Prof. Remigiusz Panicz and Piotr Eljasik from the Polish Society for Conservation Genetics LUTREOLA (Poland) and two experts Sławomir Keszka and Sławomir Lisiecki (both members of LUTREOLA), visited Đồng Tháp Community college in June 2024 to provide training for staff and students on sampling procedures to create operational welfare indicators for basa fish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus). The fieldwork was facilitated by Mr. Tạ Hoàng Bảnh from Đồng Tháp Community college.

The team provided insightful training and collected data for project members at two basa farms. The procedure was first show by LUTREOLA experts, and then students and staff members were supervised at collecting data to ensure proper knowledge transfer. Đồng Tháp Community college members gained knowledge and experience to collect data for visual scoring system development.

The team also engaged with basa farmers and their culture systems. Farmers are starting to realise that fish welfare becomes more and more important. Interestingly, despite having very different systems, they experience some of the same challenges as European freshwater aquaculture farms, and market for their fish remains main concern of the farmers.

This visit was a contribution to the work being carried out by Đồng Tháp Community college on “Development and validation of morphological and biometric welfare indicators for basa fish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in the Đồng Tháp (Mekong Delta)” under the Improving Farmed Fish Welfare in Asia project.