The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Viet Nam Pangasius Association (VNPA), in which the two organizations will work collaboratively to advance responsible aquaculture in the Pangasius sector in Vietnam and globally through the exchange of information and research. GAA and VNPA agreed to the MoU after January meetings in Can Tho and Hanoi.
“We are delighted to formalize our relationship with VNPA through this MoU. We are looking forward to working together with VNPA to advance responsible practices not only in the farming of Pangasius through VietGAP as a stepping stone to BAP certification, but also through the incorporation of responsible practices at the hatchery level and through responsible feed. We are also looking forward to assisting in the development of stronger market ties for BAP-certified Pangasius,” said Carson Roper, international business development manager for GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) division.
“VNPA welcomes this MoU as a positive step toward building a more robust Vietnamese Pangasius production system,” said Dr. Vo Hung Dung, vice chairman and general secretary of VNPA. “Equally important, we welcome the collaborative support of GAA to assist in the application of VietGAP and the BAP certification program. We look forward to build stronger market ties product from VietGAP and BAP-certified Pangasius facilities.”
Roper signed the MoU on behalf of GAA along with Dr. Dung (pictured at right).
In the MoU, VNPA agreed to help identify and enroll processing plants, farms, feed mills and hatcheries in the BAP third-party certification program to increase the number of BAP-certified facilities in Vietnam. VNPA will also enlist GAA’s assistance and expertise in its efforts of implementing good aquaculture practice standards in Vietnam regarding food safety, environment responsibility, social responsibility and animal welfare.
In return, GAA agreed to help identify market endorsers to further promote responsibly produced Vietnamese farmed Pangasius products to retailers and foodservice operators worldwide. GAA also agreed to offer training and seminars to help Vietnamese producers to be able to apply VietGAP and the BAP standards to improve their aquaculture practices.
About GAA
The Global Aquaculture Alliance is an international, non-profit trade association dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture. Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards, GAA has become the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood.
About VNPA
The Viet Nam Pangasius Association (VNPA) is association which represents farmers, commercial enterprises engaged in the processing and exporting of Pangasius as well as enterprises and other organizations that are active in the field of supporting industry for the Vietnamese Pangasius sector. It is not limited in types of enterprises, either domestic or international enterprises are welcome as members. The total number of members of the association in 2014 is 300 members. Most of the members are concentrated in Mekong Delta, the key area of processing and exporting for Pangasius in Vietnam.
Source: The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA)
