All nine Vietnamese tuna caught using new Japanese technology were auctioned and sold in Japan this morning, August 8.

Examining tuna

The Vietnamese tuna were sold at the central market in Osaka. However, the prices they got varied widely.

The fish that fetched the highest price went for JPY2,100 (USD20.64) per kilo, a relatively good price for Japanese market. However, another tuna was sold for only JPY250 (USD2.45) per kilo. The average selling price of all the Vietnamese tuna sold was JPY1,200 (USD11.79) per kilo.

Japanese traders said that there is no big difference between the natural quality of Vietnamese and Japanese tuna, but Vietnamese fishermen need more training at on-site preservation and processing methods.

The tuna that was sold for only JPY250 had been badly preserved.

The Japanese partners in the project to help market Vietnamese tuna in Japan suggested that Vietnamese fishermen and exporters pay more attention to fishing and on-site preservation methods in order to increase the quality and get higher prices on the Japanese market.