The inaugural Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Summit recently unfolded in Vietnam, drawing participants from around the world to engage with ASC-certified farmers of shrimp and pangasius. Vietnam, recognized as one of the foremost aquaculture-producing countries globally, hosted the summit, which united seafood buyers to explore commercial entities contributing to responsible aquaculture practices.
The ASC Summit’s interactive program featured tours of certified seafood farms, processing facilities, and feed mills, all integral to the responsible production and supply of ASC-certified and labeled seafood to global markets.
Mr. Sangjin Lee, Fish Buyer and ESG Manager at Lottemart (Korea), expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Visiting various aquaculture farms abroad was a great experience, and witnessing how advanced the production facilities are was especially impressive. The knowledge gained throughout the activities carried out will inform our future decisions in purchasing a variety of seafood, including ASC certified shrimp.”
Vietnam’s ASC certification profile underscores its global significance in seafood exports, particularly in the responsible farming of shrimp and pangasius. The country boasts over 300 ASC-certified shrimp farm sites and more than 50 ASC-certified pangasius farm sites, collectively producing nearly 73,000 metric tonnes of ASC-certified shrimp and almost 85,000 metric tonnes of ASC-certified pangasius annually.
Marcos Moya, ASC’s Global Producer Outreach Lead, emphasized the educational value of the ASC Summit series, stating, “We are connecting major retailers directly to the farmers whose seafood reaches the plates of consumers, and that is key to increasing positive impacts around environmental sustainability and social responsibility in aquaculture.”
The Vietnam summit marked the final destination for the ASC Summit series in 2023, following visits to shrimp farms in Ecuador in June and seabass and seabream farms in Turkey in September. This immersive experience in Vietnam, the longest summit to date with extensive site visits, showcased how certified farmers transparently demonstrate sustainability performance, values, and commitment to responsible seafood farming.
ASC is set to announce new locations and dates for the 2024 summit, aiming to expand its reach to more industry stakeholders and share the benefits of responsible seafood farming.
Source: The Fish Site
