Project Title

Improving management practices and food safety related to the useof chemicals for a sustainable freshwater aquaculture in the Mekong delta (CUD)

Project Partners

University of Namur and University of Liège and VietNam

Funding Sponsor

Belgium

Budget (Ero)

461.550,33

Project Coordinator

Prof. Patrick Kestemont

Local Coordinator

Prof. Nguyen Thanh Phuong

Project Period

60 months (2010 – 2014)

Overall Objective

• The reinforcement and safety of the aquaculture sector in the Mekong Delta (South Vietnam).

• The increase of the export value from the aquaculture sector of the Mekong Delta (South Vietnam).

• The improvement of the living standards of people involved in freshwater aquaculture in the Mekong Delta by an enhancement of their revenues.

• The reduction of the global impact of aquaculture on the Mekong Delta environment.

Specific Objectives

To reduce the impact of chemical use in freshwater aquaculture on food safety and environment by implementing improved analytical techniques and management practices.

Activities

• Capacity building for the monitoring of chemical safety of freshwater aquaculture.

• Survey and monitoring of chemical use in common production systems.

• Development of analytical techniques for residues detection.

• Contamination/decontamination of Pangasius by antibiotics and disinfectants.

• Contamination /decontamination of fish by pesticides in integrated rice-cum-fish system.

• Optimization of strategy to monitor residues in fish production.

• Traning and teaching in food safety and ecotoxicology.

• Development of guidelines and dissemination of knowleddge to end-users.

• Alternatives to the use of chemical in freshwater aquaculture.

• Comparison of immunostimulant efficiency in catfish culture.

• Replacement of antibiotic treatment by selected immunostimulants.

• Improvement of water quality

• Training and teaching in fish immunology

• Dissemination of knowledge to end-users.

• Knowledge of the environmental impact from chemical use freshwater aquaculture.

• Survey of residues contamination in culture ponds and surrounding environment.

• Survey of bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics.

• Dissemination of knowledge to end-users.

Expected Outputs

• Improved capacity of the College of Aquaculture and Fisheries (CTU) in the monitoring of chemical safety of freshwater aquaculture.

• Development of efficient alternatives to tho use of chemical in freshwater aquaculture.

• Improved knowledge of the environmental impact of chemical use in freshwater aquaculture (integrated agro- aquacultureand intensive Pangasius culture).