Better Management Practices for Striped (Tra) Catfish Farming in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

This document is Version 3.0 of “Better Management Practices for Catfish Aquaculture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam”. It incorporates revisions of Version 2.0, which are based on feedback and the experiences from the 11 demonstration farms that volunteered to adopt the draft BMPs (Version 2.0), and the numerous consultations that the project team has had with these farmers and other stakeholders. The BMPs are also provided to farmers in ‘handbook format’ with simple, Vietnamese translated language, together with standardised record keeping booklets for on-farm use. This ‘BMP package’ is effectively the primary dissemination material for the farmers designed to facilitate industry-wide adoption and implementation of BMPs in the catfish sector in Vietnam.

This revised document (Version 3.0) was adopted at and incorporates feedback from the National CatFish BMP Workshop, 23/24th November 2010, Long Xuyen City, An Giang Province, involving all stakeholders of the tra/striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) farming sector of the Lower Mekong Delta. Please note that the document will be reviewed, amended periodically.

This document is divided into the following parts:

* Part A: General background to Better Management Practices (BMPs).
* Part B: BMPs for Grow-out.
* Part C: BMPs for Hatcheries.
* Part D: BMPs for Nurseries (=fry to fingerling rearing).
* Part E: General Aspects in Relation to BMPs.
* Part F: Way forward.