SuPa

Research 1 - Feed

R-1 Feed

Sustainable pangasius production in ponds is limited by water quality deterioration inside the ponds and effluent (waste) discharge to open waters. The success of improving water quality inside ponds, reducing the effluent discharge to public water bodies and valorising collected solid waste, will strongly depend on amount and characteristics of the solid waste produced. Fish faeces are the major source of solid waste inside ponds. The present pangasius feeds results in faecal excretion spreading quickly in the water. In theory this: (a) consumes oxygen from the water column, (b) increases bacterial load in the water column, (c) gives higher risk for disease transmission through faecal waste particles and (d) increases the incidence of yellow filet colour.

The technological innovations to be explored for R1 (Effect of diet on water quality) and R2 (RAS development and optimisation) aim to reduce waste discharge and to improve water quality, thereby avoiding diseases. Improving water quality inside ponds and reducing effluent discharge implies the reduction of faecal waste staying in the water column by: 1) improving feed digestibility to reduce faecal excretion, 2) increasing the stability of the excreted faeces, and 3) increasing the removal of the faecal matter before it settles at the pond bottom. The proportion of faecal waste being removed from the pond (i.e., removal efficiency) depends strongly on the water stability of faecal waste, which is strongly dependent on dietary factors. By adjusting the dietary factors R1 aims to reduce the amount and improve water stability of the faeces for its efficient removal from the water.

Contact

For information related to R-1 you may contact: Nguyen Thanh Phuong, ntphuong@ctu.edu.vn

Research 2 - Pond water

R-2 Pond water

R2 focuses on removing and reusing the sludge, while improving oxygen management and maintaining water flow. The development of these technologies requires both laboratory and field experiments using a participatory approach. As part of this participatory approach, two representative feed companies and a waste water technology company, all three with permanent representations in Vietnam, are associated to the project.

Pilot systems will be build at farms of partners and providing pangasius to partners. Collaborate will be sought with e.g. the An Giang Fisheries Association and the Vinh Long Association of Pangasius Producers to test farm clustering, one of the proposed strategies to improve traceability proposed in Vietnamese Master Plan Pangasius 2020. Complementary funding will be requested from the Vietnamese government project on Pangasius production and marketing in the Mekong Delta, running until 2020. These pilot systems can also be monitored to assess the economic feasibility.

Contact

For information related to R-2 you may contact: Nguyen Van Hao, haoria2@hcm.vnn.vn

Research 3- Economics

R-3 Economics

The activities for R3 started with the post-hoc economic assessment of the technologies to select appropriate technologies to be tested in R2. The results were discussed with provincial officers of VINAFIS, heads of the provincial aquaculture extension services and of the provincial aquaculture training centres, and at the first annual project meeting.

Once the technologies are tested in R1 and R2 real scale systems will be built. To assess the economic viability in the local production conditions and in the domestic and international supply chain in which it operates, all cost and benefits will be monitored. The on-going, MARD funded collaborative RIA-2/AFI project “Research on recirculation aquaculture system for the Pangasius farming to ensure biosecurity and minimum environmental pollution“, will calculate the efficiency of nutrient use and the environmental sustainability.

Research 4- Dissemination

R-4 Dissemination

The activities for R4 will start in 2013.