The visit to the farm, located at Lake Temengor in the state of Perak, was organised by WWF-Malaysia as part of the Asia-wide Sustainable Seafood Festival (SSF). Fifteen Malaysian seafood retailers, distributors, restaurant owners and chefs learnt about Trapia’s sustainable farming practices and gained a better understanding of responsible fish farming.
Chris Ninnes, ASC’s CEO applauded the initiative: “It’s great to hear about WWF-Malaysia taking the lead in introducing responsible tilapia aquaculture to their stakeholders. It is paramount to engage with the market at a grass root level and encourage the supply chain to commit to responsible seafood sourcing.
“Trapia is the first farm in Malaysia to gain certification against ASC’s rigorous Tilapia Standard. They are a clear example of how a focus on environmental stewardship and social responsibility is recognised and rewarded through the ASC certification programme.”
Alejandro Tola Alvarez, Chief Technical Officer, GenoMar AS explains how ASC certification fits into Trapia Malaysia’s sustainability strategy: “We want to be with the best in the industry and show our stakeholders that we are a responsible organisation.”
“ASC certification provides additional assurance and trust to our shareholders. A positive aspect of the ASC standard is that it brings a stronger multi-stakeholder perspective in the company’s decision making processes which at the end becomes just ‘the way you think.”
Sustainable Seafood Festival in Asia
The Sustainable Seafood Festival is a new initiative introduced by WWF and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This year’s campaign ran from 8 to 15 June across four different countries in the region: Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Tied with the World Oceans Day, the goal of the week-long festival is to encourage responsible seafood consumption by empowering suppliers, retailers, restaurants and consumers to choose responsibly produced seafood. The campaign aims to drive sustainability throughout the entire seafood supply chain.
Other SSF initiatives included the successful Japanese ASC pangasius launch organised by AEON, Japan’s largest retailer, and WWF-Japan in Tokyo on 5 June. And, WWF-Canada honoured the lead up to World Oceans Day on 4 June by organising a sampling of ASC certified responsibly farmed tilapia with the support of Loblaws.
Certification and labelling programme for responsible aquaculture
Since the launch of the ASC logo in April 2012, the ASC programme has developed in the Asian region. There are now ASC approved products across China, Hong Kong, Japan, Republic of South Korea, and Taiwan. Japan leads the way with more than 60 approved ASC certified products, with four being consumer-facing products available in AEON stores.
Products carrying the ASC logo can be traced to a responsibly managed farm through the supply chain. Companies are assessed against strict requirements before they can become ASC Chain of custody certified.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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