“Aquaculture will only reach its full potential in the region when welfare is placed at its heart,” said Fresh Studio's Joe Pearce.
Photo: Wouter Pasman / FAI / Fresh Studio
Vietnam is set to develop its first dedicated pangasius welfare assessment protocol, as part of a new collaboration aimed at strengthening sustainability and farm performance in the country’s rapidly expanding aquaculture sector.
The initiative is being led by animal welfare consultancy FAI and Vietnam-based food consultancy Fresh Studio, and will see a new welfare tool developed, tested and validated on more than 100 pangasius farms across the country. Vietnam produces more than half of the world’s pangasius and supplies around 90% of global imports, with domestic production forecast to grow by around 4% this year.
Structured around four recognised welfare domains - environment, health, nutrition and behaviour - the assessment will examine welfare risks and opportunities across the supply chain, including farming, transport and processing, the partners said. FAI will contribute its experience in developing welfare assessment tools for shrimp and tilapia, while Fresh Studio brings long-standing local expertise and industry networks in Vietnam.
“We aim to build a deeper understanding of welfare outcomes in commercial settings and highlight welfare as a driver for improved performance in pangasius production,” said Joe Pearce, Aquaculture Manager at Fresh Studio. “At Fresh Studio, we believe animal welfare is the foundation of a sustainable industry. Better welfare not only leads to healthier animals and higher quality products, but it also builds resilience for farmers facing growing climate and market pressures.”
“By creating a practical and repeatable approach to assessment, we aim to help farmers identify welfare issues early, reduce avoidable losses and strengthen day-to-day decision-making on farm,” Pearce added.
FAI and Fresh Studio will develop a pangasius welfare assessment tool.
Photo: FAI / Fresh Studio
Alongside the technical development of the tool, the partners will run workshops and training activities with farmers, processors, industry bodies and educational institutions to raise awareness of pangasius welfare.
“Our experience has shown that welfare is not a ‘nice to have’ but central to successful modern aquaculture systems,” said FAI CEO Øistein Thorsen, in a press release. “When welfare improves, animals are more resilient, mortality rates decrease and farms are better positioned to deliver consistent quality and productivity.”
“Working with Fresh Studio means we can combine their local knowledge with proven welfare science to help create useful welfare assessment tools and training to drive positive change for pangasius in Vietnam,” Thorsen added.
“FAI has a strong reputation in fish and shrimp welfare, their tools and training materials will be critical to maximising the impact of DeltaCare,” Pearce added. “Aquaculture will only reach its full potential in the region when welfare is placed at its heart.”
The project forms part of Fresh Studio’s DeltaCare programme, funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), which aims to improve fish health, farm resilience and product quality in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector.
The partners said they expect to finalise the assessment protocol in 2026, with FAI leading the publication of a joint scientific paper to strengthen the evidence base for pangasius welfare and support wider industry uptake.
FAI has previously worked on tilapia welfare in Africa, providing training programmes and support for farmers via the Tilapia Welfare App, which allows users to monitor fish wellbeing through a scoring system based on key health and welfare indicators.
The app was launched in Kenya during April, while earlier in February, Egypt Kafr El Sheikh University confirmed it was incorporating the Tilapia Welfare App in its curriculum.
