Water pollution in Pangasius aquaculture endangers its economic success and meaning for rural development in the Mekong Delta. With the help of Bourdieu´s theory of practice, the author considers the interplay of subjective and objective structures to conclude on the conduct of practices in Pangasius cultivation. The study shows that economic dependencies in a global commodity production system have led to a transformation process that most aquaculturists cannot cope with. The discrepancy between the ideal and real situation can no longer be ignored otherwise the downward trend continues.

Sven Genschick is a geographer with special interests in water resources management and (sustainable) commodity productions.