Sustainable pangasius farming in Vietnam

During a recent trip to Vietnam I had the pleasure of meeting again Mr. Duong Ngoc Minh, President of Hùng Vương Corporation, and the largest pangasius farmer in Vietnam.

Mr. Minh signed an agreement with WWF to advance one of his pangasius farms to sustainability certification by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, and to use his farm as a demonstration to other pangasius farmers. Mr Minh is in the light blue shirt with some of his staff and the WWF team.

We toured one of his farms and processing plants, the operations are big, efficient, and very impressive. Here's feeding time on the farm (photo right).

Our hosts then treated us to a wonderful Vietnamese seafood feast at the Thuong Nyen restaurant in My Tho in the Mekong Delta region. Including some wonderful squid, shark, and much more, all cooked in a steaming pot right on the table. Vietnam is a great country to visit, I know I'll be back.

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Vietnam, WWF sign pangsius sustainability agreement

Even the Vietnamese news media are now reporting fairly accurately on the outcome of my last week of intensive work.

Reproduced here in its entirety since it reflects the Vietnamese view of the situation. More from me later, I'm a bit tired right now...

Tra fish off the red list

HA NOI — Viet Nam and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) yest-erday signed a Memor-andum of Understanding recognising both sides' commitment to ensuring that tra (pangasius) fish is globally recognised as a sustainable aquaculture product.

The signing came two days after the WWF's Global Seafood Programme director Mark Powell agreed to remove Viet Nam's tra fish from the red list in its consumer guidance manual.

Under the MoU, both sides are committed to an initial five years of co-operation.

The two groups will help enterprises and tra farmers understand the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) labels which certify that seafood farms meet global standards for responsible aquaculture.

The global standards for pangasius aquaculture were finalised in August 2010. The ASC, a non-profit organisation founded in 2009 by the WWF and the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative, is expected to start labelling products that qualify from mid 2011.

As part of the MoU, the WWF will be responsible for developing a global market for Viet Nam's ASC-certified tra fish, which can be sold at higher prices.

The organisation will also help Vietnamese pangasius products obtain ASC labelling.

The co-operation with the WWF would help Viet Nam remove barriers preventing its tra fish from entering the world market, said vice chairman of the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers Nguyen Huu Dung.

"The country's tra industry will have to adopt sustainable production processes and meet the higher requirements from the international market," he said.

In the next two years, Viet Nam was set to have 20 per cent of its exported tra fish meet an international standard on sustainable pangasius aqua-culture, including 10 per cent with ASC labels, said Dung.

By 2015, three quarters of the country's exported pangasius would meet international standards, and half would carry ASC labels, he added.

In five years' time, Viet Nam would export 8,000 tonnes of tra fish and sell half of it with ASC labels at much higher prices, said Dung. — VNS

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More pangasius controversy

WWF representative to arrive in Vietnam

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) global seafood coordinator, Mark Powell, will visit Vietnam next week, according to the WWF Vietnam.

During his stay in Vietnam, Mr Powell will answer technical questions related to methods and procedures to assess tra fish production. He will also hold meetings with the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), reporters and other related parties.

In addition, WWF Vietnam has received a list of questions and the results of assessing tra and basa fish. This information has been transferred to the Directorate of Fisheries and the VASEP.

WWF Vietnam agreed on the Directorate of Fisheries’ recommendation that the WWF should remove Vietnam’s tra and basa fish from the Red List in their 2010-2011 consumer guidance manual while waiting for the results of the WWF assessment. Future assessments should also be carried out with the participation of all related parties.

Although WWF Vietnam is not involved in assessing Vietnam’s tra and basa fish, it said it should be responsible for participating in resolving the issue.

Earlier, in the 2010-2011 guidance manual on Vietnam’s tra fish for European consumers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway and Demark, several WWF member organizations have moved Vietnam’s tra fish products from the Orange List (products that can be considered for use) to the Red List (products should not be used).

This information has been opposed by tra fish breeders and related seafood agencies in Vietnam as it lacks scientific foundation.

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