Việt Nam's lobster exports in the first two months surged by 18 times year on year to reach nearly US$30 million. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam gained a record in lobster exports in the first two months of this year, according to the Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The lobster exports in the first two months surged by 18 times year on year to reach nearly US$30 million.

Of which, scalloped spiny lobster exports accounted for more than 90 per cent with a value of $27.6 million, an increase of 80 times in value, followed by tropical rock lobster with a value of $2.15 million, an increase of 45 times over the same period.

China was still the largest export market for Vietnamese lobsters, with a value of nearly $29 million, 27 times higher than the same period last year.

From October 2023, China stopped importing Việt Nam's tropical rock lobsters because of regulations related to the country's amended Wildlife Protection Law.

Under the new Wildlife Protection Law, China requires clear proof of the farming process for rock lobsters. It does not accept lobsters raised from post larva naturally but F2 generation.

So, Vietnamese businesses must prove that the lobster seed is F2 generation to continue exporting tropical rock lobsters to China.

To maintain the lobster export to China, many tropical rock lobster farmers in Việt Nam have switched to raising scalloped spiny lobsters, according to the association.

The demand for scalloped spiny lobsters in the Chinese market is also relatively high, so many Vietnamese businesses have promoted the export of live blue lobsters to this market.

In addition, a small volume of tropical rock lobsters were exported to China as frozen products.

Việt Nam also exported lobsters to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore and crayfish to the US.

According to VASEP, in the first two months of 2024, Việt Nam's seafood exports increased by 13 per cent over the same period last year, mainly thanks to a breakthrough increase of 64 per cent in January.

Many main products achieved export value growth in the first two months, notably white-leg shrimp (18 per cent), tuna (21 per cent), pangasius (6.5 per cent) and black tiger shrimp (9 per cent). — VNS