A first draft Shrimp Standard for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is now available for public comment through October 10, 2014.
A steering committee of 14 industry and non-government stakeholders designed the draft standard to be a workable tool for the shrimp industry in ASEAN to improve the sustainability, environmental and social performance of farming, especially at the small-scale, and receive recognition in key export markets.
The steering committee welcomes comments on the draft standard from farmers, experts and other stakeholders engaged in the shrimp aquaculture industry.
The draft standard complements existing national good aquaculture practices and aims to align with internationally accepted environmental and social standards, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch® Program sustainability assessment criteria and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council standards.
With the formation of an ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, the region will become one of the 10 largest global economies and a major player in the global seafood industry. The creation of a single market will present an opportunity for the industry and other interested stakeholders to work collaboratively across the ASEAN region to improve sustainability of shrimp farming and promote responsible aquaculture practices in a way that continues to support food security and safeguards the livelihoods of small-scale shrimp farmers.
The public comment process is open to all individuals, organizations and entities interested in providing inputs and feedback on the draft standard, in line with international guidelines for creating environmental and social standards defined by the ISEAL Alliance. The steering committee will use this feedback to revise the draft standard that will be piloted or field tested with farmers in several ASEAN countries. The steering committee plans to finalize the Shrimp Standard for the ASEAN Region by early 2015.
To review the draft shrimp standard and provide input, please download the (i) Public Comment Feedback Form and (ii) the Draft Shrimp Standard for ASEAN here.
Please send all comments to shrimp.steeringcommittee@gmail.com no later than October 10, 2014.
Steering Committee: FAIRAGRO (Thailand); Indonesian Fishery Product Processing & Marketing Association (Indonesia); International Collaborating Center for Aquaculture & Fisheries Sustainability (Vietnam); Kasetsart University (Thailand); Network of Aquaculture Centers Asia Pacific (Regional); Tambuyog Development Center (Philippines); Socsksargen Federation of Fishing & Allied Industries (Philippines); Surya University (Indonesia); Thai Union Frozen Products (Thailand); Thai Farmers Council (Thailand); Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers (Vietnam); Wetlands International (Indonesia); Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® (USA); Chicken of the Sea (USA)
The development of the Shrimp Standard for the ASEAN region is being carried out with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
