The Mekong Delta province of Đồng Tháp has issued identification numbers to ponds that breed pangasius under a government decree on aquaculture management that went into effect last July.
The ID numbers are compulsory for pangasius farmers as they ensure traceability of the fish used for processing and export.
To ensure traceability, individual breeders and commercial pangasius enterprises are required to store information about the fish for at least 24 months from the date of harvest or sale to processing companies. With the new regulations, pangasius farmers can save time and money as they do not have to go to the sub-department to register every new batch of fish, according to the province Fisheries Sub-Department.
Under the decree, farmers of commercial pangasius are encouraged to use agricultural standards such as VietGAP and Global GAP, Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
VFM
