In November 2010 Struan Stevenson added to a raft of criticism in the media over Pangasius production in Viet Nam and European imports of the finished product.
His comments in the European Parliament raised concerns over safety standards of the finished product and welfare standards of those working in the industry. The Sustaining Ethical Aquaculture Trade (SEAT) project, led by the Institute of Aquaculture at Stirling University, is heavily involved in researching the burgeoning trade in Pangasius from Viet Nam.
Concerned that Mr Stevenson’s comments and criticism in the media don’t match the situation on the ground, and aware that Mr Stevenson had received an invitation from the Vietnamese government to visit farms and production facilities in the Mekong Delta, we invited Mr Stevenson to visit the Institute in Stirling for a briefing on pangasius in Vietnam and the current status of the SEAT project.
On Friday 15th April 2011 a number of staff and students from the SEAT project and from other projects within the Institute, and with a wealth of knowledge and experience of pangasius and aquaculture in Viet Nam, gave presentations to Mr Stevenson.
It was an opportunity for SEAT and the Institute to inform a key policy maker on the issues, current situation and opportunities of pangasius; and an opportunity for Mr Stevenson to ask questions about the industry and people’s experiences there before his trip to Viet Nam.
"What I heard this morning has given me a lot of confidence … now I’m pretty well convinced that things are being dealt with in a proper, scientific way," he said.
Sustainable Pangasius Production In Viet Nam
VIET NAM - Members of the Sustaining Ethical Aquaculture Trade (SEAT) project, met in Scotland recently to discuss the development of sustainable pangasius in Viet Nam. They invited MEP and Senior Vice President of the European Parliaments Fisheries Committee Struan Stevenson to increase his understanding on safety and sustainability of pangasius.
