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GLOBALG.A.P. certified Pangasius feed is traceable and incorporates responsibly sourced fishmeal, soy, and palm oil. Pangasius are net producers of protein and the use of novel feed ingredients is encouraged.All farmed pangasius rely on formulated feeds with high levels of crop ingredients such as soybean and other seed meals, rice bran, tapioca, and what bran. The use of commercial pangasius aquafeed in countried such as Vietnam is the norm.The GLOBALG.A.P. standard requires ingredients used in feeds to be traceable. For marine ingredients, a minimum of 60% should come from responsibly managed fisheries. This may be verified by GSSI or MarinTrust. This will be raised to 75% by January 2025.There are also requirements in place for vegetable ingredients. There is a 75% requirement for soy to come from FEFAC sources, which are traceable to countries that are deforestation free.Pangasius requires no fish oil and only a small amount of fishmeal in their diet and therefore, they are a net producer of protein, rather than a consumer, and this may contribute towards future food security.Under the GLOBALG.A.P. certification, compound feed manufacturers are encouraged to proactively assess the possible use of novel feed ingredients.

Pangasius farmed in Vietnam have several environmental issues associated with their production, however the GLOBALG.A.P. Standard mitigates some of these issues reducing their environmental impact.Habitat alteration has taken place for pond production but this is not in areas of high ecological sensitivity and has generally been the conversion of intensive cropland, such as rice paddies or orchards, into ponds. There has also been a general decline in freshwater supplies in the Mekong Delta due to a combination of rising sea levels and abstraction of freshwater for both agriculture and aquaculture, including through pangasius cultivation. The GLOBALG.A.P. standard requires discharge licenses and abstraction rights for each site well water or potable water should not be used to lower the salt concentration of pond water.Pangasius farming areas in Vietnam have been identified as hot spots for antibiotic pollution due to the high intensity of their use on farms combined with the discharge of untreated effluents. The rapid development of pangasius production has also preceded the development for regulations of the use of chemicals. The GLOBALG.A.P. standard requires a veterinary health plan to be in place and has specific criteria for when antibiotics can be used. According to national legislation, farmers are banned form dumping sludge into waterways and every farmer must set aside part of the farm site for treating wastewater before discharge. In addition, the GLOBALG.A.P. certification has criteria in place to ensure that consent is in place for the discharge of effluent loads in the environment.Juvenile pangasius are entirely hatchery based and no cleaner fish are used. In pangasius aquaculture, escapes can occur, however, data is lacking and the primary prevention method for interactions with wild populations is to reduce the genetic performance of farmed fish in the wild, which is reported to be effective. Escapes are also limited by criteria outlined in the GLOBALG.A.P. standard that require maintenance records, records of actions taken to correct equipment and farms are required to have an effective documented procedure for preventing escapes. Data on predation rates and industry losses due to predation are currently not available for pangasius farming in the Mekong Delta, however, the instances of wildlife/predator mortalities are thought to be low. Species that may be targeted as nuisance predators are more than likely to be species common in the region, such as cormorants, and to some extent, reptilian species such as monitor lizards.Pangasius is subject to a range of diseases including parasites. The impact of parasite transfer to wild populations is unknown and there is little data available. It has been suggested that where wild fish occur in low densities, it will be difficult for parasitic populations to persist. Pathogenic disease outbreaks also occur but are not thought to threaten regional level operations. Little evidence is available to claim that disease episodes have increased or significantly impacted upon wild populations as a direct result of pangasius aquaculture. Edwardsiella ictulari is the most commercially serious and frequently occurs in fish of all ages. Around 70% of production sites suffer at least one outbreak of E.ictulari infection during a production cycle.

GLOBALG.A.P. has criteria in place to ensure animal welfare and humane slaughter.The GLOBALG.A.P. Aquaculture standard outlines practices that ensure animal welfare and humane slaughter are in place. This includes a risk assessment for animal welfare.

For pangasius production in Vietnam certified to the GLOBALG.A.P. standard, all regulations are in place and thought to be fully effective.This assessment covers all pangasius certified to the GLOBALG.A.P. standard, produced in Vietnam. Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in Vietnam is currently underway in 8 coastal provinces in Vietnam and was incorporated in Vietnam’s Law of Planning in January 2018.The GLOBALG.A.P. standard has criteria in place that cover Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), identification and protection of valuable habitats and species, use of land and water resources, use of chemicals including licensing, discharges including effluents and their impacts, biosecurity and disease management, and species introduction. These criteria are thought to be fully effective is minimizing negative environmental impacts.The GLOBALG.A.P. Aquaculture Standard incorporates aspects stipulated by the FAO Technical Guidelines on Aquaculture certification and the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code. It is recognized both by the GFSI for food safety and GSSI at primary production level, covering key sustainability aspects for animal production for human consumption.