At an all-sector conference held in Hanoi on June 13, the association opposed a decision by the US Attorney's office for the Northern District of the state of Florida on Huy's custody.

According to VASEP, the US criminalised violations of goods label regulations when it asked Belgian police to arrest Huy and apply extradition procedures. "The action," VASEP said, "based on the US side's doubt that Huy had been involved in goods labeling requested by US importers, should only be taken for international criminals."

"By doing so, the US side has badly affected the image of Vietnam's fisheries sector," it stressed.

Buu Huy was arrested on May 10 while he, together with representatives of VASEP members, was attending the European International Seafood Trade Fair in Brussels. The Belgian authorities said that they arrested Huy at the request of the US Attorney's office for the Northern District of the state of Florida, which decided to prosecute two US companies and a US citizen, four Vietnamese companies, including Afiex, and Deputy Director Buu Huy for suspicion of involvement in fraud in catfish trading activities between Vietnam and the US.