Pangasius
The farming of pangasius - mainly tra (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) and basa (Pangasius bocourti) - is one of the fastest growing types of aquaculture in the world. In Vietnam, where 90 percent of pangasius farming occurs, 1.1 million tons of pangasius were produced in 2008 - a goal the country had set for 2010. Global production of pangasius was just 10,000 tons in 1995.
The growth in pangasius aquaculture is driven, in large part, by the dramatically increased demand for tra and basa in the marketplace. Pangasius is sold to more than 130 countries globally, mainly in the form of white fillets. The United States used to be the major market for tra and basa but that has changed over the past few years, as the United States' share of exported pangasius has decreased from 80 percent to 4 percent. European Union countries now dominate the export market, with a share of 35 percent.
Main issues related to pangasius aquaculture
The rapid growth of the pangasius aquaculture industry has raised a number of environmental and social concerns. Seven key issues were identified during the first meeting of the Pangasius Aquaculture Dialogue:
- Legal - Farms are sometimes constructed and/or operated outside the legal framework for addressing environmental, social and food safety issues of relevance to the area where the farming occurs.
- Land use and water use - As new farms are established, sensitive habitat can be destroyed and water often is diverted, which can affect other water users and the environment.
- Water pollution and waste management - Excess waste can pollute the water and negatively affect plant and animal habitat.
- Genetics and biodiversity - Pangasius that escape from aquaculture facilities may compete with wild fish and affect ecosystems, especially in areas where pangasius is not yet established.
- Feed management - Use of fishmeal, fish oil and trash-fish as pangasius feed is resulting in depletion of food sources that other fish rely on. Also, feeding trash-fish to pangasius can cause unsustainable harvesting and water pollution.
- Health management, veterinary medicines and chemicals - Pangasius farms are prone to health problems that can impact farmed and wild stocks. Also, the inappropriate use of veterinary medicines and chemicals can have unintended consequences for the environment and human health, such as antibiotic resistance and unsafe products.
- Social responsibility/user conflicts - Large numbers of workers are employed on pangasius farms and in processing plants, placing labour practices and worker rights under public scrutiny. Also, conflicts can arise among users of the shared resources.