Shrimp expo in Vietnam postponed due to coronavirus

A government-sponsored exhibition that was previously planned to take place in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta in March has been rescheduled to June in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Vietshrimp Aquaculture International Fair 2020, sponsored by Vietnam’s General Department of Fisheries and the Can Tho City government, will now take place 3 to 5 June in Can Tho. It had been set to take place 25 to 27 March.

The shrimp show is one of several activities postponed in Vietnam since the outbreak of the virus, which has forced the Southeast Asia nation to act quickly to prevent the virus from spreading further.

The show, which typically features around 200 booths, is focused on shrimp, and both domestic and foreign companies in shrimp and other seafood sectors were expected to be present at the show in March, which was set to include seminars on shrimp seed production, feed management in shrimp farming, disease management, and equipment.

The Vietnam Fisheries Association, the Can Tho Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Vietnam Fisheries Magazine are the joint organizers of the event. The decision to postpone was made by the local government and relevant agencies in Vietnam, the organizing committee said in a statement 12 February, adding that the postponement is aimed at ensuring public health safety and the smooth execution of the event.

The organizers said last year’s show – the second annual edition – hosted more than 10,000 visitors, including companies and individuals from the U.S, China, Europe, and India.

The rapid outbreak of the coronavirus, with an origin reportedly tracked to a seafood market in Wuhan, China, has killed more than 1,000 people in mainland China, with dozens more cases confirmed in other countries, including in the U.S, Japan, Thailand, and Germany, South China Morning Post reported 12 February.

The city of Wuhan is a major logistics hub for China’s seafood trade in central China, and the virus hit the market at its busiest time of the year. The city is also central to the trade in freshwater species like crabs given its location in Hubei Province, at the heart of China’s freshwater crustacean industry.