business.

[virgil]

I think the channel catfish is best too, but it doesn't seem to be around as much as it used to be. There is something about the taste ( or maybe its the consistency) of the farmed variety I don't like.

[Chapita]

My favorite is the Tabby Cat [flathead]. Any breed of cat fish taken from running water, will not have the 'mud' taste.