£3.5m to boost sustainable aquaculture in the Mekong Delta

The £3.5 million AquaSoS project, funded by the UK Government and led by Professor Simon MacKenzie, Head of the Department of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling, will conduct research in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

Drawing on Earth observation and water quality expertise from Stirling’s School of Biological and Environmental Studies (BES), this interdisciplinary project will use data from satellites, sensors and laboratories to tackle challenges such as pollution, climate change and disease.

Professor Gerry McCormac, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Stirling (UK), said: “Aquaculture is an important sector in Vietnam, where researchers at the University of Stirling have been working to support a more efficient and sustainable industry."

AquaSoS will create a digital tool to protect ecosystems and promote sustainable aquaculture, supporting environmental sustainability and food security.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew said: “The University of Stirling and the decades of work it has done in Vietnam have made a significant contribution to the livelihoods of fishermen and communities in the Mekong region. Tackling the catfish disease outbreak and efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will ensure that aquaculture in the Mekong River thrives for decades to come.”

This tool will equip scientists, policymakers and industry leaders with the critical information needed to balance environmental protection with food production.

“Rivers, seas and deltas are particularly vulnerable to rising water temperatures, salinity, pollution and changes in sediment flows due to environmental change,” said Professor Simon MacKenzie. “These changes disrupt ecosystems, reduce biodiversity and threaten food and water security, disproportionately affecting developing countries like Vietnam.”

He said the reason for choosing to develop the AquaSoS framework in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam was because of the potential for large-scale multi-species production, but the increasing burden of infectious diseases.

Infectious diseases in aquaculture in Asia and around the world are a major threat to sustainable production and AquaSoS is designed to address this problem.

The projects are funded through Official Development Assistance funding from the UK Government's International Science Partnership Fund and are delivered by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

AquaSoS is a project announced as part of a £12 million UK Government initiative to enhance sustainable aquaculture in Southeast Asia, addressing climate change, food security and community resilience.