The Use of Drugs, Chemicals, Herbs, and Herbal Extract Products in Grow-out Farms of Snakehead (Channa striata) and Pangasius Catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

This study aimed to investigate the current use of drugs, chemicals, herbs, and herbal extract products in grow-out farms of snakehead (Channa striata) and Pangasius catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The survey was conducted with a total of 60 Pangasius catfish grow-out farms in An Giang and Dong Thap provinces, and 60 snakehead grow-out farms in An Giang and Tra Vinh provinces. The results showed that bacterial diseases were commonly reported by snakehead farmers (1-4 episodes per crop) and Pangasius catfish farmers (1 to 12 episodes per crop). Farmers used 12 types of single antibiotics and a mixture of two antibiotics in Pangasius catfish, and eight types of antibiotics in snakehead aquaculture. However, Pangasius catfish and snakehead farmers used enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin, which are banned antibiotics according to the Vietnamese authority regulations. For the use of herbs and herbal extract products, a variety of commercial products were used by farmers which claimed different purposes for use. According to the farmers, the quality and effectiveness of these products were questionable. Some farmers used traditional herbs following their experiences using traditional medicines for humans and did not really know about the application doses. Thus, it would be requested for in-depth studies on the use of herbs as on-farm treatments, which would provide evidence for the use of herbs in the industry.