Nam O fish sauce is one of three fish sauce products nationwide that has been granted a geographical indication protection certificate by the Da Nang Department of Intellectual Property. This is an intellectual property that affirms the prestige, reputation, quality and origin of the product. Therefore, the city needs to have effective management solutions to enhance the value of traditional craft village products in Da Nang.

Mr. Bui Thanh Phu's family is checking the fish sauce production process. Photo: VAN HOANG

Enhancing brand value

Upholding the tradition of his family’s traditional fish sauce production, Mr. Bui Thanh Phu, the owner of the Huong Lang Co fish sauce production facility in Hoa Hiep Nam Ward, Lien Chieu District said that the fish sauce production profession is closely linked with the history of the Nam O Village.

Through the ups and downs of time, the traditional craft village has been maintained and passed down to many generations. With historical and cultural values, the protection of intellectual property of geographical indications is important to help consumers identify and enhance the value of the products of the craft village. This is a legal basis to protect people making fish sauce, identify the geographical area of fish sauce production, and standard processes to produce Nam O fish sauce.

Through the protection of intellectual property of geographical indication ‘Nam O’, households allowed to use this geographical indication will comply with strict product management, consistent quality to protect the reputation and prestige of Nam O fish sauce.

According to Mr. Tran Ngoc Vinh, the Chairman of the Nam O Fish Sauce Craft Village Association, the craft village currently maintains 71 members, including 3 cooperatives, 10 processing facilities of relatively large scale, and 17 establishments registered their own brands.

Many production households have applied science and technology, improved product quality, promote brand and introduce products at trade promotion events. To date, 3 establishments in this craft village have been recognised as 3- and 4-star OCOP products.

“The recognition of geographical indications is a motivation for members of the craft village to be determined to maintain, preserve and enhance the fish sauce brand of the Nam O village,” said Mr. Vinh.

MSc. Nguyen Thi Thuy, Head of the Representative Office of the Intellectual Property Office in Da Nang, said that the geographical indication ‘Nam O’ for protected fish sauce products is not only a source of pride for local specialties, recognition of prestige, reputation, quality, and origin of products, helping to enhance the value of community brands, but also an important legal basis; a launching pad to help improve competitiveness and expand consumption markets, towards export.

In order to effectively utilise and exploit intellectual property after being recognised, the city’s administration and related units need to implement management and development solutions.

In particular, producers who are granted the right to use the geographical indication ‘Nam O’ need to be aware of and understand their role and responsibility in using and protecting intellectual property for Nam O fish sauce products.

Implementing many solutions synchronously

According to the Da Nang Department of Science and Technology, the geographical indication ‘Nam O’ for fish sauce products is the first geographical indication of Da Nang and is one of the three geographical indications for fish sauce products nationwide.

To effectively develop geographical indications, the municipal Department of Science and Technology will implement a number of solutions such as establishing a model for managing, developing products protected by geographical indications according to the value chain associated with traceability and product quality management that is operated in practice; registering the right to use the geographical indication ‘Nam O’ for organisations and individuals producing Nam O fish sauce products in the city.

In addition, the Department will guide the operation of the model for managing, using and developing geographical indications according to the value chain associated with traceability and product quality management, introduce products and pilot product consumption channel connections.

As revealed by Vice Chairman of Lien Chieu District People’s Committee Tran Cong Nguyen, the locality will continue to carry out many activities to build brands, support businesses and establishments to maximize their advantages when they have been granted the right to use intellectual property.

The district’s authorities have so far established a fleet of 6 boats with a capacity of 20-145 CV to catch anchovies to serve as raw materials for produce Nam O fish sauce. In the coming time, the district will continue to invest in building a map to guide the traffic system in craft villages, historical and cultural relic locations, and directions to production facilities of craft villages.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy also proposed that entities and production households need to have solutions to bring products into retail systems and distributors nationwide to approach and widely promote to consumers; implement promotional programmes, stimulate demand; promote publicity in many forms, suitable to people’s tastes through media, social networks, e-commerce platforms and livestream sales.

“The role of the community in building and developing the geographical indication ‘Nam O’ is very important because this is the intellectual property of the community. Therefore, the value of the product will be created from the cooperation, efforts and awareness of the community”, Ms. Thuy said.

Reporting by VAN HOANG - Translating by A.THU