Several supermarket chains in Europe, including Italy, Belgium, Spain, and France banned the sale of pangasius earlier this month, despite the EU insisting there were no health concerns with eating the fish.
European retailer Carrefour maintains that the quality of the fish is "impeccable", but that doubts remain over the environmental credentials of the farms in which they are raised.
The ASC said in a press release Wednesday that it "is sorry to see that a few retailers have decided to halt sales of pangasius." It said that when farmed according to ASC's pangasius standard, buyers and consumers "can have confidence" eating pangasius.
"All ASC certified seafood adhere to strict guidelines to ensure they minimise the negative environmental impacts of farming," the organization said.
"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 for optimal growing conditions.
"Strict procedures must also be followed to make sure that waste water does not pollute the ecosystem.
"Farms must also adhere to rigorous requirements to minimise disease outbreaks, must not use antibiotics unless truly necessary and then can only do so under the supervision of a veterinarian.
"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," it said.
"Because pangasius can be farmed efficiently, with low land use and limited use of feed, and can be produced in a way that respects the environment and communities, we feel there is space for the product in the competitive white fish market," it added.
ASC also noted that certification requires protections of workers' rights by insisting that all farms in the program offer employees contracts in keeping with International Labor Organization regulations.
"The ASC standard is frequently mentioned as the strongest certification on the market. We are dedicated to keeping it that way through consistent review in order to ensure that the standard reflects the best practices in aquaculture," it said.
(Undercurrentnews)
SSI forecasts a 28% year-on-year increase in after-tax profit attributable to the parent company of Vinh Hoan Corporation (VHC), driven by a gradual improvement in average selling prices from USD 3.15/kg in 2024 to USD 3.30/kg (+5%) in 2025. An Giang Fisheries Import-Export Joint Stock Company (ANV)'s after-tax profit attributable to the parent company is projected to rebound by 104%.
In 2025, the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu aims to earn 1.2 billion USD from exporting shrimp, one of the key export products that accounts for over 95% of its total export value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Report on Vietnam Pangasius Sector 2015–2024, produced and released by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) in January 2025, is expected to provide enterprises, importers, and government agencies with a comprehensive overview of key developments in Vietnam's pangasius production and export over the past decade. In addition to highlighting achievements, the report identifies existing challenges and analyzes future opportunities and threats for the pangasius industry.
(vasep.com.vn) Overcoming two years of fluctuation in both export markets and domestic production, Vietnam's pangasius industry has demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a strong determination to seize opportunities and boost exports to various markets. As a result, in 2024, pangasius exports reached USD 2 billion, a 9% increase compared to 2023. This achievement is a source of pride for Vietnam's aquaculture and agriculture sectors.
(seafood.vasep.com) Speaking at a conference to implement the 2025 plan of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged the agricultural sector to strive for a total export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products reaching $70 billion by 2025.
With robust production and processing infrastructure, combined with continuous market development efforts, Vietnam’s seafood exports are poised for 10–15% growth in 2025.
In 2025, seafood exports are expected to continue to grow better and could reach 11 billion USD as in 2022. However, this is also the year the seafood industry will face challenges, including increased competition from other countries, trade wars and market barriers...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of December 25, at Toan Thinh Conference Center (Soc Trang City), the Soc Trang Fisheries Sub-department, under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang, held a conference to review the 2024 aquaculture activities and outline the brackish water shrimp farming plan for 2025. The event was attended by Ms. Quach Thi Thanh Binh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang.
The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang aims to achieve export value of over 1.9 billion USD in 2025 by boosting production and processing of key products such as seafood, high-quality rice, fruits, and garments.
The UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement has significantly boosted Vietnamese seafood exports, with shrimp and pangasius leading the charge in the UK market.
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