Pangasius farm Vam Nao 2 achieves ASC certification

Vam Nao 2 has achieved certification against the ASC pangasius standard for responsible aquaculture after assessment by independent certifier Bureau Veritas. The farm is based in Vietnam’s An Giang Provence and supplies pangasius to ASC certified Vinh Hoan Corporation as part of their vertically integrated supply chain.

Vam Nao 2 is run by Mr. Nguyen Van Nhan, who started cage farming on the Mekong delta in 1990. Mr. Nguyen started farming pangasius in land based ponds in 2000, the same year he began to cultivate pangasius for Vinh Hoan. He has now joined their long term contract farming program, where he continues to farm fish for them. Mr. Nguyen attributes the success of the farm to working closely with Vinh Hoan from the beginning and to the way the farm is run, with all the employees working as a close team, caring for the environment and the local community together.

“A lot has changed over the past decades since I began farming pangasius.  We have tirelessly improved the farming techniques and practices from day to day, year to year through learning from our experience and market demand,” said Nguyen Van Nhan. “I share Vinh Hoan’s vision for sustainability, and I also have an understanding of their market which demands international certification.”

“We are pleased to welcome Vam Nao 2 to the ASC programme,” said Esther Luiten, Commercial Director for the ASC. “Farmers such as Mr. Nguyen and his team are to be applauded for their commitment to operating to best practises, as part of a transparent and robust certification scheme. Because ASC certified farms undergo assessment by a qualified, independent auditor and publicly report how they produce pangasius, consumers can have confidence they can readily find product raised in a way that cares for the ecosystem- with strict limits on water usage, discharge and no use of toxins-from farms that respect and support the communities where they are sited.”

Global standard for responsible pangasius farming

The ASC Pangasius Standard is recognised as the leading global requirement for pangasius farming. To meet the standard, certified farms must demonstrate that they use responsible aquaculture practises that minimise their environmental and social impact.

Pangasius farms certified to the ASC standard can only be located in areas approved for aquaculture, and are required to measure various water parameters including nitrogen, phosphorus, and oxygen levels, at regular intervals to ensure they remain within set limits to protect the environment. Strict procedures must be followed to make sure that waste water does not pollute the ecosystem. Farms must also adhere to rigorous requirements to minimise disease outbreaks and, as with all ASC standards, no antibiotics on the list of the World Health Organizations list of Critically Important Antimicrobials for human health can be used on a farm.

The ASC’s social requirements are based on the core principles of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which include the prohibition of forced and child labour. The farms must also have regular consultation with surrounding communities to ensure they remain good neighbours and act responsibly towards those who live near the farm.