Held concurrently with its GOAL 2014 conference, the Global Aquaculture Alliance on Oct. 9 held a special event titled “Celebrating Leadership in Vietnam's Aquaculture Industry.” About 150 delegates attended the event, which was free of charge and open to all interested stakeholders.
The event was quite a success. The three-hour program was devoted to celebrating the achievements of leaders in Vietnam’s aquaculture industry and building awareness of the need to improve responsible aquaculture practices to facilitate market access for small- and medium-scale Pangasius and shrimp farmers.
The program featured Dr. Pham Anh Tuan of the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Loc H. Tran of Minh Phu AquaMekong ShrimpVet Laboratory, Dr. Le Luu of the International Collaborating Centre for Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability (ICAFIS), Mr. Dang Cong Buu of the Integrated Coastal Management Programme (ICMP)/GIZ Vietnam, Dr. Flavio Corsin of IDH, Mr. Ngo Tien Chuong of WWF Vietnam, Mrs. Thi Thanh Binh of Best Aquaculture Practices, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers and Ms. Vo Thi Thu Huong of the Vietnam Pangasius Association. A number of retailers also chimed in from the audience.
GAA presented Thuan Phuoc Seafood & Trading Corp. with a “Commitment to Excellence Award” for achieving four-star Best Aquaculture Practices certification. The company is the fifth Vietnamese company and the tenth overall to achieve four-star BAP status, denoting that the company’s shrimp processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills are BAP certified. Lan To Thi Tuong, vice secretary general of VASEP, accepted the award on Thuan Phuoc’s behalf.
The event’s sponsors -- National Fish & Seafood, Grobest, Minh Phu Seafood Corp., GIZ, Australian Aid, Farmers in Transition Fund and IDH -- were also recognized at the event.
The seminar was organized by Carson Roper, BAP international business development manager, and Peter Redmond, BAP VP of market development.
The following photos from the event are courtesy of Gail Hannagan of Preferred Freezer Services.
