A crawfish (Photo: theterramarproject.org)Hanoi (VNA) –An agriculture official reiterated that farming crawfish in Vietnam is bannedafter a company in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap was found to beraising the animal.
Nhu Van Can, Director of the Department ofAquaculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)’sDirectorate of Fisheries, said crawfish is listed as an invasive alien speciesby the agriculture ministry and the Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironment.
They are an omnivorous species which can damagepaddies and affect local biodiversity. The MARD also determined that the animaldoes not bring considerable economic benefits.
Under MARD regulations, before any species isimported and farmed in Vietnam, their possible impacts on the environment andtheir economic benefits must be assessed, he noted.
Can called for people and businesses to complywith regulations and only raise allowed species.
The Directorate of Fisheries also asked the DongThap provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to verify theorigin and the volume of the crawfish and how the species entered Vietnam.
Aquaculture experts said crawfish is also knownas crayfish, crawdads, mudbugs, and red swamp crayfish. It is common inLouisiana in the US.
As the species is tolerant of environmentalchanges and can move out of their habitat, the risk of crawfish spreading ishigh. They can also carry the crawfish plague pathogen Aphanomyces astaci,white spot syndrome virus, and some parasites.
Although crawfish farming is popular in the US,Australia and other countries, the species is still regarded an invasive alienanimal in Vietnam.
After being notified of crawfish in Tan Hoi Trungcommune of Dong Thap’s Cao Lanh district, local authorities destroyed theanimals. -VNA
VNA
