Circular No. 45/2010/TT-BNNPTNT stipulates conditions for intensive shrimp farming facilities and areas ensuring food safety for black tiger shrimp and whiteleg shrimp.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on Conditions for Intensive Shrimp Farms (Black Tiger Shrimp and Whiteleg Shrimp) Ensuring Food Safety

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Pursuant to Decree No. 01/2008/NĐ-CP dated January 3, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Pursuant to Decree No. 75/2009/NĐ-CP dated September 10, 2009 of the Government amending Article 3 of Decree No. 01/2008/NĐ-CP dated January 3, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Pursuant to Decree No. 59/2005/NĐ-CP dated May 4, 2005 of the Government stipulating conditions for production and business of certain aquatic industries;

Pursuant to Decree No. 33/2005/NĐ-CP dated March 15, 2005 of the Government detailing implementation of certain provisions of the Animal Health Ordinance;

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development hereby stipulates conditions for intensive shrimp farms (Black Tiger Shrimp and Whiteleg Shrimp) ensuring food safety as follows:

Chapter I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

1. Scope of Regulation: This Circular stipulates conditions for intensive shrimp farms (Black Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798) and Whiteleg Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei Boone, 1931)) ensuring food safety.

2. Applicability: This Circular applies to organizations and individuals related to intensive shrimp farming (Black Tiger Shrimp and Whiteleg Shrimp) in Vietnam. Organizations and individuals engaged in extensive, improved extensive, and semi-intensive shrimp farming are not subject to this Circular.

3. Intensive shrimp farms must comply with general regulations set forth in this Circular, and when inspected according to Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP) standards (such as SQF, VietGAqP, GlobalGAP, etc.), they will be certified by competent authorities as meeting corresponding levels.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Regulation, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

1. An intensive shrimp farm (hereinafter referred to as a shrimp farm) is a place where intensive shrimp farming activities (Black Tiger Shrimp and Whiteleg Shrimp) take place, managed by an individual or organization.

2. An intensive shrimp farming area (hereinafter referred to as a shrimp farming area) is a region containing one or more intensive shrimp farms (Black Tiger Shrimp and Whiteleg Shrimp) with a minimum farming area of 30 hectares, using a shared water supply.

3. Intensive shrimp farming (Black Tiger Shrimp and Whiteleg Shrimp) ensuring food safety is a form of shrimp farming that meets the conditions and standards set out in Chapter II of this Circular.

Chapter II CONDITIONS FOR FARMS AND FARMING AREAS

Article 3. General Conditions

1. Farms and farming areas must be located within planned zones and comply with local regulations on shrimp farming. For small farms outside planned zones and prior to the effective date of this Circular, such farms must comply with local management and supervision regulations.

2. Shrimp farms must register their operations in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

3. Water quality at shrimp farms and farming areas must meet the requirements specified in Appendix 1 of this Circular.

Article 4. Infrastructure Conditions

1. Pond System

a) Ponds must have a minimum surface area of 3,000 square meters; depth from pond bottom to shore must be at least 2.0 meters; pond banks must be sturdy and non-leaky.

b) The pond bottom must be reinforced, waterproofed, and leveled with a slope of 8° to 10° towards the drainage outlet.

c) Each pond must have separate and secure intake and drainage outlets to prevent leakage. The intake outlet must be equipped with a filter screen to remove unwanted fish, pests, and debris when filling the pond.

2. Water Treatment and Waste Management Systems

a) Storage Pond (Settling Pond): Used to store and clean water before supplying it to the farming ponds; its surface area should be 15-20% of the total surface area of the farm or farming area; the banks and bottom of the storage pond must be sturdy and non-leaky.

b) Wastewater Treatment System: It is encouraged for farms and farming areas to have a wastewater treatment system for water discharged from shrimp ponds before releasing it into the environment.

c) Sludge Holding Area: Farms and farming areas must have a sludge holding area capable of processing all sludge generated after each farming cycle; the sludge holding area must have barriers to prevent sludge and water from escaping into the surrounding environment.

3. Water Supply and Drainage Channels: Farms and farming areas must have separate and secure water supply and drainage channels to ensure adequate water supply and drainage when needed.

4. Post-Harvest Processing and Storage Area: This area must be isolated from the farming area.

5. Ancillary Infrastructure Systems include: housing, workspaces, feed storage, machine and equipment storage, raw material storage, and other ancillary facilities depending on the specific farm or farming area. Ancillary facilities must be separated from the pond system and meet the following requirements: sturdy, dry, well-ventilated, with shelves for raw materials at least 15 cm above the floor; separate storage areas for machines, fishing gear, feed, veterinary drugs, environmental improvement products, and fuel.

