Research project BL/V/06 (Research action BL)
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Context and objectives
Marine shrimp farming, mainly Penaeus monodon, has been put as a main target species for the development of the coming year plan in the Mekong Delta, Viet Nam. Improved extensive and semi-intensive farmings are the most common cultivation methods. The total shrimp culture area of the Mekong delta reached 498,234 ha in 2005 and the production attained 259,477 tons (78.6% of total national shrimp production). The rapid expansion of shrimp farming in the Mekong delta has led to a number of concerns, especially in terms of sustainable development such as (i) rapid expansion of shrimp farming, while the planning for sustainable and infrastructure development lags behind; (ii) increased use of chemicals and drugs (especially antibiotics and pesticides), causing extreme effects on the aquatic environment and on shrimp quality, including its physiological stress and health and residue contamination in final products; and (iii) conversion of mangrove forest area and rice production land to shrimp farming. The objective of the project was to evaluate the effects of Vietnamese shrimp production methods and the use of antibiotics on shrimp physiology and health as well as on the quality and safety of the final product in order to develop methodologies for the analysis of shrimp quality and safety, in respect with international food regulations.
Methodology
Survey of chemical and drug use in shrimp farming in the North and South of Vietnam
• Shrimp, water and sediment samplings within selected farms and in the surrounding aquatic areas as well as in mangrove areas.
• Development and validation of analytical methods for selected antibiotic residues, including rapid screening by ELISA and bacteria-based test or simple chromatographical methods of detection and confirmation and quantification by liquid chromatography coupled to multiple mass spectrometry (LC-MSn). Validation of the analytical methods according to the criteria described in the EU Commission Decision 2002/657/EC in the framework of the ISO 17025 norm.
• Kinetics of antibiotics contamination/decontamination in shrimps under laboratory and field conditions and development of a physiological and molecular bio-marker system.
• Training of Vietnamese scientists and technicians to advanced techniques used in ecotoxicology, food quality and safety analysis during extended stages in Belgium and short training course in Can Tho University
• Publication of manual based on quality insurance for the analysis of antibiotics in shrimps according to European legislation and ISO 17025 norm.
