Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) has partnered with the Thai Sustainable Fisheries Roundtable (TSFR) to promote the conservation and protection of the ecosystem and resources in the Gulf of Thailand through the Fishery Action Plan (FAP), a crucial component of the Fishery Improvement Project (FIP). This determination is strengthening the company's commitment to a responsible aquafeed raw material supply chain.
As part of TSFR’s working group, CP Foods has highlighted the progress made under the FAP's Multispecies Fishery initiative in Thailand, the first country in the world to establish this as a pilot project in the Multispecies Fishery area. The initiative aims to acquire multispecies certification by MarinTrust.
The meeting was led by Bancha Sukkaew, deputy director-general of the Department of Fisheries, alongside Pornsil Patchrintanakul, president of Thai Feed Mill Association and TSFR leading, representatives from TSFR 8 associations, MarinTrust management and fishery expert, several academics and the experts from the Department of Fisheries.
In 2023, the TSFR working group led by CP Foods is focusing on implementing the Fishery Action Plan (FAP) to achieve measurable results. A key aspect of this endeavor is collecting data on marine fishery resources in the Gulf of Thailand to analyze the changes and evaluate the impacts of trawl fishing on aquatic species’ habitat, such as coral reefs, seagrasses, and mangroves. This also includes monitoring Endangered, Threatened and Protected (ETP) species. The outcomes from the FAP activities will assist MarinTrust to assess the progress of the project and also use the data and information to develop criteria for the multi-species certification from the areas where many species of aquatic animals are located, thus setting a precedent for other countries.
Since 2017, the FIP, under the supervision of TSFR, has been proactively implementing the plan to elevate Gulf of Thailand fisheries to international standards. The objectives comprise environmental preservation, maintaining balance in marine natural resources, and producing aquafeed raw materials in an environmentally, socially responsible manner and traceable throughout the supply chain following international standards.
Thai Sustainable Fisheries Roundtable (TSFR) comprises eight associations throughout the seafood supply chain. The members include Thai Frozen Food Association, Thai Feed Mill Association, Thai Fishmeal Producers Association, Thai Shrimp Association, National Fisheries Association of Thailand, Thai Overseas Fisheries Association, Thai Food Processors Association and Thai Tuna Industry Association. Their joint mission is to execute the FIP for trawl fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand. Apart from promoting responsible fisheries, the project also underscores the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which poses a risk to marine biodiversity. The project's principles and methodologies have already been successfully deployed in India and Vietnam, marking substantial advancements in sustainable aquaculture globally.
