In 2010, WWF, the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and the Viet Nam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS) signed a Cooperation Agreement to support efforts to improve environmental and social responsibility in the pangasius industry in order to achieve ASC certification. Parties to the Cooperation Agreement committed to supporting pangasius producers to achieve 100 per cent of farmed pangasius production for export under one of several certification schemes by 2015, with 50 per cent of this under the ASC by 2015, and 10 per cent by 2012.
About 30 of Viet Nams biggest pangasius producers are supported by the parties to the Cooperation Agreement; WWF, VASEP, VINAFIS and in close cooperation with the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), Anova and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in their efforts to achieve ASC certification.
Event applauds producers achieving ASC certification
The event - organized by the Viet Nam Directorate of Fishery (D-Fish), VASEP, VINAFIS and WWF, in close cooperation with IDH and SNV - brought together responsible pangasius producers and international buyers to applaud producers achieving ASC certification and to sign purchase agreements.
These pioneering companies are setting an example for the wider industry. If the market responds appropriately, a major shift of the industry to responsible farming methods will be triggered, said Dr Nguyen Huu Dzung, VASEP Vice President. Adopting responsible practices will also increase the future sustainability of the industry in Viet Nam, protecting income and employment for the long term.
Corporations including Vinh Hoan, Hung Vuong, NTACO and Hoang Long, recently achieved ASC certification and are among the biggest pangasius producers in the Mekong Delta. The ASC certification guarantees that the pangasius is farmed in a responsible manner with minimal negative impact on the environment, farm staff and surrounding communities.
Among the producers attending the event, Huong Vuong Corporation was the first producer to express its commitment to ASC, and recently achieved ASC certification for its farm in Phu Tuc in the Mekong Delta.
Complying with the ASC standard is not only environmentally responsible, its also good for business as it opens doors to new markets in Europe and the US, said Mr Duong Ngoc Minh, Chairman of the Management Board of Hung Vuong Corporation. With ASC-labeled products we can grow our business while assuring consumers theyre buying a responsibly farmed product.
