May 25, 2011

Scotland wary over Vietnamese aquaculture standard

With shipments of Vietnam's pangasius fish attaining 230,000 tonnes in 2010, Struan Stevenson MEP, Senior Vice President of the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee, brought up concerns over the standards of hygiene, welfare, feed and fish health in fish farms located in the Mekong Delta.

However, following a visit to the region, Stevenson said that his own attitude towards Vietnamese farmed fish imports has changed for the better. He also concluded that increasing demand for these fish presents a huge opportunity for European businesses to take part in an exciting growth market.

Returning from his trip to Vietnam, Stevenson commented, "Until recently, I was an arch critic of panga fish production, but having seen production methods first-hand and learning more about this highly regulated market, I am ready to admit that my previous comments were misplaced.

"Only the biggest and most efficient pangasius farms in the Mekong Delta export to Europe. These facilities get inspected and approved by the European Commission, and are regularly audited by major supermarket buyers like ASDA, Tesco, and Carrefour so EU consumers do not need to worry about the quality of the food on their tables.

"Far from finding a dirty, unhygienic and polluted business, I discovered a dynamic new industry, meeting world-class welfare and hygiene standards, and producing a quality product under first-rate conditions. It also provides secure jobs, social security benefits and pension provisions for millions of desperately poor people in the Mekong Delta."

The MEP also said he wanted to allay fears that exports of cheaply-produced pangasius would be a disadvantage to EU producers, adding, "Our expanding Scottish aquaculture sector is mostly employed in farming oily salmon and trout, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, whereas panga fish are white-fleshed, similar to cod or haddock, and with few bones.

"The EU has benefited from the rapid expansion of fish farming in Vietnam, by exporting expertise together with processing and farming equipment. Hopefully our businesses will continue to reap benefits from this exciting market in the future."