USSEC initiated a program on effective marine fish farming practices to demonstrate the use of soy to optimize floating fish feed  in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
USSEC is focusing on four coastal areas of the Mekong Delta that have good potential for sustainable marine fish farming. USSEC is targeting the farmers that have experience in managing shrimp culture that might be open to switching to marine fish farming, and in particular, Asian sea bass culture. However, the farmers would benefit from training in marketing, as well as common issues in Asian sea bass culture, such as broodstock management, fingerling quality, nutrition, and health management.
USSEC Vietnam Technical Manager- Aquaculture, Mr. Vo Hoang Nguyen, noted that farmers in the Mekong Delta are open-minded and eager to learn new things. He notes, "Because the farmers are keen to venture in marine fish farming, USSEC needs to quickly provide initial technical support, particularly in health management. The demonstration project will train the cooperator farm how to select good quality fingerlings, how to apply proper satiation methods that would save feed cost and prevent pollution, and how to manage diseases."
USSEC will collaborate with a feedmill to supply soy-optimized floating feeds for the Asian seabass culture in the Mekong Delta. Vietnam is one of the leading aquaculture producing countries in the world. Like others in the aquaculture industry, the Vietnamese are looking to use plant protein as a substitute for fish oil and fish meal. Demonstrations such as this provide an opportunity for USSEC to put into practice current research on using soy in aquaculture to demonstrate why soy is a good choice for use in aquaculture and why sustainable fish farming practices are important for farmer profit margin in the long run.