Article 5. Conditions regarding equipment, machinery, and specialized tools

1. Shrimp farming facilities must ensure the availability of sufficient equipment, machinery, and specialized tools for production operations as set out in Appendix 2 of this Circular.

2. Shrimp farming areas must be equipped with pumping systems and constructed with water supply and drainage systems for the entire area.

3. Engines and equipment used in shrimp farming must meet technical standards and not leak fuel causing environmental pollution.

Article 6. Conditions regarding shrimp farming technology processes

1. Preparation of breeding ponds

a) Before releasing seedlings, shrimp farming facilities must renovate breeding ponds using appropriate measures to reduce pathogens and improve pond bottom quality, ensuring a minimum downtime of one month after each farming cycle.

b) Water supplied to shrimp breeding ponds must be treated to eliminate pathogens and pests. The supplied water and water during the shrimp farming process must meet water quality standards as specified in Appendix 1 of this Circular.

2. Selection and release of seedlings

a) Shrimp seedlings for farming must meet quality standards according to Vietnamese Standards and current regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and have a health inspection certificate from the relevant management authority.

b) Seedling stocking density - Intensive whiteleg shrimp farming: density > 60 individuals/m². - Intensive black tiger shrimp farming: density > 20 individuals/m².

c) Seasonal timing for seedling release: must comply with the annual seasonal schedule of the locality.

3. Feed and feed supplements

a) Feed and feed supplements must be included in the list of products permitted for circulation in Vietnam.

b) In cases where the facility produces its own feed for shrimp, the quality of the feed must meet the requirements stipulated in Industry Standard 28 TCN 102 : 2004 Compound Pellet Feed for Black Tiger Shrimp.

4. Medicines, biological preparations, and products for treating and improving aquaculture environments must be included in the lists of products permitted for circulation in Vietnam.

5. Management and care

a) Pond water level: must be maintained at a minimum of 1.4 meters.

b) Pond environment: the owner of the shrimp farming facility must regularly check water quality indicators and pond bottom sediment according to the provisions in Section I of Appendix 5 of this Circular.

c) Feeding shrimp: the daily feeding portion of shrimp usually ranges from 2-4% of their body weight, however, each feeding session requires checking the consumption rate of shrimp to adjust the amount of feed for the next session accordingly; feeding shrimp 2-4 times/day.

d) Effluent and waste - Effluent from shrimp farming before being discharged into the environment must be treated to meet the standards specified in Appendix 3 of this Circular. - Solid waste and pond bottom sediment must be placed in separate storage areas and not discharged into the surrounding environment without treatment.

e) Disease prevention for shrimp - Shrimp farming facilities must develop and strictly implement health monitoring plans for farmed shrimp as outlined in Appendix 4 of this Circular. - Diseased shrimp, dead shrimp, and waste from diseased ponds must be collected and treated promptly. Workers, tools, and equipment that come into direct contact with sediment and water when moving between ponds must be sanitized to prevent the spread of pathogens.

6. Requirements for harvesting products Shrimp farming facilities must cease using antibiotics and chemicals prior to harvesting shrimp in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines.

Article 7. Conditions regarding technical labor

Aquaculture facilities with a farming area smaller than 5 hectares must have at least one person who has participated in training courses on regulations concerning aquaculture facility conditions, intensive shrimp farming areas ensuring food safety, or training courses on responsible aquaculture. Aquaculture facilities with a farming area from 5 to 20 hectares must have at least one mid-level aquatic farming officer. Aquaculture facilities with a farming area larger than 20 hectares must have at least one officer holding a bachelor's degree in aquatic farming.

Article 8. Conditions regarding record management

Aquaculture facilities must maintain production activity records and keep files related to shrimp farming operations according to the model specified in Section II of Appendix 5 of this Circular.

Chapter III IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

Article 9. Responsibilities of Agencies

1. The General Department of Fisheries shall be responsible for guiding, supervising, and inspecting the implementation of this Circular nationwide.

2. Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development shall be responsible for organizing and implementing this Circular within their respective provinces and cities.

Article 10. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect forty-five days from the date of issuance. During its implementation, if there are difficulties or obstacles, relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals are requested to promptly report them to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for study and resolution.