Ramping up adoption of catfish BMPs

A new project funded by the European Commission will help Vietnamese catfish farmers improve their efficiency and profitability. The project will assist farmers to implement better management practices (BMPs), working in cooperative groups formed from 'clusters' of nearby farms.

Vietnamese catfish aquaculture has expanded massively over the past decade, with annual production now exceeding one million tonnes. Production is extremely intensive, with average yields of around 400 tonnes per hectare. However, the profit margin is very low - just a few cents per kilogram - and farmers are under intense pressure to reduce their production costs.

Regional study/workshop on adoption of aquaculture assessment tools for sustainability

The importance of promoting responsible and sustainable aquaculture practices at national and local levels is widely recognised. Planners, policy makers and manager are expected to consider environmental, social, animal health and welfare and food safety issues among others while developing national programs and activities to promote aquaculture to support rural development and empower small scale farmers. Various aquaculture assessment tools (e.g. import risk analysis, environment impact assessment, residue inspection, process and product certification) have been developed and used to support development of responsible and sustainable aquaculture.

Broadly speaking, aquaculture assessment tools could include methods, guidelines and processes that are used for planning, development, management and decision making. Some could be specific while others more generic. Some tools are guided by international agreements and instruments. Based on purpose, they can be classified as (1) tools for assessing risks in aquaculture (e.g. pathogen risk analysis, food safety risks, genetic and ecological risks), (2) tools for assessing risks in international trade (e.g. import risk analysis), (3) tools for assessing impacts (e.g. environmental impact assessment), (4) tools for assessing governance (e.g. codes of practice), (5) tools for management (e.g. BMPs, GAPs, Certification) (6) tools for socio-economic assessments and so on. Other tools could include communication tools, information tools, guidance tools such as the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.